US6526402B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Searching procedures
Assignee: M4SIZ Ltd
•
Filing: 2000-12-08
•
Granted: 2003-02-25
•
Expires: 2020-12-08
Abstract
Abstract A searching procedure, particularly for searching on the Internet, using a search engine associated with a database and comprising submitting a request string comprising a locator (or URL) for the search engine and a search string including at least one search term. This will be an invalid address so an error signal is generated, and the generation thereof is monitored and used to trigger parsing of the request into the locator and the search string. The search string is then submitted to the search engine having the specified locator; and the data returned from the search engine is passed back to the user. The invention also includes a computer readable medium and a set of application program interfaces on such a medium for use in effecting the above procedure. The invention allows convenient searching from a command line.
Inventors
- 👤 James Richard Ling
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 04:27
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/953; G06F16/9538; G06F16/951; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
101 words
A database searching procedure using a search engine associated with that database and comprising: submitting a request string comprising a valid pointer to a specified search engine and a search string for specified data; monitoring for the generation of an error signal, from the search engine; using the error signal to trigger parsing of the request string into the pointer to the search engine and the search string to be searched by the search engine; submitting the search string to the search engine; and passing at least some of the returned data returned from the search engine, back to the user.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
101 words
A database searching procedure using a search engine associated with that database and comprising: submitting a request string comprising a valid pointer to a specified search engine and a search string for specified data; monitoring for the generation of an error signal, from the search engine; using the error signal to trigger parsing of the request string into the pointer to the search engine and the search string to be searched by the search engine; submitting the search string to the search engine; and passing at least some of the returned data returned from the search engine, back to the user.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
99 words
A database searching procedure using a search engine associated with that database comprising: submitting a request string comprising the URL of the search engine and a search string for specified data comprising at least one search term; monitoring for the generation of an error signal from the search engine; using the error signal to trigger parsing of the request string into the search engine's URL and the search string; submitting the search string to the search engine having the specified URL; and passing at least some of the returned data returned from the search engine, back to the user.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
99 words
A database searching procedure using a search engine associated with that database comprising: submitting a request string comprising the URL of the search engine and a search string for specified data comprising at least one search term; monitoring for the generation of an error signal from the search engine; using the error signal to trigger parsing of the request string into the search engine's URL and the search string; submitting the search string to the search engine having the specified URL; and passing at least some of the returned data returned from the search engine, back to the user.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the procedure is carried out by a program or programming steps running on computer apparatus.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the request string is submitted by a first computer and the database is maintained on a second computer in communication with the first computer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the procedure is performed by programming steps on the first computer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the procedure is performed by programming steps on the second computer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the procedure is performed by programming steps forming part of the control mechanism of the search engine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the procedure is performed by a third computer in the path of communication between the first and the second computers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein handling of the data includes at least one of sorting, filtering, forwarding, etc.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the search string is entered in a predetermined format.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a search string is entered by a user on to a computer on a computer network, the search engine is located on a different computer in the computer network, and at completion of the procedures, the results are displayed on the user's computer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A database searching procedure as claimed in claim 11 wherein the computer network is the Internet or world wide web.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
108 words
A computer-readable medium for performing the following: monitoring for the generation of an error signal from a search engine in response to the submission by a user of a request string comprising a valid pointer to the search engine and a search string for specified data; using the error signal to trigger parsing of the request string into the pointer to the search engine and the search string to be searched by the search engine; submitting the search string to the search engine; receiving data returned from the search engine; and passing at least some of the returned data returned from the search engine back to the user.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
108 words
A computer-readable medium for performing the following: monitoring for the generation of an error signal from a search engine in response to the submission by a user of a request string comprising a valid pointer to the search engine and a search string for specified data; using the error signal to trigger parsing of the request string into the pointer to the search engine and the search string to be searched by the search engine; submitting the search string to the search engine; receiving data returned from the search engine; and passing at least some of the returned data returned from the search engine back to the user.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13 which also performs the additional initial step of receiving the request string submitted by the user and forwarding the request string to the search engine.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
A computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13 and which is configured to run on a user's local computer apparatus.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
A computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 13 and which is configured to run on a computer installation forming a part of the search engine, or of which the search engine forms a part.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
85 words
A set of application program interfaces embodied on a computer-readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application program that enhances searching of databases, comprising: a first interface that receives a request string having at least one search string and that returns an error signal with said at least one search string; and a second interface that re-submits just said at least one search string to a search engine database that returns a set of results to at least said second interface.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
85 words
A set of application program interfaces embodied on a computer-readable medium for execution on a computer in conjunction with an application program that enhances searching of databases, comprising: a first interface that receives a request string having at least one search string and that returns an error signal with said at least one search string; and a second interface that re-submits just said at least one search string to a search engine database that returns a set of results to at least said second interface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
The set of application program interfaces according to claim 17 , further comprising: a third interface that receives said set of results for organization according to a predetermined criteria.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The set of application program interfaces according to claim 18 , wherein said third interface sorts said set of results according to a predetermined criteria.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
The set of application program interfaces according to claim 19 , wherein said second and third interfaces are transparent to the user submitting said request string.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
30 words
The set of application program interfaces according to claim 17 , wherein said first and second interfaces are stored on a user's computer that communicates with said search engine database.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
36 words
The set of application program interfaces according to claim 17 , wherein said first interface is stored on a user's computer and said second interface and said search engine database are stored on a data network.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
33 words
The set of application program interfaces according to claim 17 , wherein said first and second interfaces are stored on an intermediary computer that communicates with a user's computer and a data network.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5159552A
Cited
US5121475A
Cited
US5555354A
Cited
US5715444A
Cited
US6173422B1
Cited
US6353822B1
Cited
US6038668A
Cited
US6006225A
Cited
US6377945B1
Cited
US6292794B1
Cited
US6345322B1
Cited
US6381607B1
Cited
US6324534B1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-02-24 | 2006-08-26 | 2007-02-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-02-24 | 2010-08-26 | 2011-02-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-02-24 | 2014-08-26 | 2015-02-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |