Methods, systems and data structures to construct, submit, and process multi-attributal searches
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method of constructing and issuing a multi-attributal search request, comprising:
- receiving at a processing unit a first item from a first on-line data store, said first item having one or more attributes, each attribute including an attribute value;
modifying a number of the attribute values to create a desired item;
electronically issuing the desired item to one or more additional on-line data stores as a search request;
receiving at said processing unit in response to the search request one or more answer items associated with a substantial match of the desired item from one or more of the additional on-line data stores, wherein the answer items include answer attributes, each answer attribute having an answer attribute value; and
automatically ranking the one or more answer items based on each answer item'"'"'s attribute values when compared against the desired item'"'"'s attribute values.
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Abstract
Methods, systems, and data structures are provided to construct, submit, and process multi-attributal searches. An item, which includes a plurality of attributes, is received. Each attribute includes an attribute value. One or more of the attribute values are modified, and the modified item is sent to a number of data stores or processing devices. If a substantial match on the number of data stores or the processing devices is detected then answer items are received representing the substantial matches that were found on the number of data stores or the processing devices. The answer items are ranked and presented.
89 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of constructing and issuing a multi-attributal search request, comprising:
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receiving at a processing unit a first item from a first on-line data store, said first item having one or more attributes, each attribute including an attribute value; modifying a number of the attribute values to create a desired item; electronically issuing the desired item to one or more additional on-line data stores as a search request; receiving at said processing unit in response to the search request one or more answer items associated with a substantial match of the desired item from one or more of the additional on-line data stores, wherein the answer items include answer attributes, each answer attribute having an answer attribute value; and automatically ranking the one or more answer items based on each answer item'"'"'s attribute values when compared against the desired item'"'"'s attribute values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of constructing and issuing a multi-attributal search request, comprising:
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retrieving at a local processing unit item elements having attributes from one or more remote processing devices; modifying one or more of the attributes; configuring the item elements including those with modified attributes into a desired item; identifying one or more destination processing devices to send the desired item as a search request; electronically sending the search request to the one or more identified additional destination processing devices, wherein a match occurs on a number of the one or more identified additional destination processing devices, if the search request is an approximate match for one or more answer items residing on the one or more additional destination processing devices; and acquiring at said local processing unit an answer set having the one or more answer items from the one or more additional destination processing devices. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A search construction and submission system, comprising:
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an importing set of executable instructions that acquires one or more item elements from one or more remote data stores; an editing set of executable instructions that merges, copies, deletes, saves, modifies, and compares the one or more item elements and generates a desired item therefrom; a submission set of executable instructions that submits said desired item to one or more remote servicing data stores; and a displaying set of executable instructions that presents an answer set of related items associated with the desired item, wherein the related items are acquired from the one or more servicing data stores in response to the submitted desired item from the submission set of executable instructions. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification