EA001895B1 - Method for retrieving, processing and storing links to information sources, lists of links and complete copies of information sources - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A method for processing links and lists of links defining access to information sources stored on data storage devices, which consists in retrieving, storing, searching and synchronizing links to information sources and their lists, wherein links defining access to information sources are sequences of bytes defining the path and/or the method of access to information sources, lists contain links that represent paths and/or methods of access to information sources. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein a program module is created to define rules of access to information sources of a specific type. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein a sequence of bytes defining the method of access to information source of a specific type is processed by a program module that defines rules of access to information sources of a specific type. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein a search for links and lists of links stored on one or more data storage devices is conducted simultaneously. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein links and lists of links are connected with one or more classifiers created by a user. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein while displaying lists of links, they are sorted by one or more descriptive fields specified by a user; a list of descriptive fields, their order and attributes are specified for displaying. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein while displaying lists of links, the number of links displayed in a list is limited to one or more filters. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein a link is included in one or more lists of links. 9. The method of claim 8 wherein a determination is made what lists include a specific link. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein a determination is made whether a complete copy of information source can be retrieved using a corresponding link. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein a user specifies the periodicity of checks to determine whether one or more complete copies of information sources can be retrieved using corresponding links. 12. The method of claim 1 wherein links and lists of links defining the access to information sources stored simultaneously on several data storage devices are synchronized by transferring new and/or modified links and lists of links from one data storage device to the other one. 13. The method of claim 1 wherein while performing synchronization, it is determined whether there is any conflict situation and if there is any, a user is informed of it. 14. The method of claim 1 wherein while working in multi-user operating mode, a user obtains administrator rights for working with his or her links and/or lists of links. 15. The method of claim 1 wherein while working in multi-user operating mode, a user transfers rights of access and/or administrator rights for at least one link and/or list of links to at least one user. 16. The method of claim 1 wherein while working in multi-user operating mode, when a user transfers rights of access and/or administrator rights for at least one link and/or lists of link to at least one user, he or she specifies access parameters to said links and/or lists of links and types of operations available for working with said links and lists of links. 17. A method for creating and processing lists of links defining access to information sources stored on data storage device, which consists in creating new lists of links defining access to information sources, storing and displaying said links, wherein links defining access to information sources are sequences of bytes defining the path and/or the method of access to information sources, combining operations on lists of links defining access to information sources are performed and said combining operations consist in creating a new resulting list of links based on two or more lists of links. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein lists include links that represent paths and/or methods of access to information sources. 19. The method of claim 17 wherein a program module is created to define rules of access to information sources of a specific type. 20. The method of claim 17 wherein a sequence of bytes defining the method of access to information source of a specific type is processed by a program module that defines rules of access to information sources of a specific type. 21. The method of claim 17 wherein new lists of links are created by importing links to information sources. 22. The method of claim 21 wherein external information resources are used to import links. 23. The method of claim 17 wherein a search for links by descriptive fields of links is used to create new lists of links. 24. The method of claim 17 wherein new lists of links are created by combining lists. 25. The method of claim 17 wherein lists of links stored on one or more data storage devices are used while combining lists. 26. The method of claim 17 wherein in order to create a new list of links, an empty list of links is created. 27. The method of claim 17 wherein to modify lists of links, operations of adding and/or removing and/or moving links with the help of a storage bin are used. 28. The method of claim 27 wherein service list is used as a storage bin to simplify operations on lists of links to information sources. 29. A method of searching for links and lists of links defining access to information sources and stored on data storage devices lists, which consists in looking for necessary links and lists of links by distinctive features, wherein links defining access to information sources are sequences of bytes defining the path and/or the method of access to information sources, a user creates and modifies a set of descriptive fields of a link defining access to information source or lists of links, a search for said links and/or lists of links is conducted by a combination of descriptive fields. 30. The method of claim 29 wherein lists include links that represent paths and/or methods of access to information sources. 31. The method of claim 29 wherein new types of data are created for descriptive fields of a link or a list of links. 32. The method of claim 31 wherein a program module for processing data of a specific type is created to process a new type of data. 33. The method of claim 29 wherein while composing a search query for searching by descriptive fields of links and lists of links, said search is preprocessed, which consists in obtaining from at least one initial word of a query one or more words related to the initial word by a specified relations. 34. The method of claim 29 wherein while displaying lists of links retrieved after searching by any combination of descriptive fields of said links, the number of links displayed in retrieved lists is limited to one or more filters. 35. The method of claim 29 wherein one or more links are used to create sets of links which are characterized by descriptive fields. 36. The method of claim 35 wherein each set of links has a hierarchical structure and each subset of said set of links has at least descriptive fields pertaining to said set of links. 37. The method of claim 29 wherein each link included in a set of links has at least descriptive fields pertaining to said set of links. 38. A method for retrieving links defining access to information sources by means of meta-search comprising the operations of: selecting at least one search engine from the list of search engines for conducting meta-search, composing a search query by a user, converting said search query into search data appropriate to each of said at least one search engine, transferring said created search data to each of said at least one search engine to initiating a search, retrieving search results comprising at least one list of links defining access to information sources from each of said at least one search engine and combining search results to obtain a single list of links defining access to information sources, processing search results, wherein links defining access to information sources are sequences of bytes defining the path and/or the method of access to information sources, while converting a search query into search data appropriate to each search engine, all search parameters of said search engines are taken into account and/or search parameters appropriate to each of said search engines are extended by search query preprocessing. 39. The method of claim 38 wherein lists include links that represent path and/or methods of access to information sources. 40. The method of claim 38 wherein a program module is created to define rules of access to information sources of a specific type. 41. The method of claim 38 wherein a sequence of bytes defining the method of access to information source of a specific type is processed by a program module that defines rules of access to information sources of a specific type.] 42. The method of claim 38 wherein any searchable information resource or system is used as said search engine. 43. The method of claim 38 wherein a selection of at least one search engine is made with the help of a classifier. 44. The method of claim 38 wherein a selection of at least one search engine is made with the help of a classifier created by a user. 45. The method of claim 38 wherein a selection of at least one search engine is made by a specified combination of search parameters pertaining to search engines. 46. The method of claim 38 wherein the step of composing a search query by a user includes filling in the search form which contains a set of fields appropriate to all search parameters of the selected search engines. 47. The method of claim 38 wherein a user selects at least on operation of search query preprocessing and specifies the order of execution of search query preprocessing operations. 48. The method of claim 38 wherein the operation of obtaining at least on the initial word of a search query one or more words related to said initial word by a specified relation is used in search query preprocessing. 49. The method of claim 48 wherein after perform

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to methods for obtaining, processing, storing and using links to information sources, link lists and complete copies of information sources. The invention also relates to methods for storing information simultaneously on multiple devices and synchronizing stored information. The invention relates to methods for obtaining information through meta-search in heterogeneous information resources using a variety of search engines and processing the obtained search results. The invention also relates to methods for processing link lists and the formation of new link lists based on two or more existing lists, as well as to methods for delayed receipt of information from remote resources (in particular, the Internet) and subsequent delayed display of this information.

Description of the Related Art

Systems and methods for storing and processing links to information sources and their lists are well known. And in this technical field, several areas of development can be distinguished:

- systems and methods that allow you to store web links on the local disk of the user computer, for example, the Internet browser М1stoy 1p1sgps1 Exp1ogeg, developed by Stokotoyoi, I8L [yyr: // \ y \\ lu.kh6pe1.ot / erase1eg81yurreg / e6n / s81yurreg / sop1ei1 / 9612 / skyr0014.Yt1],

- software products running on the user's computer and allowing storage of web links received from various Internet resources on the local disk of the user computer, for example, the Sorets meta-search program developed by Sorets Tes1to1oshche8 1is. | 1Sp: // \ y \ y \ u.soregs. sot / rto6isy / rgo / 1eskresk.Y: t1],

- systems and methods for storing web links and working on remote devices (web servers), for example, a personal directory for storing links of the company Waibech | 1Shr: // hak1a6k | .uiai6ekh.gi / 1oig / | and a similar project. 1 fig. [yyr: // Yshk.sot / ayoi! /].

Such systems allow the user to create and store lists (collections) of links to information sources of interest to him to facilitate further access to relevant information sources. If we are talking about information resources posted on the Internet, then the list of links is, for example, a list of web pages, but if we are talking about databases, then the list of links is, for example, a list of database entries or a list of items that match the search request.

Typically, the user defines the links that he would like to save in the system for further work with them, which, as a rule, consists in structuring (classifying) the links in the system, forming links from links lists, sorting the links in the received lists, editing the lists themselves and searching in the system of necessary links by distinguishing features (associated with links to predefined description fields). Links and link lists are stored, for example, after working out search queries by search resources and forming a list of links that meet a search query; by saving a specific link corresponding to a web page loaded in an Internet browser window; by storing the exact address of a known information source; by saving links contained in the texts of web pages and other electronic documents, such as e-mail, etc. The links stored in the system allow you to receive and display full copies of information sources corresponding to the stored links. In addition, in the case of the functioning of the system, for example, on a remote public device (web server) in multi-user mode, which involves sharing data stored in the system, the user provides access to the data stored by him to other users. At the same time, users manage access rights to the links created by them and their lists.

Methods for obtaining information, in particular links to information sources and link lists, are also widely known, and one of such methods is metasearch. The advantage of meta-search methods in comparison with conventional search engines is that they simultaneously access several search engines at once (sending the search request for processing), after which the search results received from these search engines are combined into a single list.

In this area of technology, there are two areas of development:

- meta-search programs running on the client’s computer (located on the local disk of the user’s computer), for example, Sorets, developed by Sorets Tes1po1oshche8 1is. | 1i1p: // \ y \ y \ u.soregsh.sot / rgo6is18 / rgoLesNkresk.

- Internet services that allow meta-search from a specific website and, accordingly, operating on remote devices (web servers), for example, Ме1аС’га \ у1ег - development 1iGo8rase, 1is. | 1i1p: // \ y \ y \ u.te1asga \ u1eg.sot / pge88 / Gas18.111t1 |.

Usually the user accesses the meta-search system, selects search engines from the list offered to him (for example, L11aU1k1a,

ExSpe, etc.) that will participate in the refinement of the search query (the list of search engines is determined by the developers of the system). Then the user enters a query describing the information sought and consisting, for example, of keywords or phrases and Boolean operators. Examples of such queries: ammonia ΛΝΌ toxicity, where ammonia is one keyword, toxicity is another, ΑΝΏ is a Boolean operator, requiring both keywords in the search document. The request is further expanded by synonyms that are selected for one or more words included in the request from a dictionary previously defined by the developers [Patent I8 6078914, 6 06E 17/30, 06/20/2000].

After entering a query, the meta-search system turns to the selected search engines, which in turn turn to the index databases or other sources of information that they support to search for matching data. A list of links to documents that match a given search query is then displayed to the user. The number of matches (links) in the list is limited to a certain number. At the same time, redundant information is removed from the list, i.e., duplicate links received from various search engines. Matches in the list are ranked according to the frequency of keywords in the document. Typically, the information displayed on the user’s screen for each match contains an indication of the location of the document (for example, an IR address for hypertext documents), as well as additional data, such as the title of the document, etc. Thus, the user does not need to consistently perform the same search using multiple search engines.

The generated search queries and the corresponding search results (link lists) are stored in the system. In the future, meta-search systems allow obtaining new search results using previously saved search queries and predefined lists of search engines, as the Soregs meta-search system developed by Soregs Tes1to1oshche5 1ps does. | 1Shr: // \ y \ y \ u.soregsh.sot / rgobis15 / rgo / 1es115res5.111t1 |.

Characteristics of analogues

As an analogue for inventions related to methods for storing and processing links and lists of links stored on user-accessible data storage devices, an application has been selected. Device and method for creating a system of interconnected bookmarks [Application AO 99/62008; PCT / I8 99/09600, 6 06E 17/30, 12/02/1999].

The invention is a method for storing, retrieving and processing bookmarks (links to information sources) located on a remote data storage device. The method describes the actions (operations) carried out with reference to information sources stored on a remote data storage device on the network. Mentioned operations include:

- a description of the links stored on the data storage device by filling in the predefined description fields associated with each of the links, allowing automatic ordering of stored links;

- ordering links by posting them to a variety of classifiers (libraries), where links to a specific topic are stored in each library. The method involves the presence of personal (user) and public classifiers that provide shared access to stored data;

- storage of the same link simultaneously in several libraries;

- determination of access rights for each user when working with multiple libraries, consisting of determining access rights to a user's personal library, as well as determining access rights to a public library;

- the formation of user-interested collections of links stored on a data storage device.

The disadvantage of the invention described in the application AO 99/62008 is that it provides for the storage, retrieval and processing of only homogeneous links to information sources (obtained from homogeneous information resources), which narrows the scope of the information space covered by the invention.

The disadvantage of the invention described in the application AO 99/62008, is also due to the presence of a very limited set of information about stored links and link lists. This information is generally limited to information included in predefined description fields associated with links and link lists. The search for links and link lists using only the mentioned predefined description fields does not always lead to the expected result, since the result of the search in the predefined description fields of the link lists often contains links that are not of interest to the user. Such lists of links require additional optimization and their processing leads to significant temporary losses associated with viewing unnecessary information.

Optimization of link lists, for example, exclusion from lists of dead and obsolete links that cannot be accessed from information sources, is in some cases an essential point in the process of processing links and link lists. But in the invention described in the application HUO 99/62008, this operation requires considerable time and is therefore ineffective when working with lists, especially if they are large. This leads to the fact that the process of obtaining links full copies of information sources will be interrupted by messages about access errors.

Implemented in the invention described in the application HUO 99/62008, the mechanism for editing (modifying) link lists is also not free from disadvantages and is ineffective when it comes to generating new link lists based on existing ones. Those. the user sequentially accesses various lists and forms a new list by copying or transferring links from previously generated lists to a new list, but this process, in fact, is performed manually and, therefore, is time-consuming.

The disadvantage of the invention described in the application HUO 99/62008, also lies in the fact that if it is used simultaneously on several data storage devices, one-way synchronization of links and link lists stored on the said data storage devices is carried out. Synchronization consists in transferring the entire data array from one data storage device to another. Such an implementation greatly limits the functionality of the invention in that the modification of data simultaneously on multiple data storage devices is useless, because when the data array is completely overwritten from one data storage device to another, all changes (modifications) made to this device are lost. In addition, a complete rewrite of the data array takes a lot of time.

An application for processing and storing bookmarks with addresses [Patent υδ 6032162, Ο 06Р 13/00, 02.29.2000] was also selected as an analogue for inventions related to methods for storing and processing links and lists of links stored on user-accessible data storage devices. .

The invention supports downloading links to a storage device, downloading links from a storage device, sorting and classifying links to information sources. The method includes a sequence of operations:

- establishing a connection with a remote device (Internet site) designed to store links;

- user identification to gain access to links stored on a remote device (Internet site);

- transfer links to the repository on a remote site;

- selection of at least one link from the user link file for processing;

- sorting saved links by the associated predefined description fields and generating from the received file with links a common selection of user links;

- classification of saved links;

- display of sorted links along with their inherent description fields;

- setting attributes of displayed link lists.

The disadvantage of I8 6032162 invention is that it provides for the storage, retrieval and processing of only homogeneous links to information sources (obtained from homogeneous information resources), which narrows the scope of the information space covered by the invention.

The disadvantage of the invention described in the application ϋ δ 6032162, also due to the presence of a very limited set of information about stored links and link lists. This information is generally limited to information included in predefined description fields associated with links and link lists. The search for links and link lists using only the mentioned predefined description fields does not always lead to the expected result, since the result of the search in the predefined description fields of the link lists often contains links that are not of interest to the user. Such lists of links require additional optimization and their processing leads to significant temporary losses associated with viewing unnecessary information.

Optimization of link lists, for example, exclusion from lists of dead and obsolete links that cannot be accessed from information sources, is in some cases an essential point in the process of processing links and link lists. But in the invention described in the application ϋδ 6032162, this operation is time-consuming and therefore ineffective when working with lists, especially if they are large. This leads to the fact that the process of obtaining links full copies of information sources will be interrupted by messages about access errors.

In addition, the mechanism for editing (modifying) link lists implemented in the invention υδ 6032162 is also not free from disadvantages and is ineffective when it comes to generating new link lists based on existing ones. That is, the user sequentially accesses various lists and forms a new list by copying or transferring links from previously generated lists to a new list, but this process, in fact, is performed manually and, therefore, is time-consuming.

The disadvantage of I8 6032162 invention also lies in the fact that if it is used simultaneously on several data storage devices, one-way synchronization of links and link lists stored on the said data storage devices is carried out. Synchronization consists in transferring the entire data array from one data storage device to another. Such an implementation severely limits the functionality of the invention by the fact that data modification on several data storage devices at the same time is useless, because when a data array is completely overwritten from one data storage device to another, all changes (modifications) carried out on this device are lost. In addition, a complete rewrite of the data array takes a lot of time.

As the closest analogue for inventions related to methods for obtaining links defining access to information sources and lists of links, a metasearch system and a method for obtaining relevant information in relation to a request in natural language from a variety of documents were selected [Patent I8 6078914, C 06P 17 / thirty,

06/20/2000].

The method includes a sequence of operations:

- selection of at least one search engine from an existing database of said search engines;

- formation by the user of a request describing the information sought;

- pre-processing the generated request, converting the request into a search data form suitable for each of the at least one search engines mentioned;

- sending created search data to each of the at least one search engine referred to to initiate the search;

- obtaining search results, including at least one list of links to information sources from each mentioned at least one search engine and combining search results to obtain a single resulting list of links to information sources;

- processing of search results, including filtering the list, removing redundant information from the search results, to obtain a shortened list of documents found and analyzing each document found by the search system, ranking it depending on the relationship with relevant words and determining relevant passages of each document in relation to extracted words;

- Adding synonyms to words extracted from a natural language query to expand the query.

The disadvantage of I8 6078914 invention is that it provides for the storage, retrieval and processing of only homogeneous links to information sources (obtained from homogeneous information resources using Internet search engines), which narrows the scope of the information space covered by the invention.

The disadvantage of I8 6078914 is that its use for search operations often does not lead to the result expected by the user. On the one hand, this is determined by the fact that the formation of search queries for metasearch using only Boolean operators imposes significant restrictions on the functionality of the system. Since a number of features inherent in individual search engines will not be involved in processing the query, which will negatively affect the search results. On the other hand, lists of search engines are formed using thematic classifiers and do not always include those machines whose use for a particular query is most optimal, since thematic classification does not allow the selection of search engines according to their qualitative and quantitative characteristics.

Obtaining search results (link lists) containing unnecessary (redundant) information makes it difficult to process the received lists, which leads to the fact that users unnecessarily limit the list for metasearch to several of the most famous search engines. This restriction negatively affects the performance of metal searches, since the scope of the information space is narrowed.

The use of I8 6078914 in the invention only of those search engines that are included in the list predefined by the developers limits the information space covered by the meta-search and does not allow the use of information resources that are not popular but are of interest to a particular user, including those developed by him personally. search engines and databases.

In addition, the disadvantage of invention I8

6078914 lies in the low efficiency of processing the obtained search results, which leads to the fact that the user re-displays information previously viewed by him (identical documents received from different links). Thus, the time spent on processing the information received increases.

As an analogue for the invention relating to methods for generating and processing lists of links, as well as to methods for obtaining complete copies of information sources at their respective links and their further display, a software product of the class 4о \ уп1оа4 tapadeg - NakyOe! | 1Wp: // \ y \ y \ y.atax5oP.sot / t <1x1it |. This software product allows for delayed downloading of information (various files) from the Internet at a time convenient for the user in accordance with the established parameters.

The disadvantage of this! is that the installation of the mentioned parameters is limited by the ability to determine the links by which information is obtained and the installation of temporary parameters for pumping information. At the same time, the functionality of Na511Ce1 does not include setting parameters for displaying the received information, as well as parameters for checking the relevance of receipt and further display of the received information.

As a counterpart to the invention, which relates to methods for generating and processing lists of links, as well as to methods for obtaining complete copies of information sources at their respective links and displaying them further, a software product of the class 4о \ упооа4 тапапег - Te1eroy Рgo, Teppukop Mahue11 1пГогта0оп Зуйетк 1пс is also selected . | 1Shr: // \ y \ y \ y.1ptah.sot / 1e1erog1 / rgo / GeaTs1ge5.1it |. This software product allows for delayed downloading of information (web pages) from the Internet at a time convenient for the user in accordance with the established parameters. The parameters are used to determine the level of nesting of the pumped out information, which allows for the complete pumping of websites.

The disadvantage of Te1erot1 Рgo is that the installation of the mentioned parameters is also limited by the ability to determine the links by which information is obtained, and the installation of temporary parameters for pumping information. In this case, the functionality of Te1erot1 Рgo does not include setting parameters for displaying the received information, as well as parameters for checking the relevance of receiving and further displaying the received information.

The problem solved by the invention

The problem solved by the invention is to expand the functionality of existing systems and methods for storing, searching and processing links to information sources, their lists, as well as full copies of information sources corresponding to the mentioned links, due to:

- optimization of the metasearch process using heterogeneous information resources;

- improving the efficiency of link processing operations, link lists and full copies of information sources;

- optimization of the process of storing links and link lists in systems operating simultaneously on several data storage devices and increasing the efficiency of administration of the mentioned systems;

- optimization of the process of obtaining and displaying links, lists of links and complete copies of information sources;

- elimination of information redundancy in reference lists and in the archive of complete copies of information sources stored on data storage devices;

- improving the efficiency of the use of network resources and communication lines in the formation of the data array of full copies of information sources.

