System for selecting multimedia databases over networks
First Claim
1. A network server for selecting database sites from a plurality of available database sites in a distributed network, said network server communicatively coupling a plurality of clients with the plurality of available database sites, wherein one of the plurality of clients transmits a user query to said network server to obtain database site information, comprising:
- a) a meta-database for storing information relating to the plurality of available database sites, wherein said stored information includes both text information and multimedia information;
b) a search agent, communicating with said meta-database, for,i) coordinating information flow between the one of the plurality of clients, said meta-database, and at least one of the plurality of available database sites,ii) recording the information relating to the plurality of available database sites in said meta-database,iii) using the user query to index the information relating to the plurality of available database sites stored in said meta-database, such that both the text information and the multimedia information are indexed,iv) distributing database site queries, developed pursuant to indexing said meta-database, to selected ones of the plurality of available database sites,v) retrieving database site information in response to distributing of the database site queries to the selected ones of the plurality of available data sites, andvi) transmitting at least a portion of the database site information to the one of the plurality of clients; and
c) a refining module, communicating with said search agent, for,i) observing response patterns from the plurality of available database sites based on user inquiries,ii) developing association patterns for database relevancy computations, andiii) communicating database relevancy information to said search agent for updating said meta-database.
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Accused Products
Abstract
There is provided a network server which interfaces a client with selected database sites from a plurality of database sites. The network server comprises a meta-database (including both text information and multimedia information), a search agent, and a refining module. The search agent indexes the meta-database with a user query obtained from the client, and then distributes queries, developed pursuant to such indexing, to the selected ones of the plurality of database sites. In turn, database site information (responsive to the distributed queries) is retrieved from the selected ones of the plurality of database sites. A refining module is used to update the meta-database with the database relevancy information.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A network server for selecting database sites from a plurality of available database sites in a distributed network, said network server communicatively coupling a plurality of clients with the plurality of available database sites, wherein one of the plurality of clients transmits a user query to said network server to obtain database site information, comprising:
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a) a meta-database for storing information relating to the plurality of available database sites, wherein said stored information includes both text information and multimedia information; b) a search agent, communicating with said meta-database, for, i) coordinating information flow between the one of the plurality of clients, said meta-database, and at least one of the plurality of available database sites, ii) recording the information relating to the plurality of available database sites in said meta-database, iii) using the user query to index the information relating to the plurality of available database sites stored in said meta-database, such that both the text information and the multimedia information are indexed, iv) distributing database site queries, developed pursuant to indexing said meta-database, to selected ones of the plurality of available database sites, v) retrieving database site information in response to distributing of the database site queries to the selected ones of the plurality of available data sites, and vi) transmitting at least a portion of the database site information to the one of the plurality of clients; and c) a refining module, communicating with said search agent, for, i) observing response patterns from the plurality of available database sites based on user inquiries, ii) developing association patterns for database relevancy computations, and iii) communicating database relevancy information to said search agent for updating said meta-database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification