Distributed network search engine
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating a keyword search request initiated at a client station within a multilevel data network, wherein said multilevel data network includes a plurality of local sites each containing a plurality of data pages, said method comprising the steps of:
- within each of said plurality of local sites, indexing keywords from said plurality of data pages within a local database, such that within said local database, each of said keywords points to one or more of said plurality of data pages;
compiling and indexing said keywords from each local database within a central database, such that within said central database, each of said keywords points only to at least one of said local sites in response to a keyword search request initiated at said client station.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for facilitating a keyword search request initiated at a client station within a multilevel data network, wherein the multilevel data network includes multiple local sites each containing multiple data pages. Multiple keywords from each of the data pages within the local sites of the multilevel data network are stored locally and indexed such that each of the keywords points to one or more of the data pages in which the keywords are contained. The keywords and their index associations are locally updated. A central database is utilized to compile and index the locally indexed keywords from each of the local sites, such that each of the keywords in the central database points to one or more local sites from which those keywords came in response to a keyword search initiated at the client station.
187 Citations
40 Claims
-
1. A method for facilitating a keyword search request initiated at a client station within a multilevel data network, wherein said multilevel data network includes a plurality of local sites each containing a plurality of data pages, said method comprising the steps of:
-
within each of said plurality of local sites, indexing keywords from said plurality of data pages within a local database, such that within said local database, each of said keywords points to one or more of said plurality of data pages;
compiling and indexing said keywords from each local database within a central database, such that within said central database, each of said keywords points only to at least one of said local sites in response to a keyword search request initiated at said client station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
receiving said keyword search request at said global search engine; and
retrieving and delivering data from said central database into said search result window in response to said receiving step.
-
-
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said global search engine is served by a network server, and wherein said retrieving step comprises the step of pointing to at least one of said local sites utilizing said network server.
-
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said search result window further comprises a local site search executable linked to said local search engines, said method further comprising the step of initiating a search by at least one of said local search engines of at least one of said local sites.
-
8. The method of claim 5, wherein said keyword search request includes the step of selecting a keyword search request from an application search button within said search GUI, said search executable including a HTTP pathname.
-
9. The method of claim 5, wherein said keyword search request comprises the step of converting said keyword search request into a data format readable by said multilevel data network.
-
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising locally updating said plurality of keywords within each of said local indices.
-
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said multilevel data network further comprises local search engines associated with each of said plurality of local sites, and wherein said step of updating said keywords contained within each of said local indices is performed utilizing said local search engines.
-
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of installing said local search engines as HTML search files on at least one local server.
-
13. A method for facilitating a keyword search request initiated at a client station within a multilevel data network, wherein said multilevel data network includes a plurality of local sites each containing a plurality of data pages, said method comprising the steps of:
-
within each of said plurality of local sites, indexing keywords from said plurality of data pages within a local database, such that within said local database, each of said keywords points to one or more of said plurality of data pages;
compiling and indexing said keywords from each local database within a central database, such that within said central database, each of said keywords points only to at least one of said local sites;
responsive to receiving an initial keyword search request from a graphical user interface on said client station, searching said central database for local sites indexed in accordance with the contents of said initial keyword search request;
returning a list of one or more of said local sites indexed in accordance with the contents of said initial keyword search request to a search result window within said graphical user interface, wherein said search result window includes a keyword entry field and an independent search request selection option field associated with each entry of said returned one or more local sites; and
responsive to receiving a subsequent keyword search request issued in accordance with the contents of said search result window keyword entry field and selection of one or more of said independent search request selection fields, searching said local databases for data pages indexed in accordance with the contents of said subsequent keyword search request.
