Abstract: A split-server architecture for processing a search query provided by a user, and identifying and retrieving documents from a database corresponding to the search query. A session server is provided for receiving the search query from the user. The session server has at least a first processor coupled to the user over a communications channel. A query server is coupled to the session server. The query server has at least a second processor coupled to a first database having records representative of the documents to be searched. The query server includes the ability to receive the search query from the session server, the ability to search the first database to identify documents responsive to the search query; and the ability to send search results information representative of the documents identified by the first database search from the query server to the session server.

Abstract: A system for parsing information representative of a sequence of words having parts of speech. The sequence of words forms a sentence or sentence fragment. A hidden Markov model is provided for determining the most likely part of speech of a selected word of the sequence of words. The hidden Markov model has an initial transition matrix and a subsequent transition matrix for storing probabilities of occurrence of the parts of speech. The initial transition matrix of the hidden Markov model is removed to provide a modified hidden Markov model. The modified hidden Markov model is applied to the sequence of words to determine the most likely part of speech of a selected word within a sentence fragment with increased accuracy.

Abstract: An apparatus for capturing and storing a co-marketer identification symbol representing an identity of an entity that has referred a user on a user station to a computer service, wherein the user station is coupled to the computer service by a communications path. A database is provided for storing a plurality of user records. Each of the user records includes a user identification field for storing information uniquely associating each of the user records with a user, and a co-marketer identification field for storing identity information representing the identity of an entity that directed the user to the computer service. An enrollment means is coupled to the communications path and the database, and is provided for enrolling a user on the computer service. The enrollment means includes means for determining a co-marketer that directed the user to the computer service, and means for assigning a unique user identification number to the user.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for redirecting a user from a first location on the WWW to a second location on the WWW, wherein relative URL addressing is used during the redirecting process. A signal is received from the first location indicating that the user wishes to move from the first location on the WWW to the second location on said WWW. In response to the signal, a current URL representing an address of the first location on the WWW and a destination URL portion representative of an address of the second location on the WWW are passed to a redirecting means. The current URL includes first and second portions. A destination URL is formed with redirecting means by substituting the destination URL portion in place of the second portion in the current URL, wherein the destination URL represents a relative address of the second location on the WWW. The user is then moved from the first location on the WWW to the second location on the WWW in accordance with the destination URL formed by the redirecting means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying textual documents and multi-media files corresponding to a search topic. A plurality of document records, each of which is representative of at least one textual document, are stored, and a plurality of multi-media records, each of which is representative of at least one of multi-media file, are also stored. The document records have text information fields associated therewith, each of the text information fields representing text from one of the plurality of textual documents. The multi-media records have multi-media information fields for representing only digital video or audio information and associated text fields, each of the associated text fields representing text associated with one of the multi-media information fields. A single search query corresponding to the search topic is received. The single search query is preferably in a natural language format.

Abstract: A method for performing a search of a database in an information retrieval system in response to a query having at least one query word with a query word weight and for applying the query word to the database and selecting information from the information retrieval system in accordance with the query word. A query word is selected and assigned a weight. The weight is adjusted depending on whether the query word is a proper noun or slow word. The adjusting can be an increase or a decrease in the weight. Information is selected from the information retrieval system in accordance with the adjusted weight.

Abstract: A method for searching a database of an information retrieval system in response to a query having at least one query word with a part of speech, for applying the query word to the database and selecting information from the database according to the query word. A semantic network is provided for determining expansion words to expand the search of the database in response to said the query word. The part of speech of the selected query word is determined. The selected query word is applied to the semantic network to provide a query expansion word in response to the selected query word. The part of speech of the query expansion word is determined. The query expansion word is applied to the database in accordance with the part of speech of the selected query word and the part of speech of the query expansion word.

Abstract: A method for storing input information in an information retrieval system database wherein a plurality of information subject categories are provided. A plurality of subject lexicons are provided, each subject lexicon of the plurality of subject lexicons corresponding to an information subject category of the plurality of information categories. Each subject lexicon contains information representative of its corresponding information subject category. The input information is compared with the subject lexicons and the input information is stored in a selected information subject category according to the comparing of the input information with the subject lexicons.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tracking the navigation path of a user that has been directed to a second site on the World Wide Web (WWW) from a first site on the WWW. The first site has a universal resource locator (URL) symbol for uniquely identifying an address of the first site on the WWW, and the second site has a URL symbol for uniquely identifying an address of the second site on the WWW. A composite URL symbol is received at the second WWW site when the user is directed from the first site to the second site. The composite URL symbol has a first portion corresponding to the URL symbol of the second site, and a second portion that includes information corresponding to the identity of the first site. Information representative of the identity of the first WWW site is captured at the second WWW site from the second portion of the composite URL.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for tracking the navigation path of a user that has been directed to a second site on the WWW from a first site on the WWW. A URL is received at the second WWW site when the user is directed from the first site to the second site. At the second WWW site, information representative of an identity of the first WWW site is captured by identifying a first code in the URL. A destination web page is determined for the user, and a revised destination web page is formed by attaching a second code representative of the identity of the first WWW site into at least one selected web page link associated with the destination web page. The revised destination web page is then transmitted to the user.

Abstract: A method for storing information in an information retrieval system having a database for retrieval of the input information in response to a query. Text information representative of text is received for storing in the system. Image information representative of an image is also received for storing in the system. Additionally, image text information representative of text associated with the image information is received. The image information is stored in an image information format. The text information and the image text information are stored in a common text information format whereby the format of the stored text information is identical to the format of the stored image text information. The text information and image text information are searched in the common text format and the text information and image text information are retrieved in response to a single query.

Abstract: A method for searching a database of an information retrieval system in response to a query having a query length of at least one word, for applying the query word to the database and selecting information from the database according to the query word. The query is received and the length of the query is determined. Information is selected from the database according to the query. The relevance of the selected information is determined according to matches between the query and the information. The determined relevance of the selected information is adjusted according to the length of the query.