Technique for deleting duplicate records referenced in an index of a database

• US 6,745,194 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2001
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eureka Database Solutions, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: AltaVista Company (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burrows, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOFIZ, APU M
• Application Number:
  US09/920,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707/6, 707/7, 707/10, 707/101, 707/102, 709/217, 711/114
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/319 Inverted lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/328 Management therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A technique for deleting duplicate records referenced in an index of a database is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique may be realized by receiving a record; determining a fingerprint for the record; comparing the fingerprint of the record with fingerprints of previously indexed records; and, when the comparing act determines that the fingerprint of the current received record is the same as at least one of the fingerprints of any of the previously indexed records, identifying the current record as a record to be deleted.

Claims

1. A method for deleting duplicate records referenced in an index of a database, each record comprising one or more words and having a unique address, comprising the acts of:

receiving a record;

determining a fingerprint for the record received;

comparing the fingerprint of the record received with fingerprints of previously indexed records; and

when the comparing act determines that the fingerprint of the record received is the same as at least one of the fingerprints of previously indexed records, identifying the record received as a record to be deleted.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of receiving a record comprises receiving a web page.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of identifying the record as a record to be deleted comprises generating a deleted metaword pair including a location parameter, wherein the location parameter identifies a location of a last word of a page to be deleted.

4. A computer signal embodied in a carrier wave readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process performing the method recited in claim 1.

5. An article of manufacture for deleting duplicate records referenced in an index of a database, each record comprising one or more words and having a unique address, the article of manufacture comprising:

at least one processor readable carrier; and

instructions carried on the at least one carrier;

wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the at least one carrier by at least one processor and thereby cause the at least one processor to operate so as to;

receive a record;

determine a fingerprint for the record received;

compare the fingerprint of the record received with fingerprints of previously indexed records; and

identify the record received as a record to be deleted if, based upon the comparison, the fingerprint of the record received is determined to be the same as at least one of the fingerprints of previously indexed records.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 5, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to operate so as to:

receive a web page when receiving a record.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 5, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to operate so as to:

generate a deleted metaword pair including a location parameter, wherein the location parameter identifies a location of a last word of a page to be deleted.

8. A system for deleting duplicate records referenced in an index of a database, each record comprising one or more words and having a unique address, the system comprising:

means for receiving a record;

means for determining a fingerprint for the record received;

means for comparing the fingerprint of the record received with fingerprints of previously indexed records; and

means for identifying the record received as a record to be deleted if, based upon the comparison, the fingerprint of the record received is determined to be the same as at least one of the fingerprints of previously indexed records.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the means for receiving a record includes means for receiving a web page.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the means for identifying the record as a record to be deleted includes means for generating a deleted metaword pair including a location parameter, wherein the location parameter identifies a location of a last word of a page to be deleted.