Method and apparatus for searching network resources

• US 6,915,294 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2001
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurea Software Incorporated (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Original Assignee: FirstRain, Inc. (Ignite Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Singh, Jaswinder Pal, Wang, Randolph
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MERILYN P
• Application Number:
  US09/935,782
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104.1, 709/219, 709/228, 715/738, 715/739, 715/748, 715/760, 715/968, 345/619, 345/440
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

The present invention pertains to the field of computer software. More specifically, the present invention relates to populating, indexing, and searching a database of fine-grained web objects or object specifications. An embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of searching resources on the web. A query is received to search for information on the web and one or more web pages and one or more subsets of one or more web pages are accessed. The subsets have been extracted from one or more web pages prior to receiving the query. The subsets are extracted responsive to one or more views. The one or more views are defined independently of the search query. The views are content-sensitive filters that specify which subparts of a web page a user is interested in. Prior to receiving the search query, the subsets are stored in a database. Responsive to the search query, at least one or more of the extracted subsets of one or more web pages stored in the database is identified. The search query is used as a criterion for identifying at least one or more of the subsets.

Claims

1. A method of searching resources on the web, comprising:

receiving a search query to search for information on the web;

accessing one or more web pages and one or more subsets of one or more web pages, the subsets having been extracted from the one or more web pages prior to receiving the search query, the subsets extracted responsive to one or more views, the one or more views defined independently of the search query, wherein the views are content-sensitive filters that specify which sub-parts of a web page a user is interested in;

prior to receiving the search query, storing the subsets in a database;

responsive to the search query, identifying at least one of one or more of the extracted subsets of one or more web pages stored in the database, the search query used as a criterion for identifying at least one of the one or more subsets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the views are capable of identifying desired portions of the web pages when the respective web pages evolve.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsets include one or more web pages and one or more selections, one or more selections including one or more subsets of one or more web pages.

4. A method of searching electronic resources including markup language, comprising:

receiving criteria for filtering of data; and

responsive to the criteria, identifying one or more sequences of a plurality of predefined views that can be applied to one or more electronic documents, the electronic documents including markup language, each predefined view including instructions, the instructions operating on the one or more electronic documents, the instructions specifying methods for selecting one or more subsets of the one or more electronic documents;

wherein the views are content-sensitive filters that specify which sub-parts of an electronic document a user is interested in.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the views are capable of identifying desired portions of the electronic documents when the electronic documents evolve.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, at least one view of the plurality of predefined views includes one or more links to one or more views of the plurality of predefined views, the one or more links allowing at least two of the plurality of predefined views to be accessed sequentially.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the electronic documents comprise web pages.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the subsets include one or more electronic documents and one or more selections, the one or more selections including one or more subsets of one or more electronic documents.

9. A method of searching electronic resources, comprising:

receiving criteria for filtering of data; and

responsive to the criteria, identifying one or more sequences of a plurality of pre-defined views that can be applied to one or more electronic documents, each pre-defined view including instructions, the instructions operating on the one or more electronic documents, the instructions specifying methods for selecting one or more subsets of the one or more electronic documents;

wherein the views are content-sensitive filters that specify which sub-parts of an electronic document a user is interested in.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the views are capable of identifying desired portions of the electronic documents when the electronic documents evolve.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein, at least one view of the plurality of one or more predefined views includes one or more links to one or more views of the plurality of one or more predefined views, the one or more links allowing at least two of the plurality of one or more predefined views to be accessed sequentially.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic documents comprise web pages.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the subsets include one or more electronic documents and one or more selections, one or more selections including one or more subsets of one or more electronic documents.

14. A computerized system for searching, the system comprising:

a view repository;

a database;

means for receiving a search query;

means for accessing one or more documents and one or more subsets of one or more documents, the subsets having been extracted from the one or more documents prior to receiving the search query, the subsets extracted responsive to one or more views, the one or more views defined independently of the search query and stored in the view repository, wherein the views are content-sensitive filters that specify which sub-parts of a document a user is interested in;

means for, prior to receiving the search query, storing the subsets in the database;

means for, responsive to the search query, identifying at least one of one or more of the extracted subsets of one or more documents stored in the database, the search query used as a criterion for identifying at least one of the one or more subsets.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the views are capable of identifying desired portions of the electronic documents when the respective electronic documents evolve.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the documents comprise web pages.

17. A method of searching resources on a network, comprising:

receiving a search query to search for information on the network;

accessing one or more electronic documents and one or more subsets of one or more electronic documents, the subsets having been extracted from the one or more electronic documents prior to receiving the search query, the subsets extracted responsive to one or more views, the one or more views defined independently of the search query, wherein the views are content-sensitive filters that specify which sub-parts of an electronic document a user is interested in;

prior to receiving the search query, storing the subsets in a database;

responsive to the search query, identifying at least one of one or more of the extracted subsets of one or more electronic documents stored in the database, the search query used as a criterion for identifying at least one of the one or more subsets.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the views are capable of identifying desired portions of the electronic documents when the respective electronic documents evolve.