System and method for selective and continuous index generation
First Claim
1. A continuous indexer configured to search one or more files within at least one file system at one or more intervals to provide a user with a continuously updated index of information contained within said at least one file system, said index comprising:
- a plurality of index-organizing elements characterizing subjects of said information; and
a plurality of corresponding location elements each identifying which of said one or more files contains said subject characterized by said corresponding index-organizing element.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
To improve access to documents in a large database, such as the World Wide Web of the Internet or a group intranet, a continuously updated computer organization and display system, and a method for such an organization and display system, is provided to quickly locate desired documents without generating references to undesired documents, and to quickly allow a user to determine if any documents of interest are available. In one embodiment, such organization and display system includes data structures for storing and processing information extracted from the header lines of web pages in file systems chosen by a user. Linked lists are created in such data structures to allow rapid construction and display of an alphabetical index of keywords from such header lines, each keyword having associated with it a title extracted from the same web-page header. The alphabetical index by keywords may be displayed on a file that permits the user readily to jump to a desired location in the alphabetical index. Alternatively, the user may search the alphabetical index to find titles or keywords that correspond with an entered character string. A user may select a title in the index and view the file from which the title was extracted.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A continuous indexer configured to search one or more files within at least one file system at one or more intervals to provide a user with a continuously updated index of information contained within said at least one file system, said index comprising:
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a plurality of index-organizing elements characterizing subjects of said information; and a plurality of corresponding location elements each identifying which of said one or more files contains said subject characterized by said corresponding index-organizing element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for displaying a portion of an index on a graphical user interface, said index including a plurality of index-organizing elements, each having an initial character and a set of first two initial characters, said index further including corresponding location elements, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) displaying a character bar comprising a plurality of said initial characters; (b) moving a cursor on the graphical user interface to a position proximate to a desired initial character; (c) selecting said desired initial character; and (d) displaying said portion of said index in which said index-organizing elements have said initial characters. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A method for retrieving a file from a file system having one or more files each containing information, comprising the steps of:
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(a) displaying an index on a graphical user interface, said index including a plurality of index-organizing elements characterizing subjects of said information, a plurality of corresponding location elements each identifying which of said one or more files contains said subject represented by said corresponding index-organizing element, and a plurality of descriptive elements each corresponding with one of said index-organizing and location elements, each said descriptive element describing said subject of said information characterized by said index-organizing element; (b) moving a cursor on the graphical user interface to a position proximate to a first descriptive element describing information of interest; (c) selecting said first descriptive element; and (d) retrieving said file identified by said location element. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A method for displaying a continuously updated index of information contained within at least one file system having one or more files, each of said files having an index-organizing element, descriptive element, and a location element, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) identifying said file system; (b) extracting from said one or more files said associated index-organizing, descriptive, and location elements; (c) organizing said index-organizing elements; (d) associating each of said location elements with its said associated index-organizing element; and (e) displaying each of said descriptive elements with its said associated said index-organizing elements.
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Specification