Unity of Design

A general provision that combines all the inventions included in the application is that they implement a mechanism for working with heterogeneous links and lists of heterogeneous links. The present inventions are intended for the formation, storage and processing of lists of heterogeneous links, including simultaneously several types of links, for example web links (\ y \ y \ y.4osi1pepKpp.so1n / 1n4eh.y1t1), links representing the path to the file, located on an accessible device (with: \ 4ositep1 \ pa1ei1.4os), links representing ΙΌ database records, links representing the names of goods in information retrieval systems, etc.

Basic definitions and provisions of the present invention

In the present invention, heterogeneous links are sequences of bytes defining paths, methods, and also paths and methods of accessing information sources. A link defining a path to a file located on an accessible device is a sequence of bytes defining the type of link and a sequence of bytes defining the address of the link (access path, for example, IRB). A link representing ΙΌ records in a database consists of a sequence of bytes including the type of link, a sequence of bytes defining the address of an information resource (if necessary, for example, in cases where the database is an external information source), and a sequence of bytes that defines the method of access to the record in this information resource (database). In this case, the sequence of bytes that determines the access method (access rules to information sources of a certain type) will be presented in the form of a search query for the primary key inherent in the record. For example, the reference to the patent υδ 6078914, information about which is stored in the database of the American Patent Office \ ν \ ν \ ν.ι.ΐ5ρΙο.βον, will be presented in the form of the following sequence of bytes:

yyr: //164.195.100.11/pe1asd1/pryRagkeg? 8esP = PTO1 & 8es12 = H1TOPP & b = PAb & p = 1 & t = / ne1aBt1 / kgsppts. Lt & r = 1 & T = C & 1 = 50 & κ1 = '6078914'. ^ Κυ. & 0δ = ΡΝ / 6078914 & Κδ = ΡΝ / 6078914

The link to the database record (the name of the movie Lyub’k Neai), implemented using the Myugokoy Assekk application and stored on the local user device, will be presented in the form of the following sequence of bytes:

c: \ ba1aBake \ u1beo.tbb \ 8EEST #pee RKOM U1beo ^ NEKE #1te = Бюп'5 Неай, i.e. essentially constitutes a search query to said database. As a primary key, ΙΌ records or a key field are used, by which a record in the database is uniquely identified.

It should be noted that in the present invention, a sequence of bytes defining an access method (access rules for information sources of a certain type) can be presented in the form of a search query not only by the primary key inherent in the record. This approach is used when it is necessary to form a so-called multi-purpose link, i.e. a link that receives not one but several records at once, united by a certain attribute (for example, a search query parameter). An example of a multi-purpose link is a request to search for patents in the \ y \ y \ u.ikr1o.do database on the basis of their belonging to a particular class. Those. A multipurpose link is a sequence of bytes that will uniquely identify those records in the database that belong to a particular class. This sequence of bytes that defines the method of access to database records is included in the general sequence of bytes that defines the path and method of access to the information source. In addition, the byte sequence, including the identifier of the link type, and the byte sequence, which determines the access path to the information source (\ y \ y \ u.ikr1o.do), are also included in the general byte sequence. An example of a multi-purpose link defining access to patents, information about which is stored in the database of the American Patent Office \ y \ y \ u.ikr1o.do and related to class C 06P

17/30, is the following sequence of bytes:

yyr: //164.195.100.11/pe1asp/pr11Ragkeg? 8es11 = PTO2 & 8es12 = NGTORR & t =% 2Pn1a1It1% 2P keagsyabu. 1 It & r = 0 & p = 1 & T = 8 & 1-50 & 0 & u = 1Cb% 2RS06P017% 2P30 & b = pa11

Thus, when accessing a multi-purpose link, a list of information sources (records in the database) corresponding to the multi-purpose link will be displayed.

Work with heterogeneous links, which are methods of access to information sources, is due to the presence of software modules that determine the rules of access (MOPD) to information sources of a certain type. MOPDs process byte sequences defining methods of access to an information source, and unambiguously interpret them into a data format inherent in information sources of a certain type. For a certain type of links, an appropriate program module is created that defines the rules for accessing information sources of a certain type. To form a sequence of bytes that defines the method of accessing information sources of a certain type, the user accesses, for example, the database of the American Patent Office, located on a remote web server, at \ y \ y \ u.ikr1o.do. Turning to the database, the user cannot immediately access the patents that interest him, because for this he must additionally use the search system that searches for specific records in the database by a number of parameters. Having carried out such a search and obtaining the desired result in the form of a dynamically generated web page, the user can save it entirely on the disk of his computer, but the user will not be able to create a link by which the next time he can directly access the patent of interest in the database. Thus, in the usual case, the user can only use the link \ y \ y \ u.ikr1o.do to go to the database of the American Patent Office and then re-search. The presence of a module that defines the rules for access to records (in this case, patents) in the database \ y \ y \ u.ikr1o.do. will significantly simplify this procedure. Those. The MOPD will generate a sequence of bytes that will be unambiguously interpreted by them and identify a specific record in the database using the primary key, in this case, this key is the patent number (search query by patent number υδ 6078914):

pe1asl / pr11Ragkeg? 8es11 = PTO1 & 8es12 = H1TOPP & b = PAEE & p = 1 & t = / pe1aBt1 / kgsppts. 1 It & g = 1 & G = C & 1 = 50 &

51 = '6078914'. ’No.Κυ. & Οδ = ΡΝ / 6078914 & Κ.δ = ΡΝ / 6078914

This byte sequence, which defines the method of access to database records, will be added to the general byte sequence, which determines the path and method of access to the information source. In addition, a sequence of bytes, including a link type identifier (link υδΡΤΟ), and a sequence of bytes that determine the access path to the information source will be added (recorded) to the general byte sequence (IVB L1p: //164.195.100.11). In general, a link type identifier includes information indicating whether a sequence of bytes will be used that determines the access path to the information source, as well as information that defines the MOSA (GO MOSA) that will be used to process the link of this type.

Since in most cases working with links to information sources involves obtaining complete copies of information sources from them (storing them on a data storage device), the link format assumes the availability of additional information. Namely, information identifying the receipt of a full copy of the information source from this link (whether a full copy of the information source is received or not), and if a full copy of the information source has been received, then information that determines the access path to the full copy of the information stored on the data storage device source. Thus, the full format of the link, which determines access to a full copy of the information source and identifies the receipt of the full copy of the information source from the link, will generally be presented in the form:

Identifier link type Path to the information resource The byte sequence interpreted by the MOSD Full Copy Id The path to the received (saved) full copy

In relation to the particular case of working with the database of the American Patent Office (\ ν \ ν \ ν.ι.ΐ5ρΙο.βον) described above, the full format of the link defining access to the records of the database and identifying the receipt by reference of a full copy of the information source presented in the form:

Identifier link type Database path The byte sequence interpreted by the MOSD Full Copy Id The path to the received (saved) full copy Link υδΡΤΟ B "p: //164.195.100.11 υδ6078914 1st c: \ pa! ep! \ 6078914.bos

The invention, when accessing a stored full copy of an information source, provides information on which link and from which source this full copy was obtained. When accessing a link, its type is first identified (link υδΡΤΟ), which in this case indicates the need to make a transition to the database of the American Patent Office at the specified address (ybr: //164.195.100.11). Further, by the identifier of the link type, the MOSP will be determined, which is responsible for processing links of this type. The MOPD will be activated, after which it will process (interpret) a sequence of bytes that determines the method of access to the information source (υδ 6078914) and display the information source to the user with the corresponding link. Simply put, when interpreting a sequence of bytes (υδ 6078914), the MOPD according to the patent number will generate in the appropriate format the request '. ^ Κυ. & ΘδΡΝ / 6078914 & Βδ = ΡΝ / 6078914 to the database located at υδ 6078914), which will be displayed to the user. Thus, the user working with the invention has the illusion that he / she accesses a specific patent using the existing link (since the entire process of accessing the database and retrieving the desired patent from the user is hidden). The byte sequence that defines the method of access to the information source may include password information for access to a database protected from unauthorized access, a search query, directly GO records, etc. The identifier for obtaining a full copy of the information source and the sequence of bytes that determine the path to the saved full copy allow you to not receive information again, displaying the user with already saved documents. Those. the system will display to the user a document retrieved from the data array stored on the local device without accessing the remote device. Receiving a document from a remote device will be carried out only in the absence of the said document on the local device or at the explicit command of the user, which will also save time spent on obtaining information.

In order to add a new type of links to the system, the user must create a MOPD corresponding to this type of links, which defines the rules for access to information sources. To do this, he is provided with the appropriate tools to create entire libraries of MOPDs intended for processing links of a certain type, integrated with the present invention. It is also worth noting that IOPS can be used to access information sources of one or more types. The invention also uses standard modules for processing links of a certain type. For example, a link like (c: \ bositei1 \ pa1ei1.bos) indicates that in order to get a full copy of the information source corresponding to the mentioned link, you need to activate the M1stoy \ Wogb application. which will be used as MOPD. This is indicated by the file extension (pa! Ei1.bos). For such cases, it is planned to create tables of correspondence of specific links to standard modules. The extension χΐκ indicates the activation of the Myutokoi Exce1 application. the extension tbb will indicate the activation of the application M1gokoy Assekk, etc.

The module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type performs a series of operations arising from its functionality: recording (adding) to the link a sequence of bytes identifying the information source; reading (interpretation) of a sequence of bytes identifying an information source; display (processing) of a full copy of an information source, verification (control) of access to a full copy of an information source. The functionality of the MOPD is not limited to this and is further expanded by operations, for example, managing viewing full copies of information sources, splitting full copies of information sources into specific sequences of characters, etc. Those. operations that increase the efficiency of working with full copies of information sources. Thus, the invention is applicable in open systems, i.e., systems that allow you to integrate additional operations that expand their functionality. In particular, the creation of a MOSA designed to process new types of links expands the number of information sources supported by the present invention. Thus, the use of this invention in specific systems will contribute to their more dynamic development, since the dynamics of the development of these systems will be determined not only by developers, but also by the participation of a large number of users working with these systems.

The main definitions and provisions of the present invention presented in this section will not be described in detail below, and to facilitate the perception of information upon detection of the above definitions and provisions in the application description text, it is advisable to refer to this section.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In FIG. 1 shows a method of processing link lists stored on available devices, which consists in determining for a given list those links that are present in at least one saved list, except for the specified one;

in FIG. 2 shows a method for synchronizing links and link lists stored simultaneously on several available data storage devices;

in FIG. Figure 3 shows a method for creating new link lists by combining two or more lists and the process for their further processing;

in FIG. Figure 4 shows the process of processing link lists, consisting in combining two lists using the Boolean operator ΑΝΏ and forming a new result list on their basis;

in FIG. Figure 5 shows the process of processing link lists, which consists in combining two lists using the Boolean operator Oy and forming a new result list on their basis;

in FIG. Figure 6 shows the process of processing link lists, consisting in combining two lists using the Boolean operator 8IV and forming a new result list on their basis;

in FIG. 7 shows a method for processing links and link lists, which consists in creating custom description fields associated with links and link lists, and searching for links and link lists in said description fields;

in FIG. Figure 8 shows a meta-search method for links defining access to information sources using search query preprocessing operations;

in FIG. Figure 9 shows the process of selecting search engines for meta-search for a given combination of search parameters inherent in search engines for a given search;

in FIG. 10 and 11 show the process of preprocessing a search query, which consists in using two types of handlers;

in FIG. 12 illustrates the process of pre-processing a single-word search query using several complementary handlers;

in FIG. 13 shows a method for preprocessing a search query;

in FIG. 14 shows a method for obtaining and displaying new links defining access to information sources using stored search queries, stored search results and search engine lists;

in FIG. 15 shows a method for deferred receipt and display of full copies of information sources at their respective links;

in FIG. 16 shows a method for verifying that a data storage device has complete copies of information sources that are similar in text content to a newly received full copy of an information source.

A method of processing links defining access to information sources and lists of links stored on user-accessible storage devices, which consists in obtaining, storing, searching and synchronizing links to information sources and their lists

The invention is a method for processing heterogeneous links and lists of heterogeneous links stored on user-accessible data storage devices, which consists in obtaining, storing, searching and synchronizing links to information sources and their lists. As heterogeneous links defining access to information sources, byte sequences are used that determine the path and / or method of access to information sources.

The method includes a sequence of operations performed by a system that operates on available storage devices, which use both local and remote devices. The method consists in forming lists, including heterogeneous links, determined by ways and / or methods of access to information sources, in searching for links and link lists on one or more data storage devices accessible to the user and / or displaying them and further processing.

A sequence of bytes that defines the method of access to an information source is interpreted by processing by a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. The present invention provides for the addition of a new type of links for subsequent processing by creating a software module that defines the rules for accessing information sources of a certain type.

The processing of links and link lists consists in their structuring by means of classifiers, including those created by the user, and in ordering the displayed link lists according to one or more description fields associated with the links selected by the user. When displaying link lists, the number of links displayed in the lists is limited by one or more filters and a list of description fields for links for display is set, as well as the order and attributes for displaying the mentioned description fields. The formation of link lists provides for the inclusion of links in various lists, and when accessing a specific link provides information on which link lists include a specific link. For each link, they check the possibility of access to a full copy of the information source corresponding to the link to the information source with a frequency set by the user.

The invention implements a synchronization mechanism for links defining access to information sources and link lists stored simultaneously on several available data storage devices. Synchronization is carried out by sending new and / or changed links and lists of links from one available storage device to another, identifying and eliminating the conflicts that arise.

When working in multi-user mode, the user automatically obtains administrator rights to the stored links and / or link lists and transfers the access rights and / or administrator rights to at least one link and / or list of links to at least one other to the user. At the same time, transferring access rights and / or administrator rights to at least one link and / or list of links to another user involves setting access parameters to the said links and / or link lists and the types of operations allowed when working with the said links and lists of links.

Description of the invention

The present invention is intended to work with links and link lists, i.e. all described operations are applicable to work directly with links to information sources and their lists. The invention relates to methods for processing heterogeneous links and lists of heterogeneous links stored on user-accessible data storage devices, which include receiving, storing, searching and synchronizing links to information sources and their lists.

Creating an archive of heterogeneous links on any of the devices includes filling it with links received from heterogeneous information resources, for example, Internet search engines (Liausha, Exhye), meta-search systems, databases operating on remote devices (for example, \ ν \ ν \ ν.ι.ΐ5ρΙο.βον), databases operating on local devices and implemented by the user (for example, using the Mktokoy Lssekk application), etc. The resulting heterogeneous links are combined into single lists of heterogeneous links for further work with them. The formation and processing of lists, including heterogeneous links, contributes to a wider coverage of the information space (provides access to a large number of information sources stored in heterogeneous information resources). At the same time, filling the archive with heterogeneous links provides for the expansion of the number of information resources from which these links are received. Such an information resource is a database developed by the user and functioning on his local computer. In order to provide support for the aforementioned database, a software module is created that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type, which will interpret a sequence of bytes that defines the method of access to information sources stored in the database.

When working with information, the link archive is simultaneously stored on several data storage devices, which use both local and remote devices, for example, the hard drive of the local computer and the remote Internet server. This allows you not to worry about the possibility of accessing stored links and link lists in case of travel on business trips and in other similar cases when access to the local computer on which the data archive is stored is impossible (work on various computers located in the office and at home) . The stored links are automatically assigned a predefined set of description fields, which includes accompanying information that is assigned to each link automatically, for example, the date and time the link was saved, etc. This information is very useful not only for obtaining primary information about the link when viewing it, but It also allows searching the archive of links for the mentioned predefined description fields. Link searches are carried out simultaneously on several specific data storage devices.

Links and link lists stored on data storage devices are structured by linking them to various classifiers. At the same time, classifiers use both predefined and classifiers created by the user in accordance with his personal preferences. This invention allows you to have several predefined and / or user classifiers in the system, and these classifiers have a linear or hierarchical structure. Any logical structures that make it possible to organize the storage of information (for example, link directories, etc.) are also used as a classifier.

The displayed link lists are sorted by one or more description fields associated with the links selected by the user, as well as a list of description fields displayed to the user and their display parameters, i.e. order and attributes to display them. For example, the list of displayed description fields for links in the list includes the Save date, Link name and Search engine name fields, which allows you to get primary information about the links displayed in the lists.

When displaying link lists, a mechanism is used to limit the number of links displayed to the user (restriction of the viewing area) by one or more filters. As filters that limit the viewing area, use, for example, the date the links were saved on the data storage device, the presence of keywords in the link names, classifier sections, data from description fields, etc. Using filters to limit the viewing area allows you to avoid unnecessary operations when working with user-displayed links and link lists. For example, often to obtain and display the list of links necessary for the user, one has to search through the description fields of the links, and then manually delete links unnecessary to the user from the list. Using filters allows you to simplify this task, which will be reduced to performing only one operation (search with a restriction on a given filter).

The invention provides for each link verification of the possibility of obtaining on it a complete copy of the information source, and establish the frequency with which carry out the said verification. Since information on the Internet is constantly undergoing changes (including new web pages appear, old ones disappear), there is a possibility that at some point in time the link will become inappropriate, which will lead to the fact that the further process of obtaining a complete copy of the information from it The source will be interrupted by an access error message. The invention avoids such malfunctions that increase the processing time of lists by periodically sending a request to complete copies of information sources corresponding to the indicated links, and if an access error message is issued in response to the request, the irrelevant link is deleted from the list or from the storage device in accordance with with the set parameters.

A link stored on a data storage device is included in one or more link lists and information is provided on which link lists other than the specified link include a specific link. This operation can be performed on the list of links. The method is implemented as follows. In step 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the user selects a list of links of interest to him. Next, in step 2, the operation of checking the availability of lists containing links in the user-defined list on the available data storage device is performed. The operation is performed for each of the links included in the user-defined list. At stage 3, a check is carried out to find the required links in previously saved lists other than the specified one. If the links contained in the specified list are not found in any other previously saved list, then the specified list is not modified (remains unchanged). If such links are found, then at step 4 the specified list is modified and the mentioned links are either automatically excluded from the specified list of links or visualized (depending on the set parameters). The visualization of links for which analogues are found provides for information on what other lists contain the mentioned links. This allows you to get analytical information about stored links in terms of determining their usefulness and popularity (by the number of lists in which the link is included), as well as the relationship of the link and, accordingly, the full copy of the information source determined by it to certain topics. Next, at step 5, the user is shown an updated predetermined list of links. As mentioned above, the displayed list may not change.

The invention synchronizes links and link lists stored simultaneously on several data storage devices. Synchronization consists in sending only new and / or changed data from one device to another, without completely overwriting the existing data array. Synchronization is two-way and takes into account all changes in the data arrays stored on various devices, taking into account the resolution of conflicts that arise during synchronization. Two-way synchronization is understood as a synchronization mechanism that takes into account all changes that have occurred with data stored on various devices and generates a final data array that includes all the changes mentioned.

The method is implemented as follows. In step 6, as shown in FIG. 2, they access available data storage devices, after which, at step 7, they check to see if the data stored on the said devices has been modified. If the data has not been modified, the process ends, otherwise, at step 8, for each of the data storage devices, its own change file is generated, which includes only new and / or changed data. In one case, the mentioned changes are data on the modification of the information contained in a specific description field associated with a particular link, for example, information on the change in the date of the last access to this link in the description field of the Date of the last access. In another case, the changes include information about the modification of a specific list of links, for example, information that certain links have been removed from the list, etc. The change file on each of the devices is generated as follows. Before working with data (links and lists), a working copy of the database (synchronized links and link lists) is created on each device. After that, when working with the mentioned database on each of the devices, a file of changes is generated that was made to the database on a specific device during a time interval limited by two synchronizations (previous and subsequent). This time interval during which a change file is generated on each of the devices is called the synchronization interval. The change file is updated with information during the entire synchronization interval.

Next, at step 9, they check for conflicts that consist in the fact that the same link was modified on different data storage devices, and the modification related to the same description field associated with this link or the link itself, for example, modifying it names. Other situations, for example, when a modification concerns different description fields of the same link, are not considered conflicting and do not affect the correctness of synchronization. If a conflict is detected, then at step 10 it is eliminated. Moreover, the conflict is eliminated in several possible ways, depending on the settings of the system in which this method operates. For example, the right to resolve the conflict is granted to the user authorizing the synchronization. The second option for resolving the conflict involves the elimination of the mentioned conflict by the system itself in accordance with the established parameters, for example, use priority according to the modification date. Those. later on, synchronization will take into account the change that has a later date. The third option involves duplication of data (for example, a link or its specific description field) for which a conflict situation has been identified.

If the conflict in step 9 is not detected or resolved in step 10, in step 11 a single change file is generated, including all changes that have occurred with data stored on various data storage devices during the synchronization interval. After that, at step 12, a single change file is sent to all devices for which data is synchronized. At step 13, on each of the devices for which synchronization is carried out, the database is rolled back to the state that existed at the time the synchronization interval started. Rollback for the database stored on a particular device is carried out in accordance with the change file generated for this device. After the rollback, the database will be reduced to the state in which it was immediately after the previous synchronization, i.e. before the first changes after the previous synchronization were introduced. Then, at step 14, on each of the devices, the resulting single change file is processed, which consists in updating data (links and link lists). Thus, after updating the data by processing a single file of changes, a completely identical, current database (links and lists of links to information sources) will be generated on each device.

