JP2002063164A - Distributed retrieving unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a distributed retrieving unit, capable of easily acquiring valid evaluation information. SOLUTION: This retrieving unit (agent) 130 which is one of a plurality of distributed retrieving units (agents) 130 and 230, distributed so that a network can be formed for sharing the retrieval range of information, is provided with a feedback processing part 136 to be used as a program providing means for providing an evaluation program to its client and also as a feedback means for acquiring evaluation information, acquired by the evaluation program and for feeding back the evaluation information to the information retrieval.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a distributed search system which constitutes a distributed search system for performing information search by sharing a search range among a plurality of distributed search systems arranged in a distributed manner.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As today, networks have developed,
As the number of computers connected to the network becomes enormous and various information and services are provided by the enormous number of computers, it is necessary to know what kind of information and services are provided, ,
It has become very difficult to know where on the network the offer is available. Therefore, a framework for searching for information and services required by network users from a vast amount of information and services has become necessary.
In the following, information and services provided by computers are collectively referred to as "information resources" in the sense of intangible goods that are the basis of the information industry.

As a framework for searching for information resources, Yah
oo (http://www.yahoo.com/)
And AltaVista (http: // altavis
ta. digital. com) is provided. This search engine collects resource information indicating a place where an information resource is provided or the like by registering with a resource information provider or searching by a search program called a Web robot, and constructs a resource information database. An information resource is searched based on the resource information. However, in many cases, the search response tends to be poor due to centralized management of the resource information, the amount of information communication by the Web robot is large, and the collected resource information is Due to the suspension of the service, the movement of the location of the information resource, the change of the content of the information resource, and the like, there is a problem that the so-called obsolete resource information, which does not reflect the current state of the information resource, is caused.

[0004] In order to solve these problems, there has been a method of constructing a distributed search network comprising a large number of distributed search devices (agents) for exchanging resource information with each other, and each agent manages resource information and provides a search service. Conceivable.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a distributed search network. The distributed search network 1 is composed of a large number of agents 2 whose partners for exchanging resource information are determined. The partner with which each agent exchanges resource information is represented by the line segment 3 in the figure, and the fact that another agent is determined as a partner with respect to one agent is referred to as "having a neighbor relationship".

[0006] The resource information provider 4 provides the resource information to the distributed search network 1, the distributed search network 1 holds the resource information as described later, and the resource information searcher 5 sends the resource information to the distributed search network 1. Requesting a search causes the distributed search network 1 to substantially search for information resources.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing how resource information is provided.

[0008] The provider 4 informs the nearest agent 2a of the resource information 6 on the information resource that he or she knows in the form of an advertisement.
The resource information described in the advertisement is retained, and the advertisement is further transmitted to the agents 2b and 2c having a close relationship. In this way, the resource information is transmitted to the agents one after another, and the number of agents that acquire the resource information increases, but the transmission range of the resource information depends on the cost for transmitting the resource information and the holding of the acquired resource information. The cost is limited based on the total cost.
In the following, this cost that is comprehensively considered is simply referred to as “cost”.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state where a search request for resource information is received.

The searcher 5 issues a search request 7 for resource information to the nearest agent 2d, and the agent 2d receiving the search request searches for the resource information held by the searcher 5 and sends the search request to the advertisement. As in the case, the information is transmitted to the nearby agents 2e and 2f. Here, the range in which the search request is transmitted is also limited based on the cost. When the search request reaches the agent 2g having the resource information corresponding to the search request, the agent 2g returns the search result.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how the search result is returned.

[0013] The search result 8 is returned to the searcher 5 while following the route along which the search request was transmitted in reverse. The agents 2d, 2e, and 2h on the route update their own resource information based on the contents of the search result to be relayed, and try to always have new resource information. Searcher 5
Knows the location of the information resource from the search result 8 and accesses and uses the information resource. That is, the resource information searcher 5 is also a user who uses information resources.

Such a distributed search system has a good search response, and can suppress both obsolescence of resource information and an increase in information traffic.

[0014]

According to the information resource search method employed by current search engines and the like, information resources are searched and sorted based on the frequency of appearance of keywords given by the user in the information resources. Is performed so that information resources close to the user's desire appear at the top of the search results.

However, the above-described distributed search system aims at finding an information resource satisfying the user's desire from among a huge amount of information resources that are difficult to deal with with current search engines and the like. In a search or sorting based on the appearance frequency of a keyword, an information resource appearing at a higher position in a search result is not necessarily an information resource that sufficiently satisfies the user's wishes. The reason is that among the vast amount of information resources, there are many that do not have much content, but there are many that intentionally hold a lot of keywords that attract the attention of people. Because they tend to occupy the top of the list.

