Patent ID: 6789073
Filing Date: 2004-09-07
Classification: G06F,G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
A client-server multitasking process comprising the steps of:(a) Receiving a request from a client at a server comprising searching criteria, request grouping criteria, and display criteria, wherein (1) the searching criteria comprise n search query and server address pairs, (2) each search query comprises at least one query value, (3) at least two of the n search queries comprise different query values and are directed to different server addresses, (4) n is greater than one, (5) the request grouping criteria comprises information for splitting the n search query and server address pairs into m request groups, (6) m is less than n and m is greater than or equal to 1, (7) the display criteria specifies for which request group information is to be returned; (b) Processing the n search query and server address pairs into m request groups; (c) For only the search query and server address pairs in the specified request group for which information is to be returned, opening a connection with the server specified by the server address and sending to the specified server a query derived from the corresponding search query comprising at least one query value, wherein the connections to the specified servers are opened substantially simultaneously; (d) Receiving response information from the servers in the specified request group; (e) Processing the response information from the servers into a plurality of return groups by (1) associating a different query value from the search query and server address pairs in the specified request group for which information is to be returned with a different one of the return groups and (2) merging into the return group the response information from the servers in the specified request group that received queries directed to the query value associated with the return group; (f) Consolidating the return groups into a consolidated response; (g) Returning the consolidated response to the client.