Web site, information communication terminal, robot search engine response system, robot search engine registration method, and storage medium and program transmission apparatus therefor

• US 20020169875A1
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Furui, Yohnosuke, Takahashi, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,185,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• 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 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A web site 10 is provided in a communication network to enable the selective provision of appropriate information, by a site whereat only limited access is permitted, in consonance with the access right of the source of a request for information.

comprises: a data management system 19; a user agent determination module 12, for ascertaining the type of a transmission source from which an access request is received; and response generation modules 15 to 18, for acquiring, from the data management system 19, information that is correlated with the type of the transmission source, and for generating and returning a response, wherein the data management system 19 stores main information 19a, for which access is limited, and metadata 19b, which is information describing the main information 19a.

Claims

1. A web site provided in a communication network comprising:

a data manager, for storing information to be provided across said communication network;

a transmission source determiner, for ascertaining the type of a transmission source from which an access request is received; and

a response unit, for acquiring, from said data manager, information that is correlated with said type of said transmission source obtained in accordance with the determination made by said transmission source determiner, and for generating and returning a response that is consonant with said type of said transmission source of said access request,

wherein said data manager stores main information, for which access is limited, and metadata, which is information describing said main information, and

wherein, as the result of the determination by said transmission source determiner, when said transmission source of said access request has no right of access for said main information, said response unit obtains metadata that is then used to generate a response.

2. The web site according to claim 1, wherein, when said transmission source of said access request identified by said transmission source determiner is a robot in a robot search engine that is launched across said communication network, said response unit generates a response, as metadata, that includes a keyword concerning said main information.

3. The web site according to claim 2, wherein said transmission source determiner includes a user agent register in which said robot, of said robot search engine, which is launched across said communication network, and a user agent header that said robot adds to said access request are registered as correlating with each other. When the contents of said user agent header added to said access request that is received are registered in said user agent register, said transmission source determiner determines said transmission source of said access request to be said robot of said robot search engine.

4. The web site according to claim 1, wherein said transmission source determiner includes a user register in which each access right of a user for said main information is registered. When a user ID, provided as cookie information, together with said access request that is received, is registered in said user register, said transmission source determiner notifies said response unit of the range of said access rights of said user that is indicated in said user register. In accordance with said range of said access rights of said user, which is received from said transmission source determiner, said response unit generates a response, as metadata, that includes text data for describing the contents of said main information that is requested by said access request.

5. A web site established in a communication network comprising:

a data manager, for storing subscription information to be provided across said communication network;

a transmission source determiner, for determining whether a user who is the transmission source of an access request has paid a fee for said subscription information; and

a response unit, for transmitting, in accordance with the determination made by said transmission source determiner, said subscription information to a user who has paid said fee for said subscription information, and instead of said subscription information, transmitting at no cost a description of said subscription information to a user who has not paid said fee.

6. An information communication terminal, for accessing an information site on a communication network, and for obtaining information available at said information site, whereto a request, together with identification information for said information communication terminal, is transmitted to acquire said information;

and whereat, when said information that is requested falls in an access right range that, for said information communication terminal, is set in accordance with said identification information, said information is provided by said information site, and when said information that is requested does not fall in said access right range, metadata, which is information describing said information available at said information site, is provided.

7. The information communication terminal according to claim 6, wherein said metadata obtained from said information site includes text data for explaining the contents of said information that is requested.

8. A robot search engine response system comprising:

a transmission source determiner, for analyzing an access request received by a web server provided on a communication network, and for identifying said transmission source of said access request; and

a response unit, for transmitting, when said transmission source of said access request identified by said transmission source determiner is a robot of a robot search engine, a keyword concerning said web page source to said robot instead of a web page source requested by said access request.

9. The robot search engine response system according to claim 8, wherein said transmission source determiner includes a user agent register in which said robot, of said robot search engine, which is launched across said communication network, and a user agent header that said robot adds to said access request are registered as correlating with each other. When the contents of said user agent header added to said access request that is received are registered in said user agent register, said transmission source determiner determines said transmission source of said access request to be said robot of said robot search engine.

10. A robot search engine registration method comprising the steps of:

mechanically accessing a web site via a communication network and obtaining a web page source stored at said web site;

accepting an access request from a robot of a robot search engine that prepares a web page search list; and

transmitting to said robot, instead of a web page source requested by said access request, a keyword concerning said web page source.

11. The robot search engine registration method according to claim 10, wherein, when the access of said web page source requested by said access request is limited, and when an access by said robot is not permitted, said text data is transmitted instead of said web page source.

13. The storage medium according to claim 12, wherein, when the access of said web page source requested by said access request is limited, and when an access by said robot is not permitted, said program transmits said text data instead of said web page source.

15. The program transmission apparatus according to claim 14, wherein, when the access of said web page source requested by said access request is limited, and when an access by said robot is not permitted, said program transmits said text data instead of said web page source.

12. A storage medium on which input means of a computer stores a computer-readable program that permits said computer to perform:

a process for analyzing an access request received by a web server that is provided on a communication network and for determining a transmission source of said access request; and

a process for, when said transmission source of said access request is a robot of a robot search engine, transmitting a keyword concerning a web page source to said robot instead of said web page source contained in said access request.

14. A program transmission apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a computer-readable program that permits said computer to perform

a process for analyzing an access request received by a web server that is provided on a communication network and for determining a transmission source of said access request, and

a process for, when said transmission source of said access request is a robot of a robot search engine, transmitting a keyword concerning a web page source to said robot instead of said web page source contained in said access request; and

transmission means for reading said program from said storage means and for transmitting said program.