The highlight of the synchronization mechanism is that the whole process is carried out automatically. However, the invention allows you to configure the system in such a way that the network administrator will take care of resolving the conflicts, while the system displays a conflict message and suggests that it be resolved. The mechanism for resolving conflict situations that occur during synchronization takes into account all changes that have occurred with data on various data storage devices, and therefore is especially effective when the user modifies the data stored on each device, since when the data array is completely overwritten from one device to another piece of information may be lost. This significantly reduces the time required for this operation.

When working in multi-user mode, the user automatically obtains administrator rights to the links and link lists stored by him and manages access rights to the links and link lists stored by him, which consists in transferring access control over specific links and their lists to other users. The transfer of access rights provides for the installation of parameters according to which the user to whom the access rights are transferred is granted all or only part of the operations provided for when working with links to information sources and their lists. For example, a user with administrator rights grants access rights to another user only by reading, i.e. prohibiting data modification. Or allows the modification of links and link lists only in the part of creating and filling in the description fields for the mentioned links and link lists. A user with administrator rights grants access rights and / or administrator rights to at least one other user. That is, each user acts as an administrator in relation not only to the links and list of links stored by him, but also to those links and list of links that other users give him access control. Thus, the invention improves the efficiency of administering a system operating in multi-user mode and designed to store links and link lists.

The invention is illustrated by simple examples of implementation.

In this example, which illustrates the process of determining for a given list of links those links that are included in lists of links other than the given one, the task is to create an archive of unique links (i.e. the link should be presented in the archive only once). This is done so that the user subsequently does not have to waste time re-viewing the same links stored in the archive more than once. Since the archive of links is already quite large and takes quite a long time to form, the likelihood that when you receive a new list of links, even for different requests, you can add a specific link to the archive again, is great. In order to avoid storing duplicates in the archive, for each newly received list 1, as shown in FIG. 1, in step 2, a check is made for the presence in the archive of the links provided in the list. Links are considered identical for which the sequence of bytes, which determine the path and method of access to the information source, completely coincides. Moreover, in accordance with the established parameters, in step 4, automatically delete from the newly received list of links those links for which, in step 3, analogues previously archived will be detected. The check is carried out automatically and allows you to create a final list, which contains only those links that have no analogues in the link archive stored on the data storage device. Then, the final list of links in step 5 is displayed to the user, and then stored in the archive. Thus, this example implementation of the invention allows the user to create an archive consisting of unique (stored in one copy) links to information sources.

In this example, which illustrates the synchronization process, the local computer of the user and the remote Internet server are simultaneously used as storage devices for heterogeneous links and list of links. Data archives are identical (synchronized) at the current time. Working with a local computer in an office environment, the user fills the existing archive with additional data, adding new links to information sources received from the Internet to the archive located on the local computer. In addition, after viewing a number of previously saved links, their description fields for the Link status are modified, for example, assigning the mentioned links status uninteresting. After that, the user goes on a business trip and, having no access to his local computer, adds a number of new links received from the Internet (other than those that were saved on the local computer) to the link archive located on the remote Internet server, as well as removes part of previously saved links from the mentioned archive. At the same time, those links that were modified in the archive stored on the local computer are deleted from the archive on the Internet server. Returning from a business trip, the user again modifies the archive located on the local computer (adds new links), forgetting that it is necessary to synchronize the information stored on different storage devices.

Thus, the data archives stored on various devices (local computer and Internet server) cease to be identical and duplicating operations performed on the said archives to bring them to a single state manually is not possible, since the user is not able to recall all the data that he performed operations. But the presence of identical information in these archives is critical, since the user is again going on a business trip and accordingly wants to add the new links stored by him on the local computer to the archive located on the remote Internet server. Normal rewriting of the archive from the local computer to the Internet server will lead to the loss of the information that was added to the archive located on the Internet server, which is highly undesirable.

Therefore, in step 6, as shown in FIG. 2, they access the hard drive of the local computer and the remote Internet server and determine in step 7 that changes have been made to the archives located on the mentioned devices. On each of the devices (the hard drive of the local computer and the Internet server), in step 8, a change file is created, which includes information only about added and / or modified data. These change files (in this case, two files, one from each of the devices) are combined into a single change file at step 11. In this case, information about links added to archives located on the local computer will be automatically automatically included in a single change file and on the Internet server, since in this case the links added to different archives do not match. The situation is different with those links that were modified on the local computer and at the same time were deleted from the archive located on the Internet server. Since part of the links coincides, the system determines the occurrence of a conflict in step 9. In accordance with the set synchronization parameters, the system at step 10 issues a message to the user about a conflict. Having understood the essence of the conflict, the user instructs the system to remove those links that were assigned the status of not interesting on the local computer and which at the same time were deleted from the archive on the Internet server. Mentioned links are deleted from the generated data archive. Thus, the single changes file generated in step 11 includes information about the added links and that some of the links should be deleted from the generated data archive. A single file of changes at step 12 is sent to the local computer and the Internet server, and on each of these devices at step 13, the data archive is rolled back. Rollback for data archives stored on the local computer and the Internet server is carried out in accordance with the change files generated for each of the mentioned devices. After the rollback, the data archives on the local computer and the In27 Internet server will be restored to the state in which they were immediately after the previous synchronization, i.e. before the first changes after the previous synchronization were made. Next, at step 14, on the local computer and the Internet server, the resulting single change file is processed, which consists in updating data (links and link lists). Thus, after updating the data by processing a single file of changes, completely identical, relevant data archives (links and lists of links to information sources) will be generated on the local computer and on the Internet server. These archives will include all new links added in the process of working with archives located both on the local computer and on the Internet server, and also links deleted from the archive located on the Internet server will be excluded from them.

In this example, which illustrates the process of transferring control rights over links and link lists, we consider a system that provides for shared access to stored data for all or for a specific group of users (multi-user mode). At the same time, the user who has saved the data in the archive automatically obtains access rights and access control rights to the links and link lists stored by him.

In this example, the head of the automation department needs to receive a report on the state of affairs in the information technology market, in particular information regarding data management systems. There is a rather large list of heterogeneous links to information sources related to the mentioned topics, full copies of which are stored in various information resources operating in a distributed computer network. In order to get the desired report, the head of the automation department provides his list of links to the head of the analytical department. Moreover, the provision of a list of links includes not only the ability to access it, but also the ability to control access rights to this list. This approach is caused by the fact that processing a large list will require the efforts of several people and, accordingly, the head of the analytical department must be given the opportunity to distribute work (processing links from the list) between his subordinates.

Having obtained access control rights, the head of the analytical department, in turn, provides access to specific performers for certain links from the list, while allowing the operation of reading and modifying links (including creating and filling in custom description fields). Processing the links provided by him (looking at full copies of information sources corresponding to the links), the performers accompany each of the links with their comments on the usefulness of a particular link and the corresponding information source for compiling a summary analytical report. After that, the head of the analytical department studies the information provided to him (comments and comments on all links included in the list) and, based on this information, optimizes the list of links in accordance with the opportunities provided to him, removing information that is redundant in his opinion (links to information sources of interest). An optimized list of links (substantially reduced) is provided to the head of the automation department with a brief summary of the head of the analytical department for the entire resulting list of links. Thus, the function of transferring control of access rights to data stored in the archive to other users, implemented in the present invention, made it possible to optimize the data processing process and accelerated the process of generating a list of links of interest.

A method of forming and processing lists of links defining access to information sources stored on user-accessible data storage devices

The invention is a method of generating and processing lists of heterogeneous links stored on user-accessible storage devices. As heterogeneous links defining access to information sources, byte sequences are used that determine the path and / or method of access to information sources.

The method includes a sequence of operations performed by a system that operates on available storage devices, which use both local and remote devices. The method consists in the formation of lists including heterogeneous links defined by the ways and / or methods of access to information sources and the creation of new lists of heterogeneous links by combining operations. Combining operations consist in forming a new resulting list of links based on two or more link lists.

A sequence of bytes that defines the method of access to an information source is interpreted by processing by a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. The present invention provides for the addition of a new type of links for subsequent processing by creating a software module that defines the rules for accessing information sources of a certain type.

To create new link lists, use the import operations of links from external information sources, search for links in the description fields associated with them, and combination operations. When combining, lists of links stored on one or more data storage devices available to the user are used. The generated and / or received link lists are modified by the operations of adding, deleting and transferring the mentioned links using a pocket, which is used as a service list, which serves to simplify the operations of changing the lists of links to information sources.

Description of the invention

The present invention is intended to work with links and lists of links, that is, all the described operations are applicable to work directly with links to information sources and their lists. The invention relates to methods for generating and processing lists of heterogeneous links stored on user-accessible storage devices. Link lists are generated using various techniques and external data sources containing one or more links to information sources. At the same time, combining operations are used to form link lists, which consist in forming a new resulting list of links based on two or more link lists.

As external data sources use, for example, various search resources that search for links to information sources. Such search resources include, for example, Internet search engines (LNaUM, Exsie, etc.) or meta-search systems. A list of links to information sources is obtained, for example, after searching in any specialized database operating on a remote device, for example, \ ν \ ν \ ν.ι.ΐ5ρΙο.βον or in a database operating on a local device and implemented using the application M1stoy 8th Lsss55. In addition, a list of links to information sources is obtained from repositories of links to information sources and their collections, for example, from the Favorites folder of the Internet browser М1сго8ой [п (exe (Exp1ogeg. The invention also provides for the expansion of the number of external information resources from which the links are obtained by creating software a module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type.

Such an information resource is, for example, a database implemented by a user using the Mktokoy Assekk application that operates on a local device.

Various external documents (files) containing the mentioned links to information sources, for example, e-mail distribution files from various information resources or even specific web pages, are also used as external information resources for obtaining link lists. The determination of links to information sources contained in said electronic documents to form lists from them for further use in accordance with the present invention is carried out automatically by selecting links to information sources from a user-selected fragment of an electronic document containing said links.

The invention provides for the receipt of new link lists using a link search in the associated description fields. Such a search is carried out for links stored on user-accessible data storage devices, for example, by the date interval from 12/01/2000 to 01/01/2001 for the description field of the link storage date. When searching, they use search links both by predefined description fields, including accompanying information that is assigned to each link automatically, for example, the date and time the link was saved, etc., and by description fields created and filled in by the user, which increases the efficiency of the search for information. The search is carried out by any combination of predefined and custom description fields. The use of both predefined and custom description fields in the search eliminates the redundancy of information in the received link lists and allows you to get results that meet the user's expectations, which in turn simplifies the process of further processing the received lists and reduces the time required for processing them. This problem is especially relevant when working with a large array of data (links). Search links to form a new list of links is carried out using several available storage devices.

The invention also allows the user to create a list of links manually. To do this, the user creates an empty list, which initially does not contain any links. After that, the user modifies the empty list, for example, by adding and / or transferring links of interest to it, from any existing link lists.

At the same time, the obtained lists of heterogeneous links are stored on various data storage devices, which allows you not to worry about the possibility of gaining access to the stored reference lists in case of travel on business trips and in other similar cases when access to the local computer on which the reference lists are stored is impossible (work on various computers located in the office and at home).

The method is implemented as follows. At step 15, as shown in FIG. 3, carry out the definition (selection) of two or more lists of links that will be used to conduct combining operations on them. In this case, lists are stored on one or more local and / or remote storage devices. This operation allows the integration of data (links) stored in heterogeneous information resources operating in a distributed computer network. Next, at step 16, the operation that will be used when combining the lists is determined. As combining operations, the formation of new link lists by performing operations on two or more lists is used. As the operations used in the combination, Boolean operators are used, for example, различные, OK, 8ϋΒ, as well as various rules according to which two or more link lists receive a new list.

Next, at step 17, as shown in FIG. 3, a combining operation is performed with the participation of the link lists selected in step 15 and using lists stored on several available data storage devices. At step 18, it is determined whether, as a result of performing step 17 (performing the combining operation), a new list of links will be created. If so, then at step 19, a new list of links is generated resulting from the combining operation. Otherwise, at step 20, one of the existing link lists is replaced with a newly received list, and the user selects which of the existing lists to replace with the received one. At step 21, it is determined whether the list obtained after performing the combining operation will be stored on an available data storage device. If yes, then at step 22, the list is saved, while the user saves the list on several available storage devices. Next, at step 23, link lists are processed in accordance with the functionality implemented in the present invention. That is, on the received link lists, modification operations are carried out, which include adding new links to the list, removing them from the list and transferring links from one list to another using the service list - the so-called pocket. Using a pocket simplifies and speeds up the process of creating and modifying link lists.

As described above, as operations used in combining, Boolean operators are used, for example, ΆΝΏ, OK, 8IV (the invention provides for the use of other Boolean operators), as well as various rules by which a new list is obtained from two or more reference lists . As the rules by which link lists are combined, various functions are also used, including those defined by users. It should be noted that when forming functions for combining lists, predefined rules are used, for example, the mentioned Boolean operators ΛΝΏ, OK, 8IV, etc. At the same time, tools are provided for integrating the generated function with a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. Thus, through the aforementioned function, one gets access to any information related to the list of links and to the links themselves presented in these lists (including description fields), and all the features provided by the invention can be used to work with data (search and etc.). The formation of the function includes determining the sequence of simple operations on lists in order to obtain the result of interest to the user. Those. the formation of a function, for example, includes the definition of Boolean operators and the sequence in accordance with which they will be involved. The formation of the desired function, the implementation of which will allow the user to immediately get the desired result, will greatly simplify the processing of information. This is especially important for those cases when the created function is often used when working with link lists.

No less important are the operations of combining lists using Boolean operators. In FIG. Figure 4 shows the process of generating a new list of links based on the other two using the Boolean operator ΛΝΏ. At the stage of processing the list of links to information sources, the user selects two previously saved lists 24 and 25, each of which includes various matches. In this case, the number of links for each list is limited to five elements. As mentioned above, the links included in the lists are the IRQ address where you can find the web document, the identifier of the record in the database, the address of any file located on a remote or user storage device, the name of the product in a commercial database, etc. d. Moreover, in the resulting list at the same time there are links representing IKI addresses, identifiers of database records, and file addresses, etc., i.e. heterogeneous links, representing paths, methods, as well as ways and methods of accessing information sources. As a result of combining using the operator ΑΝΏ on the basis of lists 24 and 25, a new result list 26 is formed, which includes links simultaneously present in both list 24 and list 25. For this example, list 26 obtained after combining will include Match 1, Match 3 and Match 5 itself. Moreover, Match 1 is the ICI address of the web page, Match 3 is the identifier of the entry in the database, and Match 5 is the address of the file located on the storage device nnyh. The combination process is shown schematically in FIG. 4 and in the form of a diagram depicting two sets: on the left is a set symbolizing list 24, on the right is a set symbolizing list 25. As you can see from the diagram, there is also a hatched area of intersection of both sets, which is a set symbolizing a new result list 26.

In FIG. Figure 5 shows the process of generating a new list of links based on the other two using the Boolean operator OK. As a result of combining using the OK operator, on the basis of lists 27 and 28, a new result list 29 is formed, which includes all the links that are on lists 27 and 28. For this example, list 29 obtained after combining will include seven links, since during its formation, an excess of information consisting of duplicate elements was deleted: Match 1, Match 3 and Match 5, which are present in both lists 27 and 28. The combination process is shown schematically in FIG. 5 and in the form of a diagram that depicts two sets: the set symbolizing the list 27 is shown on the left, the set symbolizing the list 28 is shown on the right. As can be seen from the diagram, there is also a shaded area for combining both sets, which is a set symbolizing the new result list 29.

In FIG. Figure 6 shows the process of generating a new list of links based on the other two using the 8IV Boolean operator. As a result of combining using the 8IV operator, based on lists 30 and 31, a new resulting list 32 is formed, which includes the links that are in list 30, and not in the list 31. For this example, the list obtained after combining will include only two links: Match 2 and Match 4. The combination process is shown schematically in FIG. 6 and in the form of a diagram depicting two sets: on the left is a set symbolizing list 30, on the right is a set symbolizing list 31. As you can see from the diagram, there is also a shaded area that is part of set 30, except for those links that at the same time inherent in both the set 30 and the set 31. The mentioned shaded area is a set symbolizing the new result list 32.

The effect of using combination operations can be evaluated in comparison with existing analogues, whose functionality is limited to editing lists by adding links to the list, removing links from the list, and transferring links from one list to another. The process of creating new link lists through the above operations is ineffective, because the operations of adding, removing and transferring links are essentially manual and time-consuming. Thus, the processing of link lists by means of a tool implemented in known data processing systems suffers from the inconvenience of not having a mechanism for jointly processing two or more link lists by combining operations as shown in FIG. 4-6. In addition to the inconvenience in the work, there is a limitation of the functionality of the existing data processing systems in terms of quick and efficient formation of new link lists. Implemented in this invention, the mechanism for creating new lists of heterogeneous links by combining significantly increases the efficiency of working with information and saves time spent on processing it. This is achieved through the automatic processing of two or more link lists according to certain rules established by the user and including the use of both Boolean operators and various functions specified by the user.

The invention is illustrated by a simple implementation example.

Users whose professional activity is associated with active work on the Internet often work both at home and in the office. At the same time, they search for information regarding document management systems for compiling an analytical report on the mentioned topics. After processing the request, bositep! ΆΝΏ That will fall ηΐ ΛΝΏ zuz1et. for example, the search engine LNaUM. save a list (# 11) of web links received from this search engine. In this case, information was searched from a computer located in the office, and therefore the resulting list of links is stored on the hard drive of the office computer. Those. access to the saved list is obtained only from the office computer. If you continue to search for information at home, you will receive another list of web pages of a similar subject using the search engine Lucos at the request of EOS8 Orep ΆΝΏ EositeShit (systems leading in the market of document management systems), while the obtained search results (list of links Lyz12) are stored on remote Internet server, which allows you to access the saved list from any computer connected to the Internet.

Both saved lists are equally important for further work, and besides they relate to the same subject, and therefore a very urgent task is to create a list of links, which includes links contained as in the list of 11. so and in the list of 12з12. In this case, working with a computer located in the office, they establish a connection with a remote device (Internet server) and perform the operation of obtaining a single list of links based on two list of links previously stored on different storage devices. In this case, systems are activated that operate both on the local computer and on the Internet server and at step 15. as shown in FIG. 3, indicate lists for participating in the operation of forming a new list, in this case, Ls11 and Ls12. As a rule, according to which this operation of combining lists is carried out (forming a new list of links), at step 16, the Boolean operator OK is determined. As a result of performing operation L1511 OK L1512 at step 17, at step 19, a newly formed list of links Ly13 is obtained. including links inherent in both lists involved in the combining operation. The use of the OK operator implies the exclusion of redundant information from the resulting list of b1513. This operation consists in eliminating duplicate elements from the resulting result list. For example, if the link lists Ls11 and Ls12 contain the link \\ l \ l \ -. Bositep1it. cell / Tbekh. 1111t1. then in the resulting list this link will be presented once. The list of links in step 22 is stored on a remote Internet server for further work with it. The resulting list of links is modified at step 23. First, sorting it in accordance with the rating received from search engines for each of the links presented, and then removing those links from it that are less than 50%. The combination of link lists allows the user to significantly simplify the process and increase the efficiency of working with information and thereby save time spent on processing it.

A method of searching for links defining access to information sources and lists of links stored on user-accessible data storage devices

The invention is a method for searching for heterogeneous links stored on user-accessible storage devices. As heterogeneous links defining access to information sources, byte sequences are used that determine the path and / or method of access to information sources.

The method includes a sequence of operations performed by a system that operates on available storage devices, which use both local and remote devices. The method consists in creating and modifying user-defined description fields associated with heterogeneous links, searching for said links in any combination, related description fields, forming lists of heterogeneous links and further processing of links and link lists.

The present invention provides for the creation of a new data type for description fields associated with a link or list of links. Adding a new type of links is carried out by creating a software module for processing data of a certain type and interpreting a new data type.

When forming a search request for links and link lists by the associated description fields, the preliminary processing of the request is performed, which consists in obtaining, from at least one source word included in the request, one or more words associated with the source word with a given ratio . When displaying link lists obtained as a result of a search using any combination of description fields associated with the links, the number of links displayed in the resulting link lists is limited to one or more filters.

Link processing consists in the formation of sets of one or more links, characterized by certain sets of description fields. Each generated set has a hierarchical structure in which each subset of at least a set of description fields characterizing the set and each link included in the set are at least characterized by a set of description fields characterizing this set.

Description of the invention

The present invention is intended to work with links and link lists, i.e. all described operations are applicable to work directly with links to information sources and their lists. The invention relates to methods for searching for heterogeneous links and lists of heterogeneous links stored on user-accessible data storage devices by the distinguishing features associated with said links and link lists (description fields).

The method is implemented as follows. At step 33, as shown in FIG. 7, determine which of the available data storage devices will be used to determine (select) links to information sources and their lists, intended for processing, which consists in creating and modifying a custom set of description fields for the mentioned links and lists. Those. the invention, in addition to working with predefined description fields for links, involves the creation and modification by the user of an additional set of description fields of various types associated with each of the links. As operations to modify description fields created by the user, add new description fields, delete existing description fields, and also change parameters inherent in description fields, for example, change the type of a field, its size, etc.

