US6510434B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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System and method for retrieving information from a database using an index of XML tags and metafiles
Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC
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Filing: 1999-12-29
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Granted: 2003-01-21
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Expires: 2019-12-29
Abstract
Abstract Retrieving information from a database using an index of XML (eXtensible Markup Language) tags and metafiles. The index includes XML tags that correspond to domains and categories. The domains and categories are selected to facilitate searching of the database. An XML tag can have a corresponding metafile that includes XML tags for related domains and categories. The metafile can also establish a hierarchy for the tags within the metafile. Each record of the database includes an index component which lists the domain tags and category tags that are associated with the record. When a search request is received, the request is parsed to identify the terms in the request. The terms are predetermined and generally correspond to the domains and categories of the index. The terms are mapped to tags. Once the appropriate tags are identified, then the metafiles that correspond to those tags are identified. The metafiles can be used to identify additional tags that are relevant to the search. The identified tags are combined to create a unique key. The key is used to search the database to locate records that include the tags in their index component.
Inventors
- 👤 Dewey C. Anderson
- 👤 David J. Anderson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 06:18
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/30; G06F16/80; G06F16/81; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/958; G06F16/986; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99942; Y10S707/99943
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for creating a database and an index to search the database, comprising the steps of: creating the index by defining a plurality of XML tags including domain tags and category tags; creating a first metafile that corresponds to a first domain tag; and creating the database by providing a plurality of records, each record having an XML index component.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for creating a database and an index to search the database, comprising the steps of: creating the index by defining a plurality of XML tags including domain tags and category tags; creating a first metafile that corresponds to a first domain tag; and creating the database by providing a plurality of records, each record having an XML index component.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating the database by providing a plurality of records, comprises the step of: for each record, creating an alpha portion of the record that comprises identifying information for the record; and for each record, creating the XML index component by selecting from the defined XML tags a selected set of XML tags that are associated with the record.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating a first metafile, comprises the steps of: selecting a first set of domain tags from the defined XML tags that are related to the first domain tag; and selecting a first set of category tags from the defined XML tags that are related to the first domain tag.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein the first domain tag is related to a first product and the first set of domain tags includes a selected domain tag that identifies a second product related to the first product so that the second product is marketed to a user when information related to the first product is provided to the user.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of: creating a hierarchy between the tags in the metafile.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating a first metafile comprises the steps of: selecting a first set of XML tags from the defined XML tags that are related to the first domain tag; and creating a hierarchy between the tags in the first set of XML tags.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
114 words
A method for searching a database of records using an index including a plurality of tags, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for information; identifying a first tag that is associated with the request; determining whether a first metafile comprising a second tag corresponds to the first tag; if the first metafile corresponds to the first tag, then determining whether the second tag is relevant to the request; if the second tag is relevant to the request, then combining the first tag and the second tag to create a key; and using the key to search the database to locate at least one record that includes the first tag and the second tag.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
114 words
A method for searching a database of records using an index including a plurality of tags, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for information; identifying a first tag that is associated with the request; determining whether a first metafile comprising a second tag corresponds to the first tag; if the first metafile corresponds to the first tag, then determining whether the second tag is relevant to the request; if the second tag is relevant to the request, then combining the first tag and the second tag to create a key; and using the key to search the database to locate at least one record that includes the first tag and the second tag.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of identifying a first tag that is associated with the request, comprises the steps of: parsing the request to identify a first term; and identifying the first tag that corresponds to the first term.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
81 words
The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of: identifying a third tag that corresponds to the first term; determining whether the first tag and the third tag indicate that the request is ambiguous; if the first tag and the third tag indicate that the request is ambiguous, then determining whether the first tag is related to the request; and if the first tag is related to the request, then using only the first tag to create the key.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: if the first tag and the third tag do not indicate that the request is ambiguous, then using the first tag and the third tag to create the key.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
79 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the first metafile includes a fourth tag, further comprising the steps of: determining whether the second tag and the fourth tag indicate that the request is ambiguous; if the second tag and the fourth tag indicate that the request is ambiguous, then determining whether the second tag is related to the request; and if the second tag is related to the request, then using only the second tag to create the key.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of tags include a plurality of category tags and a plurality of domain tags, each category tag associated with a term that provides information and each domain tag associated with a group of category tags.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein the category tags include a brand tag, a cuisine tag, a payment option tag, and an amenity tag.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
98 words
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for searching a database of records using an index including a plurality of tags, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for information; identifying a first tag that is associated with the request; identifying a second tag that is associated with the request by determining that the second tag is included in a metafile associated with the first tag; combining the first tag and the second tag to create a key; and using the key to search the database to locate records including the first tag and the second tag.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
98 words
A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for searching a database of records using an index including a plurality of tags, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for information; identifying a first tag that is associated with the request; identifying a second tag that is associated with the request by determining that the second tag is included in a metafile associated with the first tag; combining the first tag and the second tag to create a key; and using the key to search the database to locate records including the first tag and the second tag.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
107 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , further comprising the steps of: determining whether the first tag and the second tag indicate that the request is ambiguous; if the first tag and the second tag indicate that the request is ambiguous, then conducting a query to determine whether the first tag or the second tag is relevant to the request; if the determination is that the first tag is relevant to the request, then using the first tag, but not the second tag to create the key; and using the key to search the database to locate records including the first tag, but not the second tag.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the request includes a first term, and wherein the step of identifying a first tag that is associated with the request, comprises: identifying the first term in the request; and matching the first term to the first tag.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
