Information retrieval system with a search assist server

• US 6,807,571 B2
• Filed: 08/24/1999
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Increment P Corporation, Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Nakano, Toshiaki, Hatano, Ichiro, Koga, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US09/379,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 709/216, 709/217, 709/219, 701/1, 701/200, 701/201, 701/43, 707/104.1, 707/3, 715/501.1, 379/93.25, 379/93.01
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An information retrieval system which can search for requested information by an easy operation. Together with a plurality of information servers, a search assisting server having list data constructed by a list of identifiers to access each of the information servers is connected to an information network. In response to a designation of a requested item by an information retrieval terminal, the identifier corresponding to the requested item is searched for from the list data held in the search assisting server. An access to the information network is made by the searched identifier, thereby obtaining the requested information page.

Claims

1. An information retrieval system comprising:

an information network;

a plurality of information servers connected to said information network;

an information retrieval terminal connected to said information network, said information retrieval terminal employing a specifying number to specify an identifier corresponding to a requested item; and

a search assisting server connected to said information network,

wherein said search assisting server has list data of a list of;

facility contents data;

first identifiers to have access to information pages corresponding to facility contents; and

second identifiers to have access to information pages representing facility contents, stored in each of said information servers connected to said information network,

said search assisting server searches said list data for a first identifier and a second identifier that correspond to a requested item, in response to the designation of an information item as said requested item by said information retrieval terminal, using a specifying number, via the information network,

and wherein said search assisting server is adapted to send said first identifier to said information retrieval terminal when the same item as a requested item designated by said information retrieval terminal exists in the list data,

and to send a second identifier to have an access to an information page representing a facility content of said requested item to said information retrieval terminal when the same item as said requested item designated by said information retrieval terminal does not exist in the list data,

and said information network is accessed by said searched out first or second identifier so as to obtain an information page corresponding to said requested item.

2. An information retrieval system as recited in claim 1, wherein

wherein

said information retrieval terminal is adapted to present a list of information items, each of said information items respectively being associated with each of said identifiers, and has list display means for displaying said list of information items, designating means for designating an information item among said information items as a requested item from said list of the information items, and transmitting means for transmitting said information item designated by said designating means to said search assisting server via the information network.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said information retrieval terminal includes a navigation apparatus for detecting a present location of a vehicle and displaying a map of a predetermined area, and

said designating means designates a facility existing in the map display of said predetermined area as said item.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said information network is the Internet and said identifier is a URL.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein said information network is the Internet and said identifier is a URL.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein said information retrieval terminal includes means for displaying a menu for facility search, and

said list display means displays a list of items showing each of said information pages in accordance with a predetermined operation from said menu for facility search.

7. An information retrieval system as recited in claim 1,

wherein said list data comprises:

first list data in which each of a name of a facility existing on a map, pronunciation of said facility, a telephone number of said facility, a first identifier to access an information page of said facility, and a facility content of said facility has been constructed for each said facility; and

second list data in which a second identifier to access to an information page representing said facility content has been constructed for each said facility content,

said requested item being at least one of the name of said facility, the pronunciation of said facility, and the telephone number of said facility.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said second list data includes a third identifier to access a facility list page in which a list of facilities having the same facility content as said facility content is shown, and

when the same item as said requested item designated by said information retrieval terminal does not exist in said first list data, said facility content corresponding to said requested item is searched from said first list data, and each of said second and third identifiers corresponding to said searched facility content is searched from said second list data and displayed as an image.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said list data comprises:

first list data in which each of a first identifier to access an information page of the facility existing on a map and a facility content of said facility has been constructed for each said facility; and

second list data in which a second identifier to access an information page representing said facility content has been constructed for each said facility content,

said search assisting server searches for each of said first identifier corresponding to said requested item and said facility content information from said first list data and searches for said second identifier corresponding to said searched facility content information from said second list data, and

said information retrieval terminal accesses said information network by said first identifier searched for by said search assisting server and displays an image of said second identifier searched for by said search assisting server.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said second list data includes a third identifier to access a facility list page in which a list of facilities having the same facility content as said facility content is shown,

said information retrieval terminal searches for each of said second and third identifiers corresponding to said facility content information retrieved from said first list data from said second list data, and

said search assisting server accesses said information network by said first identifier searched for by said search assisting server and displays an image of each of said second and third identifiers searched by said search assisting server.