Searching content in distributed computing networks

• US 9,348,918 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brilliant Digital Entertainment Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Brilliant Digital Entertainment Incorporated
• Inventors: Rose, Anthony, Bermeister, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Leroux, Etienne
• Application Number:
  US14/171,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20140149385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99946 Object-oriented database structure network

Abstract

A distributed search system includes a central server having an index of data, wherein the index of data is also available on a plurality of computing devices in a distributed computing network, the plurality of computing devices being distinct from the central server, each the computing device having a cache in which the computing device automatically stores data generated during the course of the computing device'"'"'s access to another computing network distinct from the distributed computing network.

Claims

1. A search system comprising:

(A) a central server having an index, said index is also being available on at least one other computing device in a distributed computing network, wherein said distributed computing network comprises a peer-to-peer network;

(B) computer program code stored in a memory of said at least one other computing device, said code for;

(B)(i) automatically and periodically generating said index based on data in a cache of said computing device, wherein said at least one other computing device stores data generated during the course of said computing device'"'"'s access to another computing network distinct from said distributed computing network; and

(B)(ii) automatically and periodically transmitting said index of said data to said central server;

(C) a first client connected to said distributed computing network, wherein said first client has access to a copy of said index; and

(D) a second client connected to said distributed computing network, wherein said first client receives at least one search request from said second client, and responds to said at least one search request by searching said copy of said index,

wherein said first client has a distributed search engine application for receiving and fulfilling search requests from said second client, wherein, in fulfilling a search request from said second client, said distributed search engine application provides search results from said at least one other computing network and from said distributed computing network.

2. The distributed search system of claim 1, wherein said index contains data information and data location information on a computing device in data communication with a distributed network.

3. The distributed search system of claim 1, wherein said index contains address information of said data wherein said address is of at least one computing device in data communication with a distributed network.

4. The distributed search system of claim 1 wherein said index contains address information of said data wherein said address comprise at least one server host of a web site.

5. The distributed search system of claim 1 wherein said first client automatically and periodically downloads said index from said central server.

6. The distributed search system of claim 1, wherein said second client has a search client application for:

receiving a search request from a computing device,

sending said search request to at least one of said distributed search engine applications located on a first client, and

receiving a search response from said distributed search engine application for display.

7. The distributed search system of claim 6, wherein said response includes a receipt, and wherein the search client application, upon receiving the search response, digitally authenticates the invoice and returns an authenticated receipt to said distributed search engine application.

8. The distributed search system of claim 7, wherein said distributed search engine application collects authenticated receipts and periodically transmits at least a portion of said receipts to the central server.

9. The distributed search system of claim 1 wherein the at least one other computing network comprises the world wide web.

10. A search system comprising:

(A) a central server having an index, wherein said index is also available on at least one computing device in a distributed computing network, wherein said distributed computing network comprises a peer-to-peer network, said at least one computing device being distinct from said central server, each said at least one computing device having a cache in which said computing device stores data generated during the course of said computing device'"'"'s access to another computing network distinct from said distributed computing network;

(B) computer program code stored in a memory of at least one of said plurality of computing devices for

(B)(i) automatically and periodically generating said index based on data in said cache folder, and

(B)(ii) automatically and periodically transmitting said index to said central server;

(C) a first client connected to said distributed computing network, said first client having access to a copy of said index; and

(D) a second client connected to said distributed computing network, wherein said first client receives a search request from said second client, and, in response to said search request, fulfills said request by searching said copy of said index,

wherein said first client has a distributed search engine application for receiving and fulfilling search requests from said second client, wherein. in fulfilling a search request from said second client said distributed search engine application provides search results from said at least one other computing network and from said distributed computing network, and

wherein said distributed search engine application transmits an invoice with the search response to said requesting search client application, and

wherein the search client application, upon receiving the search response, digitally authenticates the invoice and returns an authenticated receipt to said distributed search engine application, and

wherein said distributed search engine application collects authenticated receipts and periodically transmits at least a portion of said receipts to the central server.

11. The distributed search system of claim 10, wherein said index contains data information and data location information on a computing device in data communication with a distributed network.

12. The distributed search system of claim 10, wherein said index contains address information of said data wherein said address comprises an address of at least one computing device in data communication with a distributed network.

13. The distributed search system of claim 10 wherein said index contains address information of said data wherein said address comprises an address of at least one server host of a web site.

14. The distributed search system of claim 10 wherein said first client automatically and periodically downloads said index from said central server.

15. The distributed search system of claim 14, wherein said second client comprises a search client application for:

receiving a search request from a computing device,

sending said search request to at least one of said distributed search engine applications located a first client, and

receiving a search response from said distributed search engine application for display.

16. The distributed search system of claim 10, wherein the at least one other computing network comprises the world wide web.

17. A method, in distributed search system comprising:

(a) a central server having an index, said index also being available on a computing device in a distributed computing network, wherein said distributed computing network comprises a peer-to-peer network, said computing device being distinct from said central server, said computing device having a cache in which said computing device automatically stores data generated during the course of said computing device'"'"'s access to another computing network distinct from said distributed computing network; and

(b) computer program code stored in a memory of said computing device for automatically and periodically generating said index based on data in said cache folder, and for automatically and periodically transmitting said index of said data to said central server;

(c) a first client connected to said distributed computing network, said first client having access to a copy of said index; and

(d) a second client connected to said distributed computing network, wherein said first client receives at least one search request from said second client, and fulfills said request by searching said copy of said index,

wherein said first client has a distributed search engine application for receiving and fulfilling search requests from said second client, wherein, in fulfilling a search request from said second client said distributed search engine application provides search results from said at least one other computing network and from said distributed computing network,

the method comprising;

(A) said distributed search engine application transmitting an invoice with the search response to said requesting search client application, wherein the search client application, upon receiving the search response, digitally authenticates the invoice and returns an authenticated receipt to said distributed search engine application, and

(B) said distributed search engine application collecting authenticated receipts and periodically transmitting at least a portion of said receipts to the central server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the search client application, upon receiving the search response, digitally authenticates the invoice and returns an authenticated receipt to said distributed search engine application.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

(C) said distributed search engine application collecting authenticated receipts and periodically transmitting at least a portion of said receipts to the central server.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one other computing network comprises the world wide web.