METHOD AND APPARATUS FORMATTING INFORMATION WITHIN A DIRECTORY TREE STRUCTURE INTO AN ENCYCLOPEDIA-LIKE ENTRY
First Claim
1. A method of formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
- a. performing a search by utilizing a research module, the research module includes a keyword search, a hierarchical search, a dichotomous key search, and a parametric search, to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure;
b. selecting one of the matching items;
c. formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry; and
d. displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for formatting information within a directory tree structure into an encyclopedia-like entry. The method includes performing a search by utilizing a selective one or more search methodologies including keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure. The directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes. Each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure. The method further includes selecting one of the matching items, formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry, and displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item. The encyclopedia-like entry can include text, graphics, links to related topics within the directory tree structure, links to related web sites external to the directory tree structure, or any combination thereof. Utilizing the search methodologies can be performed by a server, preferably accessible over the internet through the public switched telephone network.
132 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method of formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
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a. performing a search by utilizing a research module, the research module includes a keyword search, a hierarchical search, a dichotomous key search, and a parametric search, to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure; b. selecting one of the matching items; c. formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry; and d. displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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- 8. (canceled)
- 11. An organization system for formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising an organization server configured to perform a search by utilizing a research module, the research module includes a keyword search, a hierarchical search, a dichotomous key search, and a parametric search, to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure, to select one of the matching items, to format the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry, and to display the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item.
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20. An organization system for formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
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a. means for performing a search by utilizing a research module, the research module includes a keyword search, a hierarchical search, a dichotomous key search, and a parametric search, to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure; b. means for selecting one of the matching items; c. means for formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry; and d. means for displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An organization system for formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
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a. one or more computer systems configured to communicate with other systems; and b. an organization server configured to couple to the one or more computer systems to perform a search by utilizing a research module, the research module includes a keyword search, a hierarchical search, a dichotomous key search, and a parametric search, to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure, to select one of the matching items, to format the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry, and to display the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
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a. performing a search by utilizing a research module, the research module includes a keyword search, a hierarchical search, a dichotomous key search, and a parametric search, to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure; b. selecting one of the matching items; c. formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry, wherein the encyclopedia-like entry includes text, graphics, links to related topics within the directory tree structure, links to related web sites external to the directory tree structure, or any combination thereof; and d. displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item.
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38. A method of formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
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a. performing a search by utilizing a research module, the research module includes a keyword search and dichotomous key search, wherein each utilization of the research module includes usability of each search at any location within the searchable database, to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure; b. selecting one of the matching items; c. formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry; and d. displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item.
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39. A method of formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
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a. performing a search by utilizing a research module, the research module includes a keyword search, hierarchical search and dichotomous key search, wherein each utilization of the research module includes usability of each search at any location within the searchable database, to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure; b. selecting one of the matching items; c. formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry; and d. displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item.
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40. A method of formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
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a. performing a search by utilizing a research module, wherein the research module includes a keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search, in order to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure; b. selecting one of the matching items; c. formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry; and d. displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item; wherein each utilization of the research module includes usability of each type of search at the node of the selected matching item for further refining the search and moving further down the directory tree structure.
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41. A method of performing a research task within a searchable database stored on a memory device, the method comprising:
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a. utilizing a research module to correlate a search criteria to the searchable database stored on a memory device for generating one or more matching items, wherein each matching item corresponds to a segment of the searchable database, further wherein the research module includes a keyword search, a hierarchical search, and a dichotomous key search; b. utilizing the research module to correlate a subsequent search criteria to one of the matching items for generating one or more subsequent matching items, wherein each subsequent matching item is a sub-segment of the matching item used to generate the subsequent matching item, and further wherein the subsequent search criteria is a selective one of the search criteria and a different search criteria; and c. repeating utilizing the research module to correlate a subsequent search criteria until the research task is completed such that each utilization of the research module includes usability of each search at any location within the searchable database.
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42. A method of formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
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a. performing a search by utilizing a research module, the research module includes a keyword search, a hierarchical search, a dichotomous key search, and a parametric search, to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure; b. selecting one of the matching items; c. formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into a single encyclopedia-like entry, wherein the collection of related data comprises a plurality of distinct data items such that the formatting comprises combining at least a plurality of the distinct data items in order to form the single encyclopedia-like entry; and d. displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item.
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43. A method of formatting information within a directory tree structure comprising:
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a. performing a search by utilizing a research module in order to correlate a search criteria to a searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein the searchable database is formatted in the directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising a collection of related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, and further wherein each matching item represents a node from within the directory tree structure; b. selecting one of the matching items; c. formatting the collection of related data corresponding to the node of the selected matching item into an encyclopedia-like entry; and d. displaying the encyclopedia-like entry corresponding to the node of the selected matching item; wherein the search comprises one or more of a keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search, and further wherein a subsequent search from the node of the selected matching item comprises one or more of the keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search and parametric search.
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44. A method of providing access to a searchable database by an application external to a research system comprising:
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a. formatting the searchable database into a directory tree structure; b. performing a search by utilizing a research module comprising a plurality of search implementations to correlate search criteria to the searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein each utilization of the research module includes usability of each search at any location within the searchable database; and c. selecting one of the matching items.
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45. A network of devices for providing access to a searchable database by an application external to a research system comprising:
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a. one or more computer systems configured to establish a connection with other systems; and b. a research server coupled to the one or more computer systems comprising a research module, wherein the research module comprises a plurality of search implementations to correlate search criteria to the searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein each utilization of the research module includes usability of each search at any location within the searchable database; wherein the application permits the one or more computer systems to access the one or more matching items through the research module.
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46. A research server for providing access to a searchable database by one or more computer systems through an application external to the research server comprising:
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a. a research module, wherein the research module comprises a plurality of search implementations to correlate search criteria to the searchable database for generating one or more matching items, wherein each utilization of the research module includes usability of each search at any location within the searchable database; and b. an application programming interface (API) configured to permit the application to access the one or more matching items through the research module.
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Specification