System, method, and article of manufacture for seamless integrated searching

• US 20040030675A1
• Filed: 08/05/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServStor Technologies, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Blue Dolphin Solutions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Could, Eric Justin
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A search system (10) employing a scheme of meta-folders (14) in which conventional objects (18) and search objects (20) may be stored in an intermingling manner. Upon opening a meta-folder (14) the search objects (20) are resolved into conventional static pointers, and thus into conventional objects (18). Optionally, an unresolved meta-folder (14a) may very fleetingly appear while this occurs. A resolved meta-folder (14a) then results, presenting only conventional objects (18). In particular, the search objects (20) may be search criteria which the process of resolving causes to produce only such searched out conventional objects (18) which are currently available. Users (80) of the search system (10) my employ it in large network environments (82), including the Internet (96).

Claims

1. A system for searching for and presenting collections of conventional objects, comprising:

a computerized system;

a display unit controllable by said computerized system;

a selection unit influencing what said computerized system depicts with said display unit;

a meta-folder containing at least one search object for locating current instances of the conventional objects in said computerized system;

wherein a closed representation of said meta-folder is depictable on said display unit, said closed representation being selectable and open able with said selection unit; and

further wherein an open representation of said meta-folder is also depictable on said display unit, said open representation of said meta-folder including representations of said current instances of the conventional objects.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said computerized system includes a network, a client device which is connectable to said network, and at least one server which is connected to said network, such that said client device may access instances of the conventional objects, said search objects, and said meta-folders which are stored on said at least one server.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said network is a global communications network.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said client device is a member of the set consisting of personal computers and enhanced devices.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said search object is provided as a file and may be freely transferred and stored within said computer system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said display unit depicts using non-visual representations.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said display unit depicts using at least one member of the set consisting of visual, audible, and tactile representations.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said selection unit is a user operated input device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said selection unit is an automated process.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said meta-folder further includes at least one member of the set consisting of conventional objects and other said meta-folders.

11. A method for searching for and presenting collections of conventional objects in a computerized system having a display unit and a selection unit, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) depicting a meta-folder with the display unit as a closed representation, wherein said meta-folder contains at least one previously defined search object;

(b) selecting and opening said meta-folder with the selection unit;

(c) resolving all said search objects in said meta folder into current instances of the conventional objects which are findable within the computerized system; and

(d) depicting said meta-folder with the display unit as an open representation which includes said current instances of the conventional objects which are thus found.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said meta-folder is provided as a file and the method further comprises transferring said file from a storage medium into the computerized system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the computerized system includes a network, a client device which is connectable to said network, and a server which is connected to said network; and

said meta-folder is stored on said server;

and the method further comprises;

connecting said client device to said server via said network; and

accessing said meta-folder on said server via said network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein

said meta-folder is a parent meta-folder;

said parent meta-folder further includes at least one member of the set consisting of conventional objects and other said meta-folders;

step (c) includes resolving all said search objects in all said meta folders into current instances of the conventional objects which are findable in the computerized system; and

step (d) includes depicting said open representation including said current instances of all the conventional objects which are thus found.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said step (a) and said step (d) include depicting with the display unit using non-visual representations.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said step (a) and said step (d) include depicting with the display unit using at least one member of the set consisting of visual, audible, and tactile representations.

17. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for searching for and presenting collections of conventional objects in a computer system having a display unit and a selection unit, comprising:

(a) a code segment that depicts a meta-folder with the display unit as a closed representation, wherein said meta-folder contains at least one previously defined search object;

(b) a code segment that selects and opens said meta-folder upon instruction from the selection unit;

(c) a code segment that resolves all said search objects in said meta folder into current instances of the conventional objects which are findable in the computerized system; and

(d) a code segment that depicts an open representation of said meta-folder with the display unit which includes said current instances of the conventional objects which are thus found.

18. The computer program of claim 17, wherein said meta-folder is provided as a file, and the computer program further comprising a code segment that transfers said file from a storage medium into the computerized system.

19. The computer program of claim 17, wherein:

the computerized system may include a network, a client device which is connectable to said network, and a server which is connected to said network; and

said meta-folder may be stored on said server; and

the computer program further comprising;

a code segment that connects said client device to said server via said network; and

a code segment that accesses said meta-folder on said server via said network.

20. The computer program of claim 17, wherein said code segment (a) and said code segment (d) depict using non-visual representations with the display unit.

21. The computer program of claim 17, wherein said code segment (a) and said code segment (d) using at least one member of the set consisting of visual, audible, and tactile representations with the display unit.

22. The computer program of claim 17, wherein

said meta-folder is a parent meta-folder;

said parent meta-folder further includes at least one member of the set consisting of conventional objects and other said meta-folders;

said code segment (c) resolves all said search objects in all said meta folders into current instances of the conventional objects which are findable in said computerized system; and

said code segment (d) depicts an open representation of said parent meta-folder including said current instances of all the conventional objects which are thus found.