System and method to retrieve search results from a distributed database

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of retrieval of information from a distributed database, e.g. using distributed computation as a search engine.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of retrieving search results from a distributed database according to priorities, using parallel computation performed by computation modules for a common query, the method comprises stages of: i. receiving by more than one computation module one or more search criteria related to a common query, ii. searching by computation modules results from associated database according to said search criteria, iii. associating with search results priority discrimination levels, wherein priority discrimination levels are common to search results from said computation modules, and wherein a priority discrimination level refers to one or more search criteria that discriminate one or more search results from other search results, 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein in a further stage (iv) a signal associated with a priority discrimination level for which search results are found, is transmitted in a communication slot assigned to a priority discrimination level, 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein in a further stage (v) said computation module receives indication on valid priority discrimination levels, wherein valid priority discrimination levels are detected according to transmission performed within stage (iv) in different communication slots, and wherein transmission in a communication slot which is assigned to a priority discrimination level is indicative on a valid priority discrimination level, 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein in a further stage (vi) one or more search results associated with identified valid priority discrimination level is transmitted. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein criteria in stage (i) include a plurality of levels according to which search results are discriminated 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein transmission in said communication slot assigned to a priority discrimination level is a synchronized transmission performed simultaneously for search results having in common a respective priority discrimination level. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said search query in stage (i) is transmitted by a common server to a plurality of said computation modules through a broadcast message. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said priority discrimination levels of stage (iii) are transmitted by a common server to a plurality of computation modules. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein, said priority discrimination levels, assigned to communication slots for signal transmission, are determined by a common server and transmitted to a plurality of said computation modules. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein multi-carrier OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) based transmission is used to transmit multiple signals in stage (iv), wherein a sub-carrier of the multi-carrier corresponds to a said communication slot assigned to a priority discrimination level. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein a common synchronization signal is received by the computation modules to synchronize transmission of signals in stage (iv). 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein identifying valid priority levels by stage (v) is according to detection results of a detector associated with one or more computation modules that listens to transmitted signals performed in stage (iv) and accordingly said indication on valid priority levels are identified. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein a refinement to priority discrimination levels is performed before transmission of search results associated with identified valid priority discrimination level, by repeating prior stages (iii) (iv) and (v), that determines refined and more restricted common priority discrimination levels assigned to communication slots. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein identifying valid priority levels in stage (v) is performed by a common detector that detects transmitted signals performed in stage (iv) and transmits a message with detected valid priority discrimination levels according to which computation modules identify valid priority levels in stage (v). 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein stages (iii) (iv) and (v) are repeated by a further process that determines new priority discrimination levels with higher resolution for a more restricted range of priority levels. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein assignment of communication slots is received as a message by computation modules, and accordingly stages (iii) and (iv) are repeated by a further process that determines new priority discrimination levels with higher resolution for a more restricted range of priority levels. 
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 2  wherein communication slots, assigned to priority discrimination levels, are allocated dynamically to computation modules. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 4  wherein prioritized communication in stage (vi) is performed according to a predetermined prioritized contention resolution access method, wherein access priority is provided according to said valid priority discrimination levels. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein said common server is comprised of one or more servers sharing more than one task of controlling the transmission of data items from computation modules according to priorities. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus to implement system and method to retrieve search results from a distributed database, comprising a common server and database servers connected to a common network wherein each database server has one or more computation modules which enable search functionality associated with one or more local databases.