Search and index hosting system
First Claim
1. A method of identifying which documents in a database contain user-specified data, the method comprising the steps of:
- storing, in memory, indices of data in plural databases, the data being indexed by document, location in the document, and a provider identifier;
receiving the user-specified data and a provider identifier which corresponds to one of the plural databases;
retrieving, from memory, an index of data for a database that corresponds to the provider identifier; and
identifying documents in the retrieved index that contain the user-specified data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The system initiates a search at a first network site for user-specified data in a remote database at a second network site and conducts the search at a third network site (e.g., at a host computer'"'"'s site). To begin, the system receives, at the first network site, a provider identifier associated with the database from the second network site. Thereafter, the user-specified data is input at the first network site, following which the user-specified data and the provider identifier are output from the first network site to the third network site. The system then searches for the user-specified data in a database at the third network site using the provider identifier. This database at the third network site includes data that corresponds to data stored in the remote database at the second network site.
33 Citations
60 Claims
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1. A method of identifying which documents in a database contain user-specified data, the method comprising the steps of:
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storing, in memory, indices of data in plural databases, the data being indexed by document, location in the document, and a provider identifier;
receiving the user-specified data and a provider identifier which corresponds to one of the plural databases;
retrieving, from memory, an index of data for a database that corresponds to the provider identifier; and
identifying documents in the retrieved index that contain the user-specified data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of retrieving a list of documents in a database which include user-specified data, and of retrieving one or more data segments from each document on the list, the method comprising the steps of:
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storing an index of documents from the database, the index including pointers corresponding to data in the database, where the pointers define data segments having a predetermined size;
identifying one or more documents in the database that contain the user-specified data based on the index;
creating a list of one or more pointers corresponding to each occurrence of the user-specified data in the documents identified in the identifying step;
extracting each data segment in the database that contains the user-specified data based on the list of pointers created in the creating step; and
outputting a list of the documents in the database that contain the user-specified data, together with the extracted data segments. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of initiating a search at a first network site for user-specified data in a remote database at a second network site and of conducting the search at a third network site, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, at the first network site, a provider identifier associated with the database from the second network site;
inputting the user-specified data at the first network site;
outputting the user-specified data and the provider identifier from the first network site to the third network site; and
searching for the user-specified data in a database at the third network site using the provider identifier, where the database at the third network site includes data that corresponds to data stored in the remote database at the second network site. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of configuring a computerized searching system so that the searching system can be used to search a database comprised of one or more documents, the method comprising the steps of:
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inputting information identifying the database;
assigning a provider identifier to the database;
searching through the database using the information input in the inputting step in order to identify locations of documents in the database;
storing, in memory, the locations of the documents in the database, together with the provider identifier;
indexing the documents in the database;
storing, in memory, an index of the documents generated in the indexing step, together with the provider identifier;
storing, in memory, data corresponding to data in the database, together with the provider identifier; and
outputting the provider identifier to the database. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for identifying which documents in a database contain user-specified data, the apparatus comprising:
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memory means which stores computer-executable process steps and indices of data in plural databases, where the data is indexed by document, location in the document, and provider identifier; and
a processor which executes the process steps so as (i) to receive the user-specified data and a provider identifier which corresponds to one of the plural databases, (ii) to retrieve, from memory, an index of data for a database that corresponds to the provider identifier, and (iii) to identify documents in the retrieved index that contain the user-specified data. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An apparatus for retrieving a list of documents in a database which include user-specified data, and for retrieving one or more data segments from each document on the list, the apparatus comprising:
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memory means which stores computer-executable process steps and an index of documents from the database, the index including pointers corresponding to data in the database, where the pointers define data segments having a predetermined size; and
a processor which executes the process steps so as (i) to identify one or more documents in the database that contain the user-specified data based on the index, (ii) to create a list of one or more pointers corresponding to each occurrence of the user-specified data in the documents identified in the identifying step, (iii) to extract each data segment in the database that contains the user-specified data based on the list of pointers created in the creating step, and (iv) to output a list of the documents in the database that contain the user-specified data, together with the extracted data segments. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system for initiating a search at a first network site for user-specified data in a remote database at a second network site and for conducting the search at a third network site, the system comprising:
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a first network site which executes process steps so as (i) to receive a provider identifier associated with the database from the second network site, (ii) to input the user-specified data, and (iii) to output the user-specified data and the provider identifier from the first network site to the third network site; and
a third network site which executes process steps so as to search for the user-specified data in a database at the third network site using the provider identifier, wherein the database at the third network site includes data that corresponds to data stored in the remote database at the second network site. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. An apparatus for configuring a computerized searching system so that the searching system can be used to search a database comprised of one or more documents, the apparatus comprising:
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a memory which stores computer-executable process steps; and
a processor which executes the process steps so as (i) to input information identifying the database, (ii) to assign a provider identifier to the database, (iii) to search through the database using the information input in the inputting step in order to identify locations of documents in the database, (iv) to store, in memory, the locations of the documents in the database, together with the provider identifier, (v) to index the documents in the database, (vi) to store, in memory, an index of the documents generated in the indexing step, together with the provider identifier, (vii) to store, in memory, data corresponding to data in the database, together with the provider identifier, and (viii) to output the provider identifier to the database. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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42. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 41, further comprising code to output identities of the documents identified by the identifying code.
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43. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 41, wherein the database is located on the Internet.
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44. Computer-executable process steps according to claim 41, further comprising:
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code to search for locations of the user-specified data in the documents identified by the identifying code;
code to store, in memory, compressed data which corresponds to data stored in each of the plural databases;
code to generate pointers into the compressed data based on the search conducted by the searching code;
code to select compressed data from memory that corresponds to the provider identifier;
code to decompress segments of the compressed data selected by the selecting code that correspond to the pointers generated by the generating code; and
code to output the decompressed data segments. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to retrieve a list of documents in a database which include user-specified data, and to retrieve one or more data segments from each document on the list, the computer-executable process steps comprising:
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code to store an index of documents from the database, the index including pointers corresponding to data in the database, where the pointers define data segments having a predetermined size;
code to identify one or more documents in the database that contain the user-specified data based on the index;
code to create a list of one or more pointers corresponding to each occurrence of the user-specified data in the documents identified by the identifying code;
code to extract each data segment in the database that contains the user-specified data based on the list of pointers created by the creating code; and
code to output a list of the documents in the database that contain the user-specified data, together with the extracted data segments. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to initiate a search at a first network site for user-specified data in a remote database at a second network site and to conduct the search at a third network site, the computer-executable process steps comprising:
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code to receive, at the first network site, a provider identifier associated with the database from the second network site;
code to input the user-specified data at the first network site;
code to output the user-specified data and the provider identifier from the first network site to the third network site; and
code to search for the user-specified data in a database at the third network site using the provider identifier, where the database at the third network site includes data that corresponds to data stored in the remote database at the second network site. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57)
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58. Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to configure a computerized searching system so that the searching system can be used to search a database comprised of one or more documents, the computer-executable process steps comprising:
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code to input information identifying the database;
code to assign a provider identifier to the database;
code to search through the database using the information input by the inputting code in order to identify locations of documents in the database;
code to store, in memory, the locations of the documents in the database, together with the provider identifier;
code to index the documents in the database;
code to store, in memory, an index of the documents generated in the indexing step, together with the provider identifier;
code to store, in memory, data corresponding to data in the database, together with the provider identifier; and
code to output the provider identifier to the database. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60)
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Specification