Patent ID: 6321228
Filing Date: 2001-11-20
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A search system connected to an expanded network, the system comprising:a user interface for entering a search query that is submitted to a search engine;conversion means in the search engine for converting the search query into a first query, a second query and a third query;searching means in the search engine for searching the expanded network, a first database and a second database with the first, second and third queries to retrieve web sites and previously selected records that are related to a specific topic, and for retrieving a Uniform Resource Locators (URL) associated with a respective bookmarked web sites;combining means in the search engine for combining records retrieved from said search in a result set, and for sorting the result set;wherein the first database comprises collections that are pre-selected from the result set derived from an earlier search, the collection being organized in a predetermined format;wherein the second database comprises searchable URL records that are associated with bookmarked web sites;wherein the first query is used for locating records in the expanded network and the first and second databases comprising a phrase containing all terms in the search query, but excluding a first special character or Boolean term;wherein the second query is used for locating records in the expanded network and the first and second databases comprising all terms in the search query;wherein the third query is used for locating records in the expanded network and the first and second databases comprising any search term or variation of the search term in the search query;means for determining if the first, second, and third queries will produce identical results and then using only one of the first, second, and third queries; andmeans for eliminating duplicate records retrieved through the first, second, and third queries.