Searching to identify web page(s)

• US 20050097102A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rahman, Tanvir
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,978 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: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Given a destination(s) and search criteria, the destination(s) is searched to identify files that satisfy the search criteria. For each such file, a file identifier (such a uniform resource locator (URL)) is added to a reference page.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed, perform acts comprising:

receiving an indication of a destination to be searched;

receiving an indication of a set of search criteria;

searching the destination to identify one or more web pages at the destination that satisfy the search criteria; and

generating a reference page that includes an identifier of each of the one or more web pages.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the search criteria comprises a file extension.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the destination is a remote destination accessed via the Internet.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the identifier of each of the one or more files comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

5. The media of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication of a destination to be searched comprises receiving the indication of the destination from the user.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication of a set of search criteria comprises receiving the indication of the set of search criteria from a user.

7. The media of claim 1, further acts comprising:

receiving a modification to one of the identifiers; and

including the modification on the reference page.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the act of including the modification comprises including additional parameters to be used if the identifier is selected.

9. The media of claim 7, further acts comprising:

receiving a selection of the modified identifier; and

accessing the web page corresponding to the modified identifier using, as parameters, the modification.

10. The media of claim 1, further acts comprising:

receiving a selection of one of the identifiers; and

accessing the web page corresponding to the selected identifier.

11. The media of claim 10, wherein the act of accessing comprises loading the web page.

12. The media of claim 10, wherein the act of accessing comprises retrieving the web page and storing the web page locally.

13. The media of claim 10, wherein the selection comprises a user-selection.

14. A system comprising means for:

receiving an indication of a destination to be searched;

receiving an indication of a set of search criteria;

searching the destination to identify one or more web pages at the destination that satisfy the search criteria; and

generating a reference page that includes an identifier of each of the one or more web pages.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the search criteria comprises a file extension.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the destination is a remote destination accessed via the Internet.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the identifier of each of the one or more files comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving an indication of a destination to be searched comprises receiving the indication of the destination from a user.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving an indication of a set of search criteria comprises receiving the indication of the set of search criteria from a user.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for:

receiving a modification to one of the identifiers; and

including the modification on the reference page.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for including the modification comprises including additional parameters to be used if the identifier selected.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for:

receiving a selection of the modified identifier; and

accessing the web page corresponding to the modified identifier using, as parameters, the modification.

23. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for:

receiving a selection of one of the identifiers; and

accessing the web page corresponding to the selected identifier.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for accessing comprises loading the web page.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for accessing comprises retrieving the web page and storing the web page locally.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the selection comprises a user-selection.

27. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive an indication of a destination to be searched;

receive an indication of a set of search criteria;

search the destination to identify one or more web pages at the destination that satisfy the search criteria; and

generate a reference page that includes an identifier of each of the one or more web pages.

28. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the search criteria comprises a file extension.

29. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the destination is a remote destination accessed via the Internet.

30. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the identifier of each of the one or more files comprises a uniform resource locator (URL).

31. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the one or more processors to perform the act of receive an indication of a destination to be searched comprising receive the indication of the destination from a user.

32. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the one or more processors to perform the act of receive an indication of a set of search criteria comprising receive the indication of the set of search criteria from a user.

33. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the one or more processors further to:

receive a modification to one of the identifiers; and

include the modification on the reference page.

34. The computing system of claim 33, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the one or more processors to perform the act of include the modification comprising include additional parameters to be used if the identifier is selected.

35. The computing system of claim 33, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the one or more processors further to:

receive a selection of the modified identifier; and

access the web page corresponding to the modified identifier using, as parameters, the modification.

36. The computing system of claim 27, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the one or more processors further to:

receive a selection of one of the identifiers; and

access the web page corresponding to the selected identifier.

37. The computing system of claim 36, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the one or more processors to perform the act of access the web page comprising load the web page.

38. The computing system of claim 36, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the one or more processors to perform the act of access the web page comprising retrieve the web page and store the web page locally.

39. The computing system of claim 36, wherein the selection comprises a user-selection.