The predefined description fields include accompanying information that is assigned to each link automatically, for example, the date and time the link was saved, etc. As user-defined description fields, user-created note fields of various types (text, numeric, date, etc.) are used. In this case, the user creates custom type description fields, for example, combined description fields consisting of several parts and including character and number type information (for example, the place and time of the event), etc. The user also creates enumerated data. That is, data whose type is determined by a list of their inherent elements, for example, a list of countries, etc. Working with such data types does not require the user to form functions for their processing, it is enough to create a list of elements inherent in a particular data type. In the future, when working with data of an enumerated type, you only need to select the desired item from the list. An enumerated data type consists of any characters (a set of letters, numbers, combined, etc.). Thus, the invention not only supports standard types of description fields, but also provides a mechanism for expanding their number by creating new data types by the user, due to the presence of software modules for processing data of a certain type that users create.

Creating a new data type, a new data processing software module is created for them that unambiguously interprets data of a certain type and carries out their support. Creating a new data type provides a complete description of its characteristics, such as data format, refinement parameters (for example, the maximum size of a sequence of bytes for a particular data type), etc. In addition, for each new data type form a set of functions that support working with a new data type. Thus, they work with the new data type as standard, that is, the system in which the present invention operates will automatically support new (user) data types when performing any action on them: conducting search operations, displaying, etc. To create data processing modules of a certain type, the user is provided with the appropriate tools for creating libraries of data processing modules of a certain type intended for processing data of a certain type. The data processing module of a certain type performs a series of operations arising from its functionality: comparing fields of a given type (for searching); interpretation of data of a certain type and their reduction to a format that allows the operation of comparison; writing data of a certain type to a character string; reading data of a certain type from a character string; writing data of a certain type to a sequence of bytes (for example, writing to a file); reading data of a certain type from a sequence of bytes (from a file). The functionality of the data processing module is not limited to this and is further expanded by operations, for example, converting one data type to another, managing visualization of data of a certain type, etc.

At step 33, as shown in FIG. 7, lists stored on one or more local and / or remote storage devices are selected. This operation allows the integration of data (links) stored in heterogeneous information resources operating in a distributed computer network. At step 34, it is determined by which method links and / or lists thereof will be determined and whether search operations will be involved. If not, then at step 35, a selection of links to information sources and link lists located on the available data storage devices determined at step 33 are performed. Moreover, to select links and their lists, for example, classifiers are used, both predefined and created by the user in accordance with his personal preferences. This invention allows you to have several predefined and / or user classifiers in the system, and these classifiers have a linear or hierarchical structure. Any logical structures that make it possible to organize the storage of information (for example, link directories, etc.) are also used as a classifier.

If search operations will be used to determine links and their lists, then at step 36 a search query is generated to search for links and lists of links of interest to the user by various parameters. Formation of a request includes determining a combination of description fields associated with a link or a list of links by which a search will be performed and determining request parameters for each of the selected description fields. It should be noted that the invention provides for the use of any combination of description fields, which includes both predefined description fields and user-created description fields.

Next, at step 37, it is determined whether pre-processing will be used to expand the user-generated source request. If the preliminary processing will be used, then proceed to step 38. on which the preliminary processing of the search query is carried out, which consists in the operation of obtaining from at least one source word included in the request, one or more words associated with the source word with a given ratio . The rules used for pre-processing include the use of various dictionaries and thesauruses: morphological, synonymous, semantic, bilingual, etc., as well as the use of various conversion functions. Conversion functions, for example, include: replacing lowercase characters with uppercase and vice versa, replacing Latin letters with Cyrillic and vice versa, etc. For pre-processing, both predefined and user-created rules (dictionaries, thesauruses and conversion functions) are used. The user forms his own rules in accordance with the criteria known to him. The present invention provides for the selection of at least one request preprocessing operation, wherein the sequence of execution of the request preprocessing operations is specified by users. Thus, the invention provides for the extension of query parameters for any of the description fields used to search for links to information sources and their lists. It should be noted that the pre-processing operation may consist of a simple identity operation, for example, after the preliminary processing of the source word, the resulting query will include only the mentioned source word. Next, at step 39, they search for links and link lists in accordance with the terms of the search query. The search is performed simultaneously on all data storage devices identified in step 33.

At step 40, a list of links is generated that meets the request parameters, and when forming the resulting list, there is a limitation on the number of links found by one or more filters. As filters that limit the number of links found, use, for example, the date the links were saved on the data storage device, the presence of keywords in the names of links, sections of classifiers, data from description fields, etc. Using filters to limit the viewing area eliminates the redundancy of the information presented in the lists and avoids unnecessary operations when working with displayed links and link lists. For example, often to obtain and display the required list of links, you have to search the description fields of the links, and then additionally perform the operation of combining lists or manually remove unnecessary links from the list. Using filters increases the efficiency of the process of obtaining link lists, which will be reduced to the performance of only one operation (search with a restriction on a given filter). At the same time, description fields created by the user are also used as filters, eliminating the redundancy of information in the generated lists more efficiently. Lists of links are ordered by the user selected one or more description fields associated with the links, as well as a list of description fields displayed to the user and their display parameters, i.e., the order and attributes for displaying them.

Next, at step 41, the links and their lists are determined, which are determined at steps 35 or 40. The processing of the list of links and / or links included in the list includes the creation and modification by the user of various types of description fields to links to information sources and the list of links, in including the creation of description fields for new types. The processing of links and link lists at step 41 also includes the formation of one or more links to information sources of sets characterized by certain sets of description fields. Those. the invention provides for the structuring of links and lists of links, for which the method additionally implements a mechanism for creating so-called cabinets. The cabinet will actually be a separate information subsystem, characterized by the presence of an individual set of custom description fields of any type and having a hierarchical structure (level 1 cabinet, level 2 cabinet, etc.). When creating cabinets, the inheritance logic of a set of description fields is respected, i.e. a lower-level cabinet is characterized by a set of custom description fields that will be inherent in higher-level cabinets, and, in addition, has a number of its own fields. A set of user-defined description fields is set both in the process of forming the cabinet and is expanded subsequently. The invention provides a search in these description fields. The convenience of working with cabinets can be shown in the following example. If the user stores links to files with electronic messages, then he structures them by placing links in the Electronic messages cabinet, which is quite logical. This is logical for two reasons. First: by placing links to e-mail files in the appropriate cabinet, the user will not need to puzzle over which description fields to create for this document. Since the 'Electronic Messages' cabinet has a specialized set of description fields that is automatically assigned to each link and can be immediately filled (date of sending, date of receipt, return address, etc.). Second: the user can limit the search zone of links of interest to a specific cabinet. The mechanism of structuring information through the creation of cabinets will be convenient when working with links on a certain topic (links to web pages, links to electronic messages, etc.) that have a characteristic set of custom description fields.

Next, at step 42, it is determined whether the session will continue. If yes, then proceed to step 33, otherwise the session ends.

The mechanism for creating and modifying custom description fields is very useful in the work, as it makes it easier for the user to access the links of interest to him. It should be noted that the number of notes fields filled by the user is not limited, and with skillful handling of them, the user significantly increases the convenience of working with links and link lists.

This invention is illustrated by one example of implementation.

Links stored in the system are automatically assigned a predefined set of description fields, which includes information about the date the link was saved, its name, the name of the user who saved the link, and the source of the link. This information is very useful not only for obtaining primary information about the link when viewing it, but also allows you to search for links stored on an accessible data storage device by the aforementioned predefined description fields. But since this information is not enough both to obtain a complete picture of a specific link and to perform a more accurate search of links, the stored links are additionally assigned a set of description fields created by the user. At the same time, new data types are created, and in order to provide support for the mentioned data types, software data processing modules are created that will uniquely interpret the data of a new type. For example, when collecting information about international European automobile exhibitions held in 2001, it’s very convenient to link to an information source containing information about the exhibition, instead of creating two fields of various types, create one combined user description field that includes information about the venue the exhibition (symbolic data) and the date of its holding (data of the type date) Venue of the exhibition; The opening date of the exhibition, for example, the exhibition AI1OTO1E 1p1etpa1yupa (AM1): Leipzig; 03/06/2001, exhibition Ttapkroy: Munich; 05/15/2001, exhibition AI1OTO1E: Budapest; 10/17/2001, exhibition Mo1og-5> 1st \ y: 'Essen; 11/30/2001 etc. Links are stored on the hard drive of the local computer. When accessing such links, they immediately receive full information about where and when this or that exhibition will take place. In addition, the presence of the mentioned description field allows you to conveniently search for links stored in the archive both individually at the venue and date of the exhibition, and at the same time at the place and date of the exhibition (using one description field).

The user in step 33, as shown in FIG. 7, accesses the hard drive of the local computer and, at step 34, determines a search operation to select the links of interest. Searching for links by a combination of description fields (custom and predefined) associated with them allows you to expand your queries by pre-processing them. In this case, by searching by the name of the exhibition using the word Ai1otoY1e, the user generates a corresponding request at step 36 and at step 37 decides to pre-process the request using the synonym dictionary, according to which at step 38 the query will be expanded with the words TtapkrotG and MoYug processing the request will allow the user to obtain, at step 40, a list of links that includes all the links provided in this example. But in addition to expanding the request by pre-processing, they decide to limit the number of displayed links to the date of the exhibition. Those. they install the filter on the date of the exhibition: no later than June 1, 2001 (or from 01/01/2001 to 01/06/2001). In accordance with the set filter, only links will be presented in the resulting list: exhibition LlothoPe 1p1etpabopa1 (ΑΜΙ): Leipzig; 03/06/2001 and exhibition Ttapkroy: Munich; 05/15/2001.

All links related to exhibitions are very convenient to store in the archive in a single information subsystem (cabinet), which is characterized by an individual set of custom description fields and having a hierarchical structure. Therefore, at step 41, the resulting links are recorded in the appropriate cabinet. Such an implementation is very convenient, since the links entered in the Exhibition cabinet at step 41 are automatically assigned a set of description fields set by the user, including the Date of opening of the exhibition, Date of closing of the exhibition, Subject of the exhibition, Notes, and the user no longer has to puzzle over which description fields to assign to the mentioned links. The description fields that the links inherit from the cabinet perform a search, which also facilitates access to stored links. At the same time, the links retain all the description fields inherent in them before entering the cabinet (in this example, these are all predefined fields and a combined field created by the user Venue of the exhibition; Date of opening of the exhibition). Thus, they optimize the process of storing links in the archive and increase the convenience of access to them.

A method of obtaining links defining access to information sources through a metasearch

The invention is a method for obtaining heterogeneous links and lists of heterogeneous links through metasearch. As heterogeneous links defining access to information sources, byte sequences are used that determine the path and / or method of access to information sources.

The method includes a sequence of operations performed by a system that operates on available storage devices, which use both local and remote devices. The method consists in obtaining links and link lists, including heterogeneous links, determined by ways and / or methods of accessing information sources through metasearch, in processing the received link lists, and also in obtaining complete copies of information sources.

A sequence of bytes that defines the method of access to an information source is interpreted by processing by a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type.

The method involves selecting search engines from a list of search engines existing for meta-search, forming a search query, converting it into a search data form corresponding to each of the search engines, sending generated search data to search engines, obtaining a single resulting list of links from all search engines and processing the resulting list of links. When converting a query into a search data form corresponding to each of the search engines, all search parameters inherent in each of the mentioned search engines are taken into account, and the search parameters inherent in each of the search engines are expanded by introducing preliminary processing of the request.

As a search engine use any information resource or system that allows you to search for data. The search engines for meta-search are selected by the classifier, including the one created by the user, as well as by a given combination of search parameters inherent in search engines. Forming a query by a user includes filling out a search form, which presents a set of fields that correspond to all search parameters inherent in the selected search engines.

When forming a request to search for links by means of a meta-search, the preliminary processing of the request is performed, which consists in obtaining, from at least one source word included in the request, one or more words associated with the source word with a given ratio. The preliminary processing of the request includes at least one operation of preliminary processing of the request, and the sequence of operations for preliminary processing of the request is set by users. After performing preprocessing operations, the original word is either deleted or left in the final request.

The generated queries, including those received taking into account the preliminary processing, and the corresponding search results are stored on data storage devices accessible to the user and provides subsequent access to the stored said queries and search results. At the same time, the frequency of the meta-search using saved queries and lists of search engines is set, and only links that are not in the previous list of links obtained by meta-search using the mentioned saved searches and the list of search engines are left in the resulting list of links.

New search engines are added to the list of search engines existing for meta-search and at the same time they indicate the address, the rules for matching the query language used in this method, the query language of the said search engines or form a software module for processing the rules for matching the query language of the invention of the query language of the added search engine, type of link to the information source inherent to the added search engine. New search engines add users to the existing list of search engines for metasearch. When specifying a new type of links, a program module corresponding to them is created that defines the rules for access to information sources, and one or more types of links are processed by a module that determines the rules for access to information sources.

The links additionally receive complete copies of information sources, followed by visualization of the result corresponding to the request, including that obtained taking into account preliminary processing, and at the same time verify the compliance of the received full copies of information sources with the conditions of the search query.

Description of the invention

The invention relates to methods of information meta-search in heterogeneous information resources and is used to obtain heterogeneous links, generate lists of heterogeneous links, store and display the results of a meta-search (lists of heterogeneous links), and obtain complete copies of information sources corresponding to heterogeneous links.

The method is implemented as follows. At step 43, as shown in FIG. 8, search engines are determined (selected) to participate in the processing of the request. As a search engine, an information resource or system is used that operates on an accessible data storage device that allows you to search for data and provides an open channel for exchanging data with external sources. As storage devices used for metasearch, local and remote devices are used.

Next, at step 44, an initial search query is generated for processing by the search engines selected at step 43. After the request is generated, at step 45, it is determined whether the generated request will be pre-processed. If the request will be subjected to preliminary processing, then proceeds to step 46, which conducts the operation of obtaining, at least from one source word included in the request, one or more words associated with the source word with a given ratio. The final request, formed including taking into account the execution of preliminary processing operations, is transmitted to the communication device 47 with the search engines. The invention saves the generated requests, including those received after preliminary processing, both on the user and on the remote data storage device. When saving queries, they are structured and thematic sorting is used as the operation of structuring (classifying) queries, according to which the queries are categorized. The user subsequently gets access to the saved search queries and uses them to carry out search operations.

The communication device 47 receives the request and processes it in order to convert it into a format suitable for each of the search engines that were determined to be searched in block 43. The requests 48 converted to the appropriate format suitable for each of the search engines are sent to search engines 49 by known means transmission, after which the communication device 47 receives from each search engine search results (matches) 50. After all the results are received from each search engine or the specified time period elapses nor, and the search results will not be received from one or more search engines, all matches received from the search engines are combined into a result list at step 51 and stored on a data storage device.

When forming the resulting list, redundant information is deleted. This operation consists in eliminating duplicate elements from the resulting result list. Elements (links) in the resulting list are displayed in the specified order. This order is determined by the evaluation of each match obtained, which depends on two components. The first constituent information received from each search engine 49 about the relevance of a complete copy of the information source 50 to the final query detected by the search engine. The second component is the rating of each search engine participating in the processing of the request. The rating of each search engine can be either predetermined on the basis of the subjective preferences of the developers or the user, or it can be generated automatically during the functioning of the system.

Further, the processed results fall into the device for receiving and displaying full copies of information sources 52, by which, at the request of the user, through the communication device 47, complete copies of information sources are obtained, which are displayed using the device for displaying full copies of information sources. The receipt of full copies of information sources and their storage on user data storage devices presupposes the availability of accompanying information for each stored full copy, for example, the date and time of receipt, size, by which link this full copy was received, etc.

In the event that the full copy of the information source 50 is a file containing textual information, the aforementioned file (document) is displayed with visualization of the search results corresponding to the conditions of the search query, including those obtained taking into account preliminary processing. The invention also allows for automatic verification of compliance of the obtained full copies of information sources with the conditions of the search query.

One of the key points of the present invention is the mechanism for selecting search engines for metasearch in step 43, as shown in FIG. 8, including the combination of search parameters inherent in search engines. This mechanism is intended for use in meta-search of all search parameters inherent in each of the selected search engines. The invention, in contrast to existing metasearch systems, is not limited to searching for documents by the information contained in their texts using simple Boolean operators and involves any search parameter inherent in the search engine. This applies, for example, to phrasal search, taking into account the distance between words and the order of alternating words in the query, as well as searching, for example, by the date the document was created, its name and other attributes. Thus, the invention improves the search efficiency, since the results will meet the expectations of the user (matching a query of any complexity, formed using any search parameters).

The selection of search engines is as follows. At step 53, as shown in FIG. 9, select search engines. For the meta-search, any number of search engines is selected and, depending on the purpose of the search, any set of search engines. For example, a typical search query for web pages is processed using LLAUS, Exsi, etc., while a request related to legal issues is processed using the listed search engines and the L1K database. A request related to obtaining information about a particular patent that has been registered in the USA is processed using the database of the American Patent Office \ y \ y \ u.ikr1o.do and among files stored on the local computer. The request, formed in order to search for MP3 files of interest to the user, is processed, for example, using AIAUSh and AI4yuet4. The request, formed in order to search for MPES video files of interest to the user and information about them, is processed using ANaUSh and a user database located on the user's local computer and implemented using the Myugokoy Assekk application. Requests to search for information about employees are addressed to a corporate database implemented on the Ogas1e DBMS and operating on a local network server and to Myugokoy OiYoook's personal notebook. Thus, when searching for information, heterogeneous information resources are used, which significantly expands the scope of the information space covered by the search and, accordingly, increases the search efficiency.

At step 54, it is determined whether the search engines will be selected by the user from the existing list (for example, the classifier) of the search engines manually or the selection will be made by a combination of search parameters inherent in the search engines. If the selection of search engines will be carried out from the list of search engines manually, then at step 55 it is determined which of the mentioned machines will participate in the development of the search query. The list of search engines can be presented in the form of a linear list or in the form of any known classifier, for example, hierarchical - heading. The classifiers used by the user to select search engines use both predefined classifiers and those created by the user in accordance with his personal preferences. Since there are no classifiers in nature that can equally satisfy the requirements of all users, the creation of custom classifiers in accordance with the preferences of a particular user increases the convenience of structuring search engines specific to the meta-search, which in some cases simplifies user access to these search engines. This invention uses several predefined and / or custom classifiers.

If the search engines are selected according to the combination of search parameters inherent in search engines, then at step 56 a form is created that displays all the search parameters inherent in those search engines, information about which is available in the system (in the database of the system). The set of search parameters of search engines is very diverse and includes, for example, searching for documents by their contents using Boolean operators, phrasal search taking into account the interval between words and the order of alternating words in a query, search using a specific language, search taking into account the morphological features of this language, search for files of the desired format, for example MP3, search for specific items of goods in commercial databases, etc. Next, at step 57, a list of machines having the search parameters specified in step 56 is formed. At step 58, it is determined which of the search engines from the list obtained at step 57 will participate in processing the search query. Based on the choice of search engines at step 55 or at step 58, at step 59, the final list of search engines for direct participation in the development of a search query is generated.

Next, at step 60, a search form is formed and its fields are filled in accordance with the criteria of the proposed search. The search form in step 60 is created based on the list of search engines obtained in step 59 and it displays only those fields that are inherent to at least one of the search engines present in the list. For example, if one search engine (A) has parameters of full-text search for keywords contained in the text of a full copy of the information source using the Boolean operator ΑΝΏ, as well as search by the date of creation of a full copy of the information source, and another search engine (B), in addition to of the above parameters, phrasal search parameters are additionally inherent taking into account the interval between words and the order of alternating words in the query, searching by the name of a full copy of the information source, as well as searching using using different languages, the search form in block 60 will include all of the fields listed above:

- full-text search by keywords in the text of a full copy of the information source using the Boolean operator ΑΝΏ;

- search by date of creation of a full copy of the information source;

- phrase search, taking into account the interval between words and the order of alternating words in the query;

- search using various languages;

- search by name of a full copy of the information source.

The interface of the search form of the block 60 is single, regardless of the choice of search engines. This will allow the user to always work with the familiar interface, and not with several different interfaces, as with direct access to different search engines.

In the case of filling out all the fields of the search form 60, a variant is possible in which a particular search engine does not support the search parameters corresponding to the field filled in the form 60. So, for example, search engine (A) does not support phrasal search, taking into account the interval between words and the order of alternating words in the query, as well as search using various languages and search by document name. In this case, the search engine (A) will subsequently ignore parameters that are not inherent in the processing of the request, while the search engine (B) will fulfill the search query taking into account all the parameters indicated on the search form 60. The choice of search engines according to the combination of search engines parameters and the use of all search parameters inherent in the search engines involved in the meta-search increases the effectiveness of the search. Using a combination of search parameters to select search engines increases the efficiency of using meta-search systems, since the selection of search engines from the existing list (classifier) is often ineffective, since the name of search engines makes it difficult to judge their qualitative and quantitative characteristics. Therefore, in some cases, the choice of search engines involved in processing the search query by the classifier leads either to the formation of an excessive list of search engines (for example, tied to a specific section of the classifier), or, on the contrary, unnecessarily limits the list if only a few of the most famous search engines are selected for metasearch . Both that and another negatively affects meta-search performance.

