System and method for internet broadcast searching

• US 7,000,007 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2000
• Issued: 02/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interlink Network Resources Incorporated, Isaac Levi, Mark Edward Valenti
• Original Assignee: Interlink Network Resources Incorporated
• Inventors: Valenti, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B.
• Application Number:
  US09/613,387
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709/203, 709/229, 709223-224, 707/3, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

An Internet Broadcast Search Paradigm (IBSP) is disclosed, which causes a search for information on the world wide web to be distributed to all website computers on a network. The IBSP three basic embodiments: a direct broadcast server, a broadcast server, and a firewall server embodiment. However, other combinations are also possible. The IBSP direct broadcast process involves a client (and user) computer, a website computer, and an IBSP server computer. Each individual user conducts any desired search. In addition, website computers are present and are those computers which typically host and serve a website to the public. In general, there will be a single IBSP server computer although this is not meant as a limitation. In order to speed up the system and to accomplish load balancing, multiple IBSP server computers may be present in the system, although they are not necessarily required.

Claims

1. A method of instantaneously searching a network of interconnected computers and servers comprising:

a plurality of information servers connected to a network and categorizing information general content stored on themselves;

collecting and storing the categorization and network addresses of the information servers on at least one IBSP server;

transmitting the categorization and network addresses of the plurality of information servers from an IBSP server to broadcast server nodes over the network;

accepting a query on a user node connected to the network;

transmitting the query from the user node directly to a broadcast server over the network;

the broadcast server receiving and transmitting the user node query to the plurality of information servers;

the information servers instantaneously searching themselves for specific content responsive to the user node query; and

each of the plurality of information servers transmitting a response to the user node query to the user node when responsive content is found.

2. The method of instantaneously searching a network of interconnected computers and servers of claim 1 further comprising:

the user node categorizing each user node query prior to transmitting the user node query; and

the broadcast server transmitting the user node query to a plurality of information servers that have appropriate categorization.

3. The method of instantaneously searching a network of interconnected computers and servers of claim 1, wherein the categorization and network addresses comprise information selected from the group consisting of website language, general contents, domain name, and IP address.

4. The method of instantaneously searching a network of interconnected computers and servers of claim 1, further comprising

connecting the user node to the network via a firewall.

5. A system for instantaneously searching a network of interconnected computers and servers comprising:

a plurality of information servers connected over a network, each comprising instructions for categorizing general content resident on the information servers to form a categorization and for transmitting their network address and categorization to an IBSP server;

the IBSP server connected to the network and comprising instructions for receiving the network addresses and categorization from the information servers and for transmitting same to a plurality of user nodes connected to the IBSP server over the network;

the plurality of user nodes each comprising instructions for receiving the network addresses and categorization of the information servers from the IBSP server and for accepting and categorizing user queries;

the plurality of user nodes further comprising instructions for transmitting the user nodes'"'"' network address and the categorized queries to the plurality of information servers with the same categorization as the query; and

the information servers further comprising instructions for instantaneously searching themselves for specific content responsive to the categorized queries from the user nodes and returning a response to the categorized queries to the user nodes transmitting the categorized queries when content responsive to the categorized queries is found.

9. The system as in one of claims 5–

8, wherein said network is selected from the group consisting of an intranet, an internet, the Internet, and combinations thereof.

10. The system as in one of claims 5–

8, wherein said IP address is selected from the group consisting of a numerical IP address, a fully qualified domain name, and both a numerical IP address and a fully qualified domain name.

11. The system as in one of claims 5–

8, wherein said at least one IBSP server is selected from the group consisting of a single IBSP server and a plurality of load-balancing IBSP servers.

12. The system as in one of claims 5–

8, wherein said at least one broadcast server comprises a plurality of broadcast servers.

6. A system for instantaneously searching a network of interconnected computers and servers comprising:

a plurality of information servers connected over a network, each comprising instructions for categorizing general content resident on the information servers to form a categorization and for transmitting their network address and categorization to an IBSP server;

the IBSP server connected to the network and comprising instructions for receiving the network addresses and categorization from the information servers and for transmitting same to a plurality of broadcast server nodes;

a plurality of user nodes each comprising instructions for accepting and categorizing user queries;

the plurality of user nodes further comprising instructions for transmitting the user node'"'"'s network address and the categorized queries to a broadcast server over the network;

a plurality of broadcast servers each comprising instructions for receiving the network addresses and the categorization of the information servers from the IBSP server;

the broadcast server further comprising instructions for receiving the user nodes'"'"' network addresses and the categorized queries from the plurality of user nodes and for transmitting same to the plurality of information servers; and

the information servers further comprising instructions for instantaneously searching themselves for specific content responsive to the categorized queries from the user nodes and returning a response to the categorized queries to the user nodes transmitting the categorized queries when content responsive to the categorized queries is found.

