WO2001082117A1 - Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases - Google Patents

Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2001082117A1
WO2001082117A1 PCT/US2001/013860 US0113860W WO0182117A1 WO 2001082117 A1 WO2001082117 A1 WO 2001082117A1 US 0113860 W US0113860 W US 0113860W WO 0182117 A1 WO0182117 A1 WO 0182117A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
search
databases
search results
information
user
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2001/013860
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Todd Miller
Brian Schelp
Paul Duncan
Original Assignee
Webfeat, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Webfeat, Inc. filed Critical Webfeat, Inc.
Priority to JP2001579136A priority Critical patent/JP2003532195A/en
Priority to IL15248001A priority patent/IL152480A0/en
Priority to CNB018118402A priority patent/CN100373377C/en
Priority to AU6108901A priority patent/AU6108901A/en
Priority to AU2001261089A priority patent/AU2001261089B2/en
Priority to EP01934948.9A priority patent/EP1281133B1/en
Publication of WO2001082117A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001082117A1/en

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/20Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of structured data, e.g. relational data
    • G06F16/25Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
    • G06F16/252Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems between a Database Management System and a front-end application
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/20Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor of structured data, e.g. relational data
    • G06F16/24Querying
    • G06F16/245Query processing
    • G06F16/2458Special types of queries, e.g. statistical queries, fuzzy queries or distributed queries
    • G06F16/2471Distributed queries
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06FELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F16/00Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
    • G06F16/90Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
    • G06F16/95Retrieval from the web
    • G06F16/953Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines
    • G06F16/9535Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S707/00Data processing: database and file management or data structures
    • Y10S707/99931Database or file accessing
    • Y10S707/99933Query processing, i.e. searching
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10STECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S707/00Data processing: database and file management or data structures
    • Y10S707/99931Database or file accessing
    • Y10S707/99939Privileged access

