Methods and systems for searching databases and displaying search results

• US 8,805,814 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elsevier BV (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: Elsevier BV (RELX PLC)
• Inventors: Zijlstra, Jaco, El Aisati, M'Hamed, Kalff, Robbertjan, Aalbersberg, Usbrand Jan, De Groot, Spencer
• Primary Examiner(s): Reyes, Mariela
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khakhar, Nirav K
• Application Number:
  US11/261,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,211 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707/707
• US Class Current: 707/707
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/382 using citations hypermedia G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/942 Legal/academic

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention comprises a computer system comprising databases storing information regarding publications, the information comprising author, title, date of publication, abstract, cited references, and citing references data; and Internet servers in communication with the databases; wherein at least one of the Internet servers is in communication with and operable to transmit data to a Web browser application resident on a user'"'"'s computer, and wherein the data is sufficient to enable the browser to display: (a) a search page for enabling the user to input publication search parameters; and (b) a results page comprising a tabular display of results that enables the user to sort results according to date, relevance, author, source title, and number of citations to each publication, and further comprising a list of publication titles, with each title having one or more adjacent selectable links to an aspect of the publication corresponding to the title.

Claims

1. A computer system for searching databases and displaying search results, comprising:

one or more databases storing information regarding publications, said information comprising author, title, date of publication, abstract, cited references, and citing references data; and

one or more Internet servers in communication with said one or more databases;

wherein at least one of said one or more Internet servers is in communication with and configured to transmit data to a Web browser application resident on a user'"'"'s computer, and wherein said data is sufficient to enable said browser to display;

(a) a search page that allows said user to input publication search parameters; and

(b) a results page comprising;

a tabular display of results that allows said user to sort results according to date, relevance, author, source title, and number of citations to each publication, wherein said display of results further comprises an indication of availability of a link allowing said user access to the full text for each respective result and a link to at least one aspect of the publication corresponding to said result, and

a listing of subsets of said results, located on screen and separate from said display of results, wherein said listing of subsets comprises a source title subset, a author name subset, a year subset, a document type subset, and a subject area subset, wherein the number of results in each said subset is listed adjacent to each respective subset to allow for at-a-glance evaluation of said results,

wherein said subsets are user selectable, and wherein said user may limit said results on said results page to said selected subsets and said user may exclude from said results on said results page said selected subsets;

(c) a record page for providing further details of a result, said record page including a reference citing to said result.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein, for at least one publication, said aspect comprises a full text display of said publication.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein, for at least one publication, said aspect comprises an abstract display of said publication.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein, for at least one publication, said aspect comprises a display of references cited in said publication.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said data is sufficient to enable said browser to display, for at least one listed publication, a numeral representing how many other publications have cited to said publication.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said tabular display of results that allows said user to sort results according to date, relevance, author, source title, and number of citations to each publication allows said user to limit publication titles displayed to publication titles for publications from one or more selected sources.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein said selected sources are selected from a list of sources limited to sources for publications in said list of publication titles.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said tabular display of results that allows said user to sort results according to date, relevance, author, source title, and number of citations to each publication allows said user to limit publication titles displayed to publication titles for publications from one or more selected authors.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein said selected authors are selected from a list of authors limited to authors for publications in said list of publication titles.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the results page further comprises one or more links to a display of the abstract and references for one or more publications.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said data is sufficient to enable said browser to display an export page that allows said user to export the results in a plurality of formats.