73 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the metafile includes a third tag, further comprising the steps of: if the first tag and the second tag do not indicate that the request is ambiguous, then combining the first tag, the second tag, and the third tag to create a key; and using the key to search the database to locate records including the first tag, the second tag, and the third tag.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of tags include a plurality of domain tags and a plurality of category tags, and wherein each domain tag identifies a group of selected category tags and each category tag identifies a group of terms providing business information.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
149 words
A method for searching a database of information, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for information from a client, the request having a first term; identifying a first XML tag that is associated with the first term; determining whether a first metafile corresponds to the first XML tag; if the first metafile corresponds to the first XML tag, then transmitting the first XML tag, the first metafile and query code to the client; once the client conducts a query by executing the query code using the first XML tag and the first metafile, then receiving query results including a first set of XML tags from the client; combining the first set of XML tags into a key; using the key to search the database to locate records including the first set of XML tags; and delivering the records including the first set of XML tags to the client.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
149 words
A method for searching a database of information, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for information from a client, the request having a first term; identifying a first XML tag that is associated with the first term; determining whether a first metafile corresponds to the first XML tag; if the first metafile corresponds to the first XML tag, then transmitting the first XML tag, the first metafile and query code to the client; once the client conducts a query by executing the query code using the first XML tag and the first metafile, then receiving query results including a first set of XML tags from the client; combining the first set of XML tags into a key; using the key to search the database to locate records including the first set of XML tags; and delivering the records including the first set of XML tags to the client.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein the first set of XML tags includes a domain tag and a category tag.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 19 , wherein each of the records includes an XML index component that includes at least one XML tag, and wherein the step of using the key to search the database to locate records including the first set of XML tags comprises: searching the database to locate a record with an XML index component that include the first set of XML tags.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for identifying a record from a database of records that satisfies a request for information, comprising the steps of: receiving the request for information; sending the request to a server; receiving a first XML tag and a first metafile that are associated with the request and query code from the server; executing the query code to determine a first set of XML tags that are associated with the request; sending the first set of XML tags to the server; receiving the record from the server; and delivering the record.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for identifying a record from a database of records that satisfies a request for information, comprising the steps of: receiving the request for information; sending the request to a server; receiving a first XML tag and a first metafile that are associated with the request and query code from the server; executing the query code to determine a first set of XML tags that are associated with the request; sending the first set of XML tags to the server; receiving the record from the server; and delivering the record.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein the first metafile includes a second XML tag, and wherein the step of executing the query code to determine a first set of XML tags that are associated with the request, comprises the steps of: determining whether the second XML tag is associated with the request; and if the second XML tag is associated with the request, then including the second XML tag in the first set of XML tags.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
106 words
The method of claim 22 , wherein a third XML tag and a fourth XML tag are received from the server, and wherein the step of executing the query code to determine a first set of XML tags that are associated with the request, comprises the steps of: if the third XML tag and the fourth XML tag indicate that the request is ambiguous, then determining whether the third XML tag is related to the request; and if the third XML tag is related to the request, then including the third XML tag, but not the fourth XML tag in the first set of XML tags.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
123 words
A method for creating a metafile that can be used to locate records in a database that are related to a trade name, comprising the steps of: selecting an XML tag that is associated with the trade name; and creating a metafile that is associated with the first domain tag by: selecting a first XML tag that is associated with an authorized dealer of a product associated with the trade name; selecting a second XML tag that is associated with an authorized service provider for the product; selecting a third XML tag that is associated with an authorized parts provider for the product, so that the metafile can be used to locate records in the database that are related to the trade name.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
123 words
A method for creating a metafile that can be used to locate records in a database that are related to a trade name, comprising the steps of: selecting an XML tag that is associated with the trade name; and creating a metafile that is associated with the first domain tag by: selecting a first XML tag that is associated with an authorized dealer of a product associated with the trade name; selecting a second XML tag that is associated with an authorized service provider for the product; selecting a third XML tag that is associated with an authorized parts provider for the product, so that the metafile can be used to locate records in the database that are related to the trade name.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
81 words
The method of claim 25 , further comprising the steps of: in response to a request for information about authorized service providers of the product associated with the trade name, identifying the XML tag using the trade name; identifying the metafile using the XML tag; identifying the second XML tag using the metafile; creating a key using the XML tag and the second XML tag; using the key to search for records including the XML tag and the second XML tag.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for locating records related to a trade name, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for information that includes the trade name; identifying a first tag that is associated with the trade name; identifying a metafile that is associated with the trade name; determining whether the metafile identifies additional tags that are associated with the trade name; if the metafile identifies additional tags that are associated with the trade name, then conducting a query to determine which of the additional tags are relevant to the request; if the query determines that a second tag is relevant to the request, then combining the first tag and the second tag to create a key; using the key to search a database to locate records that include the first tag and the second tag.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for locating records related to a trade name, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for information that includes the trade name; identifying a first tag that is associated with the trade name; identifying a metafile that is associated with the trade name; determining whether the metafile identifies additional tags that are associated with the trade name; if the metafile identifies additional tags that are associated with the trade name, then conducting a query to determine which of the additional tags are relevant to the request; if the query determines that a second tag is relevant to the request, then combining the first tag and the second tag to create a key; using the key to search a database to locate records that include the first tag and the second tag.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 27 , comprising the steps of: if the query determines that none of the additional tags are relevant to the request, then using the first tag as the key; and using the key to search the database to locate records that include the first tag.
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