System and method for locating and retrieving private information on a network

Abstract

A system for document retrieval in a network environment is provided where documents are stored with corresponding privacy codes. A query server computer is in communication with the network and is programmed to generate a privacy index of all documents available on the network indexed by their corresponding privacy codes. The privacy codes define document access permissions that are securely associated with the documents and are assigned by document custodians. A search engine in communication with the network is configured to receive a query from a requester and generate a list of documents from the privacy index which match search parameters of the query and privacy codes of the requester.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of document retrieval in a network environment where documents are stored with a plurality of access codes comprising:
 receiving a query by a query server having access to a first index of words in documents available for searching on document servers in said network and corresponding access codes of said documents, said query including a keyword and being associated with an access code identifier of a requester; and   executing said query by said query server identifying a second index of words in said first index from documents having access codes corresponding to said access code identifier, and identifying documents associated with said at least one keyword in said second index.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 generating a hit list of said documents identified by said query server including said at least on keyword in response to said searching.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said first index further comprises a URL corresponding to each of said documents and wherein said hit list includes URLs of said identified documents. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said first index further comprises an alias for a URL corresponding to each of said documents, and wherein said generating a hit list comprises:
 identifying URLs of said identified documents in a third index of said aliases and corresponding URLs, and wherein said hit list includes URLs of said identified documents.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said access codes are privately controllable by at least one document custodian. 
     
     
         6 . A method of document retrieval in a network environment where documents are stored with corresponding privacy codes comprising:
 receiving a query by at least one query server having access to a first index of documents available for searching on document servers in said network and privacy codes associated with corresponding documents in said index; said query being associated with an access level identifier of a requester, said access level identifier indicating particular privacy codes of documents authorized for viewing by said requester; and   generating by said query server in response to said query, a first list of said documents corresponding to said particular privacy codes indicated by said requester's access level identifier.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said query including at least one keyword for identifying requested documents, the method further comprising:
 generating a second index of words in each document in said first list by said query server; and 
 generating by said query server in response to said query, a second list of said documents corresponding to said at least one keyword and being included in said first list. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 returning to said requester by said query server, a list of hyperlinks to said documents in said second list.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 providing a secure interface for setting privacy codes by authorized document custodians of each document.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 receiving new documents having a privacy code or a document having a revised privacy code by said document server; and   updating by said query server said first index of documents to include said new document or said revised privacy code in response to receiving said new document or said revised privacy code.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of said first index or second index comprises a URL corresponding to each of said documents and wherein at least one of said first list and said second list includes URLs of said documents included therein. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said access levels are privately controllable by at least one document custodian. 
     
     
         13 . A system for document retrieval in a network environment where documents are stored with corresponding privacy codes, comprising:
 a query server computer in communication with the network, the query server computer configured to:   generate a privacy index of all documents available on the network indexed by their corresponding privacy codes, the privacy codes defining permitted conditions of document access that are securely associated with the documents according to the control of at least one document custodian for each document.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 13 , comprising:
 a search engine in communication with the network and configured to:
 receive a query from a requester; and 
 generate a list of documents from said privacy index which match search parameters of the query and privacy codes of the requester. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 13  wherein the query server computer is further configured to receive a query including a keyword and an access code identifier from a requester. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15  wherein the query server computer is further configured to generate a second index of words in the privacy index from documents having access codes corresponding to the access code identifier. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16  wherein the query server computer is further configured to identify documents associated with the keyword in the second index. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17  wherein the query server computer is further configured to generate a hit list of the identified documents associated with the keyword and associated with the access code identifier. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18  wherein the query server computer is further configured to return to the requester the hit list. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19  wherein the query server computer is further configured to return to the requester a list of hyperlinks to the documents in the hit list.