System and method for processing database queries

• US 20020103794A1
• Filed: 09/06/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mymove LLC
• Original Assignee: Imagitas Incorporated (Red Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chang, Kae-Por F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,630,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A system and method is provided wherein a user chooses from an allowed preselected domain of query element values, presenting a query comprising a plurality of selected query element values, which form the basis for indexing query results. A database lookup is done according to the user'"'"'s selections and index values, as well as relevancy values of other members of the allowed preselected domain of query element values. In some embodiments the query results are assigned to arbitrary tags or numbers to prevent unauthorized competing search providers from appropriating the query results.

Claims

1. A method for processing database queries, comprising:

presenting, to a user, a plurality of query elements, each query element having a plurality of allowed query element values;

receiving, from the user, a plurality of selected query element values, each selected query element value corresponding to a respective query element, wherein the value of each selected query elements is selected by the user from the respective plurality of allowed query element values corresponding to the respective query elements;

indexing a database by forming an index from the selected query element values; and

retrieving, from the database, information objects corresponding to the index.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning query results to the user, the query results corresponding to the information objects.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising ranking the query results according to a ranking scheme.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising presenting the query results to the user on a graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the graphical user interface is based on an Internet browser.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking the information objects according to a ranking scheme.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising mapping the retrieved information objects into corresponding mapped information objects.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the corresponding mapped information objects are numbers corresponding to the retrieved information objects.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising arbitrarily assigning the numbers to the corresponding retrieved information objects.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising sequentially assigning the numbers to the corresponding retrieved information objects.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the index is formed using allowed query element values other than the selected query element values as well as the selected query element values.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a formula to form the index.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating the index using a relevance value associated with a selected query element value.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising checking a link state of an information object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the link state is a time of last check.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the link state is a status of a link.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the information objects comprise links.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the links comprise Internet links.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the server comprises a structured query constructor for formulating the allowed query element values.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the server comprises a query result presenter for presenting query results to the client.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the query result presenter ranks the query results.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising a classification-based analyzer, coupled to the database, for analyzing data based on the query.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the graphical user interface is Internet browser-based.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the database is a relational database.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the database comprises information objects.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the information objects comprise links.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the links comprise Internet links.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the database comprises a link state of an information object.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the link state comprises a time of last check.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the link state comprises a status of a link.

33. The system of claim 19, further comprising a mapper for mapping a retrieved information object to a mapped information object.

34. The system of claim 19, further comprising an editor for editing the results of the query.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the editor is a human.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the editor is a machine.

19. A system for processing a database query, comprising:

a server;

a client coupled to the server through a network;

a database coupled to the server, the database comprising information objects;

a user interface running on the client for presenting query results to a user;

a selector, implemented in the user interface, for allowing the user to select a plurality of selected query element values from respective pluralities of allowed query element values for respective query elements; and

an indexer for forming an index to the database, using the selected query element values.