On the other hand, it is a very effective method for a user to search or sort information resources based on evaluation information obtained by actually evaluating search results. However, at present, it is actually difficult for the user to directly input the evaluation information unless some kind of reward is given.

Therefore, information that can be objectively observed, such as the frequency of use and the time of use of the information resource, and that reflects the user's evaluation to some extent is collected, and the evaluation information for the information resource (a method used as an implicit evaluation) is obtained. Considered valid.
However, in this method, when a user accesses an information resource, it is necessary to access the information resource once through an agent. When the user directly interacts with the information resource, the evaluation information is fed back to the agent. You will not be able to do it. Further, in this method, when accessing an information resource, the URL of the information resource is not directly specified to the browser, but the URL of the information resource is used as the URL of the agent.
It must be attached to the RL as a parameter and specified to the browser. For this reason, when a user manually inputs a URL without using a link from a search result returned by an agent or accesses an information resource obtained by using another search engine, It is difficult to provide feedback on the evaluation to agents.

The evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the information resource includes not only the access frequency but also information that cannot be observed from outside the client machine, such as registration in a personal bookmark and ranking in the bookmark. Seem. However, it is very difficult to use such information in the above-mentioned method of accessing information resources via agents.

An object of the present invention is to provide a distributed search apparatus capable of easily obtaining effective evaluation information in view of the above circumstances. A distributed search system constructed by such a distributed search device can find an information resource that satisfies a user's desire by performing search and sorting based on effective evaluation information.

[0020]

According to the present invention, there is provided a distributed search apparatus which achieves the above object and which is one of a plurality of distributed search apparatuses which are distributed and arranged and form a network and which share an information search range. A search device, comprising: an information retrieval means for requesting an information search and searching for information within its own search range; and an evaluation program for obtaining evaluation information indicating an evaluation of the information in a client using the information. It is characterized by comprising a program providing means for providing, and a feedback means for acquiring evaluation information obtained by the evaluation program and feeding back the evaluation information to an information search by the information search means.

Here, "feedback to information retrieval" means to feed back to information retrieval conditions and to feedback to search result sorting conditions.

According to the distributed search device of the present invention, an evaluation program for obtaining effective evaluation information in the client is provided to the client, and the evaluation information obtained by the evaluation program is fed back to the information search. Search and sorting based on the information will be performed.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a part of a distributed search network constituted by an embodiment of the distributed search device of the present invention.

Here, two distributed search apparatuses 100 and 200 and three client machines 300, 400 and 500 each constituted by a computer system are illustratively shown. The client machines 300, 400, and 500 are connected to each other via a communication network 600. 2
The computer systems constituting the distributed search devices 100 and 200 are high-speed and large-capacity computer systems generally called workstations. Further, the two distributed search devices 100 and 200 function as agents constituting a part of a distributed search network having the same structure as the network structure shown in FIG.
The resource information searcher (information resource user) and the resource information provider can access the distributed search network via the client machines 300, 400, and 500.

Each of the distributed search devices 100 and 200 and each of the client machines 300, 400 and 500 are provided with a CPU,
A main unit 101, 201, 301, 401, 501 containing a main storage device, a hard disk, a communication board, etc .;
Display screens 102a, 202a, 302a, 4 in response to instructions from main units 101, 201, 301, 401, 501
Display unit 1 for displaying images and character strings on 02a and 502a
02, 202, 302, 402, 502, distributed search devices 100, 200 and client machines 300, 40
Keyboards 103, 203, 303, 403, 5 for inputting an instruction of a resource information searcher or an administrator at 0,500
03, display screens 102a, 202a, 302a, 402
a, a mouse 104, 204, 304, 40 for inputting an instruction corresponding to an icon or the like displayed at that position at the time of specifying an arbitrary position on 502a
4,504.

The main body parts 101 and 201 further have an external appearance
FD loading ports 101a and 201a for loading a floppy disk (not shown) and MO700; MO loading port 101
b, 201b, and a floppy disk drive, MO 700, which drives and accesses a floppy disk or MO 700 loaded from the loading ports 101a, 201a; 101b, 201b.
The drive is also built-in.

