Content/information search system

• US 20030046281A1
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Son, Chan Soo
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

An information search system that enables efficient collection of information and support of formation of groups which people who share a same interest can join over a network. This system includes an intermediate server and a central server, wherein the intermediate server retains indexes for searching the content database on the central server. Users issue a search request to the intermediate server and search results are returned and recorded on the intermediate server as a search history. The search history is shared by users and used as references from which retrievable content can be selected.

Claims

1. An information search system for providing a user terminal with a search service for content stored on a central server including a content database in which content is stored, said information search system including an intermediate server located between said central server and said user terminals, said intermediate server comprising:

device for receiving a search request from a user terminal operated by a user, searching the content database on said central server on behalf of the user terminal, and providing search results to the user terminal; and

device for recording and retaining the search results returned by the search request as user search history, wherein said search results and the results of past searches by request of the user are recorded together,

wherein said information search system makes available said user search history to another user so that the search history is shared by the users and used for supporting user search operations.

2. An information search system for providing user terminals with a search service for searching content stored on a central server including a content database, said information search system including a plurality of intermediate servers located between said central server and said user terminal, each specialized for retrieving content regarding a predetermined field of user interest and each comprising:

device for receiving a search request from a user terminal operated by a user, searching the content database on said central server on behalf of the user terminal, and providing search results to the user terminal; and

device for recording and retaining the search results returned by the search request as a user search history, wherein said search results and the results of past searches by request of the user are stored together, wherein

said user terminal retains the identifier of an intermediate server selected by the user as the intermediate server to which a search request is to be issued,

the user can select another intermediate server in place of the intermediate server, and said information search system makes available said user search history to another user so that the search history is shared by the users and used for supporting user search operations.

3. An intermediate server located between a central server on which is stored a content database and user terminals for accessing the intermediate server to obtain content stored on said central server user terminal, said intermediate server comprising:

device for receiving a search request from a user terminal operated by a user, searching the content database on said central server on behalf of the user terminal, and presenting search results to the user terminal; and

device for recording and retaining the search results returned by the search request as user search history, wherein

said search results and the results of past searches by request of the user are stored together, and

said information search system makes available said user search history to another user so that the search history is shared by the users and used for supporting user search operations.

5. An intermediate server as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

device for receiving a request to retrieve content from a user terminal, retrieving the content from the central server, and providing the content to the user terminal,

wherein, when said request to retrieve content was issued by making reference to a search history of another user, said intermediate server executes a process of rewarding said other user.

6. An intermediate server as recited in claim 3 wherein:

said search history includes information about the time when the search was executed; and

when a predetermined period has passed after said time when the search was executed, said search history is deleted.

7. An intermediate server as recited in claim 3 wherein:

said search history includes an evaluation by another user who referenced the search history, and the evaluation information is used for process of presenting the search history.

11. An intermediate server as recited in claim 5 wherein:

the reward to be given to another user is a predetermined amount of money, and, when said predetermined amount is exceeded, no reward is credited.

12. A method of managing the intermediate server as recited in claim 5, in which the reward is an amount of money, a limit is set for the total amount of money to be awarded, and if said limit would be exceeded, no reward is given.

4. A plurality of intermediate servers located between a central server including a content database and user terminals that access one of the intermediate servers to retrieve content stored on said central server and specialized for a predetermined field of user interest regarding content, each of said intermediate servers comprising:

device for receiving a search request from a user terminal operated by a user, searching content in the content database on said central server falling within the specialized field of the intermediate server on behalf of the user terminal, and providing search results to the user terminal;

device for recording and retaining the search results returned in response to the search request as a user search history, wherein said search results and the results of past searches by request of the user are stored together;

device for retaining information about the fields of specialization of another intermediate server; and

device for searching said other intermediate server with a field key and presenting search results to the user terminal;

wherein said information search system makes available said user search history to another user so that the search history is shared by the users and used for supporting user search operations.

