Methods and systems for searching an information directory

• US 20010044837A1
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: I411, Inc.
• Original Assignee: I411, Inc.
• Inventors: Talib, Zubair, Talib, Iqbal
• Application Number:
  US09/820,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044837A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/319 Inverted lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3346 using probabilistic model
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/367 Ontology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G16B 50/00 ICT programming tools or database systems specially adapted for bioinformatics

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for searching an information directory in such a manner that it is easy to search, drill down, drill up and drill across an information directory using multiple independent hierarchical category taxonomies of the directory.

Claims

1. A system for searching an information directory, said system comprising:

an organizer configured to receive search requests, said organizer comprising;

an information directory having at least two entries;

wherein the information directory is organized into at least two taxonomies;

wherein each of the at least two taxonomies is associated with at least two categories;

wherein the entries correspond to at least one of the at least two taxonomies and also correspond to at least one of the at least two categories; and

a search engine in communication with the information directory,

wherein said search engine is configured to search based on the at least two taxonomies and based on the at least two categories,

wherein the search engine returns, in response to a search request identifying at least a first taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with the at least first identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the at least first identified taxonomy.

2. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the returned list of categories associated with the first taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy can be further searched with regard to a second of the at least two taxonomies, whereby the search engine returns, in response to a search request identifying the second taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with both identified taxonomies, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the second taxonomy.

3. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the search engine, having returned, in response to a search request identifying a first taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, will provide only those categories with a non-zero number of entries associated with the identified taxonomy and will further return sub-categories both associated with the category and having a non-zero number of entries associated with the sub-category.

4. The system according to

claim 3

, wherein the search engine, having further returned sub-categories both associated with the category and having a non-zero number of entries associated with the sub-category, will, in response to a search request identifying a second taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, provide a list of the categories with a non-zero number of entries associated with the second identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the second identified taxonomy.

5. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the search engine, having returned, in response to a search request identifying a first taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, will, in response to a string query, provide those entries which both contain the string and are associated with the identified taxonomy.

6. The system according to

claim 5

, wherein the string is one member of the group consisting of text, image, and graphic.

7. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the system comprises a network of computers.

8. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the system comprises a single computer.

9. The system according to

claim 1

, wherein the system further comprises a cache which stores the returned results of the search engine for rapid retrieval.

10. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 1

, wherein at least one taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies is selected from the group consisting of products, services, location, industry, business type, SIC code, NAICS code, Harmonized Code, UNSPC Standard, company information, professional information, and degrees attained.

11. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 1

, wherein, in response to a search request identifying one member selected from the group consisting of a taxonomy, a category, and a sub-category, the search engine additionally returns an advertising entry.

13. A system for searching an information directory, said system comprising:

means for networking a plurality of computers; and

means for organizing executing in said computer network and configured to receive search requests from any one of said plurality of computers, said means for organizing comprising;

an information directory having at least two entries;

wherein the information directory is organized into at least two taxonomies;

wherein each of the at least two taxonomies is associated with at least two categories;

wherein the entries correspond to at least one of the at least two taxonomies and also correspond to at least one of the at least two categories; and

means for searching in communication with the information directory,

wherein said means for searching is configured to search based on the at least two taxonomies and based on the at least two categories,

wherein the means for searching returns, in response to a search request identifying one of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy.

12. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 17

, wherein the advertising entry is at least one member selected from the group consisting of a banner advertisement and a search-visible storefront.

14. The system according to

claim 13

, wherein the returned list of categories associated with the first taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy can be further searched with regard to a second of the at least two taxonomies, whereby the means for searching returns, in response to a search request identifying the second taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with both identified taxonomies, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the second taxonomy.

15. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 13

, wherein the means for searching, having returned, in response to a search request identifying a first taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, will provide only those categories with a non-zero number of entries associated with the identified taxonomy and will further provide sub-categories associated with the category and having a non-zero number of entries associated with the sub-category.

16. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 15

, wherein the means for searching, having further returned sub-categories both associated with the category and having a non-zero number of entries associated with the sub-category, will, in response to a search request identifying a second taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, provide a list of the categories with a non-zero number of entries associated with the second identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the second identified taxonomy.

17. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 15

, wherein the means for searching, having returned, in response to a search request identifying a first taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, will, in response to a string query, provide those entries which both contain the string and are associated with the identified taxonomy.

18. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 17

, wherein the string is one member of the group consisting of text, image, and graphic.

19. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 15

, wherein the system comprises a network of computers.

20. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 15

, wherein the system comprises a single computer.

21. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 15

, wherein the system further comprises a cache which stores the returned results of the means for searching for rapid retrieval.

22. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 15

, wherein at least one taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies is selected from the group consisting of products, services, location, industry, business type, SIC code, NAICS code, Harmonized Code, UNSPC Standard, company information, professional information, and degrees attained.

23. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 15

, wherein, in response to a search request identifying one member selected from the group consisting of a taxonomy, a category, and a sub-category, the means for searching additionally returns an advertising entry.