Definitions

  • search engines are not directly accessible using conventional information search tools such as search engines from Yahoo! and Northern Light. That is, while a search engine may be able to identify and return a hyperlink or URL which corresponds to the website that contains a particular database, the search engine is not able to search for information within that particular database. Consequently, a person interested in obtaining information from such databases would have to go to the corresponding websites directly.
  • database providers design their own proprietary databases using their own specific requirements and specifications. While a database typically handles access from the outside world through a database interface, such database interface varies amongst database providers. Therefore, a person interested in retrieving information from these various databases would have to access each database separately.
  • a company such as a law firm, may subscribe to a number of database providers in order to obtain access to different types of information.
  • access to the subscribed databases is typically provided on a company intranet via a number of clickable icons.
  • Each icon generally represents a link which, upon activation, establishes access to a different database.
  • a person would have to click on a corresponding icon each time access to a particular database is desired, even though the same search may be run on all the different databases.
  • each of these databases will still need to be accessed separately by a user.
  • a user typically, in order to access a proprietary database via the Web, a user needs to use his/her Web browser to connect to that database provider's website and then access the database via an interface. Subsequently, if the user wishes to access another proprietary database, the user then needs to leave the first database provider's website and then connect to the other database provider's website in order to access the other database.
  • separate and sequential accesses are required if the user desires to access different databases. Therefore, it would be desirable to develop a method and system which is capable of providing efficient simultaneous access to multiple databases.
  • the present invention generally relates to a method and system for retrieving search results. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for retrieving search results simultaneously from multiple disparate databases, whether such databases be available through the Web, or other proprietary internal networks.
  • one or more users are allowed to concurrently search multiple disparate databases and receive consolidated results with a single user interface through the use of a standard Web browser.
  • multiple databases can be searched concurrently pursuant to one single search entered by a user and the search results from the multiple databases are consolidated for display to the user.
  • the system includes a user interface, a control engine, and a number of translators which are used to communicate with a number of corresponding databases.
  • a user uses the user interface to enter search term(s) and other pertinent information relating to his/her search and specify which ones ofthe databases are to be searched.
  • the search term(s) and other pertinent information are then relayed to the control engine which, in turn, forwards them to the appropriate translators which correspond to the specified databases to be searched.
  • These translators then concurrently formulate and issue their respective search requests to the corresponding databases, performing any required authorization functions in the process. Concurrent searches are then carried out in the specified databases. Search results from each ofthe specified databases are then returned and consolidated for display by the user interface.
  • a system for retrieving search results from a plurality of databases comprising: a user interface configured to receive search information; and a plurality of translators configured to retrieve search results from the plurality of databases respectively based on the search information; wherein each ofthe plurality of translators performs a number of authorization functions and formulates a search request using the search information and syntax information specific to its corresponding database; and wherein the plurality of translators use their respective search requests to retrieve the search results from their corresponding databases in a concurrent manner.
  • the system further comprises a control engine configured to forward the search information to the plurality of translators and to consolidate the search results retrieved by the plurality of translators.
  • a method for retrieving search results from a plurality of databases comprising: receiving search information from a user; formulating a plurality of search requests using the search information and database syntax and protocol information, wherein each search request is recognizable by a corresponding database; executing the plurality of search requests in their corresponding databases in a concurrent manner; returning search results from the plurality of databases after execution ofthe plurality of search requests; and consolidating the search results for display to the user.
  • Fig. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention
  • Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a first exemplary embodiment of a user interface in accordance with the present invention
  • Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a second exemplary embodiment of a user interface in accordance with the present invention
  • Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a third exemplary embodiment of a user interface in accordance with the present invention.
  • Fig. 5 is a simplified flow diagram illustrating operation of an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.
  • Fig. 6 is a simplified flow diagram further illustrating one aspect of operation as shown in Fig. 5.
  • FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.
  • the system 10 includes a user interface 12, a control engine 14, and a number of translators 16a-h.
  • system 10 including the user interface 12, the control engine 14 and the translators 16a-h is implemented using computer software in either an integrated or modular manner. It should be understood that the system 10 may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of both. Based on the disclosure provided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art should know of other ways, methods and techniques to implement the present invention.
  • the system 10 resides on a single server (not shown). However, it should be understood that the system 10 need not reside on a single server. Different parts of the system 10, such as the user interface 12, the control engine 14 and the translators 16a-h may be made to reside on different servers depending on the design specifications and requirements.
  • the server can be an internal server maintained by the user's company or a server maintained by the ISP ofthe user's company or any server that is accessible via a computer network.
  • the user interface 12 allows a user to enter the desired search term(s) and other pertinent information for his/her search.
  • the user interface 12 can be designed to allow the user to select different search strategies. For example, both novice key word search and advanced multi-term Boolean search can be provided as options.
  • the user interface 12 also allows the user to select or specify one or more ofthe available databases where the search is to be conducted.
  • the user may specify to search databases from various database providers such as Compendex®, Derwent®, ABI Inform/ProQuest®, Disclosure, and PR Newswire.
  • the user may via the user interface 12 select or specify databases 18a-c and 18f to be searched.
  • the search term(s) only need to be entered once for a single search. As a result, the user can obviate the need to repeatedly enter the same search term(s) where more than one database is to be searched.
  • the search term(s) and other pertinent information entered by the user are then passed by the user interface 12 to the control engine 14. As will be explained further below, the control engine 14 then forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to each of the translators 16 which corresponds to the specified databases 18 thereby enabling the translators 16 to access the specified databases 18.
  • translators 16a-c and 16f correspond to databases 18a-c and 18f
  • the control engine 14 forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to translators 16a-c and 16f.
  • the user interface 12 is implemented using a standard web browser, such as the Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, the Netscape® Navigator®, and the like. It should be understood that while only one user interface 12 is shown herein, a multitude of interfaces 12 can be implemented to allow multiple users to conduct their respective searches concurrently.
  • the user interface 12 can be made available on a company intranet via a clickable icon. One or more users can click on the icon thereby allowing respective searches to be performed on one or more ofthe available databases 18a- h.
  • the user interface 12 further displays the results ofthe search to the user.
  • the search results are shown to the user in a summary format using hyperlinks.
  • Hyperlinks may be implemented using HTML but other presentation or markup languages such as DHTML, XML, etc. can be used.
  • the results displayed to the user are consolidated results retrieved from the various specified databases.
  • the control engine 14 receives the respective results from the translators 16a-h and consolidates such results for presentation to the user via the user interface 12.
  • the user interface 12 upon selection of a corresponding hyperlink by the user, also displays the corresponding full record of a search result to the user.
  • the search results may be shown to the user in a summary format using hyperlinks. If the user desires to learn more about a particular search result, the user may simply click on the corresponding hyperlink to view the corresponding full record.
  • the translators 16 create the respective hyperlinks which correspond to the search results thereby allowing the user interface 12 to display the corresponding full record accordingly upon activation ofthe corresponding hyperlink.
  • the user interface 12 is implemented in the form of a user agent such as an application program.
  • the user agent is configured to receive search information and other pertinent information, either from a user or from any other source such as another application program. Furthermore, upon receiving the search results from the control engine 14, the user agent may further process such search results. Based on the disclosure provided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art will know of ways, methods and techniques to implement the user interface 12 in accordance with the present invention.
  • the control engine 14 generally manages and controls operation of the system
  • control engine 14 forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information received via the user interface 12 to all translators 16 which correspond to the specified databases 18.
  • the control engine 14 is multithreaded, which means that a new thread of execution is spawned to run a search for each of the specified databases 18a-h.
  • the control engine 14 allows multiple searches to be run in parallel. That is, all search requests to the respective specified databases 18a-h can be formulated and executed concurrently.
  • the control engine 14 is implemented using Microsoft's Visual C++. However, based on the disclosure provided herein, it should be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that other computer languages, such as JAVA, can be used to implement the control engine 14 in accordance with the present invention.
  • the control engine 14 consolidates all the results received from the translators 16a-h.
  • the consolidated results represent the collective search results retrieved from the various specified databases 18a-h.
  • the consolidated results are formatted using presentation or markup language such as HTML.
  • the consolidated results are then forwarded to the user interface 12 to effectuate the appropriate display accordingly.
  • Each translator 16 is tailored specifically to interact with a corresponding database 18.
  • the databases 18a-h which correspond to the translators 16a-h can either be Web-accessible or locally accessible.
  • databases 18a-e are accessible via the Web
  • databases 18f-h are databases which are connected to a company's internal network and are not accessible to the outside world.
  • each database is accessed via a database interface. Such database interface is typically different for each database.
  • databases may have database interfaces which are capable of handling communications and interface protocols such as HTTP, telnet, Z39.50 or others; and for locally accessible databases, these databases may have database interfaces which are capable of handling communications and interface protocols such as Microsoft®'s ODBC standard or other vendor specific standards.
  • a database interface can be implemented in various forms.
  • a database interface can be a search engine or other searching mechanism which can be used to search or access a database.
  • a person of ordinary skill in the art will know of ways, methods and techniques to implement a database interface.
  • each translator 16 Since each translator 16 is tailored to interact with a corresponding database 18, each translator 16, therefore, contains specific known information about the corresponding database interface including, for example, information relating to log-ins and search request syntax and format.
  • the specific information about the corresponding database interface can be obtained, for example, by identifying different words, terms and formatting code used in a response received from the corresponding database. For instance, such information may be obtained from a HTTP response received from a database interface which is Web-accessible.
  • the specific information about a corresponding database interface can also be obtained from the database providers or other sources.
  • the translator 16 Using the information, such as the search term(s), received from the user via the user interface 12 and the specific information pertaining to a corresponding database interface, the translator 16 first contacts the corresponding database interface to perform any required steps to satisfy database authorization requirements in order to establish a connection to the corresponding database 18. Once the connection is established, the translator 16 then formulates a search request which is recognizable by that corresponding database 18. In an exemplary embodiment, the translator 16 uses HTTP to establish the database connection and transmit the search request to that corresponding database 18. Referring to Fig. 1, for example, translator 16a can forward a search request to corresponding database 18a using HTTP via the Internet. After the corresponding database 18 performs the search pursuant to the search request, the search results are returned to the corresponding translator 16. Similarly, in an exemplary embodiment, the search results are encoded using HTML. It should be understood that the search results can be encoded in other presentation or markup language and that the corresponding database 18 and translator 16 can communicate with one another using other communications and interface protocols.
  • the translator 16 parses the search results to create a number of summary statistics and records and corresponding hyperlinks.
  • the summary statistics and records and the corresponding hyperlinks are then forwarded to the control engine 14.
  • the summary statistics and records and the corresponding hyperlinks are formatted using HTML, DHTML, XML or other appropriate markup language.
  • control engine 14 consolidates the summary statistics and records and the corresponding hyperlinks received from all the translators 16a-h.
  • the consolidated results are then forwarded to the user interface 12 to generate the appropriate display.
  • the consolidated results represent the collective search results retrieved from the various specified databases.
  • Fig. 5 is a simplified flow diagram illustrating operation ofthe system 10.
  • the user via the user interface 12 provides the search term(s) or search query and other pertinent information and specifies which ones ofthe available databases 18a-h are to be searched. For example, the user can specify that databases 18a-c are to be searched.
  • the control engine 14 forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to the appropriate translators 16 which correspond to the specified databases 18. For example, if the user specifies that databases 18a-c are to be searched, then translators 16a-c receive the search term(s) and other pertinent information from the control engine 14.
  • the appropriate translators 16 contacts and forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to their respective specified databases 18 so as to enable searches to be performed in the specified databases 18. Additional details of this step is further provided below.
  • search results are received from the specified databases 18 by the corresponding translators 16. After receiving the respective search results from the corresponding databases 18, each translator 16 parses and tallies the search results returned from its corresponding database 18 and generate any desired summary statistics and records and corresponding hyperlinks. Summary statistics may include, for example, number of search results retrieved from each database 18. The translators 16 then forward the respective summary statistics and records and corresponding hyperlinks to the control engine 14. The control engine 14 consolidates such summary statistics and records and corresponding hyperlinks and forwards the consolidated results to the user interface 12.
  • control engine 14 also logs and records all the transaction information to a transaction log.
  • the user interface 12 displays the consolidated results accordingly.
  • Fig. 6 is a simplified flow diagram which further illustrates the operation of step 520 for each appropriate translator 16.
  • a translator 16 parses the search term(s) received from the control engine 14.
  • the translator 16 submits specific login and authorization information in order to establish access to the database interface ofthe corresponding database 18. Upon verification ofthe login and authorization information, session authentication information is returned to the translator 16.
  • the translator 16 upon verification ofthe login information and establishing access, the translator 16 then incorporates the search term(s) and other pertinent information into a search request which is recognizable by the corresponding database 18.
  • the search request is formulated specifically so as to allow it to be understood by the database interface ofthe corresponding database 18.
  • the search request and the session authentication information are transmitted to the database interface ofthe corresponding database 18.
  • the search request is then carried out in the corresponding database 18.
  • search results are returned from the corresponding database 18 to the translator 16.
  • the translator 16 parses the results into summary statistics and records.
  • the summary statistics and records are formatted in HTML.
  • the translator 16 further creates a number of hyperlinks which are linked to the summary records respectively.
  • a hyperlink is also created to link the summary record and the corresponding full record together.
  • the translator 16 returns the summary statistics and records and all the created hyperlinks to the control engine 14 for consolidation with other summary statistics and records and hyperlinks received from other translators 16.
  • translators 16a-h are tailored specifically to interact with databases 18a-h respectively.
  • a user via the user interface 12 enters the desired search term(s) and other pertinent information and specifies that the search be conducted in databases 18a-c and 18f
  • the control engine 14 then forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to translators 16a-c and 16f.
  • translators 16a-c and 16f Upon receiving the search term(s) and other pertinent information, translators 16a-c and 16f first concurrently contact database interfaces of databases 18a-c and 18f respectively to establish access connections.
  • translators 16a-c and 16f each perform necessary authorization steps so as to ensure that searches in the corresponding databases 18a-c and 18f can be conducted.
  • Translators 16a-c and 16f then each incorporate the search term(s) and other pertinent information into a search request which is recognizable by their respective databases 18a-c and 18f.
  • the search request generated by translator 16a may utilize HTTP if database 18a is HTTP compatible;
  • the search request generated by translator 16b may utilize telnet if database 18b is accessed using telnet;
  • the search request generated by translator 16c may utilize Z39.50 if Z39.50 is used to access
  • the search requests generated by translators 16a-c and 16f are then carried out in the respective databases 18a-c and 18f.
  • the search results from each ofthe databases 18a- c and 18f are then returned to translators 16a-c and 16f respectively.
  • translators 16a-c and 16f then parses the search results into summary statistics and records. In the event that there is a corresponding full record associated with a summary record, a hyperlink is created to link the summary record and the corresponding full record together. Translators 16a-c and 16f then forward all their respective summary statistics and records and hyperlinks to the control engine 14 for consolidation and display by the user interface 12.
  • the system 10 further manages and controls authentication when databases 18a-h are accessed by the translators 16a-h.
  • Each ofthe translators 16a-h before submitting a search request to its corresponding database, needs to establish an authenticated session with that database.
  • the translator 16 performs the required sequence of page fetches, cookie management, and session ID management required to authenticate.
  • Each database 18 is different and the translator 16 meets the specific requirements for that database. Sometimes this is simple, such as a userlD/password login, and sometimes it can be quite complex involving a series of multiple Web page requests with both session IDs and cookies involved.
  • the authentication process is executed without any user interaction.
  • the translator 16 can perform the authentication task much faster than a user with a browser would be able to because of a variety of optimizations used by the translators 16. These include ignoring nonessential Web page elements such as graphics, extraneous frames, etc.; the avoidance of nonessential steps that users otherwise would go through; caching of authentication information for multiple queries; and use of various network transaction optimizations such as redirect truncation, persistent connections, etc.
  • Translators 16 are designed to handle those databases 18 that provide both userlD/password and IP authentication to meet different client needs. IP authentication is a

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to a method and system for retrieving search results. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for retrieving search results concurrently from multiple disparate databases, whether such databases be available through the Web, or other proprietary internal networks. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a user interface (12), a control engine (14), and a number of translators (16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, 16e) which are used to communicate with a number of corresponding databases. During exemplary operation, a user uses the user interface to enter search term(s) and other pertinent information to be searched. The search term(s) and other pertinent information are then relayed to the control engine which, in turn, forwards them to the appropriate translators which correspond to the specified databases to be searched. These translators then concurrently formulate and issue their respective search requests to the corresponding databases (18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e). Concurrent searches are then carried out in the specified databases. Search results from each of the specified databases are then returned and consolidated for display by the user interface (12).

