Knowledge Management System with Collective Search Facility

• US 20090083229A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Advance Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Advance Incorporated
• Inventors: Gupta, Puneet K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,990,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• 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: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A search facility includes a computerized appliance coupled to one or more private enterprise networks with connected data repositories, the appliance executing software from a machine-readable media, and a portal from one of the one or more private enterprise networks to one or more networks external to the enterprise. The software provides an interactive interface on a display of the appliance, the interface providing an input mechanism for a user to enter search criteria and an initiation mechanism for the user to initiate a search using the entered criteria, and wherein a search thus initiated searches both the data repositories within the enterprise, and sources outside the enterprise accessible by the one or more networks external to the enterprise.

Claims

1. A search facility comprising:

a computerized appliance coupled to one or more private enterprise networks with connected data repositories, the appliance executing software from a machine-readable media; and

a portal from one of the one or more private enterprise networks to one or more networks external to the enterprise;

wherein the software provides an interactive interface on a display of the appliance, the interface providing an input mechanism for a user to enter search criteria and an initiation mechanism for the user to initiate a search using the entered criteria, and wherein a search thus initiated searches both the data repositories within the enterprise, and sources outside the enterprise accessible by the one or more networks external to the enterprise.

2. The search facility of claim 1 wherein results from the search thus initiated, derived from both the data repositories within the enterprise and the sources outside the enterprise are presented together on the display of the appliance.

3. The facility of claim 2 wherein the results are presented together on the display, but separated in a manner to indicate whether from inside or outside the enterprise.

4. The facility of claim 1 wherein the computerized appliance is located outside the enterprise and coupled through a firewall to the one or more private enterprise networks.

5. The facility of claim 1 wherein the software is based upon or uses a commercially-available search application.

6. The facility of claim 1 wherein the software monitors use of any other search function initiated through the appliance, and performs the collective search using the entered criteria.

7. The facility of claim 6 wherein the software monitors and recognizes search within a web site initiated through the appliance, the web site reached through the Internet network, and performs the collective search using the entered criteria.

8. The facility of claim 2 wherein information in the private enterprise is managed by a system that associates data entities with participants or groups of participants in the enterprise, said data entities being variously tagged and bookmarked to preserve then association, and wherein results of the search includes display of the associations.

9. A method for search comprising the steps of:

(a) entering criteria in a search window of an interactive interface on a display of a computerized appliance coupled to one or more private enterprise networks with connected data repositories, the private network including at least a portal to one or more networks external to the enterprise, the appliance executing software from a machine-readable media;

(b) initiating a search by a mechanism in the interactive window; and

(c) performing a search directed by the software both within the data repositories within enterprise and sources coupled to the one or networks external to the enterprise.

10. The method facility of claim 9 further including a step for results from the search thus initiated, derived from both the data repositories within the enterprise and the sources outside the enterprise are presented together on the display of the appliance.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the results are presented together on the display, but separated in a manner to indicate whether from inside or outside the enterprise.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the computerized appliance is located outside the enterprise and coupled through a firewall to the one or more private enterprise networks.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the software is based upon or uses a commercially-available search application.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the software monitors use of any other search function initiated through the appliance, and performs the collective search using the entered criteria.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the software monitors and recognizes search within a web site initiated through the appliance, the web site reached through the Internet network, and performs the collective search using the entered criteria.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein information in the private enterprise is managed by a system that associates data entities with participants or groups of participants in the enterprise, said data entities being variously tagged and bookmarked to preserve then association, and wherein results of the search includes display of the associations.