METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GATHERING, CATEGORIZING AND PARAMETERIZING DATA

• US 20110213783A1
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Byteweavr, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gamroe Applications LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Keith, Robert Olan JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,335,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

An apparatus for and a method of gathering new data form a specific data source, categorizing this data into a hierarchical directory structure, and building parameters to further describe this data. A harvesting system is an application that can organize and locate external data; the harvesting system can be used to navigate, organize and locate this data. The harvesting system utilizes a defined data model, referred to as a core data structure, that describes the logical structure of the data. Within the core data structure are pointers, which refer back to the source data. The loading process can be manually done, or can be automatically accomplished using this harvesting process.

Claims

1. A method of linking data to a searchable database, the searchable database in a directory tree structure having nodes and branches, each node representing a category and each branch representing a relationship between nodes, wherein each node comprises rules for associating data with the node, the method comprising:

locating data to link to the searchable database;

identifying one or more attributes associated with the located data;

parsing a value from the located data for each of the one or more attributes associated with the located data;

generating a document associated with the located data, the document comprising one or more tags, wherein each of the one or more tags comprises one of the one or more attributes and the parsed value for the one of the one or more attributes;

storing an object in an objects database, the object comprising the document and a link to the located data;

determining a specific node in the searchable database, wherein the one or more tags in the document satisfy the rules for associating data with the specific node; and

associating a pointer to the located data with the specific node, the pointer comprising a link based on the link in the stored object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

queuing the document to be reviewed manually before determining the specific node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the document and determining the specific node are performed automatically.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the located data is new to the searchable database before generating the document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises:

determining that a predetermined number of attributes defined by the specific node are found within the document.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the located data has been modified; and

modifying the object in the objects database corresponding to the located data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein locating the data comprises locating the data on a network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the located data is no longer accessible on the network; and

deleting, from the objects database, the object corresponding to the located data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a plurality of nodes which are below the specific node in the directory tree structure;

determining that the one or more tags in the document satisfy the rules for associating data with at least one of the plurality of nodes; and

associating a pointer to the located data with the at least one of the plurality of nodes, the pointer comprising a link based on the link in the stored object.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the located data has been modified; and

modify the object in the objects database corresponding to the located data.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the located data is no longer accessible on the network; and

delete, from the objects database, the object corresponding to the located data.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine a plurality of nodes which are below the specific node in the directory tree structure;

determine that the one or more tags in the document satisfy the rules for associating data with at least one of the plurality of nodes; and

associate a pointer to the located data with the at least one of the plurality of nodes, the pointer comprising a link based on the link in the stored object.

10. A system for linking data to a searchable database, the searchable database in a directory tree structure having nodes and branches, the nodes representing a category and the branches representing relationships between the categories, wherein each node comprises rules for associating data with the node, the system comprising:

a communication mechanism configured to access a network;

an objects database; and

a controller, wherein the controller is configured to;

locate, on the network, data to link to the searchable database;

identify one or more attributes associated with the located data;

parse a value from the located data for each of the one or more attributes associated with the located data;

generate a document associated with the located data, the document comprising one or more tags, wherein each of the one or more tags comprises one of the one or more attributes and the parsed value for the one of the one or more attributes;

store an object in the objects database, the object comprising the document and a link to the located data;

determine a specific node in the searchable database, wherein the one or more tags in the document satisfy the rules for associating data with the specific node; and

associate a pointer to the located data with the specific node, the pointer comprising a link based on the link in the stored object.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to:

queue the document to be reviewed manually before determining the specific node.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the located data is new to the searchable database before generating the document.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the specific node by determining that a predetermined number of attributes defined by the specific node are found within the document.

17. A system for linking data to a searchable database, the searchable database in a directory tree structure having nodes and branches, the nodes representing a category and the branches representing relationships between the categories, wherein each node comprises rules for associating data with the node, the method comprising:

means for locating data to link to the searchable database;

means for identifying one or more attributes associated with the located data;

means for parsing a value from the located data for each of the one or more attributes associated with the located data;

means for generating a document associated with the located data, the document comprising one or more tags, wherein each of the one or more tags comprises one of the one or more attributes and the parsed value for the one of the one or more attributes;

means for storing an object in an objects database, the object comprising the document and a link to the located data;

means for determining a specific node in the searchable database, wherein the one or more tags in the document satisfy the rules for associating data with the specific node; and

means for associating a pointer to the located data with the specific node, the pointer comprising a link based on the link in the stored object.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for queuing the document to be reviewed manually before determining the specific node.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for generating the document and means for determining the specific node are configured to perform automatically.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for determining that the located data is new to the searchable database before generating the document.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the determining comprises:

means for determining that a predetermined number of attributes defined by the specific node are found within the document.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for determining that the located data has been modified; and

means for modifying the object in the objects database corresponding to the located data.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for locating data is a means for locating data on a network.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for determining that the located data is no longer accessible on the network; and

means for deleting, from the objects database, the object corresponding to the located data.

25. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for determining a plurality of nodes which are below the specific node in the directory tree structure;

means for determining that the one or more tags in the document satisfy the rules for associating data with at least one of the plurality of nodes; and

means for associating a pointer to the located data with the at least one of the plurality of nodes, the pointer comprising a link based on the link in the stored object.