Description

Figure imgf000002_0001
Form PCT/ISA/210 (second sheet) (July 1998) * METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RETRIEVING SEARCH RESULTS FROM MULTIPLE DISPARATE DATABASES
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from co- pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/200,044 filed on April 27, 2000, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The introduction of the Internet and the World Wide Web ("Web") has made a voluminous amount of information available to people having access to the Web. The Web has effectively made libraries virtual in the sense that physical volumes are no longer required to reside in a single physical location. At present, some 80+ million digital forms of publications have been tied to the Web, representing trillions of pages of information. While the amount of information which appears to be available through the Web is staggering, the reality is that the majority of research-quality information is completely inaccessible using conventional information search tools such as a general-purpose search engine.
Certain information is not available via the Web using conventional information search tools because such information may be residing on proprietary databases which are not generally accessible via the Web. These proprietary databases are typically provided by commercial database providers and access to these proprietary databases is usually granted on a subscription basis. As a result, a person interested in obtaining information from these proprietary databases would have to subscribe to each database provider respectively.
Additionally, content in most publicly accessible Web databases, such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office's patent and trademark databases, are not directly accessible using conventional information search tools such as search engines from Yahoo! and Northern Light. That is, while a search engine may be able to identify and return a hyperlink or URL which corresponds to the website that contains a particular database, the search engine is not able to search for information within that particular database. Consequently, a person interested in obtaining information from such databases would have to go to the corresponding websites directly.
More significantly, database providers design their own proprietary databases using their own specific requirements and specifications. While a database typically handles access from the outside world through a database interface, such database interface varies amongst database providers. Therefore, a person interested in retrieving information from these various databases would have to access each database separately.
For example, a company, such as a law firm, may subscribe to a number of database providers in order to obtain access to different types of information. In order to provide convenient access for many individual users, access to the subscribed databases is typically provided on a company intranet via a number of clickable icons. Each icon generally represents a link which, upon activation, establishes access to a different database. As a result, a person would have to click on a corresponding icon each time access to a particular database is desired, even though the same search may be run on all the different databases.
Furthermore, even though some ofthe proprietary databases mentioned above also allow access from the Web via Web-enabled interfaces, each of these databases will still need to be accessed separately by a user. For example, typically, in order to access a proprietary database via the Web, a user needs to use his/her Web browser to connect to that database provider's website and then access the database via an interface. Subsequently, if the user wishes to access another proprietary database, the user then needs to leave the first database provider's website and then connect to the other database provider's website in order to access the other database. As a result, separate and sequential accesses are required if the user desires to access different databases. Therefore, it would be desirable to develop a method and system which is capable of providing efficient simultaneous access to multiple databases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a method and system for retrieving search results. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for retrieving search results simultaneously from multiple disparate databases, whether such databases be available through the Web, or other proprietary internal networks.
According to one aspect ofthe present invention, one or more users are allowed to concurrently search multiple disparate databases and receive consolidated results with a single user interface through the use of a standard Web browser.
According to another aspect ofthe present invention, multiple databases can be searched concurrently pursuant to one single search entered by a user and the search results from the multiple databases are consolidated for display to the user.
In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a user interface, a control engine, and a number of translators which are used to communicate with a number of corresponding databases. During exemplary operation, a user uses the user interface to enter search term(s) and other pertinent information relating to his/her search and specify which ones ofthe databases are to be searched. The search term(s) and other pertinent information are then relayed to the control engine which, in turn, forwards them to the appropriate translators which correspond to the specified databases to be searched. These translators then concurrently formulate and issue their respective search requests to the corresponding databases, performing any required authorization functions in the process. Concurrent searches are then carried out in the specified databases. Search results from each ofthe specified databases are then returned and consolidated for display by the user interface.
Accordingly, in one embodiment, a system for retrieving search results from a plurality of databases is provided, comprising: a user interface configured to receive search information; and a plurality of translators configured to retrieve search results from the plurality of databases respectively based on the search information; wherein each ofthe plurality of translators performs a number of authorization functions and formulates a search request using the search information and syntax information specific to its corresponding database; and wherein the plurality of translators use their respective search requests to retrieve the search results from their corresponding databases in a concurrent manner. Optionally, the system further comprises a control engine configured to forward the search information to the plurality of translators and to consolidate the search results retrieved by the plurality of translators.
3 Accordingly, in another embodiment, a method for retrieving search results from a plurality of databases is provided, comprising: receiving search information from a user; formulating a plurality of search requests using the search information and database syntax and protocol information, wherein each search request is recognizable by a corresponding database; executing the plurality of search requests in their corresponding databases in a concurrent manner; returning search results from the plurality of databases after execution ofthe plurality of search requests; and consolidating the search results for display to the user.
Reference to the remaining portions ofthe specification, including the drawings and claims, will realize other features and advantages ofthe present invention. Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments ofthe present invention, are described in detail below with respect to accompanying drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a first exemplary embodiment of a user interface in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a second exemplary embodiment of a user interface in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a third exemplary embodiment of a user interface in accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a simplified flow diagram illustrating operation of an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention; and
Fig. 6 is a simplified flow diagram further illustrating one aspect of operation as shown in Fig. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
Various embodiments ofthe present invention will now be described. Fig. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.
4 In this exemplary embodiment, the system 10 includes a user interface 12, a control engine 14, and a number of translators 16a-h.
In an exemplary embodiment, the system 10 including the user interface 12, the control engine 14 and the translators 16a-h is implemented using computer software in either an integrated or modular manner. It should be understood that the system 10 may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of both. Based on the disclosure provided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art should know of other ways, methods and techniques to implement the present invention.
Preferably, the system 10 resides on a single server (not shown). However, it should be understood that the system 10 need not reside on a single server. Different parts of the system 10, such as the user interface 12, the control engine 14 and the translators 16a-h may be made to reside on different servers depending on the design specifications and requirements. Furthermore, the server can be an internal server maintained by the user's company or a server maintained by the ISP ofthe user's company or any server that is accessible via a computer network.
Referring to Fig. 2, an exemplary embodiment ofthe user interface 12 is shown. In the exemplary embodiment, the user interface 12 allows a user to enter the desired search term(s) and other pertinent information for his/her search. The user interface 12 can be designed to allow the user to select different search strategies. For example, both novice key word search and advanced multi-term Boolean search can be provided as options.
Furthermore, the user interface 12 also allows the user to select or specify one or more ofthe available databases where the search is to be conducted. For example, the user may specify to search databases from various database providers such as Compendex®, Derwent®, ABI Inform/ProQuest®, Disclosure, and PR Newswire. Referring to Fig. 1 , the user may via the user interface 12 select or specify databases 18a-c and 18f to be searched.
By using the user interface 12, the search term(s) only need to be entered once for a single search. As a result, the user can obviate the need to repeatedly enter the same search term(s) where more than one database is to be searched. The search term(s) and other pertinent information entered by the user are then passed by the user interface 12 to the control engine 14. As will be explained further below, the control engine 14 then forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to each of the translators 16 which corresponds to the specified databases 18 thereby enabling the translators 16 to access the specified databases 18. For example, assuming that translators 16a-c and 16f correspond to databases 18a-c and 18f, if the user specifies to have databases 18a-c and 18f searched, then the control engine 14 forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to translators 16a-c and 16f.
In one embodiment, the user interface 12 is implemented using a standard web browser, such as the Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, the Netscape® Navigator®, and the like. It should be understood that while only one user interface 12 is shown herein, a multitude of interfaces 12 can be implemented to allow multiple users to conduct their respective searches concurrently. For example, the user interface 12 can be made available on a company intranet via a clickable icon. One or more users can click on the icon thereby allowing respective searches to be performed on one or more ofthe available databases 18a- h.
Referring to Fig. 3, the user interface 12 further displays the results ofthe search to the user. For example, the search results are shown to the user in a summary format using hyperlinks. Hyperlinks may be implemented using HTML but other presentation or markup languages such as DHTML, XML, etc. can be used. The results displayed to the user are consolidated results retrieved from the various specified databases. As will be explained further below, the control engine 14 receives the respective results from the translators 16a-h and consolidates such results for presentation to the user via the user interface 12.
Referring to Fig. 4, the user interface 12, upon selection of a corresponding hyperlink by the user, also displays the corresponding full record of a search result to the user. As mentioned above, the search results may be shown to the user in a summary format using hyperlinks. If the user desires to learn more about a particular search result, the user may simply click on the corresponding hyperlink to view the corresponding full record. As will be explained further below, the translators 16 create the respective hyperlinks which correspond to the search results thereby allowing the user interface 12 to display the corresponding full record accordingly upon activation ofthe corresponding hyperlink. In an alternative embodiment, the user interface 12 is implemented in the form of a user agent such as an application program. Similarly, the user agent is configured to receive search information and other pertinent information, either from a user or from any other source such as another application program. Furthermore, upon receiving the search results from the control engine 14, the user agent may further process such search results. Based on the disclosure provided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art will know of ways, methods and techniques to implement the user interface 12 in accordance with the present invention.
