Database search in distributed computer system on portion of remote database
First Claim
1. A method of performing a database search on a distributed computer system, comprising:
- requesting from a first computer to a second computer remote from the first computer in the distributed computer system to search information of at least one entity;
indicating from the first computer to a search agent associated with the second computer at least one search criterion for the information of the at least one entity;
accessing by the search agent at least one database remote from the first computer and the second computer in the distributed computer system, wherein the at least one database comprises information of a plurality of entities including the at least one entity, and wherein the at least one entity comprises less than all of the plurality of entities; and
performing by the search agent a search based on the at least one search criterion on only the information of the at least one entity in the at least one database.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a distributed computer system, such as the World Wide Web portion of the Internet, a first computer requests to a second computer remote from the first computer to search information of at least one entity. The first computer indicates to a search agent associated with the second computer at least one search criterion for the search. The search agent accesses at least one database remote from the first and second computers that stores information of a number of entities, including the at least one entity. The at least one entity is less than all of the plurality of entities with information in the at least one database. A search based on the at least one search criterion is performed by the search agent only on the portion of the database related to the at least one entity. In one embodiment, the first computer is associated with a buyer, the second computer allows access to a Web site of a merchant offering goods and/or services for sale, and the portion of the database relevant to the merchant stores an electronic catalog of the goods and/or services of the merchant.
21 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method of performing a database search on a distributed computer system, comprising:
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requesting from a first computer to a second computer remote from the first computer in the distributed computer system to search information of at least one entity; indicating from the first computer to a search agent associated with the second computer at least one search criterion for the information of the at least one entity; accessing by the search agent at least one database remote from the first computer and the second computer in the distributed computer system, wherein the at least one database comprises information of a plurality of entities including the at least one entity, and wherein the at least one entity comprises less than all of the plurality of entities; and performing by the search agent a search based on the at least one search criterion on only the information of the at least one entity in the at least one database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for performing a database search on a distributed computer system, comprising:
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a first computer; a second computer coupled to and remote from the first computer; at least one database coupled to the second computer and remote from the first computer and the second computer, wherein the at least one database comprises information of a plurality of entities; means for requesting from the first computer to the second computer to search information of at least one entity in the plurality of entities, wherein the at least one entity comprises less than all of the plurality of entities; a search agent associated with the second computer for performing a search on only the information of the at least one entity in the at least one database; means for indicating from the first computer to the search agent at least one search criterion for the search; and means for accessing by the search agent the at least one database. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An article of manufacture, comprising:
at least one computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for performing a database search on a distributed computer system, comprising; computer readable program code means for causing a first computer to request to a second computer remote from the first computer in the distributed computer system to search information of at least one entity; computer readable program code means for causing the first computer to indicate to a search agent associated with the second computer at least one search criterion for the information of the at least one entity; computer readable program code means for causing the search agent to access at least one database remote from the first computer and the second computer in the distributed computer system, wherein the at least one database comprises information of a plurality of entities including the at least one entity, and wherein the at least one entity comprises less than all of the plurality of entities; and computer readable program code means for causing a search to be performed by the search agent based on the at least one search criterion on only the information of the at least one entity in the at least one database. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A system for performing a database search on a distributed computer system, comprising:
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a first entity adapted to request from a first computer to a second computer remote from the first computer in the distributed computer system to search information of at least one entity; a second entity adapted to indicate from the first computer to a search agent associated with the second computer at least one search criterion for the information of the at least one entity; a third entity adapted to access by the search agent at least one database remote from the first computer and the second computer in the distributed computer system, wherein the at least one database comprises information of a plurality of entities including the at least one entity, and wherein the at least one entity comprises less than all of the plurality of entities; and a fourth entity adapted to perform by the search agent a search based on the at least one search criterion on only the information of the at least one entity in the at least one database.
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48. At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of performing a database search on a distributed computer system, comprising:
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requesting, by a first agent of the distributed computer system, to search information of at least one entity; indicating, by a second agent of the distributed computer system, at least one search criterion for the information of the at least one entity; accessing, by a third agent of the distributed computer system, at least one database remote from the first agent and the second agent in the distributed computer system, the at least one database comprising information of a plurality of entities including the at least one entity, the at least one entity comprising less than all of the plurality of the entities; and performing, by a fourth agent of the distributed computer system, a search based on the at least one search criterion on only the information of the at least one entity in the at least one database.
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Specification