Similarly, the main body parts 301, 401, 501
Is a floppy disk (not shown), CDR
FD loading ports 301a and 401 into which OM800 is loaded.
a, 501a; CDROM loading ports 301b, 401b,
501b, and inside thereof, the loading ports 301a, 401a, 501a;
b, 501b loaded floppy disk or CD
A floppy disk drive and a CDROM drive, which are accessed by driving the ROM 800, are also incorporated.

In the following description, two distributed search apparatuses 10
A description will be given by using one distributed search device 100 as a representative of 0 and 200.

FIG. 6 is a hardware configuration diagram of the distributed search device (computer system) having the appearance shown in FIG.

The hardware configuration diagram includes a central processing unit (CPU) 111, a RAM 112, a hard disk controller 113, a floppy disk drive 1
14, MO drive 115, mouse controller 11
6, a keyboard controller 117, a display controller 118, and a communication board 119 are shown, which are interconnected by a bus 110.

Floppy disk drive 114, MO
As described with reference to FIG. 5, the drive 115 is loaded with the floppy disk 710 and the MO 700, respectively, and the loaded floppy disk 710 and the MO 700
Is to access.

The communication board 119 is a communication network 6
00 is connected.

FIG. 2 shows the hard disk 12 accessed by the hard disk controller 113.
0, a mouse 104 controlled by a mouse controller 116, a keyboard 103 controlled by a keyboard controller 117, and a CRT display 102 controlled by a display controller 118.

Here, an agent program for operating the computer system as an agent which is an embodiment of the distributed search device of the present invention is stored in the MO 700. Then, the agent program is read from the MO 700 by the MO drive 115,
Via the bus 110, the hard disk controller 11
3 is stored in the hard disk 120. In actual execution, the agent program in the hard disk 120 is loaded on the RAM 112 and
This is executed by the PU 111. As a result, the computer system operates as an agent which is one embodiment of the distributed search device of the present invention.

Each of the embodiments of the distributed search apparatus of the present invention, which will be described later, has the appearance and the hardware configuration shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of the distributed search device (agent) according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The agent 130 sends an evaluation program to an application used by the information resource user, and feeds back evaluation information to the agent 130 based on the access status to the information resource according to the instruction of the information resource user. Features are provided.

This agent 130 is used for the advertisement processing unit 1
31, an inquiry processing unit 132, an agent interface 133, and a resource information database 134
And a resource information control unit 135 which is an example of an information search unit according to the present invention, and a feedback processing unit 13 serving as a program providing unit and a feedback unit according to the present invention.
6, a program repository 137, an evaluation information database 138, and a clock 139.

The advertisement processing unit 131 receives resource information from a resource information provider (producer) 320 in the form of an advertisement request via a producer interface 310 realized by the client machine 300 shown in FIG.

The inquiry processing unit 132 transmits an information resource user (user) 350 who is also a resource information searcher (searcher) via a searcher interface 340 realized by the client machine 300 shown in FIG.
, And returns a search result to the information resource user 350.

Information resource user 35 receiving the search result
0 requests the information resource access application 360 incorporated in the client machine 300 shown in FIG. 5 to access a desired information resource 610. The information resource access application 360 accesses the information resource 610 via the information resource access interface 361, and presents the access result to the information resource user 350.

The agent interface 133 is
With other agents 230 on the distributed search network;
Ask for ads and search and exchange search results.

The resource information database 134 holds the resource information received via the advertisement processing unit 131 and the agent interface 133.

The resource information control unit 135 includes the advertisement processing unit 13
1 and the resource information received from the agent interface 133 is stored in the resource information database 134, and if there is a usable cost, the resource information is transmitted to another agent through the agent interface 133 in the form of an advertisement request. In addition, the resource information control unit 135 also performs a resource information search in the resource information database 134 in response to a resource information search request.
Further, the resource information control unit 135
The search processing unit 1 collects the results of the search within the server and the search results gathered from nearby agents and sends them to the search request source.
32 and the agent interface 133.

The evaluation program described above is stored in the program repository 137, and the feedback processing unit 136 sends the evaluation program in the program repository 137 to the information resource access application 360 and causes the evaluation program execution unit 362 to execute the evaluation program. . When the evaluation program is executed by the evaluation program execution unit 362, evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the resource information is obtained, and the feedback processing unit 136 acquires the obtained evaluation information and stores the obtained evaluation information in the evaluation information database 138. Here, the evaluation program execution unit 362 is incorporated in the information resource access application 360, but the evaluation program execution unit 362 may be a program resident on the client machine independently of the information resource access application 360. . The resource information control unit 135 performs a search and a sort based on the evaluation information stored in the evaluation information database 138 when searching for the resource information.

