System, method and program for augmenting information retrieval in a client/server network using client-side searching

• US 6,789,076 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/569,503
• Time in Patent Office: 1,580 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/10, 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/200, 709/203, 709/200
• US Class Current: 707/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

In a system, method and program for identifying information accessible over a client/server network, search results obtained by a search engine running on a server may be improved by utilizing computing resources on a client. Initial search results produced by the server search engine are further processed on the client machine, which may produce a more refined set of search results. The processing on the client machine may be done using a client-side search program. The usefulness of the search results to a user may therefore be improved without the need for additional server resources. Data associated with the additional search results produced by the processing on the client may be sent back to the server. The server may then update its search engine such that results for subsequent searches on the server may be improved. A system for implementing the improved searching may include a network server having a server-side search program and a network client having a browser and a client-side search program. Program instructions implementing methods of the improved searching using such a system may be included on a carrier medium, which may be a transmission medium or storage medium.

Claims

1. A method of using a network client in identifying stored information accessible over a network, said method comprising:

receiving initial results of an initial search by the network client of the stored information from a network server;

performing an additional search of the initial results by the network client on the initial results received from the network server and stored in the network client, wherein the additional search provides additional results; and

transferring data associated with the additional results from the network client back to the network server.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said identifying stored information comprises identifying information accessible using the Internet.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving initial results comprises receiving descriptions of files accessible over the network.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said receiving descriptions comprises receiving network addresses associated with the files.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said performing an additional search comprises comparing the initial results to user-entered criteria.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said performing an additional search comprises downloading the files corresponding to the initial results, and comparing the downloaded files to user-entered criteria.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said performing an additional search comprises categorizing files referenced by the initial results.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said categorizing comprises manipulating icons within a graphical user interface executable on the network client.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said transferring data associated with the additional results comprises transferring a categorization of the initial results.

10. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said transferring data associated with the additional results comprises transferring an indicator of the relevance of one or more of the files.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said transferring data comprises transferring the additional results.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said transferring data comprises transferring instructions for updating a database, and wherein said instructions are derived from said additional results.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said performing an additional search and said transferring data are done during times of reduced system utilization of the network client.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said performing an additional search and said transferring data comprise background processes of the network client.

15. A method of using a network server in identifying stored information accessible over a network, said method comprising:

transferring to a network client initial results of an initial search of the stored information;

receiving from the network client data associated with additional results from an additional search of the initial results transferred to and located on the network client; and

using the received data to update a database on the network server containing information characterizing the stored information, such that results of future searches may be improved.

16. A system for identifying stored information accessible over a network, said system comprising a network client adapted to perform an additional search on initial search results received from a network server, wherein the network client is further adapted to transfer data associated with additional search results to the network server.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the network client comprises a computational device.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein the computational device comprises a computer, telephone or personal digital assistant.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the network client comprises a processor, a storage device, a browser program, and a client-side search program.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the client-side search program is adapted to compare the initial search results to user-entered criteria.

21. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the client-side search program is adapted to compare network-accessible files referenced within the initial search results to user-entered criteria.

22. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the client-side search program is adapted to categorize network-accessible files referenced within the initial search results.

23. A system for identifying stored information accessible over a network, said system comprising a network server adapted to transfer initial search results to a network client and receive from the network client data associated with additional search results from an additional search of the initial search results.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein said network server further comprises a database including information characterizing network-accessible files, and wherein said network server is further adapted to use the data received from the network client to update the database, such that the results of future searches may be improved.

25. A computer-usable carrier medium, comprising:

first program instructions executable on a computational device of a network client for receiving from a network server initial results of an initial search of stored information available over a network linking the computational device and the network server;

second program instructions executable on the computational device of the network client for performing an additional search of the initial results, wherein the additional search provides additional results; and

third program instructions executable on the computational device of the network client for transferring data associated with the additional results to the network server.

26. The carrier medium as recited in claim 25, wherein said first program instructions are further adapted to receive said initial results from a server-side search program executable on said network server.

27. A computer-usable carrier medium, comprising:

first program instructions executable on a computational device of a network server for transferring to a network client initial results of an initial search of stored information available over a network linking the computational device and the network client; and

second program instructions executable on the computational device of the network server for receiving data associated with additional search results from the network client.

28. The carrier medium as recited in claim 27, further comprising third program instructions executable on the computational device for using the data received from the network client to update a database used in performing the initial search.