Method and apparatus for accessing information within an electronic system

• US 7,213,024 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2001
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Byteweavr, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Web Access Incorporated
• Inventors: Keith, Jr., Robert Olan
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/801,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20020065812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,247 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/101
• US Class Current: 707/797
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2246 Trees, e.g. B+trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/92 Navigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/971 Federated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for accessing information within an electronic system. The method includes formatting a searchable database into a directory tree structure, the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising related data and branches comprising links between the nodes. Each related item of data is categorized by a navigation path through the directory tree structure and by one or more set parameters, the parameters being specific to the node in which the related data is included. The method accesses a node within the directory tree structure using a query string, wherein the query string defines a navigation path through the directory tree structure to access a specific node within the directory tree structure. The method can include manually traversing the navigation path by utilizing keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search methodologies. Manually traversing the navigation path can be saved as the query string.

Claims

1. A method of accessing information within an electronic system comprising the steps of:

a. formatting a searchable database within the electronic system into a directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, wherein each related item of data is categorized by a navigation path through the directory tree structure and by one or more parameters, each parameter is set with a corresponding value associated with the data item thereby forming a set parameter, wherein the parameters are specific to the node in which the related data is included;

b. accessing a node within the directory tree structure using a query language string, wherein the query language string is a command string written according to a query language that defines a navigation path through the directory tree structure to access a specific node within the directory tree structure; and

c. manually traversing the navigation path through the directory tree structure to access the node utilizing a research module including keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search, wherein each utilization of the research module includes availability of each search at any location, including at any displayed page, within the searchable database, wherein the keyword search, the hierarchical search, the dichotomous key search, and the parametric search are available at any displayed page within the searchable database without requiring user input.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of manually traversing the navigation path is saved as the query language string.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the saved query language string is utilized to access the node without manually traversing the navigation path.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the related data is text, graphics, objects, links to other nodes within the directory tree structure, links to web sites external to the electronic system, or any combination thereof.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the searchable database is distributed into more than one physical location.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of accessing a node is performed by a server.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of establishing an internet connection with the server to access a node.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the internet connection is established with a computer system at a remote location from the server.

9. A research system for accessing information within an electronic system comprising:

a. means for formatting a searchable database within the electronic system into a directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, wherein each related item of data is categorized by a navigation path through the directory tree structure and by one or more parameters, each parameter is set with a corresponding value associated with the data item thereby forming a set parameter, wherein the parameters are specific to the node in which the related data is included;

b. means for accessing a node within the directory tree structure using a query language string, wherein the query language string is a command string written according to a query language that defines a navigation path through the directory tree structure to access a specific node within the directory tree structure; and

c. means for manually traversing the navigation path through the directory tree structure to access the node utilizing a research module including keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search, wherein each utilization of the research module includes availability of each search at any location, including at any displayed page, within the searchable database, wherein the keyword search, the hierarchical search, the dichotomous key search, and the parametric search are available at any displayed page within the searchable database without requiring user input.

10. The research system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the means for manually traversing the navigation path is saved as the query language string.

11. The research system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the saved query language string is utilized to access the node without manually traversing the navigation path.

12. The research system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the related data is text, graphics, objects, links to other nodes within the directory tree structure, links to web sites external to the electronic system, or any combination thereof.

13. The research system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the searchable database is distributed into more than one physical location.

14. The research system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the means for accessing a node is performed by a server.

15. The research system as claimed in claim 9 further comprising means for establishing an internet connection with the server to access a node.

16. The research system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the internet connection is established with a computer system at a remote location from the server.

17. A research system for accessing information within an electronic system comprising a research server configured to format a searchable database within the electronic system into a directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, wherein each related item of data is categorized by a navigation path through the directory tree structure and by one or more parameters, each parameter is set with a corresponding value associated with the data item thereby forming a set parameter, wherein the parameters are specific to the node in which the related data is included, and to access a node within the directory tree structure using a query language string, wherein the query language string is a command string written according to a query language that defines a navigation path through the directory tree structure to access a specific node within the directory tree structure and further wherein the research server is utilized by a user to manually traverse the navigation path through the directory tree structure to access the node by utilizing a research module including keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search, wherein each utilization of the research module includes availability of each search at any location, including at any displayed page, within the searchable database, wherein the keyword search, the hierarchical search, the dichotomous key search, and the parametric search are available at any displayed pane within the searchable database without requiring user input.

18. The research system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the manually traversed navigation path is saved as the query language string.

19. The research system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the saved query language string is utilized to access the node without manually traversing the navigation path.

20. The research system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the related data is text, graphics, objects, links to other nodes within the directory tree structure, links to web sites external to the electronic system, or any combination thereof.

21. The research system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the searchable database is distributed into more than one physical location.

22. The research system as claimed in claim 21 further comprising an interface circuit coupled to the research server to establish a connection with a computer system.

23. The research system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the connection is established with the computer system at a remote location from the interface circuit.

24. The research system as claimed in claim 23 wherein the connection is established with the remote computer system and the interface circuit over the internet to allow users to access the research system and to access a node.

25. A network of devices for accessing information within an electronic system comprising:

a. one or more computer systems configured to establish a connection with other systems; and

b. a research server coupled to the one or more computer systems to format a searchable database within the electronic system into a directory tree structure, wherein the directory tree structure includes nodes comprising related data and branches comprising links between the nodes, wherein each related item of data is categorized by a navigation path through the directory tree structure and by one or more parameters, each parameter is set with a corresponding value associated with the data item thereby forming a set parameter, wherein the parameters are specific to the node in which the related data is included, and to access a node within the directory tree structure using a query language string, wherein the query language string is a command string written according to a query language that defines a navigation path through the directory tree structure to access a specific node within the directory tree structure, wherein the research server is utilized by a user to manually traverse the navigation path through the directory tree structure to access the node by utilizing a research module including keyword search, hierarchical search, dichotomous key search, and parametric search, wherein each utilization of the research module includes availability of each search at any location, including at any displayed page, within the searchable database, wherein the keyword search, the hierarchical search, the dichotomous key search, and the parametric search are available at any displayed page within the searchable database without requiring user input.

26. The network of devices as claimed in claim 25 wherein the manually traversed navigation path is saved as the query language string.

27. The network of devices as claimed in claim 26 wherein the saved query language string is utilized to access the node without manually traversing the navigation path.

28. The network of devices as claimed in claim 25 wherein the related data is text, graphics, objects, links to other nodes within the directory tree structure, links to web sites external to the electronic system, or any combination thereof.

29. The network of devices research system as claimed in claim 25 wherein the searchable database is distributed into more than one physical location.

30. The network of devices as claimed in claim 25 wherein the one or more computer systems and the notification server are coupled together over the internet to allow users to access the research system and to access a node.