Seamless integration of internet resources

• US 6,026,429 A
• Filed: 11/10/1997
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, David R., Hanley, Julie H., Gerard, Gregory S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARC, MCDIEUNEL
• Application Number:
  US08/967,431
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 395/500, 395/600, 395/700, 395/145-161, 395/200.03, 395/200.09, 395/148, 395/188, 395/189, 395/200.31, 395/200.49, 707/3-10, 707/4, 707/5, 707/6, 709/201, 709/202, 709/206, 709/218, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A mechanism for seanilessly searching and accessing information available through the Internet and other resources is disclosed. The present invention maintains a database of file objects available from numerous sources. The present invention updates the database periodically to ensure the accuracy and completeness of it. The present invention also may access and retrieve data from numerous sources when prompted by a sige and simple command initiated by the user. The user is shielded from the quirks and intricacies of various information sources.

Claims

1. A system for integrating Internet and proprietary resources comprising:

a plurality of information source objects for Internet resources;

a plurality of information source objects for proprietary resources;

an information repository for storing said plurality of information source objects for Internet resources and said plurality of information source objects for proprietary resources;

a search engine for searching said information repository;

a search request; and

a front-end for specifying said search request and accessing at least one information source object located by said search engine in accordance with said search request.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said information source objects comprises description information, location information, and information for accessing said information source object.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a launcher for accessing said at least one information source object located by said search engine, said launcher invoked by said front-end.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising an update mechanism for each of said plurality of information source objects.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said update mechanism for said plurality of information source objects for Internet resources is Internet Yellow Pages.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said update mechanism for said plurality of information source objects for proprietary resources is information from a system operator.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said Internet resources are the Web, Usenet, Telnet, and File Transfer Protocol sites.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said proprietary resources are proprietary forums.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said front-end is a dedicated, interactive front-end.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said front-end is a web browser.

11. A method for integrating Internet resources and proprietary resources comprising the steps of:

defining a plurality of information source objects for Internet resources;

defining a plurality of information source objects for proprietary resources;

storing said plurality of information source objects for Internet resources and said plurality of information source objects for proprietary resources in an information repository;

specifying a search request;

searching said information repository for information source objects in accordance with said search request; and

accessing information source objects selected in accordance with said search request.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of specifiing said search request comprises the step of entering a search request in a front-end.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said front-end is a dedicated, interactive front-end.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said front-end is a web browser.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of accessing said information source objects selected in accordance with said search request comprises the step of invoking a launcher, said launcher invoked by said front-end.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of defining a plurality of information source objects comprises the steps of:

specifing a description for each information source object;

specifying a location for each information source object;

specifying data for locating each information source object; and

specifing data for accessing each information source object if it is selected.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of updating said information source objects for Internet resources and said information source objects for said proprietary resources.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said Internet resources are the Web, Usenet, Telnet, and File Transfer Protocol sites.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said proprietary resources are forums.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein information repository for Internet and proprietary resources comprising:

a plurality of information source objects for Internet resources, said information source objects comprising description, location, and access information;

a plurality of information source objects for proprietary resources, said information source objects comprising description, location, and access information; and

a database for storing said plurality of information source objects for Internet resources and said plurality of information source objects for said proprietary resources.

21. The information repository of claim 20 wherein said plurality of information source objects for Internet resources and said plurality of information source objects for said proprietary resources are accessible via library routines.

22. The information repository of claim 20 further comprising an update mechanism for each of said plurality of information source objects for Internet resources and said plurality of information source objects for said proprietary resources.

23. The information repository of claim 22 wherein said update mechanism for each of said plurality of information source objects for Internet resources and said plurality of information source objects for said proprietary resources converts information from a raw source into a format required by said information repository.

24. The information repository of claim 20 further comprising relational database tables for storing and accessing said plurality of information source objects for Internet resources and said plurality of information source objects for said proprietary resources.