A method and system for querying hierarchically classified data. The system first receives a query request and then identifies classifications of the data that may satisfy the received query request. The system then displays the identified classifications. In response to selection of a displayed classification, the system displays sub-classifications when the selected classification has sub-classifications and displays the data within the classification when the selected classification has no sub-classifications. In another aspect, the system generates search results for items that are hierarchically classified. For classifications within the hierarchy of classifications, the system generates a search entry containing terms describing the items within that classification. The system then receives a search criteria. The system selects as initial search results those search entries whose terms most closely match the received search criteria. The system then adjusts the initial search results based on the hierarchy of classifications. This adjustment may include removing sub-classifications of a classification that is in the initial search results or adding a parent classification to replace multiple child classifications in the initial search results.
A method for verifying the identity of users connected to a computer network comprises providing fractional information queries to users, wherein responses to these individual queries are not sufficient to identify the user. This method further comprises receiving responses to these fractional information queries and comparing these responses to data available from within a computer network. A set of potential matches to the user is generated according to these responses and is used in determining whether the set of potential matches is sufficient to identify the user.
A method and apparatus for generating search results with higher relevancy. More specifically, the present invention provides a determination whether a search term belongs to a particular category. Namely, properly associating a search term with the correct category will greatly enhance the generation of search results with higher relevancy.
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.
A data supply controlling device comprises a data base for user data which stores user data matched with each user. The data base of user data can be queried in accordance with the user data so that a data server performs a search according to the query and stores the search results in a search result data base. User ID management can be performed for separately managing the identifying data to identify each user and user specifying data to specify each user. A search result matched with the identifying data of the user from the search results stored in the search result data base is provided for a user terminal. Once the user data is stored, it is not required to carry out further communications to input the user data. Privacy protection of the user and improvement of communications efficiency are both fulfilled in the system to search for information in accordance with user data.
The present invention is directed toward efficiently locating desired information and, more specifically, to providing a system and method for removing unnecessary multiple references to a common resource such as redundant listed Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that reference the same display URLs (and thus the same Web page) as another listed URL. Consequently, in circumstances where only a smaller, finite number of listed results are immediately used (such as displaying only the twenty most relevant results on the first page presented to a search engine end-user), the finite number of listed results may corresponds to a greater number of unique display URLs than would otherwise occur absent this form of filtering.