7. A system for instantaneously searching a network of interconnected computers and servers comprising:

a plurality of information servers connected over a network, each comprising instructions for categorizing general content resident on the information servers to form a categorization and for transmitting their network address and categorization to an IBSP server;

the IBSP server, connected to the network, comprising instructions for receiving the network addresses and categorization from the information servers and for transmitting same to a plurality of firewall server nodes;

a plurality of user nodes comprising instructions for accepting and categorizing user queries;

the plurality of user nodes further comprising instructions for transmitting the user node'"'"'s network address and the categorized queries to a firewall server over the network;

a plurality of firewall servers each comprising instructions for receiving the network addresses and the categorization of the information servers from the IBSP server;

the firewall servers further comprising instructions for receiving the user node'"'"'s network addresses and categorized the queries from a plurality of user nodes;

the firewall servers further comprising instructions for transmitting the firewall node'"'"'s network address, the user node addresses, and the categorized queries to the plurality of information servers; and

the information servers further comprising instructions for searching themselves for specific content responsive to the categorized queries from the user nodes and returning a response to the categorized queries to the firewall server for forwarding to the user nodes transmitting the categorized queries when content responsive to the categorized queries is found.

8. A system for internet broadcast searching, comprising:

a network that provides internet protocol (IP) communication;

a plurality of client computers connected to said network;

a plurality of website computers connected to said network;

at least one internet broadcast search paradigm (IBSP) server connected to said network; and

at least one broadcast server connected to said network;

wherein said plurality of client computers include client software instructions to accept and categorize a search query from a user, to transmit said search query, a search query category and client computer IP address directly to said at least one broadcast server, and to receive search query results directly from responding website computers comprised of an IP address of the responding website computer and information responsive to said query from said responding website computer;

wherein said plurality of website computers include website software instructions to periodically perform categorization of said website'"'"'s general content, to periodically send their IP address and categorization to said at least one IBSP server, to search said website'"'"'s content as it currently exists when a search query is received, and to respond directly to a search query by sending said website'"'"'s IP address and a response to said search query directly to the client computer IP address;

wherein said at least one IBSP server includes software instructions to periodically receive IP address and a categorization from said plurality of website computers, to periodically create a data file of IP address and categorization for all of said plurality of website computers, and to periodically transmit said data file to each of said at least one broadcast server; and

wherein said at least one broadcast server includes software instructions to receive a data file from said at least one IBSP server, to receive search queries with associated search query categories and client computer IP addresses directly from said plurality of client computers, to match said search query categories with website categorization in said data file, and to transmit search queries and associated client IP addresses directly to IP addresses of any website computers that have a categorization matching the search query categories.

13. A method for internet broadcast searching, comprising:

providing client software to a plurality of client computers connected to a network that provides internet protocol (IP) communication so as to allow said client computers to accept and categorize a search query from a user, to transmit said search query, a search query category and client computer IP address directly to at least one broadcast server, and to receive search query results directly from responding website computers comprised of an IP address of the responding website computer and information responsive to said query from said responding website computer;

providing website software to a plurality of said website computers connected to said network so as to allow said website computers to periodically perform categorization of said website'"'"'s general content, to periodically send their IP address and categorization to at least one IBSP server, to search said website'"'"'s content as it currently exists when a search query is received, and to respond directly to a search query by sending said website'"'"'s IP address and a response to said search query directly to the client computer IP address;

providing IBSP software to said at least one IBSP server so as to allow said at least one IBSP server to periodically receive an IP address and a categorization from said plurality of website computers, to periodically create a data file of IP address and categorization for all of said plurality of website computers, and to periodically transmit said data file to each of said at least one broadcast server; and

providing broadcast server software to at least one broadcast server so as to allow said at least one broadcast server to receive a data file from said at least one IBSP server, to receive search queries with associated search query categories and client computer IP addresses directly from said plurality of client computers, to match said search query categories with website categorization in said data file, and to transmit search queries and associated client IP addresses directly to IP addresses of any website computers that have categorization matching the search query categories.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting said network from the group consisting of an intranet, an internet, the Internet, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting said IP address from the group consisting of a numerical IP address, a fully qualified domain name, and both a numerical IP address and a fully qualified domain name.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting said at least one IBSP server from the group consisting of a single IBSP server and a plurality of load-balancing IBSP servers.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one broadcast server comprises a plurality of broadcast servers.