Process and system that dynamically links contents of websites to a directory record to display as a combined return from a search result

• US 7,711,743 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Consulting Group NE Corporation
• Original Assignee: Telecom Consulting Group NE Corporation
• Inventors: Cavagnaro, James E., Erb, Daniel J., Tobey, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hwa; Shyue Jiunn
• Application Number:
  US11/013,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20050131909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,966 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A search of information collected from a root URL (Websites, Web pages, documents or database fields) is dynamically linked back to a directory (contact) record where information from both data sets are displayed to the end user who is performing the search. Additional information can be displayed as it relates to each contact.

The dynamic linking includes importing a plurality of directory (contact) records with assigned IDs into a first table of a database and defining a group of root URLs with assigned IDs into a second table of the database. Establishing a coordinating third table of the database to link each of the directory (contact) records with root URLs, thus allowing directory (contact) records to share root URLs. Each root URL is spidered to capture target content (all Web pages within a Website, documents within a directory or content within an individual document) and links the content found to the root URL. The content is parsed, broken down into text and stored in a fourth table of the database. Links between the first, second, and fourth tables are established in the coordinating third table.

A response to a search request includes searching the first and fourth tables for a target containing corresponding data in the tables and the search term and, if a target with corresponding data is found, the target and the appropriate directory (contact) record(s) linked to the targets root URL is then displayed in response to the search request.

Claims

1. A method to dynamically link a directory (contact) record to a plurality of root URLs comprising the steps of:

a) importing a plurality of directory (contact) records, each with an assigned directory ID, into a first table of a web portal'"'"'s database;

b) defining a group of root URLs, each with an assigned root URL ID, into a second table of the web portal'"'"'s database;

c) using the web portal, spidering each of said root URLs and capturing a target content of each of said root URLs and any new targets linked to said root URLs as discovered during spidering;

d) using the web portal, parsing, breaking down into text and storing said captured target content of each of said root URLs and any linked targets into a fourth table of the database and inserting the root URL ID spidered for each record;

e) using the web portal, comparing each directory (contact) record from the first table with the captured target content from each of the spidered URLs in the fourth table and creating one or more linking associations between one or more directory (contact) records of the first table and captured target content of the fourth table where there is a match;

f) using the web portal, establishing a coordinating third table of the web portal'"'"'s database to link the first, second, and fourth tables based on;

1) the one or more linking associations between directory (contact) records of the first table and captured target content of the fourth table; and

2) the spidered URLs for each record in the fourth table which correspond to the root URLs in the second table;

thereby allowing;

a single directory (contact) record to share a plurality of root URLs;

or

a single root URL to share a plurality of directory (contact) records.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of defining a group of root URLs into the second table of the web portal'"'"'s database comprises the step of collecting targets in said plurality of directory (contact) records, each of said targets corresponding to one of said group of root URLs.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said fourth table content includes a root URL for each of said group of targets, each of said targets comprising one of said root URLs in said plurality of directory (contact) records.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 further including the step of adding targets to said group of root URLs during said spidering operation, said additional targets comprising content found on a target being spidered, said found target also spidered and contents of said found target being captured, parsed, broken down into text and stored in said fourth table along with a root URL ID, said root URL ID being the one of said root URLs linked to said plurality of directory (contact) records from which said spidering operation was begun that produced said found target.

5. The method of claim 1 including the additional step of adding information to one of said plurality of records after said first table is initially formed.

6. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the match which results in a linking association is a match of URLs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of directory (contact) records comprises a plurality of yellow page directory listings.

8. A method of searching a directory (contact) record comprising:

a) providing a plurality of directory (contact) records stored in a first table of a web portal'"'"'s database dynamically linked to a plurality of root URLs in a second table of said web portal'"'"'s database by a third coordinating table of said web portal'"'"'s database wherein each of said root URLs have been spidered and the contents of a target of each of said root URLs as well as the root URL have been captured in a fourth table of said database and wherein the third coordinating table is established based on one or more linking associations between one or more directory (contact) records of the first table and captured target content of the fourth table where there is a match in conjunction with the spidered URLs for each record in the fourth table which correspond to the root URL'"'"'s in the second table;

b) using the web portal, receiving at least one search term in a search request and searching the captured content in said fourth table for said at least one search term;

c) using the web portal, finding at least one directory (contact) record in said first table which is linked to any of the root URLs which have captured content corresponding to said at least one search term;

d) using the web portal, providing said at least one directory (contact) record to an entity providing said at least one search term; and

e) searching said directory (contact) records for a correspondence between the content of each of said directory (contact) records and providing any directory (contact) record for which a correspondence is found to the entity providing said at least one search term.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said information provided to said entity providing said search request includes words surrounding said at least one search term found in said fourth table.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said information provided to said entity providing said at least one search term includes information added to said at least one directory (contact) record after said first table is initially formed.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of directory (contact) records comprises a plurality of yellow page directory listings.

12. A method to dynamically link a yellow page directory listing to a plurality of root URLs comprising the steps of:

a) importing a plurality of yellow page directory listings, each with an assigned directory ID, into a first table of a web portal'"'"'s database;

b) defining a group of root URLs, each with an assigned root URL ID, into a second table of the web portal'"'"'s database;

c) using the web portal, spidering each of said root URLs and capturing a target content of each of said root URLs and any new targets linked to said root URLs as discovered during spidering;

d) using the web portal, parsing, breaking down into text and storing said captured target content of each of said root URLs and any linked targets into a fourth table of the database and inserting the root URL ID spidered for each record;

e) using the web portal, comparing each yellow page directory listing from the first table with the captured target content from each of the spidered URLs in the fourth table and creating one or more linking associations between one or more yellow page directory listings of the first table and captured target content of the fourth table where there is a match;

f) using the web portal, establishing a coordinating third table of the web portal'"'"'s database to link the first, second, and fourth tables based on;

1) the one or more linking associations between yellow page directory listings of the first table and captured target content of the fourth table; and

2) the spidered URLs for each record in the fourth table which correspond to the root URLs in the second table;

thereby allowing;

a single yellow page directory listing to share a plurality of root URLs;

or

a single root URL to share a plurality of yellow page directory listings.