Database search and display method and database search system

• US 6,282,543 B1
• Filed: 09/18/1998
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Shigehito, Mizuno, Hiromi, Fukuoka, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/157,259
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 348/9, 348/13, 707/10, 707/3, 705/14, 705/27, 709/232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/07 Guided tours
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A push type information providing service on the Internet. When information arranged on a time axis and retrieved is output time to time, the information is output/displayed in sequence on the time axis along a scenario described with position information of a plurality of data stored in databases distributed on the network. In displaying the position information of the data, secondary information such as advertisement, etc., is inserted onto the time axis of the position information of the retrieved main information along the described scenario. Main information sequence control information for controlling an output/display sequence of the main information and secondary information sequence control information are provided separately and the secondary information is inserted into the main information on the basis of the presenting frequency control information and output/displayed. Thus, it is possible to freely insert/output the secondary information such as advertisement information. Further, it is possible to easily update/edit the scenario for arranging the retrieved information on the time axis and inserting the secondary information thereto.

Claims

1. A database search/display method, comprising the steps of:

retrieving information of databases distributed on a network;

outputting/displaying the retrieved information according to an information presenting sequence control information for arranging/outputting the retrieved information on a predetermined time axis, wherein the information presenting sequence control information contains main information presenting sequence control information, secondary information presenting sequence control information and insert control information for controlling insert timing of the secondary information,

wherein the secondary information is inserted onto the time axis for the main information according to the insert control information, and

wherein the insert control information is described such that the secondary information is inserted into the main information at a predetermined amount of the main information displayed.

2. A database search/display method, comprising the steps of:

retrieving information of databases distributed on a network;

outputting/displaying the retrieved information according to an information presenting sequence control information for arranging/outputting the retrieved information on a predetermined time axis, wherein the information presenting sequence control information contains main information presenting sequence control information, secondary information presenting sequence control information and insert control information for controlling insert timing of the secondary information,

wherein the secondary information is inserted onto the time axis for the main information according to the insert control information, and

wherein the secondary information is set such that an operation of a control panel by a user is invalidated for a time when the secondary information is displayed.

3. A database search system comprising:

a directory information provider, said directory information provider comprising;

position information memory means for storing a position information of a main information and a position information of a secondary information to be inserted into an output/display of the main information, for a plurality of data stored in databases distributed in a network;

position information presenting sequence control means for inserting the position information of the secondary information into the position information of the main information on the basis of the presenting sequence information of the main information, the presenting sequence information of the secondary information and the presenting control information for controlling a fiming of an insertion of the position information of the secondary information into the position information of the main information and arranging/outputting the position information on a time axis; and

means for transmitting a memory content of said position information memory means and the presenting sequence control information comprised of the presenting sequence control information of the main information and the presenting sequence control information of the secondary information of said position information presenting sequence control means and the presenting control information to said database searcher connected to a network; and

means included in said database searcher, for acquiring the main information and the secondary information from databases distributed in said network on the basis of the position information and the presenting sequence control information from said directory information provider, inserting the thus acquired directory information into the thus acquired main information and outputting/displaying the main information inserted with the secondary information,

wherein the secondary information is advertisement information inserted to said database provider and a setting is performed for the secondary information, for invalidating a display inhibition on the side of a user.

4. A database search system in which clients and servers are connected to a network, comprising:

a directory information providing server, said directory information providing server comprising means for inserting position information of main data in one of a plurality of databases distributed on said network and position information of secondary information of said database to be inserted into an output/display of the main data to the side of said client at a predetermined interval or predetermined information amount on the basis of presenting control information for controlling insertion timing of the secondary information and transmitting the main data inserted with the secondary information to said client; and

means included in said client, for retrieving the position information of the main and secondary information from said database on said network on the basis of the information from said directory information providing server and outputting/displaying the main and secondary information while inserting the secondary information into the main information according to the predetermined interval or predetermined information amount.

5. A database search system in which clients and servers are connected to a network comprising:

a directory information providing server said directory information providing server comprising means for inserting position information of main data in one of a plurality of databases distributed on said network and position information of secondary information of said database to be inserted into an output/display of the main data to the side of said client at a predetermined interval or predetermined information amount on the basis of presenting control information for controlling insertion timing of the secondary information and transmitting the main data inserted with the secondary information to said client; and

means included in said client, for retrieving the position information of the main and secondary information from said database on said network on the basis of the information from said directory information providing server and outputting/displaying them while inserting the secondary information into the main information,

wherein the secondary information is advertisement information inserted into said database providing server and the secondary information is set such that the display inhibition on the side of the user is invalidated.

6. A database search system comprising:

a World Wide Web database provider connected to the Internet;

a directory information provider for retrieving position information of data on the Internet and providing directory information thereof; and

a database searcher for acquiring data of said database provider and displaying the data of said database provider to a user on the basis of the directory information of said directory information provider,

said directory information provider comprising means for providing scenario information comprised of main information presenting sequence control information for arranging position information of the main information to be output/displayed to a user of the database searcher on a time axis, secondary information presenting sequence control information for inserting secondary information into the main information and outputting/displaying it and presenting control information for controlling insertion timing of the secondary information into the main information,

said database searcher comprising means for inserting the secondary information into the main information on the basis of the scenario information of said directory information provider and outputting/displaying the secondary information,

wherein the secondary information is advertisement information inserted into said database providing server and the secondary information is set such that the display inhibition on the side of the user is invalidated.