The next key point of the present invention is the use in step 46, as shown in FIG. 8, preprocessing a search query originally formulated by a user. As pre-processing operations, transformations are used according to various rules, according to which one or several words associated with the initial word with a given ratio are obtained from the original word. These rules include the use of various dictionaries and thesauruses: morphological, synonymous, semantic, bilingual, etc., as well as the use of various transformation functions. The conversion functions, for example, include: replacing lowercase characters with uppercase and vice versa, replacing Latin letters with Cyrillic and vice versa, etc. The rules used for pre-processing (dictionaries, thesauruses and conversion functions) can be either predefined or created by the user himself. The user forms his own rules in accordance with the criteria known to him. For example, for the convenience of searching for movies, the user will create his own thesaurus, according to which he expands the search query. That is, a lover of comedy films with the participation of specific actors will compile a thematic thesaurus in which the word comedy will be associated with the names of actors Richard, Murphy, etc., which will allow him to further optimize the search for the necessary data. After working out the request for a comedy expanded using such a thematic thesaurus, documents containing the words Richard and Murphy will also be presented in the resulting list. Thus, any number of thematic thesauruses are formed for their further use as handlers. The present invention provides for the selection of at least one request preprocessing operation, wherein the sequence of execution of the request preprocessing operations is specified by users. The request preprocessing mechanism provides for the use of two types of handlers: the so-called extension handler (RO) and the complement handler (DO).

Each of the words used for preliminary processing of the request is included in a logical group formed for words that have similarities by a certain attribute. For example, the words green, green, green, etc. are included in one group of words, united by a morphological basis (single-root words). It should be noted that as logical groups for RO groups of words can be used, united by characters that are different from the morphological character. In a particular case, a logical group is represented in one word. Logical word groups are used when processing a request through an extension handler (RO). Moreover, each word is included in only one logical group of words that have similarities by a certain attribute (for example, only in one morphological group). PO is used to perform two types of conversion, namely:

- from a word to a group, that is, a transformation that defines the identifier of a logical group of the desired type for each of the processed words;

- from a group to a word, that is, a transformation that identifies all words in a given group by the identifier of a logical group.

Various dictionaries and thesauruses are used as DOs: synonymous, semantic, bilingual, etc., as well as various conversion functions described above (replacing lowercase characters with uppercase and vice versa, etc.). DO is used to perform the conversion according to the following algorithm:

- from group to group, i.e. a transformation that identifies group identifiers corresponding to a specific logical group by the identifier of a particular logical group.

This approach to the implementation of the handlers optimizes the process of preliminary processing of the request. Those. the user does not have to manually establish links between all the words in the associated logical groups. Such processing will be carried out automatically.

Schematically, the entire process of preliminary processing of a request using handlers of two types (PO and DO) is shown in FIG. 10 in the form of a handler graph, in which the first vertex is a PO (word-to-group conversion), and all subsequent vertices are DO (group-to-group conversion). This process illustrates the use of an unlimited number (one or more) of DO at each of the stages of pre-processing. Those. the logical group obtained after conversion by PO is processed using DO-1/1 - DO-1 / Ν, the groups obtained after conversion by DO-1/1 are processed using DO-1/1/1 - DO-1 / 1 / Ν, groups obtained after conversion by DO-1 / Ν are processed using DO-1 / Ν / 1 - DO-1 / Ν / Ν, etc.

In order to facilitate the perception of the described process of preliminary processing of the request, we give a specific example in which the preliminary processing of the request, consisting of one word using three complementary processors, as shown in FIG. 11. For the sake of clarity, let’s explain that the thematic data are obtained from various information resources that support different languages, and the data mentioned must correspond to the original query not only in formal but also in semantic meaning. That is, the user searches for data of interest to him, not only in those information sources that support his native language (for example, Russian), but also in those information sources that are issued in other languages (for example, English and French). This approach contributes to a wider coverage of the information space for the search of data of interest.

Thus, meta-search is carried out in information resources in which data is stored in various languages, and to obtain the desired data, the initial query is expanded using pre-processing operations. At the same time, they use the specified sequence of preliminary processing of the request, which consists in the phased use of an expanding morphological processor, a complementary synonymous processor, and two complementary processors represented by bilingual dictionaries for translation (Russian-English and Russian-French).

Use the following preprocessing algorithm. The user forms the initial request and at the same time sets the type and number of handlers, as well as the sequence of their use. For ease of perception, this example will use a single-word query. In the case when the request will consist of several words, the pre-processing algorithm will be applied for each of the words included in the original request. Since a thematic data search is performed, at step 61, as shown in FIG. 11, it is advisable to use as a PO a morphological transducer that determines the identifier of a logical group for each of the words included in the query (in this example, one word). After completing step 61, a group will be obtained that includes words combined with the original word by a morphological trait (root words). The resulting group (first group) may include one or more words. Since the data to be searched must correspond to the initial query not only in formal but also in semantic meaning, at step 62 it is advisable to use a complementary processor that generates many groups associated with the first group with a synonymous sign. Thus, the dictionary of synonyms will be used as the first complementary processor DO-1, which will expand the original query with semantic analogues (synonyms). DO-1 performs the conversion from group to group and determines the group identifiers for the group obtained in step 61 (first group), in accordance with the conversion used. The words included in the group obtained at step 62 form a synonymous series. One of the conditions for preliminary processing of the request for this example is the mandatory presence in the set of groups obtained at step 62 of the first group, since the words included in the first group are necessary for further information search, and their exclusion from the further processing will lead to a decrease the effectiveness of the search operation. In other cases, the first group may be excluded from the plurality of groups obtained in step 62, and thereby not be further processed. Next, at step 63, each of the groups obtained at step 62 is processed using two complementary processors: DO-2, which uses the Russian-English dictionary, and DO-3, which uses the Russian-French dictionary. As a result of performing step 63, a plurality of groups are formed related to the groups obtained in step 62, by corresponding transformations.

All groups obtained in steps 61-63 are included in the final set of groups. Then, from the resulting set of groups, a lot of words are formed, from which the final request is formed, to search information resources that support different languages (Russian, English, French) using semantic analogies for each of the mentioned languages. Those. The final stage of preprocessing involves the use of an expanding processor (RO) for conversion by type from group to word for all groups included in the final set. This transformation determines from the identifiers of logical groups all the words included in specific groups and forms from them the final set of words, including all the words inherent in the obtained groups. From these words, a final request is subsequently formed.

In the above example, the given sequence of processors includes one complementary processor of a specific type: one synonymous for Russian, one Russian-English for translation, and one Russian-French. It should be noted that this approach to the formation of a sequence of handlers is a special case. In the general case, if necessary, any number of complementary handlers of a particular type (several synonymic, several bilingual, etc.) is included in the given sequence in any order. Moreover, a variant is possible in which the complementary processor of the same type (for example, synonymous for the Russian language) will participate in the processing of the same group several times.

To simplify the perception of the process of preliminary processing of the request, we describe the above example in more detail. It is worth recalling that this example describes the preliminary processing of a request consisting of a single word. In the case when the request will consist of several words, the pre-processing algorithm will be applied for each of the words included in the original request. As an initial request for this example, as shown in FIG. 12, use the word Information. Preliminary processing is carried out using RO, combining words into logical groups according to morphological characteristics. In addition, three complementary processors are used: synonymous for Russian, Russian-English for translation, and Russian-French. The transformations by PO are indicated in FIG. 12 by dashed lines, and conversions by DO in bold lines.

For the original word Information, as shown in FIG. 1 2, by converting the expanding handler from word to group, a logical group (LG-1) is defined, which includes words that have a common morphological characteristic with the original word. The set of words for LG-1 will include the words Information and Information (words combined with the original word Information as a morphological trait). Of course, a group may include a larger number of words, but the restriction on the number of words introduced in this example is associated with a simplification of the perception of the preprocessing process. It should be noted that the preliminary processing of the PO can consist in the operation of identity, which is used for those cases when the logical group consists of one word.

Next, preprocessing is performed using complementary handlers, including conversion from group to group. First, in accordance with the specified pre-processing parameters, the processing is carried out by the synonymous processor DO-1, which forms many groups associated with LG-1 by a synonymous basis. Such groups are LH-2 and LH-3. In addition, one of the conditions for preliminary processing of the request is the need for the presence of the LG-1 group in the set of groups to be further processed, as shown in FIG. 11. Thus, after processing the request with the DO-1 handler, we get many groups of LG-1, LG-2 and LG-3. Of course, the mentioned set may include a larger number of logical groups, but the restriction on the number of groups introduced in this example is associated with a simplification of the description of the preprocessing process and to facilitate its perception. Since the LG-2 and LG-3 groups were formed using a synonymous transformation, these groups will include words that make up the synonym series with the word Information. For example, many words for

LG-2 will include the words Information and Information, and for LG-3 many words will consist of a Message and a Message. As can be seen from the description, the resulting sets of words are interconnected by a synonymous sign (processing DO-1), and the words in each of the sets are related by a morphological sign (processing RO).

This example provides for the subsequent processing of the received groups by the additional handlers DO-2 and DO-3. DO-2 is a Russian-English dictionary for translation, and DO-3 is a Russian-French dictionary. Processing by each of the mentioned handlers leads to new groups associated with the LG-1, LG-2 and LG-3 groups with the corresponding transformations. So for LG-1 through DO-2 a lot of groups are formed, consisting of the group LG-4, which includes the words ΙηίοηηαΙίοη and ΙηίοπηαΙίοηηΐ. Similarly, the pre-processing of DO-2 for LG-2 leads to the formation of a set consisting of the LG-6 group, which includes the words Ma1epa1 and Ma1epa1k, and the processing for LG-3 leads to the formation of a set consisting of the LG-8 group, which includes the words Mekkade and Mekkadtd Links between the sets of words included in LG-4 and LG-1, as well as for the connectives LG-6-LG-2 and LG-8 LG-3, are determined by the sign of the use of the Russian-English dictionary for translation.

In addition, the use of DO3 provided for by the pre-processing algorithm for processing the LG-1, LG-2, and LG-3 groups leads to new sets of groups. For LG-1, the group LG-5 will be obtained, consisting of the words Ιηίοπη; · ιΙίοη and Ιηίοπη; · ιΙίοηι · κ1 for LG-2, the group LG-7 will be obtained, consisting of the words Keikehdtey and 'KeikehdteShk, and for LG-3 there will be received the group LG-9, consisting of the words Mekkade and Mekkadek. The connections between the sets of words included in LG-5 and LG-1, as well as for the connectives LG-7 - LG-2 and LG-9 - LG-3, are determined by the sign of the use of the Russian-French dictionary for translation.

All logical groups formed during processing are included in the final set of groups, which after all the transformations will consist of LG-1, LG-2, LG-3, LG-4, LG-5, LG-6, LG-7, LG -8 and LG9. The final stage of the preliminary processing of the request (after all the transformations using complementary handlers) includes a transformation for each of the logical groups included in the final set, consisting in processing all the logical groups mentioned by an expanding handler by type from group to word. This leads to the formation of many words for each of the logical groups. Moreover, as mentioned above, the sets of words obtained for each group will include words that have a common morphological characteristic.

The conversion by means of PO determines by the identifiers of logical groups all the words included in specific groups and forms from them the final set of words, including all the words inherent in the obtained groups. At the same time, redundant information is removed from the final set of words, i.e., duplicate words are deleted, such words in this example are the words ТпΓοηηηΙίοπ and Mekkade, repeated twice. Of the remaining words in the final set of words, a final query is subsequently formed by combining the words with the Boolean operator OK.

Thus, for this example, the final request will take the form:

Information OK Information OK Information OK Information OK Message OK Message OK ΙπΓοπηαΙίοη OK 1iGogtabop1 OK 1p Gogtaboppe1 OK Ma1epa1 OK Ma1epa1k OK Mekkade OK Mekkadt OK Mekkadek OK Kepke1dtep! OK Kepke1dep! To

It is worth paying attention to the fact that since the same word can be present in several languages, such as, for example, the word Meccade, which is equally used in both English and French, its processing of RO by converting from a word to a group can include self choice type RO. That is, if for the considered example the word Mekkade will be the source in the query (instead of the word Information), the user will have a dilemma when forming a sequence of handlers, which type of PO should be used to process the word Mekkade in order to form LG-1 ( English morphology or French). Moreover, the RO can be set by default, for example, when an English-speaking user works with the invention, the default RO of English morphology will be set. However, this does not deny the explicit choice of another type of RO, for example, RO of French morphology. It should be noted that the choice of the type of PO is carried out only during processing by conversion from a word to a group. In the case of the inverse transformation - from group to word, the determination of the desired type of PO is carried out automatically, since the type of PO will be determined by the identifier of a particular logical group.

The preprocessing algorithm is represented as a sequence of operations performed by the system in which the present invention operates, as shown in FIG. 13. At step 64, the source data for pre-processing is determined, which includes the definition of the source word for preprocessing, the number and sequence of use of complement handlers (DO), as well as the definition of the expanding handler (PO) for processing the source word. In a particular case, a PO is defined by default and is a morphological processor. At step 65, the initialization process is initialized, as a result of which the final set of words (empty), the final set of groups (empty), the set of processing groups for all DOs (empty), and also the empty stack of processors (CO) are formed. The format of the stack of processors involves storing information about identifiers of DOs and information about identifiers of groups intended for processing by the said DOs. Next, at step 66, the logical group of the given word is included in the source word specified in step 64 This operation includes processing by means of PO and consists in conversion from a word to a group.

At step 66, in accordance with the format of the stack of processors, information is entered into the CO, including identifiers of all DOs associated with the PO (as shown in Fig. 1 2, such will be DO1), as well as identifiers of groups intended for processing mentioned DO (as shown in Fig. 12, such a group for DO-1 will be LG-1).

In addition, the resulting group is recorded in the final set of groups. The total set of groups is understood to mean the entire set of groups obtained in the process of preliminary processing by complementary processors by means of transformations from group to group.

At step 67, the stack of handlers is checked. If the stack is empty, then at step 68 the resulting set of words is formed by conversion using the PO from the group to the word (the determination of the PO for each group at this stage is automatic). Those. from the final set of groups obtained at the previous stages, many words are obtained, from which possible duplicates are excluded. Then, at step 69, the operation of combining all the words included in the final set of words obtained at step 68 by the Boolean operator OK is performed.

If the CO is not empty, then at step 70 they turn to the last handler located on the stack (the status of the current handler is assigned to this handler). At step 71, all the groups included in the set intended for processing by the current handler are processed using group-to-group conversion.

At step 71, in accordance with the format of the stack of processors, they are entered into

WITH information that includes identifiers of all DOs associated with the current handler (as shown in Fig. 12, such handlers will be DO-2 and DO-3 associated with the current handler DO-1), as well as identifiers of groups intended for processing specific DOs (as shown in Fig. 12, the stack will include information that the LG-1, LG-2 and LG-3 groups will be processed DO-2, as well as information that the said groups will be processed DO-3).

In addition, the set of groups obtained after processing by the current DO is recorded in the final set of groups, excluding possible duplicates. Next, at step 72, a handler having the status of the current one is removed from the handler stack, and then they return to step 67.

The sequence of operations included in steps 67-72 is carried out until the stack of handlers is empty. Then proceed to step 68.

Since the example was given for an initial query consisting of one word, it is worth noting that in the case of preliminary processing of more complex queries consisting of several words, the results obtained after preliminary processing of each of the words included in the original query are combined using Boolean operators. For example, the use of the operator оператора in the case of searching by a group of words or the operator ΝΕΑΚ in the case of phrase search, taking into account the sequence of words and the interval between them.

The extension of the search query through pre-processing contributes to a wider coverage of the information space used to search for data of interest. In this case, the final request is formed without much difficulty, using both standard handlers (dictionaries and conversion functions), as well as user-created ones.

After the formation of the final queries (obtained using preliminary processing or without its use), they are saved and further searches are carried out using stored queries, stored search results and lists of search engines. This operation allows you to display only newly discovered links that match a specific search query and obtained using a specific list of search engines. The method is implemented as follows. At step 73, as shown in FIG. 14, search queries received in the process of forming and pre-processing are stored on accessible data storage devices for the purpose of their further use for conducting search operations. Similarly, the search results corresponding to said search queries are stored. At step 74, the conditions are determined in accordance with which they will receive new links to information sources. Such conditions include the definition of a saved request, in accordance with which they will track the appearance of new links to information sources, determine the frequency in accordance with which this operation will be carried out, as well as determine the search engines that will be involved in this operation. Thus, the invention allows you to track with a given frequency the appearance of new links to information sources using stored search queries, the mentioned search results and the selected list of search engines.

At step 75, the parameters of the frequency of the operation for obtaining new links are checked, according to which at step 76, a specific stored search query is read and sent to search engines included in the list of search engines determined at step 74. Next, at step 77, new search results (list of links) are obtained and stored on a data storage device for further work with them. Moreover, in accordance with the established parameters, either a new list is written to the data storage device, or a new list is overwritten to replace the previously saved one.

After obtaining new search results corresponding to said request, at step 78, previously stored search results corresponding to said request are retrieved from the data storage device. At the same time, they refer to the list of links previously saved by a similar request, which has the latest date of receipt. Then, at step 79, the obtained and previously saved search results (lists of links to information sources) are jointly processed, which consists in performing the operation of combining the lists using the Boolean operator δυΒ.

Thus, at step 80, a resulting list is obtained containing the links presented in the resulting list, with the exception of those links that are both inherent in the received and previously saved list. The resulting list of new links is displayed to the user for viewing. At step 81, it is determined whether the resulting list will be saved, if so, at step 82, the list is stored on the data storage device. Next, proceed to step 75.

The invention provides for the addition of new search engines to the existing list of search engines for metasearch. Adding new search engines is carried out both by updating the database with information obtained from external sources, for example, provided by the developers of the search engine or the developers of the system in which this method of meta-search operates, and by the user himself. The user adds a new search engine to the existing list and subsequently uses this search engine to search for the necessary data. When adding new search engines indicate the address of the added search engine; rules for matching the query language used in this method with the query language of the added search engine or form a software module for processing rules for matching the query language of the invention of the query language of the added search engine; type of links to information sources inherent in the added search engine. The correspondence rule processing module converts the query language of the invention to the query language of the added search engine. Those. translates the rules of the query language of the invention into the rules of the query language of the added search engine.

When specifying a new type of links, they create a corresponding software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. The creation of a module defining a rule of access to information sources of a certain type also extends the number of information sources supported by the present invention.

If the search engine being added, in addition to the search parameters that are inherent in search engines included in the list for meta-search, has additional search parameters, they will be included in the general list of search parameters inherent in all search engines included in the meta-search list. For example, the inclusion in the list of search engines of a corporate database implemented on the Ogas1e DBMS that allows you to search in the Department number field will entail the inclusion of this parameter in the search form 56 (as shown in Fig. 9), designed to select search engines by combinations of their search parameters (adding a new field in the search form). Thus, when meta-search using the Internet of search engines and the mentioned corporate database, the Department number field will also be displayed on the search form, and accordingly this field can be used to search for information of interest to the user in the corporate database.

By adding new search engines, the user expands the existing list of search engines for metasearch at his discretion. This operation is used to include additional information resources in the list of search engines, including databases developed by the user, etc., which expands the coverage of the information space, including heterogeneous information sources.

The links received through meta-search additionally receive complete copies of information sources. In the event that the full copy of the obtained information source is a file containing textual information, the aforementioned file (document) is displayed with visualization of the search results that match the conditions of the search query. Those. in the displayed full copy of the information source, all the words that were included in the original query will be visualized, and the conditions of the search query will be taken into account when visualizing the search results. In this case, if the request was subjected to preliminary processing, not only those words that were included in the initial request, but also those words associated with the given relations with the original words with which the original request was expanded during the preliminary processing, will be visualized. So, after preliminary processing of the request, the cost of copying equipment using the dictionary of synonyms, subject to a phrasal search, taking into account the interval between words 2 and the formation of the final request form:

((price OK cost) ΆΝΏ (copy machine OK copier)) / ЕЕАК (2) in the displayed information sources, in addition to the initial request for the cost of copy equipment, the following phrases will be visualized: the price of the copier, the cost of the copier, the price of the copy machine. As a visualization, highlighting of search results, underlining, highlighting, etc. are used. Visualization of search results immediately addresses the user to the desired place in the received full copy of the information source.

In addition to the visualization of the search results, an automatic check of the compliance of the obtained full copies of information sources with the conditions of the search query is carried out. For example, if one of the criteria for the proposed search is phrasal search, taking into account the interval between words and the order of alternating words, the system takes this criterion into account when verifying that the information sources received match the search query conditions. If a phrasal search, taking into account the sequence of alternating words and the interval between them, is not supported by any search engine, the full copies of information sources received from it may not correspond to the conditions of the search query. In this case, the system allows you to automatically delete information sources that do not meet the conditions of the search query from the received list of full copies of information sources. Thus, they adjust not only the correspondence of the obtained full copies of information sources to the conditions of the search query, but also their ranking in the resulting list.

Using all the search parameters inherent in the search engines involved in the meta-search increases the effectiveness of the search. Expanding the existing list of search engines for meta-search by adding new search engines to it also significantly expands the functionality of the invention, since meta-search is carried out according to heterogeneous information resources, including the archive arranged by the user. Visualization of search results and their verification of compliance with the query eliminates possible garbage received due to poor-quality processing of search queries by some search engines.

The invention is illustrated by a simple implementation example.

Creating a data archive on any of the devices includes filling it with heterogeneous links received from heterogeneous information resources: Internet search engines (ANaU1k1a. Waibekh). specialized databases (the database of the American Patent Office \\ l \ l \ '. calf.Dow). corporate databases operating in the conditions of local computer networks and implemented, for example, on the Ogas1e DBMS. information retrieval systems operating on local devices and implemented, for example, using the Myugokoy Assekk application, etc.