The clock 139 is connected to another agent 23
The response of communication with 0 is measured.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a process executed when the information resource user 350 uses the information resource.

When a user uses an information resource, a search result is first received from an agent (step S).
101). A link for accessing each information resource is provided in the search result, similarly to the search result presented by a normal search engine. When the user selects the link, the address of the information resource is given to the information resource access application in the client machine, and access to the information resource is requested (step S10).
2). The access is requested, and the information resource access application checks whether the evaluation program exists at hand (step S103). If the user does not have the evaluation program or has an old version, the evaluation program is provided by downloading the evaluation program from the agent (step S104), and the evaluation program is started by the evaluation program execution unit. (Step S105).

Thereafter, while the evaluation program is running, the information resources are actually accessed through the information resource access interface (step S10).
6). Then, an action meaning evaluation of the information resource, such as registration of the user's personal bookmark, is performed.
The evaluation program detects such a user action (step S107), determines an evaluation value based on the detected action, and sends the evaluation value to the feedback processing unit of the agent as evaluation information (step S10).
8). The feedback processing unit of the agent registers the received evaluation information in the evaluation information database, sends the received evaluation information to another agent, and performs an appropriate process (step S109).

If it is determined in step S103 that the evaluation program already exists, it is checked whether the evaluation program has been started (step S103).
110). If it has been started, the evaluation program is started if it has not been started (step S10).
5) Proceed to step S106, after which the above-described procedure is executed.

According to the above-described procedure, effective evaluation information is fed back to the agent, and appropriate search and sorting are performed.

In the above embodiment, it is assumed that an appropriate evaluation program has already been stored in the program repository 137 of the agent 130 shown in FIG. For this reason, if a new version of the evaluation program is created for any agent on the agent network, the administrator of that agent will send a new version of the evaluation program to the agent network. The created evaluation program is sent to the agent administrator, and the program repository 1
37 needs to be stored. However, it is very difficult for one agent administrator to understand the structure of the entire agent network,
Therefore, it is also difficult for one agent manager to request all agent managers to update the evaluation program. Also, relying on humans increases the burden on agent managers, and updates are expected to be delayed.

Therefore, it is desirable to construct an agent network having a function of automatically distributing an evaluation program to all agents. Hereinafter, a distributed search device (agent) of the second embodiment that can construct such an agent network will be described.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the distributed search device (agent) of the second embodiment. FIGS. 10 and 11 are flowcharts showing the operation of the agent when distributing the evaluation program.

Of the functional blocks shown in FIG. 9, FIG.
The same reference numerals are given to the same components as those shown in FIG.

In the second embodiment, the agent 14
0 is provided with an evaluation program processing section 141, and the evaluation program processing section 141 has a function of distributing an evaluation program. The agent 140 forms an agent network together with another agent 240 of the second embodiment having a neighboring relationship and another agent.

Agent Manager (Manager) 390
If the user wants to distribute a new evaluation program, first, the agent manager 390 accesses the manager interface 380 to transmit a command for distributing the evaluation program to the evaluation program processing unit 141 together with the evaluation program. Evaluation program processing unit 141
Receives the evaluation program from the agent manager 390 (step S201 in FIG. 10), and stores the received evaluation program in the program repository 137 (step S202 in FIG. 10). As described above, the evaluation program stored in the program repository 137 can be downloaded to the information resource access application 360 by the access from the user 350.

The evaluation program is the program repository 1
When stored in the storage 37, agents in the neighborhood relationship are examined by the evaluation program processing unit 141 (step S203 in FIG. 10), and if there is no agent in the neighborhood relationship, the distribution procedure ends. On the other hand, when there is an agent in a neighborhood relationship, the evaluation program is sent to another agent 240 through the agent interface 133 (step S204 in FIG. 10).

Through such a series of procedures, the evaluation program is distributed to other agents 240 having a close relationship.

On the other hand, when the distribution process of the evaluation program is requested from another agent 240, first, the evaluation program is received by the evaluation program processing unit 141 via the agent interface 133 (step S301 in FIG. 11). The received evaluation program is stored in the program repository 137 (step S302 in FIG. 11). Then, each agent in the neighborhood relationship is checked whether it is the agent that relayed the evaluation program, and the agent that has not yet received the evaluation program is checked (step S303 in FIG. 11). If an agent that has not yet received the evaluation program is found (Step S304 in FIG. 11: Yes),
Agent interface 1
The evaluation program is sent through the server 33 (step S305 in FIG. 11).

