Method for automated web site maintenance via searching

• US 7,340,464 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kelliher, Margaret Therese, Dudding, Kathryn Eike, Saltzman, Robert Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly; Anh
• Application Number:
  US09/803,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,552 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707/104.1, 707100-102, 715/501.1, 715513-514, 715/51, 715/500, 715/530, 715/531, 709200-207, 709217-219, 709/224, 709/245
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• 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

Abstract

A method for adding HTML documents to a web site involves the addition of HTML keywords to each HTML document. One HTML keyword is provided per category of information. A search for each category of information is determined, and the searches are to be performed by a search engine. When a category on the web site is selected, a search engine is called to execute the search corresponding to the selected category of information. The search is not visible to a user of the web site. An up-to-date web page is presented for the selected category of information. The up-to-date web page includes a hypertext reference having a link to each pertinent HTML document this is identified by the search.

Claims

1. A method for adding an HTML document to a web site, the HTML document relating to a respective one of a plurality of categories of information, the method comprising the steps of:

adding an HTML keyword to the HTML document wherein the HTML keyword represents the respective one of the plurality of categories of information;

uploading the HTML document to a directory on the web site, wherein the directory corresponds solely with the category of information represented by the HTML keyword;

activating a search in the directory when the respective one of the plurality of categories of information is selected, the search containing at least the HTML keyword;

calling a search engine to execute the activated search and produce a search result wherein the search result identifies a link to the HTML document in the directory containing the HTML keyword; and

creating an up-to-date web page for the respective one of the plurality of categories of information from the search result wherein the up-to-date web page includes the link to the HTML documents containing the HTML keyword, such that the HTML documents are automatically available for reading without creating specific web pages to access the HTML documents and without using a database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating an up-to-today web page is dynamically performed by the search engine while calling the activated search.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of returning the dynamically created HTML document to a user of the web site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the HTML keyword is added to the HTML header.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the HTML keyword is added to the metatag field of the HTML header.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the directory comprises a plurality of directories, each of the plurality of directories corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of categories of information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating a search is performed when a user of the web site selects the respective one of the plurality of categories.

8. A method for adding an HTML document to a web site, the HTML document relating to at least one of a plurality of categories of information, the method comprising the steps of:

adding an HTML keyword to the HTML document wherein the HTML keyword represents a respective one of the plurality of categories of information;

uploading the HTML document to a respective one of a plurality of directories on the web site wherein each of the plurality of directories corresponds to no more than one of the plurality of categories of information, each of the plurality of directories for containing at least one searchable HTML document;

activating a search for the HTML keyword of the at least one searchable HTML documents in the respective one of the plurality of directories when the respective one of the plurality of categories of information is selected, the search containing at least the HTML keyword;

calling a search engine to execute the activated search and produce a search result containing a respective link to each of the at least one searchable HTML documents in the respective one of the plurality of directories containing the HTML keyword; and

creating an up-to-date web page for the respective one of the plurality of categories of information from the search result wherein the up-to-date web page includes each respective link to each of the at least one searchable HTML documents containing the HTML keyword, such that each of the at least one searchable HTML documents are automatically available for reading without creating specific web pages to access the HTML documents and without using a database.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of creating an up-to-today web page is dynamically performed by the search engine while calling the activated search.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of returning the dynamically created HTML document to a user of the web site.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the HTML keyword is added to the HTML header.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the HTML keyword is added to the metatag field of the HTML header.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the directory comprises a plurality of directories, each of the plurality of directories corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of categories of information.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of activating a search is performed when a user of the web site selects the respective one of the plurality of categories.

15. A method for maintaining a web site via searching, the method comprising the steps of:

deciding on a plurality of categories of information to be displayed on a web site;

determining a plurality of searches wherein each respective one of the plurality of searches corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of categories of information, each of the plurality of searches being executed by a search engine;

assigning a keyword for each respective one of the plurality of categories of information;

setting up a plurality of directories wherein each respective one of the pluralities of directories corresponds to no more than one of the plurality of categories of information, each of the plurality of directories for containing at least one searchable HTML document;

creating at least one HTML document to be searched by the search engine using at least one of the plurality of searches and at least one assigned keyword wherein the at least one assigned keyword is included in an HTML header of the at least one HTML document; and

creating a hypertext reference for providing the search engine with the at least one of the plurality of searches, the hypertext reference including an assigned keyword relating to a respective one of the plurality of categories of information wherein the hypertext reference directs the search engine to search a respective directory relating to the respective one of the plurality of categories of information, such that the at least one HTML document is automatically available for reading without creating specific web pages to access the at least one HTML document and without using a database.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of deciding on groups of the plurality of categories of information and subgroups of the plurality of categories of information to be displayed on the web site.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each respective one of the plurality of directories corresponds to a respective one of the groups of the plurality of categories of information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each respective one of the plurality of directories corresponds to a respective one of the sub-groups of the plurality of categories of information.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of creating from a result of the at least one determined search by the search engine an up-to-date web page for the respective one of the plurality of categories wherein the up-to-date web page comprises at least one link to each of the at least one searchable HTML document having an assigned keyword relating to the respective one of the plurality of categories.

20. The method claim 19, wherein the step of creating a hypertext reference is dynamically performed by the search engine while the search engine searches the at least one searchable HTML document in the respective directory relating to the respective one of the plurality of categories.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the assigned keyword is included in the metatag field of the HTML header of the at least one HTML document.

22. A method for maintaining a web site via searching, the method comprising the steps of:

deciding on a category of information to be displayed on a web site;

determining a search corresponding to the category of information, the search being executed by a search engine;

assigning a keyword for the category of information;

setting up a directory that corresponds to no more than one category of information, the directory containing at least one searchable HTML document;

creating an HTML document to be searched by the search engine using the search and the assigned keyword wherein the at least one assigned keyword is included in an HTML header of the HTML document; and

creating a hypertext reference for providing the search engine with the search, the hypertext reference including an assigned keyword relating to the category of information wherein the hypertext reference directs the search engine to search the directory relating to the category of information, such that HTML documents are automatically available for reading without creating specific web pages to access the HTML documents and without using a database.