Method of searching for, collecting and distributing information in distributed computer

• US 20040019657A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dentsu Incorporated (Dentsu Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viewpoint Communications Inc.
• Inventors: Akiyama, Ryuhei
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Information control techniques capable of storing information from information providers distributedly and arbitrarily collecting information related to a desired subject. An information processor being in cooperation with other information processors connected with a network, comprising an operating unit for preparing information related to a desired subject, recording units for recording the information, a communication unit for communicating with other information processors connected with a network, and a control unit, the control unit, on receiving a subject-specified inquiry from other first information processor, retrieves information matching the inquiry in the recording units and sends back the matched information to a specified receiving party.

Claims

1. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program for making a computer execute steps of:

receiving a query having a designated theme from another first computer connected to a network;

searching for information coincident with the query; and

sending the information coincident with the query back to a predetermined response destination,

whereby said computer manages the information in distribution.

2. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 1, wherein the query contains transfer control information for controlling transferability of the query, and

said computer is made to further execute steps of:

updating the transfer control information under a predetermined condition;

judging based on the transfer control information whether the transfer of query can be permitted or not; and

transferring, when the transfer is permitted, the query to one or more second computers.

3. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 1, wherein said computer is made to further execute a step of inputting information on a desired theme or defining an accumulation area for inputting the information on the desired theme.

5. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 2, wherein said computer is made to further execute steps of:

receiving the response to the query from said second computer; and

sending the received response back to said first computer.

6. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 1, wherein the response destination is said first computer.

7. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 1, wherein the query contains information for specifying the response destination, and

the response destination is a query originator computer originating the query first.

8. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 2, wherein the response destination is an administration computer requested to distribute the query to said other computer by the query originator computer originating the query first, and starting such a distribution.

9. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 1, wherein the theme is a user'"'"'s evaluation about a commercial article.

10. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 9, wherein the query contains characteristic information of a query originator user related to a purchase of the commercial article,

said computer is made to further execute steps of referring to the characteristics of a respondent user, and judging whether the respondent user is coincident with the characteristic information or not, and

said sending the information involves refraining from sending an evaluation of the user who is not coincident with the characteristic information.

11. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 1, wherein said computer is made to further execute steps of,

generating the query;

and

receiving a response to the query.

12. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 11, wherein said computer is made to further execute a step of requesting said administration computer to start distributing the thus generated query.

13. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 12, wherein said receiving step involves receiving the response from said administration computer.

14. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 11, wherein said receiving step involves receiving the response from a computer having information coincident with the query.

15. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 11, wherein said computer is made to further execute a step of totaling the responses.

16. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 11, wherein the information is a result of the user'"'"'s evaluation about the commercial article, and

said computer is made to further execute steps of:

referring to the characteristic information of the query originator user related to the purchase of the commercial article;

judging whether or not the respondent user is coincident with the characteristic information; and

totaling the responses of the respondent users coincident with the characteristic information.

17. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 1, wherein the query is an offer of selling a specified commercial article, and

the information is a price in the case of purchasing the commercial article concerned.

18. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 17, wherein said computer is made to further execute steps of:

generating the query;

receiving a response to the query; and

selecting only a predetermined number of responses in sequence from the highest price down to the lowest.

19. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 1, wherein the query is an offer of purchasing a specified commercial article, and

the information is a price in the case of selling the commercial article concerned.

20. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 19, wherein said computer is made to further execute steps of:

generating the query;

receiving a response to the query; and

selecting only a predetermined number of responses in sequence from the lowest price to the highest.

4. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program for making a computer execute steps of:

receiving a query having a designated theme from another first computer connected to a network;

searching for information coincident with the query; and

sending a location of the information coincident with the query back to a predetermined response destination,

whereby said computer manages the information in distribution.

21. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program for making a computer distribute a query to another computer on a network and execute steps of:

receiving a query distribution request for distributing the query to another distribution destination computer from a query originator computer generating the query;

determining said distribution destination computer; and

distributing the query to said determined distribution destination computer.

22. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 21, wherein if said distribution destination computer transfers the query to still other transfer destination computer, said distribution step involves distributing transfer control information for controlling transferability of the query together with the query and eliminating a limitless transfer of the query.

23. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 21, wherein said distribution step involves distributing the query to a plurality of distribution destinations on the basis of a multicast address.

24. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 21, wherein said computer is made to further execute steps of:

receiving a response to the query; and

sending the response back to said query originator computer.

25. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 21, wherein said computer is made to further execute steps of:

receiving the responses to the query;

totaling the responses and generating total information; and

sending the total information back to the query originator computer.

26. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 21, wherein said computer is made to further execute steps of:

receiving a response to the query;

generating an anonymous response by deleting the information for specifying an individual from the response; and

sending the anonymous response back the query originator computer.

27. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 25, wherein the information is a result of the user'"'"'s evaluation about the commercial article,

wherein said computer is made to further execute steps of:

referring to characteristic information of the user of said query originator computer with respect to the purchase of the commercial article;

judging whether or not the respondent user is coincident with the user characteristic information; and

wherein said totaling step includes totaling responses of the respondent users coincident with the characteristic information.

28. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 22, wherein said distribution step involves designating said query originator computer as a response destination for said distribution destination computer, and having the response directly given to said query originator computer from said distribution destination computer or said transfer destination computer.

29. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 25, wherein the query is an offer of selling a specified commercial article,

the information is a price in the case of purchasing the commercial article, and

said totaling step includes selecting only a predetermined number of responses in sequence from the highest price down to the lowest.

30. A readable-by-computer recording medium recorded with a program according to claim 25, wherein the query is an offer of purchasing a specified commercial article,

the information is a price in the case of selling the commercial article, and

said totaling step includes selecting only a predetermined number of responses in sequence from the lowest price to the highest.

31. A data communication signal containing a program code module for making a computer execute steps of:

receiving a query having a designated theme from another first computer connected to a network;

searching for information coincident with the query;

sending the information coincident with the query back to a predetermined response destination;

updating transfer control information for controlling transferability of the query;

judging based on the transfer control information whether the transfer of query can be permitted or not; and

transferring, when the transfer is permitted, the query to one or more second computers.

32. An information processing device cooperating with another information processing device connected to a network, comprising:

an operation unit for creating information related to a desired theme;

a recording unit for recording said information;

a communication unit for communicating with said other information processing device connected to the network; and

a control unit,

wherein said control unit, when receiving the query with the theme designated from said other first information processing device, searches for information coincident with the query on said recording unit, and sends the information coincident with the query back to a predetermined response destination.

33. An information processing device according to claim 32, wherein the query contains transfer control information for controlling transferability of the query, and said control unit updates the transfer control information, judges based on the transfer control information whether the transfer of query can be permitted or not, and transfers, when the transfer is permitted, the query to one or more second information processing devices.

34. An information processing device according to claim 33, wherein said control unit sends, as a substitute for the information coincident with the query, a location of the information coincident with the query.

35. An information processing device according to claim 33, wherein the information is a result of a user'"'"'s evaluation about a commercial article.

36. An information processing device according to claim 35, wherein the query contains characteristic information of a query originator user related to a purchase of the commercial article, and

said control unit judges whether a respondent user is coincident with the characteristic information or not.

37. An information processing device according to claim 32, wherein the query is an offer of selling a specified commercial article, and

the information is a price in the case of purchasing the commercial article.

38. An information processing device according to claim 32, wherein the query is an offer of purchasing a specified commercial article, and

the information is a price in the case of selling the commercial article.

39. An information processing device according to claim 32, wherein said control unit generates the query and receives a response to the query.

40. An information processing device according to claim 33, wherein said control unit generates the query, sets transfer control information for controlling transferability in the query and eliminates a limitless transfer of the query.

41. An information processing device cooperating with another information processing device connected to a network, comprising:

a communication unit for communicating with said other information processing device connected to the network; and

a control unit,

wherein said control unit receives a request for distribution from a query originator information processing device generating a query related to a desired theme to other distribution destination information processing device, determines said distribution destination information processing device, distributes the query to said distribution destination processing device, and makes a predetermined respondent send back the information coincident with the query.

42. An information processing device according to claim 41, wherein the information is a result of the user'"'"'s evaluation about the commercial article, and

said control unit refers to characteristic information of the user of said query originator information processing device with respect to the purchase of the commercial article, judges whether or not the respondent user is coincident with the above characteristic information, and totals responses of the respondent users coincident with the above characteristic information.

43. An information processing device according to claim 41, wherein the query is an offer of selling a specified commercial article,

the information is a price in the case of purchasing the commercial article, and

said control unit selects only a predetermined number of responses in sequence from the highest price down to the lowest.

44. An information processing device according to claim 41, wherein the query is an offer of purchasing a specified commercial article,

the information is a price in the case of selling the commercial article, and

said control unit selects only a predetermined number of responses in sequence from the lowest price to the highest.

45. An information management processing system, configured by a plurality of information processing devices on a network, for managing information in distribution, said information processing device comprising:

a communication unit for communicating with other information processing device connected to a network; and

a control unit,

wherein said control unit receives a query with a theme designated from other first computer connected to the network, searches for information coincident with the query, and sends the information coincident with the query back to a predetermined response destination.

46. An information management processing system according to claim 45, wherein said information processing device comprises:

a communication unit for communicating with other information processing device connected to a network; and

a control unit,

wherein said control unit further includes an administration device for receiving a request for distributing a query from a query originator computer generating the query to other distribution destination computer, determining said distribution destination computer and distributing the query to said distribution destination computer.

47. An information collecting method of distributing information to a computer on a network, for storing information in distribution, and making said computer respond to the query, said method comprising:

receiving a request for distribution from a query originator computer generating the query related to a desired theme;

determining a query distribution destination computer; and

distributing the query to said distribution destination computer.