Heterogeneous links received through meta-search are combined into single link lists for further work with them. The search engine selection mechanism implemented in the present invention makes it possible to quickly and efficiently generate a list of search engines for participating in a meta-search. In addition, the mentioned mechanism allows the user to rely on the search engines that are most optimal for further meta-search, not only from the user's point of view, but also from the point of view of qualitative and quantitative characteristics inherent in search engines, in the presented list . The formation of such a list is achieved by selecting search engines according to their inherent search parameters.

For example, they perform meta-search using Internet search engines for phrases consisting of several keywords, indicating the interval between words and the sequence of their alternation in the required information sources, as well as by a parameter that determines the ability of search engines to search using various languages. An example of a search engine suitable for processing a search query in accordance with said search parameters and selected in step 43. as shown in FIG. 8 are, for example, A1! AU1k! A and Waibeh. The search query generated in step 44 in step 46 is expanded by pre-processing. For example, they search for information on the query ba! And taiadetei! cook! em. At the same time, to expand the scope of the information space, the original query is expanded by using a dictionary of synonyms. Those. the word taiadetei! the word soy! go1 is put in correspondence. synonymous with taiadetei! Thus, after conducting a search in the resulting list of links will be presented links not only to full copies of information sources containing the phrase ba! But taiadetei! cook! em. but also links to full copies of information sources containing the phrase “ba! a soy! go1 cookie”.

At step 47, the generated queries are converted to form 48. suitable for each of the search engines participating in the meta-search, and using known means of transmission, they are transmitted to the Internet by search engines 49 for processing (in this example, telephone lines and data transmission using the well-known TCP / 1P are used protocol). Results 50. obtained from the mentioned Internet search engines, are lists of links to web pages stored in those information resources, information about which is contained in the databases of the mentioned search engines. The lists in step 51 are combined into a resulting list of links (Yk! 1). from which possible duplicates are excluded, i.e. links received from two or more search engines. That is, if in the lists of matches (links) received from each of the mentioned machines, there is a link to tete.bositei! It. then in the resulting list this link will be presented once. Links presented in the resulting list are sorted according to the rating assigned to them by the search engines from which they are received.

In addition, the link rating is further determined by the correction factor, which is used as the rating of each search engine. Search engine ranking is predetermined based on the subjective preferences of the user. Those. the user generates a coefficient for each of the search engines, which is expressed in absolute values, distributed in the range from 0 to 1. Since AIaUzya is used more often for search operations (and its rating is higher), links received from it, all other things being equal, with links received from Wapbeh (with the same rating assigned by the search engines themselves) will have a higher rating.

The search query is expanded, and the tapethey is expanded through pre-processing, and the corresponding search results (Qu1) obtained at step 73, as shown in FIG. 14 are stored on a data storage device (a local computer’s hard disk), and at step 76, parameters are set for constantly updating the information received at the request, since this information is very relevant for constantly monitoring the development of the market for data management systems. In accordance with this, the frequency with which the operation will be carried out to obtain search results corresponding to the query ba! And the tapadet cuyet from the search engines L11aU1k1a and Uapbeh is established. The set frequency is as follows: once a week, on Mondays at 10 a.m. In accordance with the set parameters, at step 75 on Monday at 10 o’clock in the morning the meta-search system will establish a connection to the Internet and, having turned to the mentioned search engines at step 76, it will search for information on a given request. Since information on the Internet is constantly updated, and the index database of Internet search engines is updated accordingly, it is highly likely that new web sites will appear in the information resources for which information is available in the index databases A11aU1ya and Uapbeh -pages that match a given request. Thus, the search results (S12) newly obtained at step 77 are more likely to contain links that were not included in the previously saved search results (S12). Therefore, at step 78, they turn to the list of Qu 1 and then obtain a list of new links by performing, at step 79, the operation of combining two lists (received and previously saved) using the Boolean operator δυΒ: Ык12 δυΒ ЫкИ. As a result, at step 80, a list of Lyk13 is formed, which contains those links that are presented in Ly2 and at the same time are not in Ly11. Those. only those links that correspond to information sources that appeared on the Internet during the time interval since the previous search operation (from last Monday). The obtained list of Ly3 links at step 82 is stored on the hard drive of the local computer. The NY3 list is displayed to the user for further processing, which consists in obtaining complete copies of information sources corresponding to new links. This implementation improves the efficiency of processing search results and avoids duplicate actions, for example, re-viewing previously processed links and their corresponding full copies of information sources.

After generating the resulting list of links at step 82, complete copies of information sources corresponding to the links presented in the resulting list are obtained. Received full copies of information sources are displayed with visualization of search results, while checking for compliance of the obtained search results with the terms of the search query. One of the conditions of the search is the introduction of a restriction on the interval between the search words included in the phrase `` ba1a tapadeti kuk1et - no more than two (ΝΞΑΒ 2). In this case, the preliminary processing of the request is taken into account. If a particular search engine does not support phrasal search with an interval between words 2 (for example, AYUZYA, which has a default phrase search with an interval between words 10), after processing the query, it will find, for example, two documents, one of which contains a phrase. .sottishsabopk kuyet, 1yegta1 soyogo1oagb apb ba! and soygo1, and the second ... ipbiryeb 1eabeg oG tagke! ba! and tapadetek cook! And although the texts from both documents contain words from the request, including those expanded through preliminary processing, the accuracy of the search differs significantly in favor of the second option. Since the phrase ..sottyshabopk-courier, 111egta1 soho1 booagb apb ba! And sogo1 does not meet the conditions of the search query, the searched words in this document will not be visualized. In addition, checking the compliance of full copies of information sources with the terms of the search query will not only determine the great relevance of the second document containing the phrase ... ipbirjeb 1abeg oG tagke! ba! and the tapadet’s courier, but it will also automatically remove a document that does not meet the conditions of the search query from the list. Thus, they analyze the obtained full copies of information sources for full compliance with the terms of the search query and filter out unnecessary garbage obtained, for example, due to poor-quality search queries by some search engines.

Method for deferred receipt and display of full copies of information sources using links defining access to information sources

The invention is a method for deferred receipt and display of complete copies of information sources corresponding to heterogeneous links. As heterogeneous links defining access to information sources, byte sequences are used that determine the path and / or method of access to information sources. A sequence of bytes that defines the method of access to an information source is interpreted by processing by a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type.

The method includes a sequence of operations performed by a system that operates on an accessible data storage device, which is used as a local and remote device. At the same time, lists of links are formed that define access to information sources for the subsequent receipt of complete copies of information sources, and a connection is established with an available data storage device for receiving full copies of information sources from the links included in the generated list. The method consists in fixing requests for deferred receipt of information for its subsequent receipt and display.

To create a list of links to delayed receipt of information, files and / or external data sources containing one or more links are used. The generated link lists are modified by the operations of deleting and / or adding links. The invention provides for filling in the description fields associated with the links. For links included in the list to receive full copies of information sources, priority is set to receive full copies of information sources from them. For each of the elements of the link list, a time interval is set during which full copies of information sources should be obtained from them.

After the set time interval has elapsed, complete copies of the information sources are not received and those elements for which the set time period has expired are removed from the list of links. Before receiving a full copy of the information source from the link on the list, they check the availability of the mentioned link and the corresponding full copy of the information source on the data storage device, intended to receive a full copy of the information source. Additionally, the time interval is set during which the received full copy of the information source must be displayed and / or the notification rules about the need to display the received full copies of the information sources, and after the specified time interval the additional processing of the unviewed full copy of the information source is performed.

Description of the invention

The present invention is intended to function in systems used to process links, link lists, and complete copies of information sources. The present invention relates to methods for generating and processing lists of heterogeneous links, as well as to methods for obtaining complete copies of information sources at their corresponding heterogeneous links and their further display.

The method is implemented as follows. Information is available on an accessible data storage device including heterogeneous links, lists of heterogeneous links, and complete copies of information sources. The links and lists of links stored in the system are used to obtain complete copies of information sources from them in accordance with the established parameters, while the received and saved full copies of information sources are also displayed to the user in accordance with the established parameters. At step 83, as shown in FIG. 15, when accessing the system in which the method operates, check the relevance of obtaining links (link lists) and then displaying full copies of information sources in accordance with established time parameters. At step 84, those links and link lists for which the time interval set for obtaining complete copies of information sources from the said links has expired are removed from the information retrieval lists. At step 84, the obtained and not displayed full copies of information sources for which the time interval set for their display has expired are also deleted.

Next, at step 85, an operation is selected for further work with information in accordance with the functionality implemented in the present invention. If at step 85 it is determined that the work with lists will be carried out, then at the stage a list is formed according to which the deferred receipt and display of complete copies of information sources of interest to the user will be carried out.

The list of links is formed using various techniques and at the same time use external data sources containing one or more links to information sources. As external data sources, various search resources are used to search for links to information sources, for example, Internet search engines (ANaUM. Exsi, etc.), metasearch systems, databases operating on remote devices (for example, tetet.ikrk. dow), databases operating on local devices and implemented by the user (for example, using the McGoy Assecc application), etc. Various external files containing links to information sources, for example, e-mail distribution files from various information resources or even specific web pages, are also used as external information sources for obtaining link lists. In addition, lists of links to information sources are obtained from repositories of links to information sources and their collections, for example, from the Favorites folder of the Internet browser of McGoy! P! Exp1 exp. The invention provides for the formation of a new list of links using the search links in the associated description fields, as well as the formation of a list of links manually. The formation and processing of lists, including heterogeneous links, contributes to a wider coverage of the information space (provides access to a large number of information sources stored in heterogeneous information resources).

A list of links to deferred receipt and display of information is also formed by fixing requests for information. Those. with an active action (for example, clicking on a link), a specific link to an information source is queued for deferred receipt and further display of information.

The invention generates lists of links to information sources for deferred receipt of information by fixing requests for information both in the first mode and in the OGPT mode. When working in the invention, the invention allows the user not to be distracted to view the information of interest to him from the main work. Those. working with the Internet, as a rule, involves viewing many web pages of a particular topic, while often in the text of the pages viewed there are links to those pages that do not correspond to this topic, but nevertheless are also interesting. In the usual case, in order not to lose the mentioned links, the user must either save the page of interest to him, or at least link to it (for further reference to it and links to it), or immediately turn to the link to go to the corresponding full copy of the information source ( web page). Both methods have significant disadvantages. Even after making comments on the saved web page (or a link to it), after establishing a connection with the remote device, you must first access this page, then find the link of interest to him in the text of this page and only then receive information. This technique is acceptable only if they work with one link, and if there are many of them, this will lead to significant time costs for obtaining information of interest. In addition, when working with a large number of links, there is always the possibility that some of them will simply be forgotten. Therefore, accessing a link to a full copy of an information source immediately after its discovery seems to be the more preferable option (in any case, one should not rely on memory). But this, in turn, leads to the fact that when you go to the corresponding web page, new interesting links will be discovered and thus the user will be removed from the topic with which he directly worked, which is also undesirable. Creating a list of links for deferred receipt and display of full copies of information sources eliminates these disadvantages.

In a similar way, a list of links is generated when operating in the GO mode, when, for example, they work with saved web pages without having a connection to a remote device (web server) and, accordingly, without the possibility of obtaining complete copies of information sources. For example, they browse the web in OGG11PE mode and are interested in obtaining additional information corresponding to the links contained in the text of the said web pages. In order to receive this information in the opype mode, it would be enough to click on the link and in the web browser window the corresponding web page link received from the remote device would be displayed. But since the work is carried out in OGYT, links over which they carried out active actions are put in the queue for delayed receipt and display of information.

The invention provides for deferred receipt of information both in the background and in priority modes. That is, for example, they set the priority for deferred receipt of a specific web page, and then this web page will be received first of all, as soon as a connection with a remote device is established. Background mode provides for delayed receipt of information when the communication line is idle when there is a connection with a remote device. For example, when receiving emails, surfing the Internet, etc.

Next, at step 87, the generated list of links is modified by removing links from it and / or adding new links to it. In addition, the invention provides for the user to fill in the description fields associated with a particular link, in order to increase the information content inherent in links and their lists. This allows not only to accompany links with user comments for the convenience of their processing, but also to further search for links of interest to the user in the mentioned description fields. This is convenient in those cases, for example, when the user has several lists of links to delayed receipt of information and wants to form a new thematic list from them to obtain complete copies of information sources of a specific topic.

Next, at step 88, the conditions for obtaining and displaying information from the links included in the list of links to information sources generated taking into account the modification are determined. By defining the conditions for obtaining and displaying information, it is understood that priority is set to receive a full copy of the information source for each of the links in the list. That is, the determination of which of the links included in the list will primarily provide full copies of information sources. Setting these parameters optimizes the process of delaying the receipt of complete copies of information sources in accordance with the preferences defined by the user. Those. the documents most interesting to the user will be received first of all, which is especially important when pumping a large data array, when pumping out all the information may not be carried out during one communication session with a remote device.

At step 88, time parameters are also set to obtain and subsequently display complete copies of information sources by their links. That is, they set the time interval during which full copies of information sources corresponding to the links must be received and displayed and set up a notification system about the need to display the received full copies of information sources (their parameters for both receiving and displaying). For example, information can be displayed immediately after it is received, at a strictly specified time (date and time), with a certain time interval during which the information must be displayed, with the notification system setting up the need to display information. This allows you to control the relevance of obtaining information and its subsequent display.

Setting display parameters involves setting up settings for the user notification system with a certain frequency that he needs to view this or that information. For example, an interval is set for displaying the received information for 10 days and settings are set for the notification system, according to which, every time you access the system in which this method operates, a message will be displayed indicating that the received information is displayed. After notification, the information mentioned is either immediately displayed or its display is postponed until a later date. Setting the notification parameters provides for the support of the displayed message with additional signals, for example, sound, etc. The delayed display of the received information is carried out both in opt1 mode and in ip mode.

If at step 85 it is determined that full copies of information sources will be obtained in accordance with the established time parameters, then at step 89, an additional check of the relevance of obtaining information is carried out. That is, they clarify the relevance of obtaining links to full copies of information sources immediately before establishing a connection with accessible remote devices that host the corresponding full copies of information sources. Checking the relevance of obtaining information provides, if necessary, the removal of those links for which the time interval set for receiving the above links full copies of information sources has expired. In addition to this, immediately before receiving a full copy of the information source from the link in the list for deferred receipt of information, they check for the presence of the said full copy of the information source on the data storage device. The check is carried out by reference, that is, a search operation is performed to find a link on the data storage device that is identical to the one by which a full copy of the information source is expected to be received. If such a link is found, its format is analyzed (the format of the heterogeneous link), after which it is determined by the identifier for receiving the full copy whether there is a corresponding full copy of the information source on the data storage device. If there is none, then information is obtained automatically. If, on the data storage device, there is a corresponding full copy of the information source, then, in accordance with the established parameters, they either retrieve (rewrite) the information or remove the link corresponding to the existing full copy of the information source from the list to receive information.

The delayed receipt of information is carried out automatically at the first connection with a remote device or in accordance with the set time parameters. At step 90, a connection is established with available devices that host full copies of information sources. Next, at step 91, complete copies of information sources are obtained using the links included in the list for deferred receipt of information. After full copies of information sources are received (saved), at step 92, those links from which information is obtained are removed from the list for obtaining full copies of information sources.

If at step 85 it is determined that the full copies of information sources will be displayed in accordance with the set time parameters, then at step 93 an additional check of the relevance of the display of previously received (saved) full copies of information sources immediately before their display is carried out. If full copies of information sources have been received but not displayed in accordance with the set display parameters, then after the time interval during which the received full copy of the information source has to be displayed, it is either deleted or transferred to a special service directory (similar to the basket in М1сго8ой \ νίηάο \ ν5). To perform this operation, parameters are set in accordance with which the mentioned transfer of information to the service directory will be carried out. Transfer of expired information to the service directory is accompanied by the removal of a full copy of the information source (link to it) from the list for displaying information.

At step 94, the information of interest is displayed. Next, at step 95, links to full copies of the information sources that were displayed are removed from the list for displaying information. An additional check of the relevance of obtaining and displaying information is indispensable in those cases when the session with the system in which this method operates is long and there is a possibility of the expiration of the time interval set for obtaining and displaying information. After performing any of steps 88, 92, or 95, proceeding to step 85.

This invention allows you not to be distracted from the main work to view information corresponding to the links of interest found in full copies of information sources. Those. the user does not have to be distracted from the main work in order to receive and display information corresponding to the links of interest to him, and accordingly, do not disrupt the rhythm of the work. This invention is also useful when working in aype when there is no connection with devices on which full copies of information sources are located. In addition, the invention allows at any time to obtain information about which of the already received full copies of information sources have not yet been viewed. In addition, the invention optimizes the process of obtaining information from the point of view of efficient use of communication lines, i.e., information is obtained when the communication lines are not overloaded.

The invention is illustrated by a simple implementation example.

A user searching for information on the Internet, as a rule, browses many web pages of the subject of interest to him. At the same time, the texts of the viewed web pages contain a large number of links to other web pages, some of which interest the user no less than the information for which he surfs the Internet. Of course, the user can distract from the main subject and, referring to the link of interest to him, go to the corresponding web page, but there are times when, traveling the network, the user does not have time for such transitions, especially if the links of interest to him are found quite often , and distraction from the main work for the user is undesirable.

Such a situation is quite possible before the Christmas holidays, when a lot of offers appearing on the Internet that advertise products (including software files, etc.) that are sold at significant discounts. It is difficult to view all of the above-mentioned offers in an opype because of their large number; moreover, the user's task is to search for information that is different from that which can be obtained through additional links. Therefore, to optimize the work process, it is better to use the deferred mode of obtaining information of interest to the user, and for this purpose, the queue for deferred receipt of information of each of the links of interest to the user is carried out.

In this example, the user surfs the Internet in order to search for information of interest to him regarding IM8 (workflow systems). At the same time, the user is interested in information regarding the opportunities provided by this class of software products, since he is faced with the task of compiling an analytical report. While browsing many web pages containing information about the capabilities of IM§, the user encounters in their text links to web pages with a description of indexing systems integrable with a particular IM§. Information on indexing systems and their characteristics is not a priority task, but nevertheless is useful for drawing up a more complete analytical report on MI§. Therefore, not wanting to be distracted from the main work, the user at step 85, as shown in FIG. 15, the operation of fixing requests for deferred receipt of information is activated, and when accessing a link pointing to a web page with information about a specific indexing system, it will not be a link to the corresponding web page, but the link will be entered in a list specially formed at block 86. Thus, the user forms a list of links to deferred information, which later will receive web pages with information about indexing systems. The received information will be entered into the archive system, which operates on the hard drive of the local computer.

When forming the list for delayed receipt of information at step 88, the user sets the parameters according to which the delayed receipt of information will be carried out at night, when the communication lines are less busy. In this case, the user sets the maximum period during which information must be received - two days. This is due to the fact that the analytical report, which the user is preparing, must be ready no later than the specified time (two days), and a later date for receiving information from links to web pages with a description of indexing systems makes the information not relevant for the user. Therefore, in accordance with the established parameters, links that do not receive the corresponding web pages within the next two days will be removed from the queue for delayed receipt of information.

In addition to setting parameters for delayed receipt of information, the user also sets parameters for its further display. In accordance with these parameters, the obtained web pages with information about indexing systems will be displayed at the first access of the user to the system in which the invention operates. At the same time, the user sets a period for displaying the received information, which is also equal to two days (after this period, the information not displayed will be deleted). Setting such display parameters is due to the fact that the user has compiled a fairly large list for deferred receipt of information and it is likely that he will not be able to process (view) all received information within two days. And in the further storage of the received web pages with information about indexing systems, the user is not interested, since he needs the information only to compile a specific report on IM8.

In accordance with the parameters established at step 88, at step 90, an Internet connection will be automatically made and Web pages will be pumped out with information about indexing systems using the links included in the queue for deferred receipt of information. Immediately before receiving the said web pages, the system automatically checks for the presence of links in the archive system that operates on the hard drive of the local computer, which are identical to the links on the list for deferred receipt of information. In addition, a check is carried out for the presence in the mentioned archival system of the corresponding web pages.

Thus, a search is first performed in the archive system on the hard drive of the local computer for a link that is identical to that by which it is expected to receive a web page with information about indexing systems. The search is performed by comparing the sequences of bytes that determine the path and method of accessing web pages. It turns out that some of the links were previously saved due to the fact that a month ago the user searched for information on the development of information technologies. The then saved list of links included links to companies engaged in the development of search technologies (indexing systems). Next, we analyze the format of the links that are identical to those on the list for deferred information retrieval and found on the hard drive of the local computer, after which it is determined by the identifier for receiving the full copy that only the one web page was received from the links that was saved in the archive system on the local a computer. The link corresponding to the saved web page is removed from the queue for delayed receipt of information. For the rest of the links included in the queue for deferred receipt of information, they pump out (record in the archive system on the local computer) the corresponding web pages with information about indexing systems.

After receiving the corresponding web pages in step 92, the links corresponding to the received web pages are removed from the list for deferred information. At the same time, the list for deferred receipt of information did not become empty, because due to problems with the communication lines, access to some web pages was not available, and they were not received. In accordance with the established time parameters, the next attempt to obtain them will be carried out during the next night connection to the Internet.

