Search and index hosting system

Abstract

The system initiates a search at a first network site for user-specified data in a remote database at a second network site and conducts the search at a third network site (e.g., at a host computer's site). To begin, the system receives, at the first network site, a provider identifier associated with the database from the second network site. Thereafter, the user-specified data is input at the first network site, following which the user-specified data and the provider identifier are output from the first network site to the third network site. The system then searches for the user-specified data in a database at the third network site using the provider identifier. This database at the third network site includes data that corresponds to data stored in the remote database at the second network site.

1 . A method of retrieving a list of documents in a database which include user-specified data, and of retrieving one or more data segments from each document on the list, the method comprising the steps of: 
 storing an index of documents from the database, the index including pointers corresponding to data in the database, where the pointers define data segments having a predetermined size;    identifying one or more documents in the database that contain the user-specified data based on the index;    creating a list of one or more pointers corresponding to each occurrence of the user-specified data in the documents identified in the identifying step;    extracting each data segment in the database that contains the user-specified data based on the list of pointers created in the creating step; and    outputting a list of the documents in the database that contain the user-specified data, together with the extracted data segments.    
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the database is located on the Internet.  
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the list of documents comprises one or more uniform resource locators and/or uniform resource indicators.  
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the identifying step comprises performing a Boolean search of the index for documents which contain the user-specified data.  
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of storing, in memory, compressed data which corresponds to the data stored in the database; and 
 wherein the extracting step comprises extracting each data segment from the compressed data and decompressing each extracted data segment prior to output in the outputting step.    
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein each data segment includes a document identifier which identifies a document that includes the data segment; 
 wherein the method further comprises storing, in memory, locations of documents in the database, together with associated document identifiers for the documents; and    wherein the outputting step generates the list of documents by comparing document identifiers from extracted data segments with document identifiers associated with locations of documents, extracting locations of documents corresponding to the extracted data segments based on the document identifiers, and including locations of the documents in the list of documents.    
   
   
       7 . An apparatus for retrieving a list of documents in a database which include user-specified data, and of retrieving one or more data segments from each document on the list, the apparatus comprising: 
 a memory that stores an index of documents from the database, the index including pointers corresponding to data in the database, where the pointers define data segments having a predetermined size;    a processor that executes process steps so as to:    (i) identify one or more documents in the database that contain the user-specified data based on the index;    (ii) create a list of one or more pointers corresponding to each occurrence of the user-specified data in the documents identified in the identifying step;    (iii) extract each data segment in the database that contains the user-specified data based on the list of pointers created in the creating step; and    (iv) output a list of the documents in the database that contain the user-specified data, together with the extracted data segments.    
   
   
       8 . Computer-executable process steps stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable process steps to retrieve a list of documents in a database which include user-specified data, and to retrieve one or more data segments from each document on the list, the computer-executable process steps comprising: 
 code to store an index of documents from the database, the index including pointers corresponding to data in the database, where the pointers define data segments having a predetermined size;    code to identify one or more documents in the database that contain the user-specified data based on the index;    code to create a list of one or more pointers corresponding to each occurrence of the user-specified data in the documents identified in the identifying step;    code to extract each data segment in the database that contains the user-specified data based on the list of pointers created in the creating step; and    code to output a list of the documents in the database that contain the user-specified data, together with the extracted data segments.    
   
   
       9 . A method of determining data for output corresponding to a search query comprising: 
 producing a list of one or more documents containing user-specified data included in a search query;    for each document in said list, determining at least one corresponding data segment in a body of said each document containing said user-specified data and other data adjacent to said user-specified data; and    for each document in said list, outputting an identifier for said each document and said at least one corresponding data segment for said each document.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said other data adjacent to said at least one user-specified data includes data within a predetermined distance from an occurrence of said user-specified data as located within said each document.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 receiving said search query including one or more search terms; and    determining said list of one or more documents including at least one of said search terms from said search query.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said outputting includes displaying, for each of said documents in said list, a document title, a locator identifying a location of said document, and one or more lines from said document in which each of said one or more lines includes an occurrence of data in said document matching user-specified data.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said producing a list of one or more pointers uses an index in accordance with at least one of a document and a location in said document.  
   