24. The system for searching an information directory according to

claim 23

, wherein the advertising entry is at least one member selected from the group consisting of a banner advertisement and a search-visible storefront.

25. A method for searching an information directory, said method comprising:

communicating a search request to a search engine, the search engine being in communication with an information directory;

wherein the information directory has at least two entries;

wherein the information directory is organized into at least two taxonomies;

wherein each of the at least two taxonomies is associated with at least two categories;

wherein the at least two entries correspond to at least one of the at least two taxonomies and also correspond to at least one of the at least two categories;

querying of the information directory by the search engine based on the communicated search request;

wherein the communicated search request identifies at least one of the at least two taxonomies;

returning of a list of the categories associated with the at least one identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the at least one identified taxonomy as a response to the querying of the information directory.

26. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 25

, wherein the method further comprises

returning, in response to a search request identifying a second taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with both identified taxonomies, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the second taxonomy.

27. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 25

, wherein the method further comprises

returning a list of only those categories with a non-zero number of entries associated with the identified taxonomy and further returning at least one sub-category associated with the category and having a non-zero number of entries associated with the sub-category.

28. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 27

, wherein the method further comprises

having further returned sub-categories both associated with the category and having a non-zero number of entries associated with the sub-category, providing, in response to a search request identifying a second taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, provide a list of the categories with a non-zero number of entries associated with the second identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the second identified taxonomy.

29. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 25

, wherein the method further comprises

returning, in response to a string query, provide those entries which both contain the string and are associated with the identified taxonomy.

30. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 29

, wherein the string is one member of the group consisting of text, image, and graphic.

31. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 25

, wherein the system comprises a network of computers.

32. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 25

, wherein the system comprises a single computer.

33. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 25

, wherein the system further comprises a cache which stores the returned results of the means for searching for rapid retrieval.

34. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 25

, wherein at least one taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies is selected from the group consisting of products, services, location, industry, business type, SIC code, NAICS code, Harmonized Code, UNSPC Standard, company information, professional information, and degrees attained.

35. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 25

, wherein the method further comprises

returning by the search engine additionally, in response to a search request identifying one member selected from the group consisting of a taxonomy, a category, and a sub-category, an advertising entry.

36. The method for searching an information directory according to

claim 35

, wherein the advertising entry is at least one member selected from the group consisting of a banner advertisement and a search-visible storefront.

37. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer program code means embodied thereon for searching an information directory, the computer readable program code means in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer readable program code means for communicating a search request to a search engine, the search engine being in communication with an information directory;

wherein the information directory has at least two entries;

wherein the information directory is organized into at least two taxonomies;

wherein each of the at least two taxonomies is associated with at least two categories;

wherein the at least two entries correspond to at least one of the at least two taxonomies and also correspond to at least one of the at least two categories;

computer readable program code means for querying of the information directory by the search engine based on the communicated search request;

wherein a communicated search request identifies at least one of the at least two taxonomies; and

computer readable program code means for returning of a list of the categories associated with the at least one identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the at least one identified taxonomy as a response to the querying of the information directory.

38. The article of manufacture according to

claim 37

, wherein the returned list of categories associated with the first taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy can be further searched with regard to a second of the at least two taxonomies, whereby the computer readable program code means for querying of the information directory by the search engine returns, in response to a search request identifying the second taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with both identified taxonomies, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the second taxonomy.

39. The article of manufacture according to

claim 37

, wherein the computer readable program code means for querying of the information directory by the search engine, having returned, in response to a search request identifying a first taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, will provide only those categories with a non-zero number of entries associated with the identified taxonomy and will further provide sub-categories associated with the category and having a non-zero number of entries associated with the sub-category.

40. The article of manufacture according to

claim 39

, wherein the computer readable program code means for querying of the information directory by the search engine, having further returned sub-categories both associated with the category and having a non-zero number of entries associated with the sub-category, will, in response to a search request identifying a second taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, provide a list of the categories with a non-zero number of entries associated with the second identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the second identified taxonomy.

41. The article of manufacture according to

claim 37

, wherein the means for searching, having returned, in response to a search request identifying a first taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies, a list of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, along with the number of entries associated with each of the categories associated with the identified taxonomy, will, in response to a string query, provide those entries which both contain the string and are associated with the identified taxonomy.

42. The article of manufacture according to

claim 41

, wherein the string is one member of the group consisting of text, image, and graphic.

43. The article of manufacture according to

claim 37

, wherein at least one taxonomy of the at least two taxonomies is selected from the group consisting of products, services, location, industry, business type, SIC code, NAICS code, Harmonized Code, UNSPC Standard, company information, professional information, and degrees attained.

44. The article of manufacture according to

claim 37

, wherein, in response to a search request identifying one member selected from the group consisting of a taxonomy, a category, and a sub-category, the search engine additionally returns an advertising entry.

45. The article of manufacture according to

claim 44

, wherein the advertising entry is at least one member selected from the group consisting of a banner advertisement and a search-visible storefront.