Turning to the archive system on the local computer, the user at step 94 in the OGGNpe mode will browse the web pages of interest to him (received at night) with information on indexing systems. The web pages displayed to the user in step 95 are removed from the list for delayed display of information. Looking through the received web pages with information about indexing systems, the user found in their texts links to web pages with a list of companies licensing this or that indexing system. Such information is very useful for compiling an analytical report, and therefore the user decides to pump out the relevant web pages. At the same time, he takes advantage of the possibility of recording requests for deferred receipt of information at the OGGNpe. Referring to any link to a web page with a list of companies licensing a particular indexing system will result in this link being put on the list for deferred information at step 86. As with the operation in opype, in OGGNpe at step 88, the user sets the parameters for deferred receipt and display of the mentioned new web pages. At the same time, the user sets the parameters according to which the information will be received the first time you connect to the Internet (since he does not have much time left to compile the report). Since information should be received as early as possible, the user additionally sets a priority for each of the links in the queue for deferred information. That is, links to web pages with a list of companies licensing a particular indexing system are given the highest priority, and the mentioned web pages will be received first.

By adjusting the parameters for receiving and displaying web pages with a list of companies that have licensed a particular indexing system, the user decides not to limit the time period for receiving and displaying information. This is due to the fact that the information mentioned (corresponding web pages) can be useful for expanding the selection of materials on the development of information technologies and compiled by the user in the archive system on the local computer.

Having received and processed all the information of interest, the user draws up an analytical report on ΌΜ8 by a certain date. Since during the second night session of communication with the Internet access to web pages corresponding to the links that were left in the list for deferred information retrieval was absent again, after the set time interval (two days) the mentioned links were automatically deleted from the list for deferred receipt of information about indexing systems . In addition, after two days, already received and not displayed web pages with information about indexing systems are also deleted from the archive system on the local computer, in accordance with the parameters set by the user. This will allow the user not to worry about the fact that information that is no longer relevant to him will be stored on the hard drive of his local computer.

A method of obtaining complete copies of information sources from a list of links defining access to information sources

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a method of obtaining complete copies of information sources from a list of heterogeneous links. As heterogeneous links defining access to information sources, byte sequences are used that determine the path and / or method of access to information sources. A sequence of bytes that defines the method of access to an information source is interpreted by processing by a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type.

The method includes a sequence of operations performed by a system that operates on an accessible data storage device, which is used as a local and remote device. At the same time, lists of links are formed that define access to information sources for the subsequent receipt of complete copies of information sources, and a connection is established with an available data storage device for receiving full copies of information sources from the links included in the generated list. The method consists in the fact that for each received complete copy of the information source, a check is made on the availability of full copies of information sources on the data storage device that are similar in text content to the said received full copy of the information source.

To create a list of links, files and / or external data sources containing one or more links are used. The generated link lists are modified by the operations of deleting and / or adding links. To search on the data storage device for complete copies of information sources that are similar in vocabulary to the full copy of the information source obtained, search parameters are set, according to which, for each received full copy of the information source, a list of found full copies of information sources that are similar in dictionary composition with the said received a full copy of the information source. After that, the sequences of information blocks in the received and found full copies of information sources are compared and a decision is made on the similarity of the compared found and received full copies of information sources according to their textual content. Moreover, as a block of information, a sequence of characters limited to certain symbols located in a full copy of an information source is used, and a program module for processing complete copies of information sources of a certain type is used to obtain sequences of information blocks. In addition, they carry out additional processing of the obtained and similar to the textual content of the found complete copies of information sources, as well as links identifying the aforementioned full copies of information sources. Moreover, with incomplete similarity of the found and received full copies of information sources, when displaying the received full copy of the information source, its differences are visualized from the found full copy of the information source, indicating with respect to which found full copy of the information source the differences are visualized.

Description of the invention

The present invention relates to methods for generating and processing lists of heterogeneous links, as well as to methods for obtaining complete copies of information sources by their corresponding heterogeneous links and to verify that the data storage device has full copies of information sources that are similar in text content to the aforementioned full copy of the information source .

There are two types of storage devices. First: affordable data storage devices - any information resource from which full copies of information sources will be obtained via links. Second: user storage devices of the device on which information stored by the user is located. As user storage devices, for example, a hard disk of a user computer, servers located in local computer networks, remote devices such as Internet servers, etc. are used. Moreover, the invention uses several devices located simultaneously as user storage devices in distributed computer systems.

The method is implemented as follows. An archive of complete copies of information sources (documents) obtained by links from diverse information resources is stored on a user data storage device. At step 96, as shown in FIG. 16, form a list in accordance with which the user will receive complete copies of information sources of interest. The list of links is formed using various techniques and at the same time use external data sources containing one or more links to information sources. As external data sources, various search resources are used that search for links to information sources, for example, Internet search engines (AYaU1yya, E.hsbe, etc.), metasearch systems, databases operating on remote devices (for example, \ ν \ ν \ ν.ιΐ5ρΙο.βον). databases operating on local devices and implemented by the user (for example, using the M1stoy Lssekk application), various electronic files containing links to information sources, for example, e-mail distribution files. In addition, lists of links to information sources are obtained from repositories of links to information sources and their collections, for example, from the Favorites folder of the Internet browser Мкто8ой! П (exp (Exp1ogeg. The invention provides for the formation of a new list of links using the search links in the associated description fields , as well as the formation of a list of links manually.The formation and processing of lists including heterogeneous links contributes to a wider coverage of the information space (provides access to a large number of TSS sources of information stored in disparate information resources).

Next, at step 97, the generated list is modified, which consists in adding new links to the generated list and / or deleting the links contained therein to information sources. At step 98, a connection is established with available storage devices to receive links from a user-generated list of complete copies of information sources. Immediately before receiving the information, it is checked that the data storage device has full copies of information sources corresponding to the links included in the list for receiving information. The check is carried out by reference, that is, a search operation is performed to find a link on the data storage device that is identical to the one by which a full copy of the information source is expected to be received. If such a link is found, its format is analyzed (the format of the heterogeneous link), after which it is determined by the identifier for receiving the full copy whether there is a corresponding full copy of the information source on the data storage device. If there is none, then information is obtained automatically. If, on the data storage device, there is a corresponding full copy of the information source, then either the information is retrieved (rewritten) or the link corresponding to the existing full copy of the information source is removed from the list to receive information. Then, at step 98, obtaining (recording on a user data storage device) complete copies of information of interest to the user is carried out.

Next, at step 99, the parameters are set according to which user data storage devices will search for documents that are similar in vocabulary to the received documents. At the same time, they search for documents that are similar in vocabulary to those obtained in distributed computer systems in which information is located simultaneously on several devices. As search parameters, for example, coefficients are used that determine the degree of similarity of the received and sought documents according to the vocabulary, expressed as a percentage. The invention allows, as a search parameter, to determine the degree of similarity of documents in the vocabulary, not all the vocabulary of the mentioned documents is used, but, for example, only a certain number of the most rarely used words or words that are most rarely found in the archive stored on the document data storage device (full copies of information sources). Using a given number of the most rarely used words to search for documents that have similar vocabulary increases the efficiency of search operations.

In accordance with the established search parameters, for each received document, at step 100, a list of documents found on accessible storage devices of documents similar in vocabulary to the received document is formed. After the lists of documents stored on user data storage devices and having similar vocabulary are generated for each of the received documents, at step 101, the degree of similarity of the received and found documents is determined by comparing the sequence of information blocks in them. Then determine the degree of similarity of the compared documents.

As information blocks, sequences of characters contained in a document limited by certain characters are used (i.e., blocks of characters representing a date, sequences of digits indicating the amount of something, etc., separated by spaces, commas , dots, etc.). When comparing the sequences of information blocks, they fix all the differences between the received document and the found one. Moreover, all changes are recorded: changes in the words, for example, after their correction, a change in the order of alternating words in the document, changes in the text of the document, for example, the addition of some words and the removal of others, etc. Fixing all changes allows later, when displaying the received documents, to visualize the differences between the received document and the found one.

To obtain the mentioned sequences of information blocks, a software module for processing complete copies of information sources of a certain type is used. The same module is used to split documents into blocks of information. As a module for processing full copies, a software module is used that defines the rules for accessing information sources of a certain type. At the same time, they use the functionality of the module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type, which consists in splitting complete copies of information sources into certain sequences of characters (information blocks). The use of modules that determine the rules of access to information sources of a certain type for dividing documents into blocks of information and obtaining their sequences allows you to compare documents of various formats with textual content for similarity. For example, they compare web pages with documents of the Myugoza Aogb format, etc.

Further, after the degree of similarity of the obtained and found documents was determined in step 101, in step 102 they are additionally processed, as well as the processing of their corresponding links in accordance with the established parameters. Processing depends on the setting of parameters and consists in any of the following operations:

- the link by which the document was received (a full copy of the information source), which is completely similar to the one found, is automatically deleted, as well as the corresponding full copy of the information source;

- the link by which a document is obtained that closely resembles the found one is automatically tied to the found document, while the corresponding full copy of the information source is deleted;

- the link by which a document is obtained that does not closely resemble the found one is tied to the found document, while the corresponding full copy of the information source is deleted;

- in case of incomplete similarity of the received and found documents, the received document is stored on the user device as a new document;

- in case of incomplete similarity of the received and found documents, the newly received document is replaced on the user device instead of the found (previously saved) document and the link corresponding to the found document (previously saved) is tied to the received and newly saved document.

Links linked to documents retain all their description fields. Thus, the invention provides, when accessing a document, providing information on which links a given document can be obtained from remote storage devices.

After the link corresponding to the received document is linked to the found document, at step 98, the mentioned found document (its full copy) is obtained from any of the links attached to it, which expands the possibilities of obtaining a full copy of the information source. For example, access to a full copy of an information source through some link may be temporarily absent due to problems with establishing a connection with the device on which the said full copy of the information source is located. In this case, the problem will be solved by receiving the document via another link linked to it. Such a mechanism is also useful for optimizing the time costs associated with obtaining complete copies of information sources. Those. the system in which this method operates will automatically determine the device, obtaining a full copy of the information source from which is carried out for a minimum time interval, and first of all refer to this device. In addition, linking multiple links to one document allows you to not save duplicate documents on the user device.

Linking the links corresponding to the received documents to the found documents, with incomplete similarity of the received and found documents is carried out by the user. This is useful in cases, for example, when the received document is completely overlapped (in textual content) with the found one or the differences between the documents are not significant, for example, a change in the sequence of alternation of blocks of information that does not entail a change in the semantic content, etc.

Saving (rewriting) a newly received document instead of a found (previously saved) document and linking the link corresponding to a found document to a newly received document is useful in cases when the received document completely overlaps the found document with the text content and the user decides whether to rewrite the documents.

In case of incomplete similarity of the found and received documents at step 103, the resulting document is displayed to the user, while visualizing all the differences between the received document and the found document. Moreover, if several documents similar to it were found for the received document (a list of documents having similarities in textual content in accordance with the established parameters), then when the received document is displayed, information is provided regarding which document the differences are visualized. Thus, at step 103, the found documents are selected, with respect to which the differences in the resulting document are visualized. As visualization of differences, use, for example, highlighting, highlighting, underlining, etc.

The usefulness of the invention lies in the fact that very often the same documents are stored in distributed systems with different links (they have different addresses, for example, different ICIs). In addition, they may have slight differences, for example, in the title of the names. This leads to the fact that the use of conventional methods for checking documents for similarity by links to them or by the names of documents does not allow duplicates to be recognized. Thus, the user is forced to spend time re-viewing his existing and previously viewed documents. In addition, linking several links to one document optimizes the process of storing full copies of information sources that are similar in text content, as well as optimizing the process of obtaining documents from links to them in terms of saving time spent on this.

The usefulness of the invention lies in the fact that it allows you to track the dynamics of changes that have occurred with a specific document. For example, a full copy of the information source obtained from a specific link (web page) is stored on a data storage device. Periodically, while receiving a full copy of the information source at the mentioned link, they track all the changes that occur with a particular document. The convenience of tracking changes lies in the fact that the invention implements a visualization of the differences between the received document and the previously saved one.

The invention solves the problems associated with the duplication of information (full copies of information sources) on data storage devices. These problems are solved by automatically checking for the presence in the stored data array of documents similar in text content to documents newly obtained by links and forming lists of documents having a certain predetermined degree of similarity in text content to a document newly obtained by reference. This, in turn, allows, for example, a quick and efficient classification of documents newly obtained by reference.

This invention is illustrated by an optimal example of implementation.

There is an archive of complete copies of information sources (documents) obtained by links from heterogeneous information resources. At the same time, the archive stores documents of various formats: web pages received from the Internet via links provided by the Internet by search engines in response to search queries, documents of the Myugokoy OGPse format (^ ogk, Exse1) received from the hard drives of computers operating on the local network , and other documents containing textual information. The archive is distributed, that is, information is stored on several data storage devices. Since the archive is large enough and its filling is carried out by several users, using the usual methods it is almost impossible to track the process of recording duplicate documents in the archive. Such a problem is especially relevant in the case when in a multi-user mode of operation several users simultaneously fill the archive with documents of the same subject. Thus, the probability of recording already existing documents in the archive, and even more so having a certain similarity in textual content to documents already in the archive, is quite high. This leads to the fact that many identical documents will be stored in the archive and work with such an archive will inevitably lead to a re-viewing of the same documents, which is associated with large time losses. In order to avoid duplication of information and optimize the process of filling the archive with documents, the invention provides the ability to check the availability of documents in the archive that are similar in text content to a given document.

At step 96, as shown in FIG. 16, form a list of links obtained by metasearch using heterogeneous information sources operating in a distributed computer system. The user is faced with the task of optimizing this list of links and eliminating the possibility of getting duplicate copies of information sources already stored there in the archive. Therefore, first of all, at step 97, those links that have the lowest rating are removed from the list, i.e. are less relevant to the search query for which they were received. Next, they check for the presence in the archive of documents obtained from the links provided in the modified list. If there are any documents in the archive, the corresponding links are removed from the list. Then, at step 98, complete copies of information sources (documents) for each of the links in the list are obtained from the optimized list of links. At the same time, obtaining documents involves checking their similarity in vocabulary with the documents already in the archive, for this, at the stage 99, the similarity parameters are set, and for this example the search parameters are expressed in percent and make up 80%. Thus, for each of the documents presented in the received list, at step 100, a list of documents found in the archive, similar in terms of vocabulary to received ones, is formed by at least 80%, i.e. documents for which the probability of being identical to the received documents is sufficiently high. This takes into account the percentage of matching only unique words.

Next, each of the received and found documents is divided into information blocks (for text documents, such blocks are words) and an operation is performed to compare the sequences of information blocks in the received and each corresponding documents found, as a result of which, at step 101, the degree of similarity of documents is determined by their text content . At the same time, all differences of the received document are recorded from the particular 87 found and all differences are recorded: changes in words, changes in the order of their alternation, the presence of new words, the absence of old ones, etc. Based on the recorded information about the differences, the degree of similarity of documents is determined. In this case, the parameters are set in accordance with which, in the case of a sufficiently greater degree of similarity of the documents received and found in the archive (in the range from 90 to 100%), the received document is deleted from the data storage device at step 102, and the link by which it is received attach to the document found in the archive. For documents that have similarities in the range from 75 to 89%, at step 102, additional processing is carried out, which consists in viewing the received documents, on the basis of which they decide to enter the received documents into the archive, or to delete them and link the links by which they were received, to the documents matching them. When displaying at step 103 documents from the list of received full copies of information sources, all the recorded differences between the compared documents are visualized, which allows you to quickly assess the need to delete or save the received document. If several documents similar to the text content of documents are found for the received document, then viewing and visualizing the differences is carried out sequentially in comparison with each of the documents found. Received documents, the degree of similarity with those found is less than 75%, are stored in the archive. Thus, this invention allows not only to reduce the probability, but to avoid entering duplicates in the system for documents already existing there.

One implementation example illustrating the unity of concept of inventions

Work with information is usually associated with the processing of a large amount of data: links, link lists, full copies of information sources (documents) obtained from various information sources. At the same time, various systems and methods are used to obtain, store and process data. For example, to work with links received from the Internet, meta-search systems are used, to create an archive of complete copies of information sources (documents), use ΌΜ8 (bositei! etc. The processed data is most often heterogeneous, as it is obtained from heterogeneous information resources operating on both local and remote storage devices: local computers, servers operating on a local network, Internet servers, etc. In this case, the efficiency of processing heterogeneous data can be achieved only if the user working with heterogeneous data can jointly receive, store and process them.

This example illustrates the efficiency of the process of obtaining, storing and processing heterogeneous information using the inventions included in this application. The inventions are used in a system operating simultaneously on a local and remote storage device (local computer and Internet server). As external heterogeneous information sources for obtaining information, Internet search engines, corporate databases operating on remote Internet servers, ΌΜ8 operating on local networks, etc. can be used.

A user working with a system in which inventions are used (hereinafter simply a system) searches for and obtains from the heterogeneous external information sources the information of interest to him regarding the development of information technologies. The availability of relevant information on this topic is of interest to any company that wants to successfully develop its business in the conditions of fierce competition, when the dynamics of the development of enterprises is largely determined by the use of the latest information technologies.

To quickly search for information of interest from several external sources, meta-search is used. At the same time, the user is interested in receiving information about conferences and seminars on information technologies to be held in the near future, and its storage on the hard drive of the local computer. The search for information will be carried out at the request of the conference ΛΝΏ information ΆΝΏ technology, taking into account the interval between words and the order of alternating words in the request (phrasal search). As the search parameters, the interval between words 4 and an arbitrary order of alternating words in the searched documents are set. The setting of such an interval between words is caused by the fact that the desired phrase can be in the form of a conference devoted to modern information technologies and if a smaller interval is set, a document containing such a phrase will not be detected.

Using Internet search engines, corporate databases and local

ΌΜ8 is due to the fact that each of the listed information sources may contain information of interest to the user. The Internet search engine finds 89 links to websites owned by conference organizers or links to web pages with announcements of information technology conferences, in the corporate database and at ΌΜ8, documents already entered by someone regarding this topic and obtained from other sources can be found for example, a magazine article scanned using USC with information about the upcoming conference).

The search engines are selected by a combination of their search capabilities and at the same time, the full-text search by phrases and the ability of search engines to search using different languages are set as the search parameters of interest. The search engines are selected according to the mentioned search parameters due to the user's interest in phrasal search using Russian and English. In this case, the Internet search engine L11aU151a is used as search engines (external heterogeneous information sources) that meet the selection criteria. a corporate database implemented on the Ogas1e DBMS and operating on a remote Internet server, as well as ΌΜ8 (for example, Oositeyit), operating on a local network.

In order to increase the effectiveness of the search, preliminary processing of the generated request is used, which consists in using two processors: a synonym dictionary and a Russian-English dictionary for translation. The sequence of pre-processing operations is set by the user and primarily involves the use of a semantic thesaurus, and then the Russian-English translation dictionary. As a result of the preliminary processing operations, a final request is obtained having the form:

((OK conference seminar OK sophegeps OK 8et1iag) ΛΝΌ (information OK 1 and Gogtoboy) ΆΝΏ (technology OK 1esbio1od1e8)) / KELK (4)

The final request is sent to the selected search engines and as a result, a resulting list of links to full copies of information sources corresponding to the request received after preliminary processing and the specified search parameters is obtained. At the same time, full copies of information sources corresponding to the links included in the resulting list are also obtained, and the results are checked for compliance with the search query. Since L11aUb1a implements phrasal search with the default setting of the interval between words 10, the search results received from it may not meet expectations. Those. LbaUb1a will detect not only those documents in which the searched words are found in the interval 4, but also those documents in which the searched words are found in the interval 10, which does not correspond to the query parameters set by the user. Documents that do not meet the conditions of the request are deleted from the hard drive of the local computer. The list of links will also be optimized (deleting links corresponding to deleted documents). The optimized list of links, the corresponding search query and the list of search engines used are stored on the hard drive of the local computer for the purpose of their further use to obtain and display new information (a new list of links) corresponding to the mentioned query. At the same time, the user sets the frequency of receiving new information once a week on Mondays at 10 a.m.

In addition, the user is shown documents corresponding to the links included in the optimized list, and the search results corresponding to the query received taking into account the preliminary processing are visualized. Based on the optimized list, the user creates another new list, which includes those links that the user managed to process (view the documents corresponding to them). At the same time, the links included in the new list are accompanied by user notes, for example, the user fills in the combined description field of the venue created by himself; The date of the. A new list of links is entered in the appropriate cabinet with the name of the Event, which is characterized by a specific set of fields Opening Date, Closing Date, Event Topics, Note, etc. In addition, each link entered in the said cabinet will additionally be associated with a set of the mentioned description fields, which is quite convenient, since the user does not need to puzzle over what kind of information to accompany the stored links (which description fields to create in addition to the previously created Field Venue; Date rovedeniya). Having filled in all the description fields, in the future the user can search for information (links) of interest to him, for example, by the interval of dates of events, by their subject (in this example, conferences and seminars on information technology), location, etc. .

Since it is undesirable to limit access to stored information to the ability to access only from a local device, it is useful to duplicate it on a remote data storage device (Internet server).

Storing information on the Internet server allows you not to worry about getting access to it if the user works on a computer located, for example, not in the office, but at home, etc. In addition, the user is going on a business trip and therefore the ability to access the information he has stored is critical for him. Therefore, the user synchronizes information on the local and remote storage devices (on the local computer and the Internet server). Since synchronization is carried out for the first time (there is no data stored on the Internet server), the synchronization process will consist in copying the entire data array from the hard drive of the local computer to the Internet server.