-
-
14. A system for facilitating a keyword search request initiated at a client station within a multilevel data network, wherein said multilevel data network includes a plurality of local sites each containing a plurality of data pages, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of local databases each uniquely associated with each of said local sites for indexing keywords from said plurality of data pages, such that within each of said local databases said keywords point to one or more of said plurality of data pages;
a central database for compiling and indexing said keywords from each of said local databases, such that within said central database, each of said keywords points only to at least one of said local sites; and
a global search engine for accessing said central database to point to at least one of said plurality of local sites in response to a keyword search request initiated at said client station, such that said global search engine may provide a comprehensive search response to said keyword search request. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 38)
-
-
28. A system for facilitating a keyword search request initiated at a client station within a multilevel data network, wherein said multilevel data network includes a plurality of local sites each containing a plurality of data pages, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of local databases each uniquely associated with each of said local sites for indexing keywords from said plurality of data pages, such that each of said keywords points to one or more of said plurality of data pages;
a central database for compiling and indexing said keywords from each of said local databases, such that within said central database, each of said keywords points only to at least one of said local sites; and
a global search engine for;
responsive to receiving an initial keyword search request from a graphical user interface on said client station, searching said central database for local sites indexed in accordance with the contents of said initial keyword search request; and
returning a list of one or more of said local sites indexed in accordance with the contents of said keyword search request to a search result window within said graphical user interface, wherein said search result window includes a keyword entry field and an independent search request selection field associated with each entry of said returned one or more local sites; and
local search engines responsive to receiving a subsequent keyword search request issued in accordance with the contents of said search result window keyword entry field and selection of one or more of said independent search request selection fields, for searching said local databases for data pages indexed in accordance with the contents of said subsequent keyword search request.
-
-
29. A computer program product stored in signal bearing media for facilitating a keyword search request initiated at a client station within a multilevel data network, wherein said multilevel data network includes a plurality of local sites each containing a plurality of data pages, said program product comprising:
-
instruction means stored in signal bearing media for, within each of said plurality of local sites, indexing keywords from said plurality of data pages into local databases, such that within said local databases, each of said keywords points to one or more of said plurality of data pages;
instruction means stored in signal bearing media for compiling and indexing said keywords from each of said local databases into a central database, such that within said central database, each of said keywords points only to at least one of said local sites in response to a keyword search request initiated at said client station. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39)
instruction means for receiving said keyword search request at said global search engine; and
instruction means for retrieving and delivering data from said central database into said search result window.
-
-
34. The program product of claim 33, wherein said global search engine is served by a network server, and wherein said instruction means for retrieving comprises instruction means for pointing to at least one of said local sites utilizing said network server.
-
35. The program product of claim 33, wherein said search result window further comprises a local site search executable linked to said local search engines, said program product further comprising instruction means for initiating a search by at least one of said local search engines of at least one of said local sites.
-
36. The program product of claim 33, further comprising instruction means for converting said keyword search request into a data format readable by said multilevel data network.
-
37. The program product of claim 29, wherein said multilevel data network further comprises local search engines associated with each of said plurality of local sites, and wherein said instruction means for updating said keywords contained within each of said local databases are executed by said local search engines.
-
39. The program product of claim 29, further comprising instruction means stored in signal bearing media for locally updating said plurality of keywords within each of said local indices.
-
40. A computer program product stored in signal bearing media for facilitating a keyword search request initiated at a client station within a multilevel data network, wherein said multilevel data network includes a plurality of local sites each containing a plurality of data pages, said program product comprising:
-
instruction means stored in signal bearing media for, within each of said plurality of local sites, indexing keywords from said plurality of data pages into local databases, such that within said local databases, each of said keywords points to one or more of said plurality of data pages;
instruction means stored in signal bearing media for compiling and indexing said keywords from each of said local databases into a central database, such that within said central database, each of said keywords points only to at least one of said local sites;
instruction means stored in signal bearing media responsive to receiving an initial keyword search request from a graphical user interface on said client station, for searching said central database for local sites indexed in accordance with the contents of said initial keyword search request;
instruction means stored in signal bearing media for returning a list of one or more of said local sites indexed in accordance with the contents of said keyword search request to a search result window within said graphical user interface, wherein said search result window includes a keyword entry field and an independent search request selection field associated with each entry of said returned one or more local sites; and
instruction means stored in signal bearing media responsive to receiving a subsequent keyword search request issued in accordance with the contents of said search result window keyword entry field and selection of one or more of said independent search request selection fields, for searching said local databases for data pages indexed in accordance with the contents of said subsequent keyword search request.
-
Specification