System and Method for Retrieving and Organizing Information From Disparate Computer Network Information Services

Abstract

A system and method is provided for accessing information from a plurality of searchable information sources. The method includes the steps of: analyzing a user search query to determine a subject matter of the query; and selecting a sub-set of information from the plurality of information sources based upon the determined subject matter of the query. In further detailed embodiment, the analyzing step combines at least two methods of deriving the subject matter from the search query; and the method further includes the step of searching the information source(s) in the sub-set of information sources, substantially in parallel, for documents relevant to the search query. A system and method is also provided for searching a plurality of searchable information sources, where the information sources include at least one secure source. This method includes the steps of: (a) storing security credentials necessary for accessing the secure source; (b) accessing the secure source utilizing the stored security credentials; (c) accessing a non-secure source; (d) searching the accessed sources, substantially in parallel, for documents relevant to a search query; and (e) displaying results of the searching step.

1 . A computer implemented method for generating a searchable source broker for defining patterns of search-result information specific to a searchable source, the method comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a given searchable source;    performing an example search on the given searchable source to produce search results by that searchable source;    identifying regular expressions from the search results.    
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of storing the regular expressions for the given searchable source for subsequent re-use by a federated search system.  
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the step of identifying regular expressions is performed substantially automatically;    the method further comprises the step of reviewing, by a user, output of applying the regular expressions to search results produced by the given searchable source; and    the method further comprises the step of approving by the user the regular expressions based upon the reviewing step.    
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the method further includes a step of modifying the regular expressions by the user before the approving step, if the user determines the modifying step is necessary based upon the reviewing step.  
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the reviewing step involves the step of simultaneously displaying to the user search results produced by the given search and the output of applying the regular expressions to the search results.  
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of identifying regular expressions includes the steps of: 
 distilling a structure of the search results;    parsing the search results to distill a structure of the search results;    identifying repeating blocks of information from the parsed search results;    identifying essential search-result elements from the repeating blocks of information; and    generating a regular expression for each identified essential search-result elements and a regular expression for the repeating block.    
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the essential search-result elements include at least one element taken from a group consisting of: 
 a title;    a URL;    a date;    a key-word;    a summary;    a passage; and    a score.    
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the accessing step includes the steps of: 
 providing a log-in form, for the searchable source;    logging into the searchable source by entering the appropriate log-in information to the log-in form by the user;    recording security credential information provided by the user during the logging step; and    storing the security credential information with the searchable source broker for re-use by the searchable source broker in the federated search system.