By such a procedure, the evaluation program is successively transmitted on the agent network, and the evaluation program is distributed to all the agents on the agent network.

When the evaluation program is sent on the agent network, a form in a predetermined format is used.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a form used when sending an evaluation program.

The form 620 shown in FIG.
Path information 621 indicating a delivery route of the evaluation program, an ID 622 of an agent to which the evaluation program is sent,
The sending date 623, the ID 624 of the agent from which the evaluation program was distributed, and the code 62 of the evaluation program
5 are included. In this form 620, the evaluation program itself is sent as it is on the agent network.

On the other hand, the form 630 shown in FIG. 12B contains a URL 631 indicating the source of the evaluation program instead of the code 625 described above. This U
The evaluation program is obtained by accessing the RL 631.

By the way, if the evaluation programs of all the agents constituting the agent network are rewritten all at once, the traffic may increase sharply and hinder other communication on the agent network. When the evaluation program is sent to another agent, it is desirable that the evaluation program be sent after waiting for a certain period of time. Alternatively, a distribution method in which the distribution range is limited by limiting the cost at the time of sending is also conceivable.

FIGS. 13 and 14 are flowcharts showing the operation of each agent in the distribution method with a limited distribution range.

In this distribution method, since a plurality of versions of the evaluation program exist simultaneously on the agent network, when the evaluation program is received from the agent manager (step S40 in FIG. 13).
1) First, the version of the received evaluation program is checked (step S402 in FIG. 13). And
The evaluation program is compared with the version of the evaluation program in the program repository (step S403 in FIG. 13), and the received evaluation program is stored in the program repository only when the received evaluation program is newer (step S404 in FIG. 13). ).

Thereafter, agents having a neighbor relationship are checked (step S405 in FIG. 13), and if there is no agent having a neighbor relationship, the process is terminated as it is. On the other hand, when there is another agent in a neighborhood relationship, the evaluation program is sent to the other agent via the agent interface (step S406 in FIG. 13). At this time, a certain sending cost is allocated, and this sending cost is reduced by the amount required for the delivery each time the evaluation program is delivered between the agents.

On the other hand, when another agent has requested distribution processing of the evaluation program, the requested agent first receives the evaluation program via the agent interface (step S50 in FIG. 14).
1) As with the agent that has received the evaluation program from the administrator, the version of the evaluation program is checked (step S502 in FIG. 14). The checked version is compared with the version of the evaluation program in the program repository (step S503 in FIG. 14), and when a new version of the evaluation program is received,
The received evaluation program is stored in the program repository (Step S504 in FIG. 14).

Thereafter, the remainder of the sending cost is calculated (step S503 in FIG. 14), and if the sending cost is exhausted (step S506: No in FIG. 14), the process is terminated as it is. If there is a margin for the sending cost (step S506 in FIG. 14: Yes), each agent in the neighborhood relationship is checked whether it is the agent that relayed the evaluation program or not. An agent that has not relayed the evaluation program is checked (step S50 in FIG. 14).
7). Then, if an agent that is not relaying the evaluation program is found (step S50 in FIG. 14)
8: Yes), and sends an evaluation program to the agent via the agent interface (FIG. 14)
Step S509).

When each agent on the agent network performs the operation shown in FIG. 13 or the operation shown in FIG. 14, a new version of the evaluation program is distributed to the extent permitted by the sending cost.

The evaluation program distributed on the agent network is downloaded by the information resource user as described above, and the evaluation information is passed to the agent from the evaluation program. This evaluation information is advertised on the agent network together with the resource information.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an advertisement form of resource information including evaluation information.

The advertisement form 650 includes an ID 640 for distinguishing the advertisement forms from each other, and an evaluator address 6
41, the title 642 of the evaluated resource, the keyword 643 for the resource, and the UR of the resource.
L644 and the address 645 of the administrator of the information resource
, Transmission cost 646, and information resource registration time 647
, Evaluation program version information 648, and evaluation information 649. The evaluation information 649 includes the evaluator's address “foo@bar.some.where.
e ", the evaluation value" 5 ", and the evaluation time" 19997021 "
15439 ".

The agent receiving the advertisement form 650, as described below,
Based on the version information 648 included in the program, try to keep your evaluation program at the latest version.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the processing in the agent which has received the advertisement form.