The control engine 14 generally manages and controls operation of the system
10. As mentioned above, the control engine 14 forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information received via the user interface 12 to all translators 16 which correspond to the specified databases 18. In an exemplary embodiment, the control engine 14 is multithreaded, which means that a new thread of execution is spawned to run a search for each of the specified databases 18a-h. By having the multi-threaded functionality, the control engine 14 allows multiple searches to be run in parallel. That is, all search requests to the respective specified databases 18a-h can be formulated and executed concurrently. In one embodiment, the control engine 14 is implemented using Microsoft's Visual C++. However, based on the disclosure provided herein, it should be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that other computer languages, such as JAVA, can be used to implement the control engine 14 in accordance with the present invention.
The control engine 14 consolidates all the results received from the translators 16a-h. The consolidated results represent the collective search results retrieved from the various specified databases 18a-h. Preferably, the consolidated results are formatted using presentation or markup language such as HTML. The consolidated results are then forwarded to the user interface 12 to effectuate the appropriate display accordingly.
Access to the specified databases 18a-h is accomplished via the translators 16a-h. Each translator 16 is tailored specifically to interact with a corresponding database 18. The databases 18a-h which correspond to the translators 16a-h can either be Web-accessible or locally accessible. For example, referring to Fig. 1, databases 18a-e are accessible via the Web and databases 18f-h are databases which are connected to a company's internal network and are not accessible to the outside world. As mentioned above, each database is accessed via a database interface. Such database interface is typically different for each database. For example, for Web-accessible databases, these databases may have database interfaces which are capable of handling communications and interface protocols such as HTTP, telnet, Z39.50 or others; and for locally accessible databases, these databases may have database interfaces which are capable of handling communications and interface protocols such as Microsoft®'s ODBC standard or other vendor specific standards. It should be noted that a database interface can be implemented in various forms. For example, a database interface can be a search engine or other searching mechanism which can be used to search or access a database. A person of ordinary skill in the art will know of ways, methods and techniques to implement a database interface.
Since each translator 16 is tailored to interact with a corresponding database 18, each translator 16, therefore, contains specific known information about the corresponding database interface including, for example, information relating to log-ins and search request syntax and format. The specific information about the corresponding database interface can be obtained, for example, by identifying different words, terms and formatting code used in a response received from the corresponding database. For instance, such information may be obtained from a HTTP response received from a database interface which is Web-accessible. The specific information about a corresponding database interface can also be obtained from the database providers or other sources.
Using the information, such as the search term(s), received from the user via the user interface 12 and the specific information pertaining to a corresponding database interface, the translator 16 first contacts the corresponding database interface to perform any required steps to satisfy database authorization requirements in order to establish a connection to the corresponding database 18. Once the connection is established, the translator 16 then formulates a search request which is recognizable by that corresponding database 18. In an exemplary embodiment, the translator 16 uses HTTP to establish the database connection and transmit the search request to that corresponding database 18. Referring to Fig. 1, for example, translator 16a can forward a search request to corresponding database 18a using HTTP via the Internet. After the corresponding database 18 performs the search pursuant to the search request, the search results are returned to the corresponding translator 16. Similarly, in an exemplary embodiment, the search results are encoded using HTML. It should be understood that the search results can be encoded in other presentation or markup language and that the corresponding database 18 and translator 16 can communicate with one another using other communications and interface protocols.
After the search results are returned from the corresponding database 18, the translator 16 parses the search results to create a number of summary statistics and records and corresponding hyperlinks. The summary statistics and records and the corresponding hyperlinks are then forwarded to the control engine 14. The summary statistics and records and the corresponding hyperlinks are formatted using HTML, DHTML, XML or other appropriate markup language.
As described above, the control engine 14 consolidates the summary statistics and records and the corresponding hyperlinks received from all the translators 16a-h. The consolidated results are then forwarded to the user interface 12 to generate the appropriate display. The consolidated results represent the collective search results retrieved from the various specified databases.
Fig. 5 is a simplified flow diagram illustrating operation ofthe system 10. At 500, the user via the user interface 12 provides the search term(s) or search query and other pertinent information and specifies which ones ofthe available databases 18a-h are to be searched. For example, the user can specify that databases 18a-c are to be searched.
At 510, the control engine 14 forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to the appropriate translators 16 which correspond to the specified databases 18. For example, if the user specifies that databases 18a-c are to be searched, then translators 16a-c receive the search term(s) and other pertinent information from the control engine 14.
At 520, the appropriate translators 16 contacts and forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to their respective specified databases 18 so as to enable searches to be performed in the specified databases 18. Additional details of this step is further provided below. At 530, search results are received from the specified databases 18 by the corresponding translators 16. After receiving the respective search results from the corresponding databases 18, each translator 16 parses and tallies the search results returned from its corresponding database 18 and generate any desired summary statistics and records and corresponding hyperlinks. Summary statistics may include, for example, number of search results retrieved from each database 18. The translators 16 then forward the respective summary statistics and records and corresponding hyperlinks to the control engine 14. The control engine 14 consolidates such summary statistics and records and corresponding hyperlinks and forwards the consolidated results to the user interface 12.
At 540, the control engine 14 also logs and records all the transaction information to a transaction log.
At 550, the user interface 12 displays the consolidated results accordingly.
Fig. 6 is a simplified flow diagram which further illustrates the operation of step 520 for each appropriate translator 16. At 600, a translator 16 parses the search term(s) received from the control engine 14.
At 610, the translator 16 submits specific login and authorization information in order to establish access to the database interface ofthe corresponding database 18. Upon verification ofthe login and authorization information, session authentication information is returned to the translator 16.
At 620, upon verification ofthe login information and establishing access, the translator 16 then incorporates the search term(s) and other pertinent information into a search request which is recognizable by the corresponding database 18. As mentioned above, the search request is formulated specifically so as to allow it to be understood by the database interface ofthe corresponding database 18.
At 630, the search request and the session authentication information are transmitted to the database interface ofthe corresponding database 18. The search request is then carried out in the corresponding database 18.
10 At 640, search results are returned from the corresponding database 18 to the translator 16. The translator 16 parses the results into summary statistics and records. In an exemplary embodiment, the summary statistics and records are formatted in HTML.
At 650, the translator 16 further creates a number of hyperlinks which are linked to the summary records respectively. In the event that a summary record also has a corresponding full record, a hyperlink is also created to link the summary record and the corresponding full record together.
At 660, the translator 16 returns the summary statistics and records and all the created hyperlinks to the control engine 14 for consolidation with other summary statistics and records and hyperlinks received from other translators 16.
The following example further illustrates the operation ofthe system 10.
Referring to Fig. 1, assume that translators 16a-h are tailored specifically to interact with databases 18a-h respectively. A user via the user interface 12 enters the desired search term(s) and other pertinent information and specifies that the search be conducted in databases 18a-c and 18f
The control engine 14 then forwards the search term(s) and other pertinent information to translators 16a-c and 16f. Upon receiving the search term(s) and other pertinent information, translators 16a-c and 16f first concurrently contact database interfaces of databases 18a-c and 18f respectively to establish access connections.
When the access connections are established, translators 16a-c and 16f each perform necessary authorization steps so as to ensure that searches in the corresponding databases 18a-c and 18f can be conducted. Translators 16a-c and 16f then each incorporate the search term(s) and other pertinent information into a search request which is recognizable by their respective databases 18a-c and 18f. For example, the search request generated by translator 16a may utilize HTTP if database 18a is HTTP compatible; the search request generated by translator 16b may utilize telnet if database 18b is accessed using telnet; the search request generated by translator 16c may utilize Z39.50 if Z39.50 is used to access
11 database 18c; and the search request generated by translator 16f may utilize ODBC if database 18f is designed using ODBC.
The search requests generated by translators 16a-c and 16f are then carried out in the respective databases 18a-c and 18f. The search results from each ofthe databases 18a- c and 18f are then returned to translators 16a-c and 16f respectively.
Each of translators 16a-c and 16f then parses the search results into summary statistics and records. In the event that there is a corresponding full record associated with a summary record, a hyperlink is created to link the summary record and the corresponding full record together. Translators 16a-c and 16f then forward all their respective summary statistics and records and hyperlinks to the control engine 14 for consolidation and display by the user interface 12.
In an exemplary embodiment, the system 10 further manages and controls authentication when databases 18a-h are accessed by the translators 16a-h. Each ofthe translators 16a-h, before submitting a search request to its corresponding database, needs to establish an authenticated session with that database. The translator 16 performs the required sequence of page fetches, cookie management, and session ID management required to authenticate. Each database 18 is different and the translator 16 meets the specific requirements for that database. Sometimes this is simple, such as a userlD/password login, and sometimes it can be quite complex involving a series of multiple Web page requests with both session IDs and cookies involved. The authentication process is executed without any user interaction.
The translator 16 can perform the authentication task much faster than a user with a browser would be able to because of a variety of optimizations used by the translators 16. These include ignoring nonessential Web page elements such as graphics, extraneous frames, etc.; the avoidance of nonessential steps that users otherwise would go through; caching of authentication information for multiple queries; and use of various network transaction optimizations such as redirect truncation, persistent connections, etc.
Translators 16 are designed to handle those databases 18 that provide both userlD/password and IP authentication to meet different client needs. IP authentication is a
12