   
       14 . A method of determining data for output corresponding to a search query comprising: 
 producing a list of one or more documents including a term from a search query;    producing a list of one or more pointers into a compressed version of said one or more documents in said list, each of said one or more pointers identifying a data segment in a body of one of said one or more documents including a matching occurrence of said term in the compressed version of said documents; and    decompressing for output only those portions of compressed data corresponding to data segments for said one or more pointers.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said data segment includes a predetermined amount of additional data adjacent to said matching occurrence of said term.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said producing a list of one or more pointers uses an index in accordance with at least one of a document and a location in said document.  
   
   
       17 . A method of determining output data corresponding to a search query comprising: 
 storing a full text storage copy of one or more documents;    identifying which of said one or more documents includes a term from a query;    producing a list of one or more pointers into said full text storage copy, each of said one or more pointers identifying a data segment in a body of one or said one or more documents including a matching occurrence of said term in one of the documents identified; and    determining output data including one or more data segments corresponding to said list of one or more pointers using said full text storage copy.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said full text storage copy is stored at a location different than the one or more documents.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the full text storage copy is a compressed version of said one or more documents.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 receiving said search query, and wherein said generating and said identifying are performed prior to said receiving said search query.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said producing uses an index in accordance with at least one of a document and a location in said document.  
   
   
       22 . A computer program product for determining data for output corresponding to a search query comprising code that: 
 produces a list of one or more documents containing user-specified data included in a search query;    for each document in said list, determines at least one corresponding data segment in a body of said each document containing said user-specified data and other data adjacent to said user-specified data; and    for each document in said list, outputs an identifier for said each document and said at least one corresponding data segment for said each document.    
   
   
       23 . The computer program product of  claim 22 , wherein said other data adjacent to said at least one user-specified data includes data within a predetermined distance from an occurrence of said user-specified data as located within said each document.  
   
   
       24 . The computer program product of  claim 23 , further comprising code that: 
 receives said search query including one or more search terms; and    determines said list of one or more documents including at least one of said search terms from said search query.    
   
   
       25 . The computer program product of  claim 22 , wherein said code that outputs includes code that displays, for each of said documents in said list, a document title, a locator identifying a location of said document, and one or more lines from said document in which each of said one or more lines includes an occurrence of data in said document matching user-specified data.  
   
   
       26 . The computer program product of  claim 22 , wherein said code that produces a list of one or more pointers uses an index in accordance with at least one of a document and a location in said document.  
   
   
       27 . A computer program product for determining data for output corresponding to a search query comprising code that: 
 produces a list of one or more documents including a term from a search query;    produces a list of one or more pointers into a compressed version of said one or more documents in said list, each of said one or more pointers identifying a data segment in a body of one of said one or more documents including a matching occurrence of said term in the compressed version of said documents; and    decompresses for output only those portions of compressed data corresponding to data segments for said one or more pointers.    
   
   
       28 . The computer program product of  claim 27 , wherein said data segment includes a predetermined amount of additional data adjacent to said matching occurrence of said term.  
   
   
       29 . The computer program product of  claim 27 , wherein said code that produces a list of one or more pointers uses an index in accordance with at least one of a document and a location in said document.  
   
   
       30 . A computer program product for determining output data corresponding to a search query comprising code that: 
 stores a full text storage copy of one or more documents;    identifies which of said one or more documents includes a term from a query;    produces a list of one or more pointers into said full text storage copy, each of said one or more pointers identifying a data segment in a body of one or said one or more documents including a matching occurrence of said term in one of the documents identified; and determines output data including one or more data segments corresponding to said list of one or more pointers using said full text storage copy.    
   
   
       31 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein said full text storage copy is stored at a location different than the one or more documents.  
   
   
       32 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein the full text storage copy is a compressed version of said one or more documents.  
   
   
       33 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , further comprising code that: 
 receives said search query, and wherein said code that stores and said code that identifies are executed prior to said code that receives said search query.    
   
   
       34 . The computer program product of  claim 30 , wherein said code that produces uses an index in accordance with at least one of a document and a location in said document.