Apparatus and method of implementing fast internet real-time search technology (FIRST)

• US 6,332,141 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2001
• Issued: 12/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Netcurrents Information Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Netcurrents Information Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Gonzalez, Carlos M., Cerna, Jr., James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US09/875,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20010032203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 193 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/531, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

An apparatus for and method of monitoring and retrieving identifiable statements and other information pertinent to one or more desired search terms or concepts. In a preferred embodiment, a fast Internet real-time search technology (FIRST) system provides a user interface for inputting and editing a list of desired search terms, and a list of resource locations to be monitored. A server causes the periodic access of each resource location listed to determine whether any information on a particular resource location has been added that is pertinent to the desired search terms since the previous visit to the location. Any added information is returned to the server for processing. An alert message can be generated and forwarded to an intended recipient to alert the recipient of the added information.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable storage medium having stored therein indicia of a plurality of machine-executable control program steps, the control program comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting a list of monitored sites and identified terms, wherein data related to such terms may appear in the monitored sites;

(b) retrieving data from one of the monitored sites;

(c) examining the data to return any portion of the data related to the identified terms;

(d) using a tracking index to detect a real-time change in the data on the monitored site retrieved in step (b);

(e) retrieving the real-time change in the data on the monitored site based on the tracking index;

(f) generating an information alert to inform an intended recipient of the real-time change in data on the monitored site retrieved in step (b); and

(g) repeating steps (b) through (f) for each monitored site listed in step (a).

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the returning step (c) of the control program comprises the substep of retrieving messages from message boards dedicated to discussion of at least one term identified in said inputting step (a).

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the tracking index of step (d) is a message identification number originating on a monitored site.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 3, wherein the change in the data retrieved in step (e) includes a subject of a message on a message board related to at least one term identified in said inputting step (a) and the identity of the entity posting the message.