System and process for searching a network

• US 7,181,444 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Porter, Charles A., Rehm, Eric Carl, Reichhold, Jonathan David
• Primary Examiner(s): HWANG, JOON H
• Application Number:
  US10/432,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20040030682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 6, 707/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/908 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• 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: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/205 Parsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/923 Intellectual property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• 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

A system for searching a network for network based content related to a search query, such as multimedia and streaming media, includes an adapter for formatting the search query, a first database containing previous search results and a second database for storing currently returnable metadata, a search processor, and at least one search engine kernel comprising a search engine inherent database. The search engine coordinates searching of the first database and the second database, and and provides the formatted search query to the search engine kernel. The search processor also provides and receives search results to and from the first database and the second database, and provides search results to the adapter. The system stores a predetermined amount of previous search results in the first database, such that search results for a current search are retrieved from the database, avoiding a search through search engine kernel, comprising searchable metadata.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for searching a network for network based content related to a search query, said computer system comprising a storage media and a processor, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said search query;

formatting said search query;

searching a first cache database for network based content related to said formatted search query, said first cache database comprising previous search results;

if no network based content related to said formatted search query is found in said first cache database,

providing said formatted search query to at least one search engine, wherein said formatted search query is in a format compatible with said at least one search engine;

receiving network based content related to said formatted search query from the search engine; and

updating said first cache database with the received network based content from the search engine;

retrieving search results from said first cache database, wherein said search results are related to said formatted search query;

merging said search results from said first cache database with returnable metadata from a second database, said second database comprising returnable metadata related to said previous search results generated from searchable metadata, wherein said returnable metadata from said second database is related to said search results from said first cache database; and

formatting said merged search results related to said search results from said first cache database and said returnable metadata from said second database to one of a user provided format and a requested format.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of updating a history file comprising search results.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of updating said first cache database to comprise most recent search results, wherein:

said most recent search results replace least recent search results; and

search results residing in said first cache database for at least a predetermined amount of time are removed from said first cache database.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said search query comprises at least one of multimedia and streaming media.

5. A system for searching a network for network based content related to a search query, said system comprising:

a processor;

an adapter for receiving and formatting said search query to a format compatible with at least one search engine;

a first cache database comprising search results from previous search queries;

a second database comprising returnable metadata related to said search results generated from searchable metadata; and

a search engine for;

coordinating searching of said first cache database;

coordinating searching of said second database;

coordinating searching of a third database;

searching said first cache database for network based content related to said formatted search query;

if no search results related to said formatted search query are found in said first cache database,

searching said third database for search results related to said formatted search query; and

updating said first cache database with said search results from searching said third database;

retrieving search results from said first cache database, wherein said search results from said first cache database are related to said formatted search query;

merging said search results from said first cache database with returnable metadata from said second database, wherein said returnable metadata from said second database is related to said search results from said first cache database; and

providing said merged search results to said adapter, wherein said adapter formats said merged search results to one of a user provided format and a requested format.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5 further comprising a promoter for modifying data collected for use in a future search query.

7. A system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said modifying comprises at least one of:

optimizing a format of said collected data for supporting said search engine, optimizing a selection of said collected data for supporting said search engine, and producing said collected data for conversion into a displayable format.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said format of said collected data for supporting said search engine and said displayable format are different.

9. A system in accordance with claim 5, further comprising a search persistent database for storing data formatted for use by said search engine and said second database.

10. A system in accordance with claim 5, further comprising

a plurality of adapters;

a respective plurality of search engines;

and a load balancer for approximately evenly distributing a processing load among each of said plurality of adapters and said respective search engines.

11. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein communication between said adapter, said search engine, said first cache database and said second database is in accordance with a system specific application programming interface protocol.

12. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said search query comprises at least one of multimedia and streaming media.

13. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said third database comprises said searchable metadata.

14. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said first cache database comprises at least one of:

a key generated from prior search query corresponding to said metadata in said second database, and a score generated from prior search query corresponding to said metadata in said second database.

15. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said search engine returns a subset of data from said merged search results corresponding to said formatted search query to said adapter for formatting, and said formatting is for generating a displayed page from a plurality of displayed pages corresponding to said merged search results corresponding to said formatted search query.

16. A computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program for causing a processor to search a network for network based content related to a search query, said program comprising:

means for causing said processor to receive said search query;

means for causing said processor to format said search query;

means for causing said processor to search a first cache database for network based content related to said formatted search query, said first cache database comprising previous search results;

if no network based content related to said formatted search query is found in said first cache database,

means for causing said processor to provide said formatted search query to at least one search engine, wherein said formatted search query is in a format compatible with said at least one search engine;

means for causing said processor to receive network based content related to said formatted search query from the search engine; and

means for causing said processor to update said first cache database with the received network based content from the search engine;

means for causing said processor to retrieve search results from said first cache database, wherein said search results are related to said formatted search query;

means for causing said processor to merge said search results from said first cache database with returnable metadata from a second database, said second database comprising returnable metadata related to said previous search results generated from searchable metadata, wherein said returnable metadata from said second database is related to said search results from said first cache database; and

means for causing said processor to format said merged search results related to said search results from said first cache database and said returnable metadata from said second database to one of a user provided format and a requested format.

17. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 16, further comprising means for causing said processor to update a history file comprising search results.

18. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 16, further comprising means for causing said processor to update said first cache database to comprise most recent search results, wherein:

said most recent search results replace least recent search results; and

search results residing in said first cache database for at least a predetermined amount of time are removed from said first cache database.

19. The computer-readable storage medium in accordance with claim 16, wherein said search query comprises at least one of multimedia and streaming media.