Searching method and system
First Claim
1. A database management method for managing the interactions between a database and users of the database, the database comprising user data associated with respective users, the method comprising:
- entering user entered data into the database;
monitoring user interactions with the database and entering into the database user interaction data corresponding to the monitored user interactions of respective users of the database;
receiving a query from a searching user to identify a target user according to search criteria entered by the searching user;
processing the query by searching the user entered data and/or the user interaction data in order to identify a number of target users having user entered data and/or user interaction data matching the criteria;
ranking the identified target users depending on the user entered data and/or the user interaction data of the respective identified target users;
wherein the user interaction data is used by at least one of the query processing and ranking steps.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to searching a data store comprising data about users who are attempting to identify other users associated with the data store. Examples include the recruitment field in which employers are seeking employees, and vice versa; and the dating field in which user A is seeking users B having certain characteristics, and vice versa. The present invention provides a database management method for managing the interactions between a database and users of the database, the database comprising user data associated with respective users, the method comprising: entering user entered data into the database; monitoring user interactions with the database and entering into the database user interaction data corresponding to the monitored user interactions of respective users of the database; receiving a query from a searching user to identify a target user according to search criteria entered by the searching user; processing the query by searching the user entered data and/or the user interaction data in order to identify a number of target users having user entered data and/or user interaction data matching the criteria; ranking the identified target users depending on the user entered data and/or the user interaction data of the respective identified target users; wherein the user interaction data is used by at least one of the query processing or ranking steps.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A database management method for managing the interactions between a database and users of the database, the database comprising user data associated with respective users, the method comprising:
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entering user entered data into the database;
monitoring user interactions with the database and entering into the database user interaction data corresponding to the monitored user interactions of respective users of the database;
receiving a query from a searching user to identify a target user according to search criteria entered by the searching user;
processing the query by searching the user entered data and/or the user interaction data in order to identify a number of target users having user entered data and/or user interaction data matching the criteria;
ranking the identified target users depending on the user entered data and/or the user interaction data of the respective identified target users;
wherein the user interaction data is used by at least one of the query processing and ranking steps. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17)
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13. A method of collecting data for a database comprising user data associated with respective users of the database, the method comprising:
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entering user entered data into the database;
monitoring user interactions with the database and entering into the database user interaction data corresponding to the monitored user interactions of respective users of the database;
wherein both the user entered data and the user interaction data is made available for searching in order to identify target users by searching users of the database.
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14. A method of searching a database comprising user data associated with respective users of the database, the user data comprising both user entered data and user interaction data corresponding to the monitored user interactions of respective users of the database;
- the method comprising;
receiving a query from a searching user to identify a target user according to search criteria entered by the searching user;
processing the query by searching the user entered data and/or the user interaction data in order to identify a number of target users having user entered data and/or user interaction data matching the criteria;
ranking the identified target users depending on the user entered data and/or the user interaction data of the respective identified target users;
wherein the user interaction data is used by at least one of the query processing and ranking steps.
- the method comprising;
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15. A database management method for managing the interactions between a database and users of the database, the database comprising user data associated with respective users, the system comprising:
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monitoring user interactions with the database and entering into the database user interaction data corresponding to the monitored user interactions of respective users of the database;
receiving a query from a searching user to identify a target user according to search criteria entered by the searching user;
processing the query by searching the user interaction data in order to identify a number of target users having user interaction data matching the criteria. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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18. A database management system for managing the interactions between a database and users of the database, the database comprising user data associated with respective users, the system comprising:
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a user data entry interface arranged to receive user entered data and enter said data into the database;
a monitoring processor which captures and processes user interactions with the database to generate user interaction data corresponding to the monitored user interactions of respective users of the database, the monitoring processor further arranged to enter the user interaction data into the database and associate this with respective users;
a user query interface arranged to receive search criteria from a searching user in order to identify a target user;
a query processor which searches the user entered data and/or the user interaction data for target users having user entered data and/or user interaction data matching the search criteria;
a ranking processor which ranks the matching target users depending on the user entered data and/or the user interaction data of the respective identified target users;
wherein the user interaction data is used by at least one of the query processing and ranking steps. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification