Methods and systems for searching content in distributed computing networks

• US 20050050028A1
• Filed: 06/12/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brilliant Digital Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Brilliant Digital Entertainment Incorporated
• Inventors: Rose, Anthony, Bermeister, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99946 Object-oriented database structure network

Abstract

The present invention discloses an improved method and system for indexing and searching content in a distributed computing network. The present invention also enables users to search for content on a distributed computing network, as well as on the web, via a unified interface. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed toward a method for searching content on a distributed computing network having an index of available data. The method comprises scanning cached network files in a computer that is in data communication with a network wherein said network files are generated in the course of a user'"'"'s access of public or private communication networks, indexing the cached network files to generate index data, and supplying index data to the index of available data on the distributed computing network.

Claims

1. A method of creating an index of available data, the method comprising:

scanning cached network files in a computer that is in data communication with a network wherein said network files are generated in the course of a user'"'"'s access of public or private communication networks;

indexing said cached network files to generate index data; and

supplying said index data to said index of available data on the distributed computing network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

searching said index of available data on the distributed computing network in response to a search request sent by a user connected to said distributed computing network and sending a search response to said user.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said distributed computing network is a peer-to-peer network.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said index data includes identification information indicative of an original source or location of said available data.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said available data are located on a peer computer participating in said distributed computing network.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein said available data are located on a content providing server hosting at least one web site.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of indexing cached network files includes the step of ignoring personal identification information of a user.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of indexing cached network files includes the step of deleting personal identification information of a user.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of indexing cached network files to generate index information is followed by the step of grouping the index information of files according to source.

10. The method according to claim 2 wherein the step of sending the search response to the user is accompanied by requesting the user to present credentials before access to said search response is allowed.

11. A computer program product for generating an index of available data on a distributed computing network, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for scanning cached network files in a computer that is in data communication with a network wherein said network files are generated in the course of a user'"'"'s access of at least one public or private communication networks;

computer readable program code for indexing said cached network files to generate index data; and

computer readable program code for supplying said index data to said index of available data on the distributed computing network.

12. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising:

computer readable program code for searching said index of available data on the distributed computing network in response to a search request sent by a user connected to said distributed computing network, and computer readable program code for sending a search response to said user.

13. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein said distributed computing network is a peer-to-peer network.

14. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein said index data includes identification information indicative of a location said available data.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14 wherein said available data are located on a peer computer participating in said distributed computing network.

16. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein said index data includes identification information indicative of an original source or location of said available data.

17. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein said available data are located on a server hosting at least one web site.

18. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the computer readable program code for indexing cached network files includes computer readable program code for ignoring personal identification information of the user.

19. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the computer readable program code for indexing cached network files includes computer readable program code for deleting personal identification information of a user.

20. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the computer readable program code for indexing cached network files to generate index information further comprises computer readable program code for grouping the index information of files according to source.

21. The computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the computer readable program code for sending the search response to the user further comprises computer readable program code for requesting the user to present credentials before access to said search response is presented.

22. A distributed search system, comprising:

a central server having an index of data wherein said index of data is generated by a plurality of computing devices scanning cached network files wherein said network files are generated in the course of a user'"'"'s access of public or private communication networks, indexing said cached network files to generate index data, and transmitting said index data to said central server;

a plurality of first clients connected to a distributed computing network, wherein each of said first clients has access to a locally or remotely stored copy of said data index; and

a plurality of second clients connected to said distributed computing network, wherein one or more of said first clients receive a plurality of search requests from at least one of said second clients, and fulfill said requests by searching said copy of said data index.

23. The distributed search system of claim 22, wherein said data index contains data information and data location information on a computer in data communication with a distributed network.

24. The distributed search system of claim 22, wherein said data index contains address information of said data wherein said address is of at least one computer in data communication with a distributed network.

25. The distributed search system of claim 22 wherein said data index contains address information of said data wherein said address is of at least one server host of a web site.

26. The distributed search system of claim 22 wherein said at least one of said first clients periodically download said data index from said central server.

27. The distributed search system of claim 22, wherein each of said plurality of first clients has a distributed search engine application for receiving and fulfilling search requests from said second clients.

28. The distributed search system of claim 27, wherein each of said plurality of second clients has a search client application for receiving a search request from a user, sending said search request to at least one of said distributed search engine applications located on at least one first client, and receiving a search response from said distributed search engine application for display.

29. The distributed search system of claim 28, wherein said distributed search engine application transmits an invoice with the search response to said requesting search client application.

30. The distributed search system of claim 29, wherein the search client application, upon receiving the search response, digitally authenticates the invoice and returns an authenticated receipt to said distributed search engine application.

31. The distributed search system of claim 30, wherein said distributed search engine application collects authenticated receipts and periodically transmits at least a portion of said receipts to the central server.