Claims

mechanism by which the database only accepts connections from clients with specific Internet addresses such as a library or corporate network used by a subscriber. Thus the same translator 16 can be used in one environment that uses userlDs and passwords, and in a different environment where IP authentication is used. One search may involve the simultaneous use of several translators 16 using a variety of userlD/password and IP authenticated mechanisms. This is all done in a manner that is totally transparent to the user.In another exemplary embodiment, the system 10 includes an authentication manager. The authentication manager provides a means to access user authentication information stored in a central database. This enables, for example, a user to authenticate once to the system 10 using his/her library card number. The authentication manager then accesses a central database to acquire authentication information used to gain database access on the user's behalf. As a result, the system 10 is able to not only control access by users but to authenticate them in an appropriate manner to the various databases 18a-h.In addition, the system 10 allows subsequent user requests such as fetching and displaying the next group of search results and fetching and displaying the full text for a selected search result. Like the original search, these activities need to incorporate proper authentication. The original search generates the session IDs and cookies for authentication and the translator 16 builds hyperlinks to the next-set and full-text resources using the authentication information. This is unlike the native direct database search where a single client session interacts with the database 18. Instead, the system 10 is working on behalf of many users in order to manage the authentication information for all the users simultaneously. This is accomplished by routing the next-set and full-text links back through the translator 16 and attaching the authentication information as extra link parameters. By attaching session information to the link, the system 10 is able to correctly manage large numbers of simultaneous sessions.It is understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application and scope ofthe appended claims. All publications, patents, and patent applications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes in their entirety.13 WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A system for retrieving search results from a plurality of databases, comprising: an interface configured to receive search information; and a plurality of translators configured to retrieve search results from said plurality of databases respectively based on said search information; wherein each of said plurality of translators formulates a search request using said search information and syntax and protocol information specific to its corresponding database; and wherein said plurality of translators use said respective search requests to retrieve said search results from their corresponding databases in a concurrent manner.
2. The system of claim 1 further comprising: a control engine configured to forward said search information to said plurality of translators and to consolidate said search results retrieved by said plurality of translators.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein said search results consolidated by said control engine are passed to said interface for display to a user.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein said search results consolidated by said control engine are passed to said interface for further processing.
5. The system of claim 3 wherein said consolidated search results are formatted using a markup language.
6. The system of claim 5 wherein said markup language is selected from a group consisting of HTML, DHTML and XML.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said translators is further configured to perform one or more authorization steps so as to communicate with its corresponding database.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one or more of said plurality of databases are Web-accessible.
14
9. The system of claim 8 wherein at least one or more of said plurality of databases are locally accessible.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of translators communicates with its corresponding database using an interface protocol.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said interface protocol is selected from a group consisting of HTTP, telnet, Z39.50 and ODBC.
12. The system of claim 1 wherein said interface is implemented using a Web browser; and wherein said interface receives said search information from a user.
13. The system of claim 1 wherein said system is implemented using computer software.
14. A system for retrieving search results from a plurality of databases, comprising: a user interface configured to receive search information entered by a user; a plurality of translators, wherein each translator is configured to communicate with a corresponding database so as to allow a search to be performed in said corresponding database; and a control engine configured to forward said search information to said plurality of translators, wherein each translator uses said search information and protocol information specific to its corresponding database to formulate a search request to effectuate said search; wherein said plurality of translators use said respective search requests to effectuate said respective searches and retrieve said search results from said plurality of databases in a concurrent manner.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein said control engine is further configured to consolidate said search results retrieved from said plurality of databases.
16. The system of claim 14 wherein each translator is further configured to perform one or more authorization steps so as to communicate with its corresponding database.
15
17. The system of claim 14 wherein said search results consolidated by said control engine are passed to said user interface for display to a user or returned to a calling program.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein said consolidated search results are formatted using a markup language.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein said markup language is selected from a group consisting of HTML, DHTML and XML.
20. The system of claim 14 wherein at least one or more of said plurality of databases are Web-accessible.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein at least one or more of said plurality of databases are locally accessible.
22. The system of claim 14 wherein each of said plurality of translators communicates with its corresponding database using an interface protocol.
23. The system of claim 22 wherein said interface protocol is selected from a group consisting of HTTP, telnet, Z39.50 and ODBC.
24. A method for retrieving search results from a plurality of databases, comprising: receiving search information from a user or a user agent; formulating a plurality of search requests using said search information and database syntax and protocol information, wherein each search request is recognizable by a corresponding database; executing said plurality of search requests in their corresponding databases in a concurrent manner; returning search results from said plurality of databases after execution of said plurality of search requests; and consolidating said search results for display to the user or the user agent.
25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:
16 communicating said plurality of search requests to their corresponding databases using an interface protocol.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein said interface protocol is selected from a group consisting of HTTP, telnet, Z39.50 and ODBC.
27. The method of claim 24 further comprising: formatting said consolidated search results using a markup language.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein said markup language is selected from a group consisting of HTML, DHTML and XML..
29. The method of claim 24 further comprising: performing one or more authorization procedures respectively in said plurality of databases in a concurrent manner.
30. The method of claim 24 wherein at least one or more of said plurality of databases are Web-accessible.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein at least one or more of said plurality of databases are locally accessible.
32. A method for retrieving search results from a plurality of databases, comprising: receiving search information from a user; generating a plurality of search requests using said search information and database syntax and protocol information, wherein each search request is tailored to be understood by a corresponding database; retrieving search results from said plurality of databases in a concurrent manner pursuant to said plurality of search requests; and consolidating said search results.
33. The method of claim 32 further comprising: performing one or more authorization procedures respectively in said plurality of databases in a concurrent manner.
34. The method of claim 32 further comprising:
17
PCT/US2001/013860 2000-04-27 2001-04-27 Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases WO2001082117A1 (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2001579136A JP2003532195A (en) 2000-04-27 2001-04-27 Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple distinct databases
IL15248001A IL152480A0 (en) 2000-04-27 2001-04-27 Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases
CNB018118402A CN100373377C (en) 2000-04-27 2001-04-27 Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases
AU6108901A AU6108901A (en) 2000-04-27 2001-04-27 Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases
AU2001261089A AU2001261089B2 (en) 2000-04-27 2001-04-27 Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases
EP01934948.9A EP1281133B1 (en) 2000-04-27 2001-04-27 Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US20004400P 2000-04-27 2000-04-27
US60/200,044 2000-04-27
US09/844,787 2001-04-27
US09/844,787 US20010037332A1 (en) 2000-04-27 2001-04-27 Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2001082117A1 true WO2001082117A1 (en) 2001-11-01

Family

ID=26895418

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2001/013860 WO2001082117A1 (en) 2000-04-27 2001-04-27 Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases

Country Status (7)

Country Link
US (2) US20010037332A1 (en)
EP (1) EP1281133B1 (en)
JP (2) JP2003532195A (en)
CN (1) CN100373377C (en)
AU (2) AU6108901A (en)
IL (1) IL152480A0 (en)
WO (1) WO2001082117A1 (en)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2006512693A (en) * 2002-12-30 2006-04-13 トムソン コーポレイション A knowledge management system for law firms.
CN102982117A (en) * 2012-11-09 2013-03-20 北京奇虎科技有限公司 Information search method and device
US9002764B2 (en) 2001-12-21 2015-04-07 Thomson Reuters Global Resources Systems, methods, and software for hyperlinking names
US9053179B2 (en) 2006-04-05 2015-06-09 Lexisnexis, A Division Of Reed Elsevier Inc. Citation network viewer and method

