International Business Machines Corporation

Michael Lawrence Emens

Reiner Kraft

Gaurav Tewari

Peter Chi-Shing Yim

Neelakantan Sundaresan

Stefan Bengt Edlund

Daniel Alexander Ford

Jussi Petri Myllymaki

Shanghua Teng

Matthias Eichstaedt

Joann Ruvolo

Shang-Hua Teng

Peter Chi-Sing Yim

The present invention discloses a method for dynamically generating an abstract from a search result abstract retrieved from a search engine. Preferably embodied as a software program, the present invention allows a user to 'zoom' in and out of the abstract thereby retrieving greater or lesser details of the abstract to further determine whether the resource is useful or not. Groups of words within the search result abstract are searched for indexable words or key words useful to the user. The indexable words are then displayed to the user. Advantageously, the process of the present invention is performed entirely on the user side without having to reset the abstract level at the server side with a new query.

Technique and method which dynamically generates various depth levels of abstracts for text based data sources on demand

The resultant search result items from a search engine performing an Internet search are associated with similar or related advertisements. These associated advertisements, once acquired, may be viewed by a user on demand. An Internet user selects a query to submit to a search engine. For each search result item available from the query, a matching search of related product advertisements is then performed. For each related product advertisement found for a given search result item, the search result item is then flagged. This process is repeated until each search result item has been investigated and matched to related product advertisements when applicable. The user then designates a selection. This selection initiates a search of an advertisement database. Each product advertisement acquired is then formatted and displayed to the user. The computer system capable of associating related advertisements to individual search results items uses the following subsystems: 1) a product database; 2) a user/session manager; 3) a product matching manager; 4) a product listing manager; and, 5) a result presentation manager.

System and technique for automatically associating related advertisements to individual search results items of a search result set

The present invention provides for an integrated matching service and calendaring system. Calendar events are utilized as a bridge between an electronic calendaring system and a matching service. A calendar event represents an activity, e.g., job opening, tennis match, bicycle race, etc., the requirements to match the activity, the entity attributes, and any match results. An entity defines criteria and information for a matching activity which is stored as a calendar event in the electronic calendar system. Portions of the criteria and information are stored as attachments to the calendar event. The calendar events representing a matching activity and associated attachments are provided to a matching server which locates suitable matches for the activity based upon the criteria and information of the activity. If a suitable match is located, the matching server notifies the entities involved by listing the corresponding entities as attendees associated with the calendar event.

System and method for matching entities utilizing an electronic calendaring system

A system for accepting a specification of a time interval during which a download is to be performed on a delayed basis is described. The system can also select a time within the specified period. The selection can be randomized with the aim of distributing the load placed on computer and communication resources, or the selection may be based on testing a number of measures of computer and communication resource availability, and selecting a time of low utilization. A fuzzy measure of resource availability can be obtained, e.g., as a weighted sum of multiple measures, or each measure can be tested against a limit separately. According to another aspect of the invention a system and computer readable medium is disclosed for carrying out the above method.

Software and method for controlling the timing of delayed downloads

A computer-implemented method for detecting framing of a network (such as the Internet or an intranet) resource identified by a target uniform resource locator (URL), by locating a suspect URL and an associated suspect page which reference the target URL, examining the suspect page for the existence of framing, if framing exists, then checking to see if the target URL is referenced within a frame, and if the target URL is referenced within the frame, then identifying the suspect URL and the associated suspect page as framing the network resource.

Detecting framing of a network resource identified by a target uniform resource locator

A method for associating search results is provided. According to the method, an original list of search results is provided to a first user in response to a first query, and the search results selected by the first user are recorded and associated with the first query. Additionally, a second query that is the same as or similar to the first query is received from a second user, and an alternate list of search results is provided to the second user. The alternate list lists those search results from the original list that have been associated with the first query due to selection by a user. Also provided is a system for providing search results that includes a search engine, a query database, and a controller. The search engine provides original lists of search results in response to queries, and the query database stores the search results selected by users in response to each of the queries. The controller provides an alternate list of search results in response to another query that is the same as or similar to one of the queries, with the alternate list of search results listing those search results from the original list that have been recorded in the query database as having been previously selected in response to the one query.

System and method for associating search results

Systems for managing network resources

A method in a computer network for identifying users with similar interests is described. The method includes accepting a first query statement from a first user and storing a first item of information related to the first query. The method further includes accepting a second query from a second user and storing a second item of information related to the second query. The method further includes computing a measure of similarity of the first query and the second query by using the first item of information and the second item of information. A system and computer readable medium for carrying out the above method is also described.

Internet based method for facilitating networking among persons with similar interests and for facilitating collaborative searching for information

A system and method of metadata search ranking is disclosed. The present invention utilizes a combination of popularity and/or relevancy to determine a search ranking for a given search result association. Given the exponential growth rate currently being experienced in the Internet community, the present invention provides one of the few methods by which searches of this vast distributed database can produce useful results ranked and sorted by usefulness to the searching web surfer. The present invention permits embodiments incorporating a Ranking System/Method ( ) further comprising a Session Manager ( ), Query Manager ( ), Popularity Sorter ( ), and Association ( ) functions. These components may be augmented in some preferred embodiments via the use of a Query Entry means ( ), Search Engine ( ); Data Repository ( ), Query Database ( ), and/or a Resource List ( ).

Metadata search results ranking system

An invention for monitoring user choices and selections on a search result web page and providing alternative query expressions to further narrow and enhance the user's search. Monitoring and recording user choices and selections is achieved by a query manager. Query strings are then standardized. The search is performed on an Internet search engine, and each search result item in the result output set is then associated with a list of alternative standardized queries by an alternate query matching manager. Each search result item in the result output set that is associated with the alternate queries is then flagged. The resulting flagged list of alternative queries is displayed to the user by a page presentation manager using a graphical user interface for subsequent user selection. Upon selection of the graphical user interface for alternate query expressions, an alternate query selection manager retrieves and displays each alternate query to the user.

System and technique for suggesting alternate query expressions based on prior user selections and their query strings

A method for automatically limiting access of a client computer to data objects accessed through a server computer dynamically prevents robots or webcrawlers from obtaining too much of the server database and from dramatically reducing server performance. The method includes the steps of receiving a request for a data object, recording a log entry for the request, calculating client request values, and refusing the request if a client request value exceeds one of a set of corresponding predefined maximum request values. Each log entry contains a client identifier, timestamp, and at least one data object identifier for the request. The client request values preferably include a request frequency, which is compared with a predefined maximum request frequency, and a cumulative data request, which is compared with a data access threshold. If the client is refused access, the client identifier is added to a deny list, and future requests from the client are automatically denied. The calculated cumulative data request may be for a single client, or it may be for all clients, in order to detect a robot that is divided among multiple client identifiers. The cumulative data request check may consider the total percentage of server resources being given away, or a pattern in the requests. Also provided is a data protection system containing a log file, a request analyzer, and a dynamically-generated deny list. Requests to the server are intercepted and sent to the data protection system first.

System and method for dynamically limiting robot access to server data

A computer program product is provided as a session search system and associated method that provide a novel type of query referred to as &ldquo;session query&rdquo;. In the context of a session query, a user issues a search query using, for example, a web-based form. This query is processed immediately by the search engine, yielding search result elements that are returned within the new context of a &ldquo;dynamic search result set&rdquo;. As long as the user is reviewing the &ldquo;dynamic search result set&rdquo; of the session query, the search result is updated automatically in almost real-time, when new information arrives. When the user is no longer interested in continuing the search, the session query is terminated. The session search system generally includes two modules: A client module that presents the &ldquo;dynamic search result set&rdquo; to the user, and a server module that manages the current set of active session queries. The client module implements an executable code in the user's web browser.

System and method for providing a session query within the context of a dynamic search result set

A method of selecting a mirror server for client-host interaction over a network provides automatic, user-transparent, selection of a particular mirror server from among multiple mirror servers that replicate a host server providing web content over the Internet. The method selects the mirror server that has the best response time for a given client computer requesting web content under changing web traffic and mirror server load conditions. The host server creates and maintains a list of addresses of available mirror servers, preferably ranked according to the load on the mirror servers. In response to an initial information request from the client computer, the host server sends the mirror server list to the client computer along with the requested web content. The client computer creates multiple mirror server requests, corresponding to the mirror servers on the address list, sends the requests to the mirror servers, then compares the round trip response times to determine the optimum mirror server site from which to continue subsequent client-host interaction. The invention also includes methods and apparatus, preferably in the form of computer program products, which are operable at the host server, to create, maintain and send the address list, and other methods and apparatus operable at the client computer, to receive the list, query the mirror servers and select the optimum mirror server for further interaction.

Method of automatically selecting a mirror server for web-based client-host interaction

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for providing computer-based notifications of real world events over a network. The system includes client computers, proxy server computers, and device server computers. The proxy server computer receives notification profiles including both sensor conditions and associated actions from the client computers. The notification profiles are then stored in a user and profile database on the proxy server computer. The proxy server computer receives an indication from a sensor that a real world event has occurred, and then matches the received indication against the sensor conditions in the stored notification profiles. The associated actions are performed in response to a match between the received indication and the sensor conditions, wherein the associated actions include transmitting a notification message to one or more of the client computers and the notification message includes a digital image of the real world event.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Michael Lawrence Emens