Relevance access of Internet information services

• US 6,366,956 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1997
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Krishnan, Murali R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US08/792,693
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103, 707/10, 707/7, 707/2, 707/513, 707/3, 707/512.4, 345/327, 345/356, 709/231, 709/224, 709/208, 709/204, 709/217, 709/218, 709/223, 709/201, 709/219, 705/2, 705/10, 705/26, 379/167, 379/88.22
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

The information access monitor is located at the Internet gateway of a network. The information access monitor monitors information flows between the internal data communication network and Internet to identify information requests and responses. The Information Access Monitor generates relevance indexes for these requests and responses and compiles a “corporate consciousness” of all data relevant to the organization. The information access monitor computes user/group profiles to identify information needs and interests within the organization and can then automatically associate users/groups with information of relevance. The users can be advised of information via automated “copy to” lists or can be directed to information in response to the user seeking information. The information accessmonitor thereby automatically creates “virtual bibliographies” which reflect topics of interest to the users of the system. These virtual bibliographies are continuously created and updated as needed by the users.

Claims

1. In an organization having multiple members and an internal data communications network through which the multiple members can access and retrieve objects from the Internet, a method for enhancing efficiencies with which objects retrieved from the Internet are maintained for access by the multiple members, the method comprising:

monitoring information flows between the internal data communications network and the Internet, the monitoring identifying information requests for objects from one or more of the multiple members and responses from the Internet that contain requested objects;

ascertaining the identities of individual members who request and receive objects from the Internet;

determining patterns of information access for one or more of the multiple members;

constructing an object profile for individual objects that are retrieved from the Internet;

developing a listing of one or more objects that are retrieved from the Internet that are likely to be of interest to individual members who did not request the one or more objects, the list being developed by considering object profiles and member patterns of information access; and

presenting the listing to at least one member of the organization.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing objects retrieved from the Internet in an organization storage sub-system, wherein the listing references objects that are stored in the organization storage sub-system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising noting the source of the objects so that a member can be notified as to where an object can be obtained.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the constructing of the object profile comprises indexing properties of objects to create entries in an index file that is maintained by the organization.

5. In an organization having multiple members and an internal data communications network through which the multiple members can access and retrieve objects from the Internet, a method for enhancing efficiencies with which objects retrieved from the Internet are maintained for access by the multiple members, the method comprising:

cataloging objects as they are retrieved from the Internet by one or more of the multiple members of the organization, said cataloging being performed by an information access monitor that is positioned at an organization gateway to the Internet through which objects retrieved from the Internet pass;

storing copies of objects in a organization storage sub-system;

constructing an object profile for individual objects that are stored in the storage sub-system;

determining, based upon member profiles and object profiles, which objects stored in the organization storage sub-system might be of interest to other members of the organization who did not cause the objects to be retrieved; and

notifying the other members of objects that might be of interest to them.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the cataloging takes place on a directory basis, where individual objects that are stored in one or more organization directories or sub-directories are cataloged.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a catalog is updated as new objects are added to or deleted from a directory.

8. In an organization having multiple members and an internal data communications network through which the multiple members can access and retrieve objects from the Internet, a method for enhancing efficiencies with which objects retrieved from the Internet are maintained for access by the multiple members, the method comprising:

maintaining index data in an index file, the index data being indicative of objects that are obtained by individual members of the organization from the Internet;

storing objects for which index data is maintained within an organization'"'"'s internal data communications network storage sub-system;

receiving a member-generated query for one or more objects that can be obtained from the Internet;

executing the member-generated query internally of the organization by using the index file to identify objects that were previously obtained by one or more other members of the organization; and

generating a response to the member from which the query was received that contains indicia of any stored objects that satisfy the member-generated query.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein index data is maintained in a quiescent mode where it is only used when a member initiates a query for objects.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the index data is maintained in an automatic mode in which lists that describe objects are automatically generated and propagated to members who may have an interest in various objects.