Content/information search system

• US 7,266,546 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2002
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Son, Chan Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell; Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Betit; Jacob F.
• Application Number:
  US10/095,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/5, 707/4, 707/10, 707/2, 707/7, 709/203, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• 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

Abstract

An information search system that enables efficient collection of information and support of formation of groups which people who share a same interest can join over a network. This system includes an intermediate server and a central server, wherein the intermediate server retains indexes for searching the content database on the central server. Users issue a search request to the intermediate server and search results are returned and recorded on the intermediate server as a search history. The search history is shared by users and used as references from which retrievable content can be selected.

Claims

1. An intermediate server, comprising:

a providing unit that searches information in a central server based on a search request from a user on behalf of a user terminal and provides a search result to the user;

a retaining unit that retains the search result as a user search history being connected with the search request to specialize in a field of information based on the user'"'"'s interest;

an index management unit that generates an index information in the specialized field of information for searching the information in the central server; and

a storing unit that stores the index information, wherein the user search history is shared with a plurality of users and is used for supporting a user search operation, and the index management unit updates the index information when the information in the central server is updated,

wherein, for the intermediate server, reference information including the field of information that the intermediate server specializes in and identification of the intermediate server is registered in the central server,

the central server identifying, upon receipt of new information, the intermediate server associated with a field of the received new information, the central server sending update information to the identified intermediate server to notify the intermediate server of the receipt of the new information, and

the index management unit contained in each of the intermediate server updating the index information according to the update information sent from the central server.

2. An information search method, comprising:

receiving a search request from a user;

searching information in a central server based on the search request;

providing a search result to the user; and

retaining the search result as a user search history being connected with the search request at one of a plurality of intermediate servers that specialize in a field of information based on the user'"'"'s interest, each of the plurality of intermediate servers comprising an index management unit that generates an index information of the information and a storing unit that stores the index information, the index management unit updating the index information when the information in the central server is updated, wherein the search result and a result of past searches are stored together at least one of the plurality of intermediate servers, and the user search history is shared with a plurality of users and is used for supporting a user search operation,

wherein, for each of the intermediate servers, reference information including the field of information that the intermediate server specializes in and identification of the

intermediate server is registered in the central server, the central server identifying, upon receipt of new information, one of the intermediate servers associated with a field of the received new information, the central server sending update information to the identified one of the intermediate servers to notify the identified one of the intermediate servers of the receipt of the new information, and

the index management unit contained in each of the intermediate servers updating the index information according to the update information sent from the central server.

3. The information search method according to claim 2, wherein when the search request is executed by making reference to the user search history of another user, a process of rewarding to the user is executed.

15. The information search method according to claim 3, wherein a reward is an amount of money, and no reward is given when the reward exceeds a predetermined amount of money.

4. An information search system for searching information, comprising:

a central server having the information;

a user terminal operated by a user;

and

a plurality of intermediate servers located between the central server and the user terminal, each of the plurality of the intermediate servers further comprising;

a providing unit that searches the information in the central server based on a search request from the user on behalf of the user terminal and provides a search result to the user terminal;

a retaining unit that retains the search result as a user search history being connected with the search request, wherein the user search history is shared with a plurality of users and is used for supporting a user search operation, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate servers specializes in a field of information based on a user'"'"'s interest;

an index management unit that generates an index information of the information; and

a storing unit that stores the index information, the index management unit updating the index information when the information in the central server is updated,

wherein, for each of the intermediate servers, reference information including the field of information that the intermediate server specializes in and identification of the intermediate server is registered in the central server,

the central server identifying, upon receipt of new information, one of the intermediate servers associated with a field of the received new information, the central server sending update information to the identified one of the intermediate servers to notify the identified one of the intermediate servers of the receipt of the new information, and

the index management unit contained in each of the intermediate servers updates the index information according to the update information sent from the central server.

5. The information search system according to claim 4, wherein the search result and a result of past searches are stored together.

6. The information search system according to claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of intermediate servers retains retaining information about the field of specialization of another intermediate server on the retaining unit.

7. The information search system according to claim 6, wherein one of the plurality of intermediate servers further comprises a searching unit that searches the other intermediate server based on a field of key data which is attached to the user search history and provides the search result to the user terminal.

8. The information search system according to claim 4, wherein, when the search request is executed by making reference to the user search history of another user, at least one of the intermediate servers executes a process of rewarding to the user.

9. The information search system according to claim 8, wherein a reward is an amount of money, and no reward is given when the reward exceeds a predetermined amount of money.

10. The information search system according to claim 4, wherein the user search history has information about time when the information is searched, and the user search history is deleted after a predetermined period of the time has passed.

11. The information search system according to claim 4, wherein the user search history includes an evaluation information by another user who refers the user search history, and the evaluation information is used for a process of presenting the user search history.

12. The information search system according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the intermediate servers is determined by a user based on the search request and the user terminal retains an identifier of the at least one determined intermediate server.

13. The information search system according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate servers searches the index information stored in a storing unit for searching the information based on the search request.

14. A storage medium readable by a computer, the storage medium storing a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a function for searching information based on a search request from a user, the function comprising:

receiving the search request from the user;

searching the information in a central server based on the search request;

providing a search result to the user; and

retaining the search request as a user search history being connected with the search request at one of a plurality of intermediate servers that specialize in a field of information based on the user'"'"'s interest, each of the plurality of intermediate servers comprising an index management unit that generates an index information of the information and a storing unit that stores the index information, the index management unit updating the index information when the information in the central server is updated, wherein the search result and the results of past searches are stored together at least one of the plurality of intermediate servers, and the user search history is shared with a plurality of users and is used for supporting a user search operation,

wherein, for each of the intermediate servers, reference information including the field of information that the intermediate server specializes in and identification of the intermediate server is registered in the central server,

the central server identifying, upon receipt of new information, one of the intermediate servers associated with a field of the received new information, the central server sending update information to the identified one of the intermediate servers to notify the identified one of the intermediate servers of the receipt of the new information, and

the index management unit contained in each of the intermediate servers updating the index information according to the update information sent from the central server.