Families Citing this family (181)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7035855B1 (en) * 2000-07-06 2006-04-25 Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc. Process and system for integrating information from disparate databases for purposes of predicting consumer behavior
US20020059204A1 (en) * 2000-07-28 2002-05-16 Harris Larry R. Distributed search system and method
US7233942B2 (en) * 2000-10-10 2007-06-19 Truelocal Inc. Method and apparatus for providing geographically authenticated electronic documents
GB2371378A (en) * 2000-10-12 2002-07-24 Abb Ab Object oriented control system
US7685224B2 (en) * 2001-01-11 2010-03-23 Truelocal Inc. Method for providing an attribute bounded network of computers
GB0108070D0 (en) * 2001-03-30 2001-05-23 British Telecomm Database management system
US7512666B2 (en) * 2001-04-18 2009-03-31 Yahoo! Inc. Global network of web card systems and method thereof
US7392237B2 (en) * 2001-04-26 2008-06-24 Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc. Identifier code translation system
US6961723B2 (en) * 2001-05-04 2005-11-01 Sun Microsystems, Inc. System and method for determining relevancy of query responses in a distributed network search mechanism
US7099871B2 (en) * 2001-05-04 2006-08-29 Sun Microsystems, Inc. System and method for distributed real-time search
US7013303B2 (en) * 2001-05-04 2006-03-14 Sun Microsystems, Inc. System and method for multiple data sources to plug into a standardized interface for distributed deep search
US7171415B2 (en) * 2001-05-04 2007-01-30 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Distributed information discovery through searching selected registered information providers
US6950821B2 (en) * 2001-05-04 2005-09-27 Sun Microsystems, Inc. System and method for resolving distributed network search queries to information providers
US6934702B2 (en) * 2001-05-04 2005-08-23 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Method and system of routing messages in a distributed search network
US20020184194A1 (en) * 2001-05-30 2002-12-05 International Business Machines Corporation Multipurpose web-enabled browser
US7272594B1 (en) 2001-05-31 2007-09-18 Autonomy Corporation Ltd. Method and apparatus to link to a related document
US7117225B2 (en) * 2001-08-13 2006-10-03 Jasmin Cosic Universal data management interface
US9418204B2 (en) * 2002-01-28 2016-08-16 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd Bioinformatics system architecture with data and process integration
JP2003233618A (en) * 2002-02-07 2003-08-22 Fujitsu Ltd Transversal search method and transversal search program
US7567953B2 (en) * 2002-03-01 2009-07-28 Business Objects Americas System and method for retrieving and organizing information from disparate computer network information sources
US20040078211A1 (en) * 2002-03-18 2004-04-22 Merck & Co., Inc. Computer assisted and/or implemented process and system for managing and/or providing a medical information portal for healthcare providers
US8527291B1 (en) 2002-08-02 2013-09-03 Medsocket LLC Medical search engine system method and software product
US9396473B2 (en) * 2002-11-27 2016-07-19 Accenture Global Services Limited Searching within a contact center portal
US8543564B2 (en) 2002-12-23 2013-09-24 West Publishing Company Information retrieval systems with database-selection aids
US20050149507A1 (en) * 2003-02-05 2005-07-07 Nye Timothy G. Systems and methods for identifying an internet resource address
JP2004287802A (en) * 2003-03-20 2004-10-14 Fujitsu Ltd Cross retrieval method and cross retrieval program
US7890603B2 (en) * 2003-04-03 2011-02-15 International Business Machines Corporation Apparatus, system and method of performing mail message searches across multiple mail servers
US20040199590A1 (en) * 2003-04-03 2004-10-07 International Business Machines Corporation Apparatus, system and method of performing mail message thread searches
US7613687B2 (en) * 2003-05-30 2009-11-03 Truelocal Inc. Systems and methods for enhancing web-based searching
US20050010392A1 (en) * 2003-07-10 2005-01-13 International Business Machines Corporation Traditional Chinese / simplified Chinese character translator
US20050010391A1 (en) * 2003-07-10 2005-01-13 International Business Machines Corporation Chinese character / Pin Yin / English translator
US7506162B1 (en) 2003-07-14 2009-03-17 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Methods for more flexible SAML session
US20050027547A1 (en) * 2003-07-31 2005-02-03 International Business Machines Corporation Chinese / Pin Yin / english dictionary
US8137105B2 (en) 2003-07-31 2012-03-20 International Business Machines Corporation Chinese/English vocabulary learning tool
US7756750B2 (en) 2003-09-02 2010-07-13 Vinimaya, Inc. Method and system for providing online procurement between a buyer and suppliers over a network
JP2007519066A (en) * 2003-09-29 2007-07-12 レルム システムズ インコーポレイテッド Mobility device server
US20050120003A1 (en) * 2003-10-08 2005-06-02 Drury William J. Method for maintaining a record of searches and results
WO2005038614A2 (en) * 2003-10-16 2005-04-28 Centerboard, Inc. System and method for facilitating asynchronous disconnected operations for data access over a network
CA2447961A1 (en) * 2003-10-31 2005-04-30 Ibm Canada Limited - Ibm Canada Limitee Research data repository system and method
US7523096B2 (en) 2003-12-03 2009-04-21 Google Inc. Methods and systems for personalized network searching
US20050149496A1 (en) * 2003-12-22 2005-07-07 Verity, Inc. System and method for dynamic context-sensitive federated search of multiple information repositories
SG153628A1 (en) * 2004-01-14 2009-07-29 Agency Science Tech & Res Method and system for data retrieval from heterogeneous data sources
US8121997B2 (en) * 2004-02-09 2012-02-21 Limelight Networks, Inc. Universal search engine
GB2411014A (en) 2004-02-11 2005-08-17 Autonomy Corp Ltd Automatic searching for relevant information
US9335884B2 (en) * 2004-03-25 2016-05-10 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Wave lens systems and methods for search results
US7565356B1 (en) 2004-04-30 2009-07-21 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Liberty discovery service enhancements
US20060253894A1 (en) * 2004-04-30 2006-11-09 Peter Bookman Mobility device platform
US7836510B1 (en) 2004-04-30 2010-11-16 Oracle America, Inc. Fine-grained attribute access control
US7774326B2 (en) 2004-06-25 2010-08-10 Apple Inc. Methods and systems for managing data
US7730012B2 (en) 2004-06-25 2010-06-01 Apple Inc. Methods and systems for managing data
US7437358B2 (en) 2004-06-25 2008-10-14 Apple Inc. Methods and systems for managing data
US20060041401A1 (en) * 2004-08-12 2006-02-23 Johnston Jeffrey M Methods, systems, and computer program products for facilitating user choices among complex alternatives using conjoint analysis in combination with psychological tests, skills tests, and configuration software
US7734606B2 (en) * 2004-09-15 2010-06-08 Graematter, Inc. System and method for regulatory intelligence
US20060059128A1 (en) * 2004-09-16 2006-03-16 Ruggle Matthew J Digital content licensing toolbar
JP2006099542A (en) * 2004-09-30 2006-04-13 Hitachi Ltd Data archive system, data retrieval method and management server
US8171022B2 (en) * 2004-11-05 2012-05-01 Johnston Jeffrey M Methods, systems, and computer program products for facilitating user interaction with customer relationship management, auction, and search engine software using conjoint analysis
US9405800B1 (en) * 2004-12-13 2016-08-02 Iqor Holdings Inc. Apparatuses, methods and systems for a universal payment integrator
US20070094237A1 (en) * 2004-12-30 2007-04-26 Ncr Corporation Multiple active database systems
US7418410B2 (en) 2005-01-07 2008-08-26 Nicholas Caiafa Methods and apparatus for anonymously requesting bids from a customer specified quantity of local vendors with automatic geographic expansion
CN101288073B (en) * 2005-01-13 2013-04-24 汤姆森环球资源公司 Systems, methods, and software for retrieving information using multiple query languages
US20060162546A1 (en) * 2005-01-21 2006-07-27 Sanden Corporation Sealing member of a compressor
US8175889B1 (en) 2005-04-06 2012-05-08 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for tracking changes of address based on service disconnect/connect data
US7908242B1 (en) 2005-04-11 2011-03-15 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for optimizing database queries
US7516062B2 (en) * 2005-04-19 2009-04-07 International Business Machines Corporation Language converter with enhanced search capability
US7761430B2 (en) * 2005-05-12 2010-07-20 Microsoft Corporation Verification of cross domain data system query results
DE102005037505B4 (en) * 2005-08-09 2011-02-10 Susanne Köhler network
US8099674B2 (en) 2005-09-09 2012-01-17 Tableau Software Llc Computer systems and methods for automatically viewing multidimensional databases
CN100449542C (en) * 2005-09-14 2009-01-07 腾讯科技(深圳)有限公司 Method and apparatus for matching associated person information
CN100401295C (en) * 2005-09-26 2008-07-09 北京金山软件有限公司 Feedback display method and system for network dictionary retrieve results
US20070088706A1 (en) * 2005-10-17 2007-04-19 Goff Thomas C Methods and devices for simultaneously accessing multiple databases
WO2008022289A2 (en) 2006-08-17 2008-02-21 Experian Information Services, Inc. System and method for providing a score for a used vehicle
US20080065591A1 (en) * 2006-09-08 2008-03-13 Leon Guzenda Configurable software database parallel query system and method
US7912865B2 (en) 2006-09-26 2011-03-22 Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc. System and method for linking multiple entities in a business database
US8036979B1 (en) 2006-10-05 2011-10-11 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. System and method for generating a finance attribute from tradeline data
US8606666B1 (en) 2007-01-31 2013-12-10 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. System and method for providing an aggregation tool
JP2008217600A (en) * 2007-03-06 2008-09-18 Fujitsu Ltd Information retrieval device, information retrieval method, information retrieval program and storage medium
US8285656B1 (en) 2007-03-30 2012-10-09 Consumerinfo.Com, Inc. Systems and methods for data verification
CN101276364B (en) * 2007-03-30 2010-12-22 阿里巴巴集团控股有限公司 Method, system and apparatus for combining distributed computational data
US7742982B2 (en) 2007-04-12 2010-06-22 Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for determining thin-file records and determining thin-file risk levels
US20080277314A1 (en) * 2007-05-08 2008-11-13 Halsey Richard B Olefin production utilizing whole crude oil/condensate feedstock and hydrotreating
WO2008147918A2 (en) 2007-05-25 2008-12-04 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. System and method for automated detection of never-pay data sets
US8234261B2 (en) 2007-07-17 2012-07-31 Ebay Inc. Digital content hub
US9953329B2 (en) * 2007-08-02 2018-04-24 International Business Machines Corporation System and method for providing preview results for search systems integrating mulitple collections
US20090063448A1 (en) * 2007-08-29 2009-03-05 Microsoft Corporation Aggregated Search Results for Local and Remote Services
US8301574B2 (en) 2007-09-17 2012-10-30 Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc. Multimedia engagement study
US9690820B1 (en) 2007-09-27 2017-06-27 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Database system for triggering event notifications based on updates to database records
US8479118B2 (en) * 2007-12-10 2013-07-02 Microsoft Corporation Switching search providers within a browser search box
CN101562631A (en) * 2008-04-18 2009-10-21 鸿富锦精密工业(深圳)有限公司 Network memory management unit and method
