System and method of searchin and gathering information on-line and off-line

• US 20020013781A1
• Filed: 01/12/2001
• Published: 01/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Orbidex
• Original Assignee: Orbidex
• Inventors: Petersen, Erik
• Application Number:
  US09/758,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013781A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method of searching using a network by gathering information off-line. Data is collected from users that do not have on-line capability, to place the data on-line. Alternatively, users that can not access data on-line are give the ability to such data via an intermediary or third party.

Claims

1. A method of gathering data on-line for use off-line, comprising:

collecting data from users off-line and storing the data in a storage unit; and

sending the data collected off-line to users on-line.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is collected from a web page accessible by the users on-line, and

data sent to the users off-line is manipulated before sending such that the data conforms to a device receiving the data.

3. A method of communicating data to users off-line using the data stored on-line, comprising:

storing data in a database; and

delivering the data stored in the database to users, such that the users receive the information without going on-line to access the database.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data includes a request for an item to be submitted to a vender off-line.

5. The method of 3, further comprising:

manipulating the data to place it in a format conforming to a device receiving the data.

6. A method of searching for an object using a intermediary, comprising:

providing an interface for a user to request the objects; and

sending the request to users off-line, enabling the users off-line to search for the requested objects.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing the request in a database;

selecting users to send the data to based on the requested data; and

notifying the user on-line of the results of the search.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting includes correlating data based on category and business type information

9. A method of shopping on-line using retailers/vendors off-line, comprising:

searching a database including data having user requests stored therein; and

sending the data, manipulated to conform with a receiving device, such that a search based on the user requests is conducted by a selected retailer/vendor.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

forwarding results of the search for posting on-line.

11. A system for gathering data on-line for use off-line, comprising:

a database collecting data from users off-line; and

a server accessing the data in the database and sending the data to users on-line.

12. A system for shopping on-line using retailers/vendors off-line, comprising:

a database storing data including user requests and retailers/vendors; and

a server matching the user requests and retailers/vendors data, and sending the user request to the matched retailers/vendors such that a search based on the user requests is conducted by a selected retailers/vendors.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein results of the search by the retailers/vendors are posted on-line.