Content query system and method

• US 7,162,471 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CXT Systems, Inc. (Quest Patent Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Maquis Techtrix LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Knight, Timothy O., Gross, J. Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DEBBIE M
• Application Number:
  US10/919,789
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 7, 707/10, 707100-102
• US Class Current: 707/750
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A content query management system at a content site employs a number of community and customized software search robots which collect content, such as messages from message boards, from other websites. The robots interact with subscribers to access, retrieve and post content according to content groupings and classifications that reflect the collective shared interests, desires, etc. of such subscribers. A user query interface is also adapted to facilitate searching and review of the content through predefined and customized filtering parameters.

Claims

1. A content system comprising:

a database of information items accessible by a number of subscribers;

a content extraction program adapted for operation on an online network server and adapted for automatically locating and extracting selected information from a plurality of remote online network servers for storage in the database, including topic messages posted on one or more message board systems, which selected information matches a search criterion; and

a query program adapted for operation on the online network server and adapted for locating selected content from said selected information, including said topic messages, in response to a subscriber query based on said search criterion.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a posting program adapted to receive subscriber messages from said subscribers of the content system, at least some of said subscriber messages being coded so that such subscriber messages can be posted to each of said plurality of separate message board systems.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a database management program for integrating and storing said selected information and said subscriber messages.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said selected information comprises multi-media data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein portions of said search criterion are automatically generated by a message tracking program based on an analysis of said subscriber queries.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a classification scheme for sorting said selected information is automatically generated by a message tracking program based on an analysis of said subscriber queries.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said selected information is obtained based on a priority schedule correlated with a frequency of occurrence of subject categories used in said subscriber queries, so that information for subject categories queried more frequently is retrieved at a higher priority than information for subject categories queried less frequently.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said system automatically extracts content in proportion to popularity of such content as determined from examining subscriber demographic profiles, such that information for any type of content is retrieved at a rate proportional to subscriber popularity.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said content extraction program also locates and extracts news stories and/or press releases from one or more online network servers in response to specific subscriber requests.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said selected information is classified in accordance with a classification scheme derived from analyzing said selected information.

11. A method of analyzing content on a first online network content server having a database of information items accessible by a number of online users, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) locating and extracting selected information from one or more second online network servers using at least a first community search routine, and a second user controlled search routine, which selected information matches a predetermined search criterion specified for such search routines, such that said first community search routine and said second user controlled search routine can search for different subject matter;

wherein said first community search routine and said second user controlled search routine are set up under control of an operator of the first online network content server and a first subscriber of the first online network content server respectively;

(b) processing and sorting said selected information and data items stored on the first online network content server into data items falling into separate content categories, said separate content categories including at least a first content category specified by said operator of the online network content server and a second content category specified by said first subscriber of the online network content server respectively; and

(c) [1] tabulating first data items for the online users that are associated with at least said first content category to count occurrences of a first set of keywords in said first data items; and

(c) [2] tabulating second data items for said subscriber that are associated with at least said second content category to count occurrences of a second set of keywords in said second data items;

wherein said predetermined search criterion and said separate content categories are adjusted periodically base on feedback from said operator of the online network content server and/or said first subscriber of the online network content server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein additional selected information is retrieved by said first community search routine based on keywords identified in user search queries, such that content which includes keywords occurring more frequently in user search queries is retrieved at a higher priority by said first community search routine than content having keywords occurring less frequently.

13. The method of claim 11, further including a step (d):

analyzing said selected information retrieved from said one or more second online networks and recommending changes to said operator of the first online network content server to said predetermined search criterion and said separate content categories based on such analysis.