When the agent receives the advertisement form from another agent having a close relationship (step S6)
01), analyze the contents of the advertisement request (step S60)
2) The ID of the advertisement form is compared with the ID appearing in its own history (step S603). Same ID
If found, the advertisement source is notified that the advertisement has already been received (step S604), and the operation ends.
If not found, the ID of the received advertisement form is added to the history (step S605). Then, the content of the resource information database is updated (step S
606), and calculate the remaining transmission cost (step S60)
7) If there is enough transmission cost (step S6)
08: No), the advertisement form is transferred to a nearby agent (step S609). The advertisement requester is notified that the advertisement has been accepted (step S61).
0). Further, it is determined whether or not the evaluation information is included in the advertisement form (step S611). If it is determined that the advertisement form is not included, the process is terminated.

If it is determined that the advertisement form contains the evaluation information, the evaluation information database is updated (step S612), and the version indicated by the version information in the advertisement form is checked (step S613). A comparison is made with the version of the evaluation program that the user has (steps S614 and S618).

When the version of the evaluation program owned by the user is newer than the version indicated by the version information in the advertisement form (step S614: Ye)
In s), it is proposed to send a new version of the evaluation program to the source of the evaluation information (resource information) (step S615). It is wasteful for each agent receiving the advertisement request to send the program to the sender at the same time, and therefore, it is to confirm whether the program can be sent before sending the program. When the agent receiving the program compares the proposals from the agents and selects an appropriate agent, if a response is returned indicating that the program may be sent to that agent (step S61)
6: Yes), and in response, the evaluation program is actually sent to the source of the advertisement (step S617).

Conversely, if it is determined that the version of the evaluation program owned by the user is older than the version indicated by the version information in the advertisement form (step S618: Yes), the evaluation program is sent from the sender. It is sent (step S619).

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a state in which the evaluation program is transmitted along with the transmission of the advertisement form.

When the evaluation information is issued from the agent A, the agents B, C, D, E, and F know that the agent A has the version 1 evaluation program. Of these agents, Agent C,
D has a version 2 evaluation program, and agent F has a version 3 evaluation program. Then, each of these agents C, D, and F tries to provide an evaluation program to agent A,
A message with the version of the evaluation program is sent to agent A. Agent A confirms that the version of Agent F is the latest,
Send a message to Agent F to send the program. In response, Agent F sends its evaluation program (version 3) to Agent A.

As described above, the evaluation program for the entire agent network is gradually updated without increasing traffic.

[0086]

As described above, according to the distributed search device of the present invention, effective evaluation information can be easily obtained. Further, the distributed search system constructed by the distributed search device of the present invention can find an information resource satisfying the user's desire by searching and sorting based on the effective evaluation information.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a distributed search network.

FIG. 2 illustrates how resource information is provided.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a search request for resource information is received.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how a search result is returned.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a part of a distributed search network constituted by an embodiment of the distributed search device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a hardware configuration diagram of a distributed search device (computer system) having the appearance shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram of a distributed search device (agent) according to the first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a process executed when an information resource user uses an information resource.

FIG. 9 is a distributed search device (agent) according to the second embodiment;
3 is a functional block diagram of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an agent that receives an evaluation program from a manager when distributing the evaluation program.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an agent that receives an evaluation program from another agent when distributing the evaluation program.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a form used when sending an evaluation program.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an agent that has received an evaluation program from an administrator in a distribution method with a limited distribution range.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an agent that receives an evaluation program from another agent in a distribution method with a limited distribution range.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an advertisement form of resource information including evaluation information.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating processing in an agent that has received an advertisement form.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a state where an evaluation program is transmitted along with transmission of an advertisement form.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100, 200 Distributed search device 300, 400, 500 Client machine 130, 140, 230, 240 Agent 131 Advertisement processing unit 132 Inquiry processing unit 133 Agent interface 134 Resource information database 135 Resource information control unit 136 Feedback processing unit 137 Program repository 138 Evaluation Information database 139 Clock 141 Evaluation program processing unit 310 Producer interface 320 Resource information provider (producer) 340 Searcher interface 350 Information resource user (user) 360 Information resource access application 361 Information resource access interface 362 Evaluation program execution unit 600 Communication network 610 Information resources 620,630 Form 6 50 Advertising form 700 MO 800 CDROM

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A distributed search device of a plurality of distributed search devices, which are distributed and arranged and form a network, which share an information search range. Information retrieval means for retrieving information about the program, program providing means for providing the client with an evaluation program for obtaining evaluation information representing an evaluation of the information in a client using the information, and obtaining evaluation information obtained by the evaluation program And a feedback unit that feeds back the evaluation information to the information search by the information search unit.