US8312033B1 (en) 2008-06-26 2012-11-13 Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for providing an integrated identifier
US20090327405A1 (en) * 2008-06-27 2009-12-31 Microsoft Corporation Enhanced Client And Server Systems for Operating Collaboratively Within Shared Workspaces
US7991689B1 (en) 2008-07-23 2011-08-02 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for detecting bust out fraud using credit data
US7934161B1 (en) 2008-12-09 2011-04-26 Jason Adam Denise Electronic search interface technology
US10007729B1 (en) 2009-01-23 2018-06-26 Zakta, LLC Collaboratively finding, organizing and/or accessing information
US9607324B1 (en) 2009-01-23 2017-03-28 Zakta, LLC Topical trust network
US10191982B1 (en) 2009-01-23 2019-01-29 Zakata, LLC Topical search portal
CN101876980A (en) * 2009-04-30 2010-11-03 中兴通讯股份有限公司 Database management method and database system
US9495460B2 (en) * 2009-05-27 2016-11-15 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Merging search results
US20100332292A1 (en) 2009-06-30 2010-12-30 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. System and method for evaluating vehicle purchase loyalty
US8364518B1 (en) 2009-07-08 2013-01-29 Experian Ltd. Systems and methods for forecasting household economics
WO2011025892A1 (en) * 2009-08-27 2011-03-03 Mastercard International Incorporated Multi-database query system and method
CN102023847A (en) * 2009-09-10 2011-04-20 北京盖特佳信息安全技术股份有限公司 Method for realizing push-mode multisystem synchronous data entry based on IE browser based
US9454576B1 (en) * 2009-10-16 2016-09-27 Iqor Holdings Inc., Iqor US Inc. Apparatuses, methods and systems for an employee onboarding automator
KR101569075B1 (en) * 2009-11-06 2015-11-16 삼성전자주식회사 Dlna device method for image forming and image forming system
US20110173236A1 (en) * 2010-01-13 2011-07-14 E-Profile Method and system for generating a virtual profile of an entity
US9081888B2 (en) 2010-03-31 2015-07-14 Cloudera, Inc. Collecting and aggregating log data with fault tolerance
US8874526B2 (en) 2010-03-31 2014-10-28 Cloudera, Inc. Dynamically processing an event using an extensible data model
US9317572B2 (en) * 2010-03-31 2016-04-19 Cloudera, Inc. Configuring a system to collect and aggregate datasets
US9082127B2 (en) 2010-03-31 2015-07-14 Cloudera, Inc. Collecting and aggregating datasets for analysis
US8725613B1 (en) 2010-04-27 2014-05-13 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for early account score and notification
US9152727B1 (en) 2010-08-23 2015-10-06 Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for processing consumer information for targeted marketing applications
US8321443B2 (en) * 2010-09-07 2012-11-27 International Business Machines Corporation Proxying open database connectivity (ODBC) calls
CN102402555A (en) * 2010-09-19 2012-04-04 上海众融信息技术有限公司 Dynamic data reading and storing information processing method based on remote database
US8639616B1 (en) 2010-10-01 2014-01-28 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Business to contact linkage system
US9147042B1 (en) 2010-11-22 2015-09-29 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for data verification
US10068266B2 (en) 2010-12-02 2018-09-04 Vinimaya Inc. Methods and systems to maintain, check, report, and audit contract and historical pricing in electronic procurement
US20160210336A1 (en) * 2011-01-20 2016-07-21 Peter Yurevich TABUN System for interactively searching for and displaying information
US10482475B2 (en) 2011-02-10 2019-11-19 Adp Dealer Services, Inc. Systems and methods for providing targeted advertising
US8880592B2 (en) 2011-03-31 2014-11-04 Cloudera, Inc. User interface implementation for partial display update
JP4820928B1 (en) * 2011-07-08 2011-11-24 株式会社野村総合研究所 Authentication system and authentication method
US9483606B1 (en) 2011-07-08 2016-11-01 Consumerinfo.Com, Inc. Lifescore
WO2013009920A1 (en) 2011-07-12 2013-01-17 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for a large-scale credit data processing architecture
US20130124562A1 (en) * 2011-11-10 2013-05-16 Microsoft Corporation Export of content items from multiple, disparate content sources
US9817898B2 (en) 2011-11-14 2017-11-14 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Locating relevant content items across multiple disparate content sources
CN103136236B (en) * 2011-11-28 2017-05-17 深圳市世纪光速信息技术有限公司 Method and system of information search
US9128949B2 (en) 2012-01-18 2015-09-08 Cloudera, Inc. Memory allocation buffer for reduction of heap fragmentation
US9172608B2 (en) 2012-02-07 2015-10-27 Cloudera, Inc. Centralized configuration and monitoring of a distributed computing cluster
US9405692B2 (en) 2012-03-21 2016-08-02 Cloudera, Inc. Data processing performance enhancement in a distributed file system
US9338008B1 (en) 2012-04-02 2016-05-10 Cloudera, Inc. System and method for secure release of secret information over a network
US9842126B2 (en) 2012-04-20 2017-12-12 Cloudera, Inc. Automatic repair of corrupt HBases
US9853959B1 (en) 2012-05-07 2017-12-26 Consumerinfo.Com, Inc. Storage and maintenance of personal data
US9753954B2 (en) 2012-09-14 2017-09-05 Cloudera, Inc. Data node fencing in a distributed file system
US10318635B2 (en) 2012-09-28 2019-06-11 Cerner Innovation, Inc. Automated mapping of service codes in healthcare systems
US10403391B2 (en) 2012-09-28 2019-09-03 Cerner Health Services, Inc. Automated mapping of service codes in healthcare systems
US10565315B2 (en) 2012-09-28 2020-02-18 Cerner Innovation, Inc. Automated mapping of service codes in healthcare systems
US9323767B2 (en) 2012-10-01 2016-04-26 Longsand Limited Performance and scalability in an intelligent data operating layer system
US9633076B1 (en) 2012-10-15 2017-04-25 Tableau Software Inc. Blending and visualizing data from multiple data sources
US9529938B2 (en) * 2012-10-26 2016-12-27 Google Inc. Unified file search
US9600351B2 (en) 2012-12-14 2017-03-21 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Inversion-of-control component service models for virtual environments
US9697263B1 (en) 2013-03-04 2017-07-04 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Consumer data request fulfillment system
US9342557B2 (en) 2013-03-13 2016-05-17 Cloudera, Inc. Low latency query engine for Apache Hadoop
US11080734B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2021-08-03 Cdk Global, Llc Pricing system for identifying prices for vehicles offered by vehicle dealerships and other entities
US9477731B2 (en) 2013-10-01 2016-10-25 Cloudera, Inc. Background format optimization for enhanced SQL-like queries in Hadoop
US9934382B2 (en) 2013-10-28 2018-04-03 Cloudera, Inc. Virtual machine image encryption
US9690671B2 (en) 2013-11-01 2017-06-27 Cloudera, Inc. Manifest-based snapshots in distributed computing environments
US10102536B1 (en) 2013-11-15 2018-10-16 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Micro-geographic aggregation system
US9529851B1 (en) 2013-12-02 2016-12-27 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Server architecture for electronic data quality processing
US10262362B1 (en) 2014-02-14 2019-04-16 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Automatic generation of code for attributes
JP6197706B2 (en) * 2014-03-14 2017-09-20 カシオ計算機株式会社 Electronic device, problem output method and program
US9576030B1 (en) 2014-05-07 2017-02-21 Consumerinfo.Com, Inc. Keeping up with the joneses
US9747333B2 (en) 2014-10-08 2017-08-29 Cloudera, Inc. Querying operating system state on multiple machines declaratively
WO2016060551A1 (en) * 2014-10-13 2016-04-21 Kim Seng Kee A method for mining electronic documents and system thereof
US10445152B1 (en) 2014-12-19 2019-10-15 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for dynamic report generation based on automatic modeling of complex data structures
US10490306B2 (en) 2015-02-20 2019-11-26 Cerner Innovation, Inc. Medical information translation system
EP3716126B1 (en) * 2015-10-23 2022-08-24 Oracle International Corporation Automatic operation detection on protected field with support for federated search
US10867285B2 (en) 2016-04-21 2020-12-15 Cdk Global, Llc Automatic automobile repair service scheduling based on diagnostic trouble codes and service center attributes
US10853769B2 (en) 2016-04-21 2020-12-01 Cdk Global Llc Scheduling an automobile service appointment in a dealer service bay based on diagnostic trouble codes and service bay attributes
US10332068B2 (en) 2016-04-21 2019-06-25 Cdk Global, Llc Systems and methods for stocking an automobile
US20180060954A1 (en) 2016-08-24 2018-03-01 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Sensors and system for detection of device movement and authentication of device user based on messaging service data from service provider
US11227001B2 (en) 2017-01-31 2022-01-18 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Massive scale heterogeneous data ingestion and user resolution
CN108628887A (en) * 2017-03-20 2018-10-09 福建天晴数码有限公司 A kind of method and system obtaining list data
US10326858B2 (en) * 2017-05-23 2019-06-18 Cdk Global, Llc System and method for dynamically generating personalized websites
CN107729341B (en) * 2017-06-12 2020-08-04 深圳壹账通智能科技有限公司 Electronic device, information inquiry control method, and computer-readable storage medium
US10643178B1 (en) 2017-06-16 2020-05-05 Coupa Software Incorporated Asynchronous real-time procurement system
US11620315B2 (en) 2017-10-09 2023-04-04 Tableau Software, Inc. Using an object model of heterogeneous data to facilitate building data visualizations
JP7108039B2 (en) * 2018-01-09 2022-07-27 クリアトレイル テクノロジーズ プライベート リミテッド Visual and execution template recommendations to enable system-wide control and automation of data exploration
US11190608B2 (en) 2018-03-21 2021-11-30 Cdk Global Llc Systems and methods for an automotive commerce exchange
US11501351B2 (en) 2018-03-21 2022-11-15 Cdk Global, Llc Servers, systems, and methods for single sign-on of an automotive commerce exchange
US20190370800A1 (en) * 2018-05-31 2019-12-05 Visa International Service Association Method, System, and Computer Program Product for Aggregating Data from a Plurality of Sources
US10963434B1 (en) 2018-09-07 2021-03-30 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Data architecture for supporting multiple search models
US11537276B2 (en) 2018-10-22 2022-12-27 Tableau Software, Inc. Generating data visualizations according to an object model of selected data sources
US10996835B1 (en) 2018-12-14 2021-05-04 Tableau Software, Inc. Data preparation user interface with coordinated pivots
US11030256B2 (en) 2019-11-05 2021-06-08 Tableau Software, Inc. Methods and user interfaces for visually analyzing data visualizations with multi-row calculations
US11366858B2 (en) 2019-11-10 2022-06-21 Tableau Software, Inc. Data preparation using semantic roles
US10997217B1 (en) 2019-11-10 2021-05-04 Tableau Software, Inc. Systems and methods for visualizing object models of database tables
US11281668B1 (en) 2020-06-18 2022-03-22 Tableau Software, LLC Optimizing complex database queries using query fusion
CN112000669B (en) * 2020-08-14 2021-08-03 中科三清科技有限公司 Environment monitoring data processing method and device, storage medium and terminal
US11080105B1 (en) 2020-11-18 2021-08-03 Cdk Global, Llc Systems, methods, and apparatuses for routing API calls
IL279405B2 (en) 2020-12-13 2024-01-01 Google Llc Using secure multi-party computation to improve content selection process integrity
US11514021B2 (en) 2021-01-22 2022-11-29 Cdk Global, Llc Systems, methods, and apparatuses for scanning a legacy database
US11880377B1 (en) 2021-03-26 2024-01-23 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Systems and methods for entity resolution
US11803535B2 (en) 2021-05-24 2023-10-31 Cdk Global, Llc Systems, methods, and apparatuses for simultaneously running parallel databases

