Patent ID: 6990500
Filing Date: 2006-01-24
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A scientific information inquiry-answer system comprising an inquiring computer for presenting, as distinguished between open and closed to third parties, inquiry information concerning scientific information which is information relating to scientific fields, and viewing the inquiry information and answer information, an answering computer for viewing the inquiry information and answer information and offering the answer information, and a host computer for storing the inquiry information and answer information, the computers being interconnected through communication lines, wherein: said inquiring computer includes first display/input means for inputting the inquiry information as distinguished between open and closed, inquiry search information for searching inquiry information, and answer search information for searching answer information, and displaying the inquiry information and answer information; said answering computer includes second display/input means for inputting the answer information, answer search information and inquiry search information, and displaying the inquiry information and answer information; said host computer includes open/closed determining means for determining a distinguishment between open and closed to third parties of the inquiry information and answer information, information storing means for storing the inquiry information supplied from the inquiring computer and the answer information supplied from the answering computer, and information retrieving means for retrieving answer information, based on the answer search information, from among the answer information stored, and retrieving inquiry information, based on the inquiry search information, from among the inquiry information stored; said inquiring computer supplying the inquiry information, inquiry search information and answer search information inputted by said first display/input means to said host computer through one of said communication lines; said answering computer supplying the answer information, answer search information and inquiry search information inputted by said second display/input means to said host computer through the other communication line; said host computer applying, through the communication lines, inquiry information indicated open to said inquiring and answering computers, applying inquiry information indicated closed only to said inquiring computer having inputted the inquiry information and to said answering computer without applying such inquiry information to a third party inquiring computer, and applying answer information retrieved based on the answer search information to one of the inquiring computer and the answering computer having inputted the answer search information; said host computer further applying answer information indicated open to said inquiring and answering computers, applying answer information indicated closed only to said inquiring computer having inputted the inquiry information and to said answering computer having inputted the answer information, without applying such answer information to third party inquiring and answering computers, and applying inquiry information retrieved based on the inquiry search information to said inquiring and answering computers; said answering computer displaying the inquiry information and answer information applied thereto for viewing; and said inquiring computer displaying the inquiry information and answer information applied thereto for viewing.