System and method for distributed querying and presentation or information from heterogeneous data sources

• US 20040088174A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Agrawal, Rakesh, Somani, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products

Abstract

A method, system, business method, and computer program product for retrieving and organizing networked data, wherein fetch rules and extraction rules enable a user to automatically collect and extract information from a remote network site. The fetch rules reproduce the interaction a client executes if interacting directly with the remote site, so a server cannot be shut out. The extraction rules allow the client, preferably via an applet, to glean relevant information from the acquired pages for presentation in a general interface. As an electronic commerce business method, information about remote site responsiveness, fetch rules, and extraction rules may be shared between server and client for a fee. The server accumulates vendor contacts, stores query rules, and provides common interface rules. The invention can gather statistics on vendor responsiveness and can resell information to vendors or others.

Claims

1. A method for distributed querying of heterogeneous data sources, comprising:

transmitting at least one data request to at least one server;

creating a signed applet with fetch rules and extraction rules stored by said server;

executing said signed applet, said signed applet

(a) acquiring data from at least one remote site using said fetch rules; and

(b) extracting information from said acquired data using said extraction rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said signed applet consolidates said extracted information and presents said extracted information according to presentation rules.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said signed applet gathers statistics on utility of particular remote sites in satisfying particular data requests.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said signed applet transmits said extracted information to said server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said server updates said extraction rules for particular remote sites.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said signed applet transmits said acquired data to said server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said server updates said fetch rules for particular remote sites.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said method executes in substantially real time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said data request includes user metadata enabling said signed applet to mimic a user and thus prevent said remote sites from restricting automated access.

10. A method for conducting electronic commerce, comprising the steps of:

transmitting at least one data request to at least one server;

creating a signed applet with fetch rules and extraction rules stored by said server;

executing said signed applet, said signed applet acquiring data from at least one remote site using said fetch rules and extracting information from said acquired data using said extraction rules,

wherein said server charges a data request originator for using at least one of said rules.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said data request originator charges said server for exchanged data including at least one of:

said user metadata, said fetch rules, updated fetch rules, said acquired data, said extraction rules, updated extraction rules, extracted information, consolidated extracted information, presentation rules for said extracted information, statistics on the utility of particular remote sites in satisfying said data requests, alternate remote sites likely to satisfy said data requests.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said server discounts said charges to said data request originators in return for said exchanged data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said data request originator charges third parties for exchanged data including at least one of:

said user metadata, said fetch rules, updated fetch rules, said acquired data, said extraction rules, updated extraction rules, extracted information, consolidated extracted information, presentation rules for said extracted information, statistics on the utility of particular remote sites in satisfying said data requests, and alternate remote sites likely to satisfy said data requests.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said data request originator is one of said remote sites, identifying (a) other remote sites, (b) data provided by said other remote sites, and (c) the format of said data provided by said other remote sites.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said data request originator seeks information from at least one of:

company reports, databases, and catalogs.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said data request includes user metadata required for said applet to mimic a particular data request originator and thus prevent said remote sites from restricting automated access, said metadata including at least one of:

a userid, a password, an account number, an email address, and a URL.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein a web browser transmits said data request.

18. A system for distributed querying of heterogeneous data sources, comprising:

means for transmitting at least one data request to at least one server;

means for creating a signed applet with fetch rules and extraction rules stored by said server; and

means for executing said signed applet, said signed applet comprising means for (a) acquiring data from at least one remote site using said fetch rules and (b) means for extracting information from said acquired data using said extraction rules.

19. A computer program product for distributed querying of heterogeneous data sources, comprising a computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable code thereon, said code means including:

a first code for transmitting at least one data request to at least one server;

a second code for creating a signed applet with fetch rules and extraction rules stored by said server, said signed applet further having a third code for acquiring data from at least one remote site using said fetch rules and a fourth code for extracting information from said acquired data using said extraction rules.

20. A system for distributed querying of heterogeneous data sources, comprising:

a client;

at least one server;

a communications link between said client and said server;

wherein said server receives at least one data request from said client, creates a signed applet with stored fetch rules and stored extraction rules, and returns said signed applet to said client for execution, and wherein said signed applet upon execution acquires data from at least one remote site using said fetch rules and extracts information from said acquired data using said extraction rules.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said client is a web browser having a built-in run-time Java environment.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein said signed applet consolidates and presents said extracted information.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said client is a remote computer.