Patent ID: 6078916
Filing Date: 2000-06-20
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of organizing a plurality of articles comprising the steps of:(a) providing an index, the index being able to store key term components and associate each article with at least one of the key term components, the index further being able to associate a key term score with each article under each of the respective key term components when stored within the index;(b) accepting a first search query from a first user;(c) identifying the key term components that match the first search query, the key term components that match the first search query being first matched key term components;(d) identifying articles that are related to the first search query;(e) displaying squibs of articles related to the first search query to the first user;(f) allowing the first user to select at least one of the articles related to the first search query, the article selected by the first user being a selected article;(g1a) altering the index such that the key term score for the selected article under at least one of the first matched key term components is altered relative to other key term scores by a function of a length of time spent by the user inspecting the selected article;(g1b) altering the index such that key term total scores of at least one of the articles related to the first search query under at least one of the first matched key term components is altered relative to other key term total scores;(h) accepting a second search query from a second user;(i) identifying key term components that match the second search query, the key term components that match the second search query being second matched key term components;(j) displaying squibs of articles related to the second search query to the second user, wherein the squibs of articles related to the second search query are organized in order of superiority of their key term scores under at least one of the second matched key term components when at least one of the second matched key term components matches at least one of the first matched key term components, whereby the selected article will be ranked higher for the second user than before the first user had selected the article.