8. An information search method for searching, in response to a user request, a content database located on a central server, comprising the steps of:

receiving a search request from a user;

searching the content database on said central server;

presenting search results to the user; and

recording and retaining the search results returned by the search request as a user search history, wherein said search results and the results of past searches by request of the user are recorded together, wherein said user search history is rendered to another user so that the search history is shared by the users and used for supporting user search operations.

9. An information search method using a central server including a content database and an intermediate server located between said central server and user terminals that access the intermediate server to access content stored on said central server, said information search method comprising the steps of:

receiving a search request from a user terminal operated by a user;

searching the content database on said central server on behalf of the user terminal;

providing the search results to the user terminal;

recording and retaining the search results returned by the search request as a user search history, wherein said search results and the results of past searches by that user are stored together,

receiving a request to retrieve content from a user terminal;

retrieving the content from the central server; and

distributing the content to the user terminal,

wherein said user search history is made available to another user so as to be shared by the users,

wherein, when said first user has issued said request to obtain content selected as a result of referencing to a search history of the other user, a process of rewarding to said other user is executed.

10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon an information search program for searching content stored in a content database at the request of a user:

a module for causing the computer to execute the steps of receiving a search request from a user, searching the content database on said central server, and presenting search results to the user; and

a module for causing the computer to execute the step of recording and retaining the search results returned by the search request as a user search history, wherein said search results and the results of past searches requested by the user are stored together,

wherein said user search history is rendered to another user so that the search history is shared by the users and used for supporting user search operations.

13. A central server including a content database from which content is distributed to user terminals by request and connected to an intermediate server located between said central server and said user terminals, wherein the intermediate server receives a search request from a user terminal, searches the content database on said central server on behalf of the user terminal, presents search results to the user terminal, and records the search results as a search history,

said central server comprising:

device which, when a first user has performed a content search operation, generates key data to be attached to the search history record of the first user and retains the key data liked with the first user identifying information;

device for sending the thus generated key data to the user terminal operated by the first user; and

device which, when a second user obtains content selected as a result of referencing the search history record of the first user, identifies the first user by verifying matching between the key data included in the referenced search history record of the first user and said key data retained;

wherein;

said key data is encrypted with the first user'"'"'s pre-assigned private key and the encrypted key data is incorporated into the search history record at said intermediate server;

when the second user references the search history record, the encrypted key data is further encrypted with the second user'"'"'s pre-assigned private key and the double encrypted key data is sent to the central server; and

said device for identifying the first user decrypts the double encrypted key data with the first user'"'"'s and second user'"'"'s private keys and verifies key data matching using the reproduced key data.

14. A method of rewarding a digital content searcher, using a central server including a content database from which content is distributed to user terminals by request, said central server being connecting to an intermediate server located between said central server and said user terminals,

wherein the intermediate server receives a search request from a user terminal, searches the content database on said central server on behalf of the user terminal, presents search results to the user terminal, and records the search results as a search history,

said method comprising:

a step in which, when a first user has performed a content search operation, key data to be attached to the search history record of the first user is generated and retained, linked with the first user identifying information;

a step of sending the generated key data to the user terminal device operated by the first user; and

a step in which, when a second user obtains content selected as a result of referencing the search history record of the first user, the first user is identified by verifying matching between the key data included in the referenced search history record of the first user and said key data retained;

wherein;

said key data is encrypted with the first user'"'"'s pre-assigned private key and the encrypted key data is incorporated into the search history record at said intermediate server;

when the second user references the search history record, the encrypted key data is further encrypted with the second user'"'"'s pre-assigned private key and the double encrypted key data is sent to the central server;

said step in which the first user is identified comprises steps of decrypting the double encrypted key data with the first user'"'"'s and second user'"'"'s private keys and verifying key data matching, using the reproduced key data; and

a reward is provided to the first user identified as a result of this processing.