Scientific information inquiry-answer system, and a host computer and an inquiring computer therefor

• US 6,990,500 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Inventors: Mito, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Kuen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/789,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,797 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707/3, 707/5, 707/10
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• 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

In a system of this invention, an inquiring computer supplies a host computer with inquiry information indicated open or closed to third parties. The host computer applies inquiry information indicated open to a wide range of inquiring and answering computers, but does not apply inquiry information indicated closed to third party inquiring computers. Inquiry information indicated closed is applied to a small range including only the inquiring computer having inputted the inquiry information and answering computers. When answer search information is transmitted from the inquiring computer to the host computer, answer information supplied from an answering computer may be received through communication lines. Thus, the answer information for the inquiry information may be obtained efficiently while taking the security protection for the inquiry information presenting party into account.

Claims

1. A scientific information inquiry-answer system comprising an inquiring computer for presenting, as distinguished between open and closed to third parties, inquiry information concerning scientific information which is information relating to scientific fields, and viewing the inquiry information and answer information, an answering computer for viewing the inquiry information and answer information and offering the answer information, and a host computer for storing the inquiry information and answer information, the computers being interconnected through communication lines, wherein:

said inquiring computer includes first display/input means for inputting the inquiry information as distinguished between open and closed, inquiry search information for searching inquiry information, and answer search information for searching answer information, and displaying the inquiry information and answer information;

said answering computer includes second display/input means for inputting the answer information, answer search information and inquiry search information, and displaying the inquiry information and answer information;

said host computer includes open/closed determining means for determining a distinguishment between open and closed to third parties of the inquiry information and answer information, information storing means for storing the inquiry information supplied from the inquiring computer and the answer information supplied from the answering computer, and information retrieving means for retrieving answer information, based on the answer search information, from among the answer information stored, and retrieving inquiry information, based on the inquiry search information, from among the inquiry information stored;

said inquiring computer supplying the inquiry information, inquiry search information and answer search information inputted by said first display/input means to said host computer through one of said communication lines;

said answering computer supplying the answer information, answer search information and inquiry search information inputted by said second display/input means to said host computer through the other communication line;

said host computer applying, through the communication lines, inquiry information indicated open to said inquiring and answering computers, applying inquiry information indicated closed only to said inquiring computer having inputted the inquiry information and to said answering computer without applying such inquiry information to a third party inquiring computer, and applying answer information retrieved based on the answer search information to one of the inquiring computer and the answering computer having inputted the answer search information;

said host computer further applying answer information indicated open to said inquiring and answering computers, applying answer information indicated closed only to said inquiring computer having inputted the inquiry information and to said answering computer having inputted the answer information, without applying such answer information to third party inquiring and answering computers, and applying inquiry information retrieved based on the inquiry search information to said inquiring and answering computers;

said answering computer displaying the inquiry information and answer information applied thereto for viewing; and

said inquiring computer displaying the inquiry information and answer information applied thereto for viewing.

2. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 1, wherein said scientific information is software information which is information on software for use in scientific fields, and said inquiry information and answer information are information on said software information.

3. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 1, wherein said scientific information is information on academic societies, and said inquiry information and answer information are information on said information on academic societies.

4. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 1, wherein said scientific information is information on exhibitions, and said inquiry information and answer information are information on said information on exhibitions.

5. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 1, wherein said scientific information is information on advertisements, and said inquiry information and answer information are information on said information on advertisements.

6. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 1, wherein said scientific information is information on machinery and equipment, and said inquiry information and answer information are information on said information on machinery and equipment.

7. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 1, wherein said host computer includes translating means for translating the scientific information into different languages.

8. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 1, wherein said information storing means of said host computer includes an open information storage area for storing inquiry information and answer information indicated open, and a closed information storage area for storing inquiry information and answer information indicated closed, the inquiry information and answer information being distributed to said open information storage area and said closed information storage area in response to results of distinguishment made between open and closed by said open/closed determining means, the inquiry information stored in each of said open information storage area and said closed information storage area being classified according to inquirer, the answer information being stored in the information storage area where the inquiry information to be answered is stored, and associated with the inquiry information to be answered.

9. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 8, wherein said information storing means stores the inquiry information as hierarchized according to each user having inputted the inquiry information, the inquiry information indicated closed and stored in said closed information storage area of the information storage means as hierarchized according to the user being applied, based on the inquiry search information inputted by the first and second display/input means from said answering computer and said inquiring computer of the user having inputted the inquiry information indicated closed, only to said answering computer and said inquiring computer without being applied to third party inquiring computers.

10. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 8, wherein said information storing means stores the answer information as hierarchized at two levels of each user having inputted the inquiry information and a vender having inputted the answer information for said inquiry information, the answer information indicated closed and stored in said closed information storage area of the information storage means as hierarchized according to the user and the vender being applied, based on the answer search information inputted by the first and second display/input means from said inquiring computer of the user having inputted the inquiry information indicated closed, and said answering computer of the vender having inputted the answer information for the inquiry information indicated closed, only to said inquiring computer and said answering computer without being applied to third party inquiring and answering computers.

11. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 1, wherein said information storing means stores the inquiry information and answer information as hierarchized at three levels of field, category and product.

12. A scientific information inquiry-answer system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said first and second display/input means comprises an information screen for displaying the inquiry information and answer information, said information screen being started and a log-in made by input operations through a keyboard and a mouse, a determination being made from the log-in inputted on said information screen whether the computer having started said information screen is the inquiring computer or the answering computer.

13. A host computer for use in the scientific information inquiry-answer system defined in claim 1, comprising:

open/closed determining means for determining a distinguishment between open and closed to third parties of the inquiry information and answer information;

information storing means for storing the inquiry information supplied from the inquiring computer and the answer information supplied from the answering computer; and

information retrieving means for retrieving answer information, based on the answer search information, from among the answer information stored, and retrieving inquiry information, based on the inquiry search information, from among the inquiry information stored.

14. An inquiring computer for use in the scientific information inquiry-answer system defined in claim 1, comprising first display/input means for inputting the inquiry information as distinguished between open and closed, inquiry search information for searching inquiry information, and answer search information for searching answer information, and displaying the inquiry information and answer information.

15. An inquiring computer as defined in claim 14, wherein said first display/input means comprises an information screen for displaying the inquiry information and answer information, said information screen being started by an input operation through a keyboard and a mouse to display the inquiry information and answer information for viewing.

16. An inquiring computer as defined in claim 15, wherein said information screen includes open/closed boxes for designating an open/closed status, one of said open/closed boxes being selected by operating the keyboard and mouse, when the inquiry information is inputted, to determine an open/closed status of the inquiry information.

17. An inquiring computer as defined in claim 15, wherein a search is made for inquiry information matching inquiry search information inputted on said information screen by operating the keyboard and mouse, and search results are displayed on said information screen.

18. An inquiring computer as defined in claim 15, wherein a search is made for answer information matching answer search information inputted on said information screen by operating the keyboard and mouse, and search results are displayed on said information screen.

19. An inquiring computer as defined in claim 15, wherein said information screen includes an inquiry information input box for inputting inquiry information, an answer information search box for searching answer information based on answer search information, and an inquiry information search box for searching inquiry information based on inquiry search information, said boxes being selectable by operating the keyboard and mouse to input the inquiry information and search the answer and inquiry information.