Docubase indexing, searching and data retrieval
First Claim
1. A docubase comprising:
- a plurality of records stored in a machine-readable medium, each of said plurality of records comprising a corresponding master document;
an index file comprising;
a header having a plurality of header entries and a body having a plurality of body entries, wherein at least one of the plurality of header entries has a header-to-body pointer associated therewith that points to a corresponding one of the plurality of body entries, at least one of the pointed to body entries is an initial body entry in a corresponding set of the body entries related to the header-to-body pointer pointing thereto, at least one of the plurality of body entries has a body-to-record-pointer associated therewith that points to one of the plurality of records, at least one of the plurality of header entries further has a corresponding header-identifier associated therewith and with a corresponding set of search criteria.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Data storage and retrieval methods are described in which data is stored in records within a docubase, and desired records are identified and/or selected by searching index files which map search criteria into appropriate records. Each index file includes a header with header entries and a body with body entries. Each header entry comprises a header-to-body pointer which points to a location in the body of the same index file which is the starting point of the body entries related to the header-to-body pointer pointing thereto. The body entries in turn comprise body-to-record-pointers which point to the records within the docubase satisfying the search criteria. Alternatively, the body entries may comprise body-to-body pointers which point to body entries in a second index file, which in turn point to the records within the docubase satisfying the search criteria. The records are stored in HTML format.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A docubase comprising:
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a plurality of records stored in a machine-readable medium, each of said plurality of records comprising a corresponding master document;
an index file comprising;
a header having a plurality of header entries and a body having a plurality of body entries, wherein at least one of the plurality of header entries has a header-to-body pointer associated therewith that points to a corresponding one of the plurality of body entries, at least one of the pointed to body entries is an initial body entry in a corresponding set of the body entries related to the header-to-body pointer pointing thereto, at least one of the plurality of body entries has a body-to-record-pointer associated therewith that points to one of the plurality of records, at least one of the plurality of header entries further has a corresponding header-identifier associated therewith and with a corresponding set of search criteria. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A docubase comprising:
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a plurality of records stored in a machine-readable medium, each of said plurality of records comprising a corresponding master document;
a first index file comprising a first header having a plurality of first header entries, and a first body having a plurality of first body entries;
a second index file comprising a second body having a plurality of second body entries;
at least one of said first header entries has a header-to-body pointer associated therewith that points to a corresponding one of the plurality of first body entries, and a corresponding header-identifier associated therewith and with a corresponding set of search criteria, at least one of said first body entries has a body-to-body pointer associated therewith that points to a corresponding one of the plurality of second body entries, at least one of said second body entries has a corresponding body-to-record-pointer associated therewith, and a corresponding value associated with the corresponding body-to-record pointer, said body-to-record pointer pointing to a corresponding one of the records having the corresponding value associated therewith. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of searching a docubase having records stored on a machine-readable medium comprising the steps:
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receiving a search query comprising search criteria of the docubase;
identifying an index file to search in response to the search query, said index file comprising a header having a plurality of header entries and a body having a plurality of body entries, at least one of the plurality of header entries having a header-to-body pointer associated therewith that points to a corresponding one of the plurality of body entries, at least one of the plurality of body entries having a body-to-record-pointer associated therewith that points to one of the records;
identifying one of the plurality of header entries corresponding to the search criteria;
identifying the header-to-body pointer associated with the identified header entry;
accessing the body entry pointed to by the identified header-to-body pointer, said accessed body entry being the first in a set of body entries related to the identified header-to-body pointer;
identifying the body entries within the set which have associated therewith body-to-record pointers pointing to records satisfying the search criteria; and
accessing the records satisfying the search criteria. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of searching a docubase having records stored on a machine-readable medium comprising the steps:
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receiving a search query comprising search criteria of the docubase;
identifying a pair of index files to search in response to the search query, said pair including a first index file comprising a first header and a first body, and a second index file comprising a second body, said first header having a plurality of first header entries each having a header-to-body pointer associated therewith that points to a corresponding one of a plurality of first body entries associated with the first body, the first body entries each having a body-to-body pointer associated therewith that points to a corresponding one of a plurality of second body entries associated with the second body, the second body entries each having a corresponding body-to-record-pointer associated therewith, and a corresponding value associated with the corresponding body-to-record pointer, said body-to-record pointer pointing to a corresponding one of the records having the corresponding value associated therewith;
identifying one of the plurality of first header entries corresponding to the search criteria;
identifying the header-to-body pointer associated with the identified first header entry;
accessing the first body entry pointed to by the identified header-to-body pointer, said accessed first body entry being an initial first body entry in a set of first body entries related to the identified header-to-body pointer;
identifying the first body entry within the set of first body entries which has associated therewith a body-to-body pointer pointing to the second body entry having a body-to-record pointer pointing to a record satisfying the search criteria; and
accessing the record satisfying the search criteria. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification