Document retrieval system for retrieval of a first search document and a last search document from database

• US 6,301,576 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Northbrook Digital Corporation (Northbrook Digital)
• Inventors: Wolfe, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Application Number:
  US09/477,121
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-6, 707/104, 707/10, 707/502, 707/513-514, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 711/117, 711/118, 711/126, 345/335, 345/356-357
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A document retrieval system is disclosed that improves a database system'"'"'s response time so that a user'"'"'s request to view new information is serviced quickly. During the time the user spends viewing the displayed information, other information that the user is likely to read or study later is preloaded into memory. If the user does later request this information, this information can be written to the display very quickly because the information need not be retrieved from the database. The present invention takes advantage of the fact that it is possible to accurately predict the information that the user will eventually request. Adaptive prediction schemes can be employed as an aid in determining what information the user will request.

Claims

1. A computer system that is operated by a user, the system comprising:

(a) a display screen for displaying documents for the user;

(b) a single-user CD-ROM database having a plurality of documents stored on it, wherein the single-user CD-ROM database can be accessed by only one user at a time;

(c) local storage, wherein the local storage has a faster access time than the single-user CD-ROM;

(d) an input device for receiving input from the user; and

(e) a processor that is connected to the display screen, the single-user CD-ROM database, the local storage, and the input device, wherein the processor is programmed to;

execute a search query to locate documents on the single-user CD-ROM database that are of interest to the user, wherein the search query is executed during a research session conducted by the user, wherein executing the search query identifies a plurality of search documents, each of the plurality of search documents being relevant to the search query, and wherein the plurality of search documents have a search document order according to an ordering characteristic, the ordering characteristic being based on the relevance of each of the search documents to the search query, wherein the plurality of search documents include a first search document and a last search document, wherein the first search document is the first document in the search document order based on the ordering characteristic, and wherein the last search document is the last document in the search document order based on the ordering characteristic,

monitor the input device for input from the user,

retrieve the first search document from the single-user CD-ROM database when the user requests the first search document using the input device,

display the first search document on the display screen for the user,

start to retrieve information from the last search document from the single-user CD-ROM database while the user is viewing the first search document, and before the last search document is requested by the user through the input device, wherein the information from the last search document that is retrieved from the single-user CD-ROM database is stored in local storage in the computer system,

continue to monitor the input device for input from the user, and

display the last search document on the display screen for the user when the user requests the last search document through the input device, wherein the last search document is displayed quickly on the display screen by retrieving at least a portion of the last search document from local storage.

2. A computer system that is operated by a user, the system comprising:

(a) a display screen for displaying documents for the user;

(b) a connection to a remote document database having a plurality of documents stored on it, wherein the remote document database may be accessed by more than one user at a time;

(c) local storage, wherein the local storage has a faster access time than that of the connection to the remote document database;

(d) an input device for receiving input from the user; and

(e) a processor that is connected to the display screen, the connection to the remote document database, the local storage, and the input device, wherein the processor is programmed to;

execute a search query to locate documents within the remote document database that are of interest to the user, wherein the search query is executed during a research session conducted by the user, wherein executing the search query identifies a plurality of search documents, each of the plurality of search documents being relevant to the search query, and wherein the plurality of search documents have a search document order according to an ordering characteristic, the ordering characteristic being based on the relevance of each of the search documents to the search query, wherein the plurality of search documents include a first search document and a last search document, wherein the first search document is the first document in the search document order based on the ordering characteristic, and wherein the last search document is the last document in the search document order based on the ordering characteristic,

monitor the input device for input from the user,

retrieve the first search document from the remote document database when the user requests the first search document using the input device,

display the first search document on the display screen for the user,

start to retrieve information from the last search document from the remote document database while the user is viewing a document on the display screen, and before the last search document is requested by the user through the input device, wherein the information from the last search document that is retrieved from the remote document database is stored in local storage in the computer system,

continue to monitor the input device for input from the user, and

display the last search document on the display screen for the user when the user requests the last search document through the input device, wherein the last search document is displayed quickly on the display screen by retrieving at least a portion of the last search document from local storage.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is programmed to retrieve the first search document from the remote document database by retrieving the first search document over a low-bandwidth connection to the remote document database.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is programmed to retrieve the first search document from the remote document database by retrieving the first search document over a telephone line.