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5859972A (en) * 1996-05-10 1999-01-12 The Board Of Trustees Of The University Of Illinois Multiple server repository and multiple server remote application virtual client computer

Family Cites Families (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5136523A (en) * 1988-06-30 1992-08-04 Digital Equipment Corporation System for automatically and transparently mapping rules and objects from a stable storage database management system within a forward chaining or backward chaining inference cycle
US5596744A (en) * 1993-05-20 1997-01-21 Hughes Aircraft Company Apparatus and method for providing users with transparent integrated access to heterogeneous database management systems
US5590319A (en) * 1993-12-15 1996-12-31 Information Builders, Inc. Query processor for parallel processing in homogenous and heterogenous databases
US6032184A (en) * 1995-12-29 2000-02-29 Mci Worldcom, Inc. Integrated interface for Web based customer care and trouble management
US5983283A (en) * 1996-04-15 1999-11-09 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Storage manager independent configuration interface translator and method
JPH11154158A (en) * 1997-11-21 1999-06-08 Hitachi Ltd Retrieval message protocol conversion gateway system
JP2000020471A (en) * 1998-07-06 2000-01-21 Canon Inc Information equipment network system, its collation method, information equipment, and storage medium
JP2000040064A (en) * 1998-07-24 2000-02-08 Ntt Data Corp Certifying system of network access
JP2000092236A (en) * 1998-09-11 2000-03-31 Ntt Mobil Communication Network Inc Information providing system
US6711681B1 (en) * 1999-05-05 2004-03-23 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Cryptographic authorization with prioritized authentication
US6587853B1 (en) * 1999-05-19 2003-07-01 Plum Software Associates, Inc. System that employs inferencing for troubleshooting complex user authentication problems

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5859972A (en) * 1996-05-10 1999-01-12 The Board Of Trustees Of The University Of Illinois Multiple server repository and multiple server remote application virtual client computer

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PETROU C ET AL.: "AN XML-based, 3-tier scheme for integrating heterogenous information sources to the WWW", PROCEEDINGS, 1999
See also references of EP1281133A4

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9002764B2 (en) 2001-12-21 2015-04-07 Thomson Reuters Global Resources Systems, methods, and software for hyperlinking names
JP2006512693A (en) * 2002-12-30 2006-04-13 トムソン コーポレイション A knowledge management system for law firms.
US8126818B2 (en) 2002-12-30 2012-02-28 West Publishing Company Knowledge-management systems for law firms
US9710786B2 (en) 2002-12-30 2017-07-18 Thomson Reuters Global Resources Systems and methods for managing documents for law firms
US10832212B2 (en) 2002-12-30 2020-11-10 Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre Gmbh Systems and methods for managing documents for law firms
US9053179B2 (en) 2006-04-05 2015-06-09 Lexisnexis, A Division Of Reed Elsevier Inc. Citation network viewer and method
CN102982117A (en) * 2012-11-09 2013-03-20 北京奇虎科技有限公司 Information search method and device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1281133B1 (en) 2018-11-28
CN1439131A (en) 2003-08-27
US6807539B2 (en) 2004-10-19
IL152480A0 (en) 2003-05-29
EP1281133A1 (en) 2003-02-05
AU2001261089B2 (en) 2005-02-24
AU6108901A (en) 2001-11-07
JP2010244572A (en) 2010-10-28
CN100373377C (en) 2008-03-05
JP2003532195A (en) 2003-10-28
US20040059728A1 (en) 2004-03-25
EP1281133A4 (en) 2006-08-23
US20010037332A1 (en) 2001-11-01

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6807539B2 (en) Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases
AU2001261089A1 (en) Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases
US8825619B2 (en) Systems and methods for managing database authentication and sessions
US6230202B1 (en) Method for performing transactions on the world-wide web computer network
KR100413309B1 (en) Method and system for providing native language query service
US6907423B2 (en) Search engine interface and method of controlling client searches
US6356934B1 (en) Intermediate server having control program for storing content accessed during browsing sessions and playback program for asynchronously replaying browsing sessions
US7010568B1 (en) Search engine request method, product, and apparatus
US6441834B1 (en) Hyper-relational correlation server
US7293012B1 (en) Friendly URLs
US7725526B1 (en) System and method for web based sharing of search engine queries
EP0924628A2 (en) Methods and system for using web browser to search large collections of documents
WO1999039275A1 (en) Navigating network resources using metadata
WO2005052811A1 (en) Searching in a computer network
EP1652112B1 (en) System and method for configuring servlet-based components as dynamic content components
JPH10269237A (en) Document browsing system
US6598072B1 (en) System for precluding repetitive accessing of web pages in a sequence of linked web pages accessed from the world wide web through a web browser at a web receiving display station
US20040158617A1 (en) Methods and systems for processing a link
CA2509154A1 (en) Intermediary server for facilitating retrieval of mid-point, state-associated web pages
US9767167B2 (en) Method and system for retrieving search results from multiple disparate databases
US8914347B2 (en) Extensible search engine
KR100491254B1 (en) Method and System for Making a Text Introducing a Web Site Directory or Web Page into a Hypertext
JP2002032412A (en) Retrieving method for homepage and homepage retrieving server
JP2001306602A (en) Method and server for providing information and recording medium
KR20010091493A (en) Method for materializing one to one fitting service in a internet

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TR TT TZ UA UG UZ VN YU ZA ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
DFPE Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101)
WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2001934948

Country of ref document: EP

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 152480

Country of ref document: IL

Ref document number: 2001261089

Country of ref document: AU

ENP Entry into the national phase

Ref document number: 2001 579136

Country of ref document: JP

Kind code of ref document: A

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 018118402

Country of ref document: CN

WWP Wipo information: published in national office

Ref document number: 2001934948

Country of ref document: EP

WWG Wipo information: grant in national office

Ref document number: 2001261089

Country of ref document: AU