On a business trip, the user accesses the Internet server and works with the information stored by him. In addition to modifying the stored data (creating and modifying description fields for links, creating new lists of links by combining or searching through description fields, changing existing lists), the user additionally fills the data array with new information. That is, in the system operating on the Internet server, add new links obtained, for example, through metasearch.

After returning from a business trip a week later, the user accesses a system running on the local computer and is presented with a new list of links received in accordance with the frequency set by him (weekly) upon request:

((conference ΟΒ seminar ΟΒ sopGhegeps ΟΒ kettag) ΑΝΌ (information ΟΒ 1nGogtabop) ΑΝΏ (technology ΟΒ 1esNpo1o ^ 5)) / ΝΕΑ6 (4)

In this case, it displays only new links found previously identified by search engines. This operation is carried out by combining two lists: the newly received and previously saved by a similar request list using the Boolean operator δυΒ. Then the user receives documents corresponding to the new links.

Since the announcements of information technology conferences that interest the user can be obtained from different information resources (websites), it is likely that newly received links, or rather the documents corresponding to them, if they are saved, will duplicate documents previously stored in the system, but received by other links . Therefore, in order to prevent duplicate information from getting into the archive, the user, for documents received via new links, checks for the presence of documents that are similar to those received for textual content. Since the user was viewing the new list in the OGGNpe mode, the new list, or rather all the links included in it, will be queued for delayed receipt of information. For delayed receipt and further display of the received information, the user sets the appropriate parameters: time parameters for receiving and displaying information, priority parameters for receiving and displaying, etc. In accordance with the established parameters, information will be received at the optimal time when communication lines are not overloaded for example at night.

At the same time, they check for the presence on the hard disk of the local computer of documents that are similar in text content to the received documents. In case of detection in the system for received documents of such documents that have a certain predetermined degree of similarity in textual content (for example, at least 90%), the mentioned received documents are deleted in accordance with the established parameters. At the same time, the links corresponding to the deleted received documents are attached to those documents that are similar to them by at least 90%. Received documents for which documents are found in the system that have a degree of similarity in textual content of less than 90% are retained. The list of saved received documents is displayed to the user. If desired, the user can display any of the mentioned documents with a visualization of its differences from the corresponding previously saved document. If there are many documents previously stored in the system and having a similarity of less than 90%, the user determines with respect to which of these documents to visualize the differences.

Thus, the data array on the hard disk of the local computer will be modified (adding new documents), just as the data array on the Internet server was modified. That is, the information stored in the arrays on the local computer and the Internet server will differ significantly and in order to bring it into line it is necessary to perform the synchronization operation. For this purpose, change files will be generated on each device, including only new and changed data that appeared on a particular device since the previous synchronization.

Then they check for conflicts that consist of the fact that the same information (for example, link) was modified on different data storage devices, and the modification concerned the same description field associated with this link or the link itself, for example a modification of its name. Other situations, for example, when a modification concerns different description fields of the same link, are not considered conflicting and do not affect the correctness of synchronization. If a conflict is detected in accordance with the synchronization parameters, the right to resolve it is granted to the user authorizing the synchronization. After resolving the conflicts, a single change file is generated, including all changes that have occurred with the data stored on various data storage devices during the synchronization interval and sent to the local computer and the Internet server. On each of the mentioned devices, the database is rolled back to the state that existed at the time the synchronization interval started. Rollback for the database stored on the local computer and the Internet server is carried out in accordance with the change files generated for each of the mentioned devices. After the rollback, the database will be reduced to the state in which it was immediately after the previous synchronization, i.e. before the first changes after the previous synchronization were introduced. Next, on the local computer and the Internet server, the resulting single change file is processed, which consists in updating data (links and link lists). Thus, after updating the data by processing a single file of changes, a completely identical current database (links and lists of links to information sources) will be generated on the local computer and the Internet server.

With synchronized data arrays (databases) carry out further work. So, for example, when accessing the local computer, the user will see a list of documents received but not yet viewed by him, which have been queued for deferred display. For some of these documents, their display has already expired, and therefore they will be deleted from the system. The remaining documents will be displayed to the user for processing, etc.

The implementation and simultaneous use of the inventions included in this application solves the problem of increasing the efficiency of obtaining, storing and processing links, link lists and complete copies of information sources. Moreover, the features implemented in a particular invention significantly optimize the use of features implemented in other inventions, which allows us to talk about the implementation of a group of inventions that complement each other. Moreover, the effect of sharing inventions significantly exceeds the effect of using all inventions separately.

The considered examples of the implementation of the inventions are just one of many possible examples that do not exclude other variants of implementation, and people with skills to work with the present inventions can make changes to them. Other implementations or varieties of implementations of the inventions are carried out within the framework of these inventions, which are determined by the patent claims.

Industrial applicability

The invention relates to methods for processing information on a computer, consisting of operations, for example, adding, calling, receiving, transmitting, comparing information, etc., moreover, all of the above operations are machine operations performed in combination with various input data provided by the operator or a user who interacts with a computer. The invention can function in various communication and computer networks, for example, local computer networks, the global Internet, etc. The invention can also be used in distributed computing systems where tasks are performed by remote computing devices that are connected by a communication network, including application programs running on various storage devices. In a distributed computing environment, the invention can operate on both local and remote storage devices. In addition, the present invention can operate on local and remote devices at the same time, while ensuring synchronization of data stored in related systems.

The industrial applicability of the invention is due to the optimization of information retrieval in distributed systems (including the Internet), the availability of functions for the delayed receipt and display of information, as well as the optimization of the processing of the information received, which eliminates duplication of information and saves time for viewing it. These inventions are applicable in systems related to the receipt, retrieval, processing and storage of information in distributed systems (in particular, on the Internet) and increase the efficiency of working with information stored on local and remote data storage devices.

Advantages of the Invention

The present invention, in comparison with existing analogues, has several advantages that can significantly reduce the time required for obtaining and processing data of interest to the user. For example, due to the wider coverage of the information space (access to a large number of heterogeneous information sources), determined by the inclusion in the lists of links to information sources of heterogeneous links. A wider coverage of the information space is also achieved by obtaining the required information from heterogeneous information resources, including through meta-search, on requests expanded using pre-processing. A similar goal is achieved by the fact that users independently expand the list of search engines designed for meta-information search.

An advantage of this invention is also the optimization of the storage of information located simultaneously on several data storage devices, which consists in the fact that the data synchronization process takes into account all changes that have occurred with data on various data storage devices, and does not require a complete rewriting of data arrays from one device to another .

A further advantage of the invention is to increase the efficiency of operations for creating new link lists and their further processing by combining two or more link lists.

The invention allows to significantly simplify and speed up access to links and lists of links stored on accessible data storage devices through the use of a search for the data in the description fields created by the user, including using preliminary processing of search queries. Since the search for data by the information presented in the predefined description fields leads to information redundancy, which consists in the fact that the generated lists include links that do not correspond to the interests of the user performing the search. An advantage of the invention is also the optimization of the system administration process for storing links and link lists due to its simultaneous administration by several users.

An advantage of the invention is the optimization of the process of obtaining and displaying information, allowing the user not to be distracted from the main work to receive and display information corresponding to the links of interest to him, and accordingly not to disrupt the rhythm of work. The effectiveness of the delayed receipt and display of information also lies in the fact that this operation can be carried out at any convenient time, including when communication lines are not overloaded.

An advantage of the invention also lies in solving problems associated with duplication of information on data storage devices. These problems are solved by automatically checking whether the stored mass of data contains not only received links to information sources, but also full copies of information sources similar in textual content to full copies of information sources newly obtained from links. In addition to this, the invention allows the formation of lists of complete copies of information sources having a certain predetermined degree of similarity in textual content with a complete copy of an information source newly obtained by reference. This, in turn, allows, for example, a quick and effective classification of newly obtained links of complete copies of information sources.

Claims (83)

1. A method for processing links defining access to information sources and lists of links stored on user-accessible storage devices, which consists in obtaining, storing, searching and synchronizing links to information sources and their lists, characterized in that as links defining access to information sources, use byte sequences that determine the path and / or method of access to information sources, lists include links defined by paths and / or methods of access to information by a source. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that form a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the byte sequence that defines the method of access to an information source of a certain type is interpreted by processing by a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at the same time they search for links and lists of links stored on one or more data storage devices accessible to the user. 5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the links and link lists are associated with one or more classifiers generated by the user. 6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when displaying the list of links, they are ordered by one or more description fields associated with the links selected by the user, a list of description fields to the links for display is established, as well as the order and attributes for displaying the description fields to links. 7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when displaying link lists, the number displayed in the link lists is limited to one or more filters. 8. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that the link is included in one or more lists of links. 9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that they receive information about which link lists include the link. 10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that they check the possibility of obtaining a full copy of the information source corresponding to the link. 11. The method according to p. 10, characterized in that the user determines the frequency with which they verify the possibility of access to one or more complete copies of the information source corresponding to the link. 12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that they synchronize links defining access to information sources and lists of links stored simultaneously on several available data storage devices by sending new and / or changed links and link lists from one available device storing data to another. 13. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that during synchronization, conflict situations are identified and the conflict situations are notified. 14. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when working in multi-user mode, the user automatically receives administrator rights to the links and / or link lists stored by him. 15. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when operating in multi-user mode, the user transfers the access rights and / or administrator rights to at least one link and / or list of links to at least one other user. 16. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when operating in multi-user mode, the user, by granting access rights and / or administrator rights to at least one link and / or list of links to another user, sets access parameters to the said links and / or list of links and types of operations that are valid when working with said links and list of links. 17. A method of generating and processing link lists defining access to information sources stored on user-accessible storage devices, including the steps of creating new link lists defining access to information sources, saving and loading link lists defining access to information sources, characterized in that as links defining access to information sources, byte sequences are used that determine the path and / or method of access to information m sources, carry out the operation of combining lists of links that determine access to information sources, and combining operations are to form a new resulting list of links based on two or more lists of links. 18. The method according to 17, characterized in that the lists include links defined by ways and / or methods of access to information sources. 19. The method according to 17, characterized in that form a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 20. The method according to 17, characterized in that the byte sequence that defines the method of access to an information source of a certain type is interpreted by processing a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 21. The method according to 17, characterized in that to create new lists of links use the import of links to information sources. 22. The method according to item 21, characterized in that to perform the import of links using external information resources. 23. The method according to 17, characterized in that to create new link lists use the search links in the associated description fields. 24. The method according to 17, characterized in that to create new link lists use a combination of lists. 25. The method according to 17, characterized in that when combining using lists of links stored on one or more user-accessible storage devices. 26. The method according to 17, characterized in that to create new link lists use the creation of an empty list. 27. The method according to 17, characterized in that as the operations of changing the list of links add, and / or delete, and / or transfer the mentioned links using a pocket. 28. The method according to item 27, wherein the pocket is used as a service list, which serves to simplify the operation of changing lists of links to information sources. 29. A method of searching for links defining access to information sources and lists of links stored on user-accessible data storage devices, which consists in finding the necessary links and link lists by their distinguishing features, characterized in that as links defining access to information sources using byte sequences defining a path and / or 100 is a method of accessing information sources, a user creates and modifies a set of description fields associated with a link defining access to an information source, or a list of links, searches for said links and / or link lists by any combination of description fields. 30. The method according to clause 29. characterized in that the lists include links defined by ways and / or methods of access to information sources. 31. The method according to clause 29. characterized in that they create new data types for description fields associated with a link or list of links. 32. The method according to p. characterized in that they form a software module for processing data of a certain type to interpret a new data type. 33. The method according to clause 29. characterized in that when forming a search request in the description fields associated with links and lists of links, the preliminary processing of the request is performed, which consists in obtaining, from at least one source word included in the request, one or more words related with the original word given ratio. 34. The method according to clause 29. characterized in that when displaying lists of links obtained as a result of a search using any combination of description fields associated with the links, the number of links displayed in the resulting lists is limited to one or more filters. 35. The method according to clause 29. characterized in that they form sets of one or more links characterized by certain sets of description fields. 36. The method according to clause 35. characterized in that each set has a hierarchical structure and each subset included in said set is at least inherent in a set of description fields characterizing said set. 37. The method according to clause 29. characterized in that each link included in the set, at least, has a set of description fields characterizing said set. 38. A method of obtaining links defining access to information sources by means of a meta-search, including operations of selecting at least one search engine from a list of search engines existing for a meta-search, generating a user request describing the information sought, converting the request into a search data form corresponding to each of the at least one search engines mentioned, sending generated search data to each at least one search engine for initials search, obtaining search results, including at least one list of links defining access to information sources from each of the at least one search engine, and combining search results to obtain a single resulting list of links defining access to information sources , processing search results, characterized in that as links defining access to information sources, byte sequences are used that determine the path and / or method of access to inf When converting a query into a search data form corresponding to each of the search engines, all search parameters inherent in each of the said search engines are taken into account, and / or the search parameters inherent in each of the mentioned search engines are expanded by introducing preliminary processing of all components request. 39. The method according to § 38. characterized in that the lists include links defined by ways and / or methods of access to information sources. 40. The method according to § 38. characterized in that they form a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 41. The method according to § 38. characterized in that the byte sequence that defines the method of access to an information source of a certain type is interpreted by processing with a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 42. The method according to § 38. characterized in that as the said search engine use any information resource or system that searches for data. 43. The method according to § 38. characterized in that the selection of at least one search engine is carried out according to the classifier. 44. The method according to § 38. characterized in that the selection of at least one search engine is carried out according to a classifier created by the user. 45. The method according to § 38. characterized in that the selection of at least one search engine is carried out according to a given combination of search parameters inherent in search engines. 46. The method according to § 38. characterized in that the formation of the user request includes filling out a search form, which presents a set of fields that correspond to all search parameters inherent in the selected search engines. 101 102 47. The method according to § 38, characterized in that at least one request pre-processing operation is selected, and the sequence of execution of the request pre-processing operations is set by users. 48. The method according to § 38, characterized in that as the preliminary processing of the request using the operation of obtaining at least one source word included in the request, one or more words associated with the source word with a given ratio. 49. The method according to p, characterized in that after the pre-processing operation, at least one source word is removed from the request or left in the request. 50. The method according to § 38, wherein the pre-processing consists of one logical operation of identity. 51. The method according to § 38, characterized in that the generated request is stored on user-accessible storage devices and provides subsequent access to the stored said request. 52. The method according to 51, characterized in that the frequency of the meta-search using the saved request and the list of search engines is set, and only those links that are not in the previous list of links obtained through the meta-search using the saved search are left in the resulting list of links and a list of search engines. 53. The method according to § 38, characterized in that new search engines are added to the list of search engines for the meta-search and at the same time they indicate an address, rules for matching the query language used in this method, the query language of the said search engines or form a software module processing rules for matching the query language of the invention to the query language of the added search engine, the type of link to the information source inherent in the added search engine. 54. The method according to item 53, wherein when specifying a new type of links create an appropriate software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 55. The method according to item 54, wherein the software module that determines the rules for access to information sources, process one or more types of links. 56. The method according to item 53, wherein users add search engines to the list of search engines existing for metasearch. 57. The method according to claim 38, characterized in that they additionally receive a full copy of the information source, followed by visualization of the result corresponding to the request, and verify that the received full copies of the information sources match the search query conditions. 58. A method for deferred receipt and display of full copies of information sources by links defining access to information sources, including the formation of a list of links defining access to information sources, for subsequent receipt of full copies of information sources; establishing a connection with an available data storage device to obtain full copies of information sources by links, characterized in that as links defining access to information sources, byte sequences are used that determine the path and / or method of access to information sources, requests for information are recorded for its subsequent receipt and display. 59. The method according to § 58, wherein the lists include links defined by paths and / or methods of access to information sources. 60. The method according to p, characterized in that form a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 61. The method according to § 58, wherein the byte sequence that defines the method of access to an information source of a certain type is interpreted by processing by a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 62. The method according to p, characterized in that for the formation of a list of links using files and / or external data sources containing one or more links. 63. The method according to p, characterized in that the list of links is modified by the operation of removing and / or adding links. 64. The method according to p, characterized in that they fill in the description fields associated with links defining access to information sources. 65. The method according to § 58, characterized in that they prioritize the receipt of a complete copy of the information source for each element of the list of links. 66. The method according to p, characterized in that establish a time interval during which full copies of information sources for each of the elements of the list of links should be obtained. 67. The method according to p, characterized in that after the specified time interval, complete copies of the information sources are not received and removed from the sleep 103 104 ska links elements for which the set time interval has expired. 68. The method according to p. 66, characterized in that before receiving a full copy of the information source from the link on the list, check for the presence of the referenced link and the corresponding full copy of the information source on the data storage device designed to receive a full copy of the information source, and, if a full copy of the information source is found on the data storage device, the full copy of the information source is not received from the link on the list. 69. The method according to p, characterized in that establish the time interval during which the received full copy of the information source must be displayed, and / or notification rules about the need to display the received full copies of information sources. 70. The method according to p, characterized in that after the specified time interval, additional processing of not viewed a full copy of the information source is carried out. 71. A method of obtaining complete copies of information sources from a list of links defining access to information sources, which consists in forming a list of links defining access to information sources, for the subsequent receipt of full copies of information sources, establishing a connection with a data storage device to obtain full copies of information sources by links defining access to information sources, characterized in that as links defining access to information sources chnikam use byte sequence defining the path and / or method for accessing information sources for each received full copy of the information source is carried by presence of data on the storage device complete copies of information sources having similarity in textual content from said obtained information a complete copy of the source. 72. The method according to p. 71, characterized in that the lists include links defined by ways and / or methods of access to information sources. 73. The method according to p, characterized in that form a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 74. The method according to p. 71, characterized in that the byte sequence that defines the method of access to an information source of a certain type is interpreted by processing by a software module that defines the rules for access to information sources of a certain type. 75. The method according to p, characterized in that for the formation of a list of links using files and / or external data sources containing one or more links. 76. The method according to p, characterized in that the list of links is modified by the operation of removing and / or adding links. 77. The method according to p. 71, characterized in that the parameters are set to search on the data storage device for complete copies of information sources that are similar in vocabulary to the received full copy of the information source. 78. The method according to p. 77, characterized in that for each received a complete copy of the information source, a list of full copies of the information sources found in accordance with the established parameters, similar in terms of the vocabulary, to the said received full copy of the information source is formed. 79. The method according to p. 78, characterized in that the sequence of blocks of information in the received and found full copies of information sources is compared and a decision is made on the similarity of the compared found and received full copies of information sources, where the information block used in the full copy is used A sequence of characters limited to specific characters. 80. The method according to p. 79, characterized in that to obtain sequences of blocks of information using a software module for processing complete copies of information sources of a certain type. 81. The method according to p. 79, wherein a software module for processing complete copies of information sources is used to split complete copies of information sources into information blocks. 82. The method according to p. 79, characterized in that the additional processing is obtained and having similarity with the text content of the found complete copies of information sources, as well as links identifying the aforementioned full copies of information sources. 83. The method according to p. 79, characterized in that if there is incomplete similarity between the found and received full copies of information sources, when displaying the received full copy of the information source, its differences from the found full copy of the information source are visualized, indicating with respect to which full copy of the information source the differences are visualized . 105 106 15 Definition of two or more lists FIG. one twenty Replacing an existing list with a new one from a combination Defining an operation to get a new list I Ζ Combining operation Creating a new list of operations Saving the resulting list ~ G ..... 23 List Processing FIG. 3 FIG. 2 24 ΑΝϋ 25 1 geek match) Alia 1 match _1c = 26 coincidence 2 <υκι 2) coincidence z (s1) match 1 (s) match 3 (J1) coincidence 5 (I! e ooy match 3 (J1) coincidence 4 (U2) coincidence <(υκι.3) match 5 (1-not1 raNp) coincidence 5 (ЕНе1 оа1Ы coincidence Y (H1e2 p ^ K) FIG. 4 29th match Ί 27 28 blue) match 1 match 1 match 2 SRI) geeks) (IR1 2) match 2 coincidence coincidence (υκι 2) (U1) (U1) match 3 (J1) OK match 5 (RNe oa1M = coincidence 4 (U2) coincidence 4 (U2) match ((iks) _in match 5 ίΡϊΙβΙ oah match 5 coincidence in coincidence y (Я1е1 оа1Ш (P81e2 pa1M (ΡίΙβ2 oaSh) match 1 (iks) FIG. 5 107 108 thirty 31 match 1 ShNI) coincidence ι - 32 coincidence ζ (ϋΚί-2) coincidence s (ΙΟ1) coincidence ζ (1) Κί2) match 3 (J1) ziv coincidence 6 (ЕНе ра <1П coincidence 4 (U2) coincidence 4 (U2) match <(иР1 3) coincidence b coincidence y (A1e) yaC?) . [E11e2 ea1Yu FIG. 6 FIG. 7 FIG. 8 FIG. nine 109 110 FIG. 10 FIG. eleven FIG. thirteen [ 1n £ ogtaiop | Ξ1 FIG. 12 Information] | Information | ] X 11pTogta1yupa11 X — A. | Rep8e1dtopy?] | Kepz ^ dtegPz] | Ma1epa1 | | Ma1epa151 FIG. 14 111 112 FIG. fifteen FIG. sixteen