Abstract: The present invention provides for an integrated matching service and calendaring system. Calendar events are utilized as a bridge between an electronic calendaring system and a matching service. A calendar event represents an activity, e.g., job opening, tennis match, bicycle race, etc., the requirements to match the activity, the entity attributes, and any match results. An entity defines criteria and information for a matching activity which is stored as a calendar event in the electronic calendar system. Portions of the criteria and information are stored as attachments to the calendar event. The calendar events representing a matching activity and associated attachments are provided to a matching server which locates suitable matches for the activity based upon the criteria and information of the activity. If a suitable match is located, the matching server notifies the entities involved by listing the corresponding entities as attendees associated with the calendar event.

Abstract: A search request from a user is received wherein the search request comprises a search framework profile and at least one search term. An accumulated result set of identifiers is generated wherein each identifier within the set of identifiers facilitates access to a corresponding unit of information in a data store, and wherein the corresponding unit of information comprises the at least one search term. The identifiers of the accumulated result set are ranked in accordance with the degree of affinity of each of the corresponding units of information to the search framework profile to form a final result set. The final result set is then delivered to the user.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of data processing, and particularly to a software system and associated method for use with a search engine. The engine searches data maintained in systems that are linked together over an associated network such as the Internet. More specifically, this invention pertains to a computer software product for determining, comparing, and representing the similarity between documents using a drag and drop Graphical User Interface (GUI) within a dynamically generated list of document identifiers. The invention uses this drag and drop GUI interface for convenient selection of document identifiers for further comparison. Then processing of a similarity analysis request using a configurable similarity algorithm is executed; this processing can be done on the client, proxy or server side. When the comparison process is completed, the GUI presents the similarity result of the comparison process as a Venn Diagram to show the level of similarity between the selected documents.

Abstract: A question management system for an expert advice web site maintains a database of experts in different subject matter categories. Ranking scores associated with each expert are continually updated based on the timeliness of answers provided by the experts and answer rating feedback received from the question poser. According to another aspect of the invention, method and computer readable medium is disclosed for carrying out the above method.

Abstract: A protection system and associated method prevent the automatic crawler access to a company's web-based data, without impacting the ability of an interactive user, such as a consumer, to access the data and to conduct regular business transactions. In one embodiment, the protection system will not prevent the crawler from downloading data; rather, the data will be rendered non-extractable by the crawler. In another embodiment, the protection system will prevent crawler access to the data.

Abstract: A system for accepting a specification of a time interval during which a download is to be performed on a delayed basis is described. The system can also select a time within the specified period. The selection can be randomized with the aim of distributing the load placed on computer and communication resources, or the selection may be based on testing a number of measures of computer and communication resource availability, and selecting a time of low utilization. A fuzzy measure of resource availability can be obtained, e.g., as a weighted sum of multiple measures, or each measure can be tested against a limit separately. According to another aspect of the invention a system and computer readable medium is disclosed for carrying out the above method.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method, system, and program for processing anchor text for information retrieval. A set of anchors that point to a target document is formed. Anchors with same anchor text are grouped together. Information is computed for each group. Context information is generated for the target document based on the computed information.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for building an index in which global analysis computations and index creation are pipelined, wherein the global analysis computations share intermediate results.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and technique for initiating, conducting, and managing real-time surveys, in the context of a real-time discourse, such as Internet chat, to provide dynamic, real-time survey results. A surveyor initiates a survey by filling out an electronic form which is processed and submitted to a sorting component of the invention. The invention imposes an additional layer of functionality upon a Live Information Selection and Analysis tool which gathers, summarizes, and indexes chat messages in a real-time discourse. The sorting component matches the collected real-time chat messages from the LISA tool with correlating submitted survey queries to provide raw real-time survey results which are converted into a viewable format for submission to the surveyor. The present invention makes it possible to initiate, conduct, and manage multiple surveys simultaneously to provide accurate, dynamic, real-time survey results within the context of a real-time discourse.

Abstract: A method of monitoring real-time communication on a computer network between at least two client computers connected by the network comprising first providing a database of keywords, with each of the keywords linked to a predefined rating. The method then includes monitoring real-time communication on a computer network between at least two client computers connected by the network; detecting the keywords in the real-time communication; and determining for the real-time communication a rating level based upon the predefined rating of the keywords. The keyword may consist of text, audio, video and graphical communication, for example. Preferably, the rating level of the real-time communication is conveyed to at least one of the client computers. More preferably, at least one additional client computer receives the real-time communication, and the rating level of the real-time communication is conveyed to the at least one additional client computer.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for detecting framing of a network (such as the Internet or an intranet) resource identified by a target uniform resource locator (URL), by locating a suspect URL and an associated suspect page which reference the target URL, examining the suspect page for the existence of framing, if framing exists, then checking to see if the target URL is referenced within a frame, and if the target URL is referenced within the frame, then identifying the suspect URL and the associated suspect page as framing the network resource.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for dynamically generating an abstract from a search result abstract retrieved from a search engine. Preferably embodied as a software program, the present invention allows a user to “zoom” in and out of the abstract thereby retrieving greater or lesser details of the abstract to further determine whether the resource is useful or not. Groups of words within the search result abstract are searched for indexable words or key words useful to the user. The indexable words are then displayed to the user. Advantageously, the process of the present invention is performed entirely on the user side without having to reset the abstract level at the server side with a new query.

Abstract: A price comparison and adjustment system can be used in the context of an Internet environment. The system is generally comprised of a server based browser, a shopping cart manager, an extract and verify module, a validation module, and a counter offer module. The system provides an Internet shopper with a convenient method for comparison shopping online while allowing the shopper control over the comparison-shopping search, which also enables a host merchant to counter offer prices at rival merchant's web sites. The system also provides information about rival merchants to the host merchant, which allows the host merchant to develop an optimal pricing and counter offer strategy. The system creates a portable virtual shopping cart that allows the Internet user to browse rival merchants without the appearance of leaving the host merchant's web site, and further allows the shopper to quickly return to the host merchant's web site to purchase items in the virtual shopping cart.

Abstract: A query is received and parsed to generate a set of query terms. Statistical information is identified regarding each of the query terms and different permutations of the query terms. Additionally, lexical affinities associated with the permutations of query terms are identified. Next, the query is classified into a query category and a set of ranking parameters and routing information (associated with the query category) are identified. The query is then issued to a search engine by applying the identified ranking parameters and routing information, whereupon the search engine executes the query and forwards search results that can be accessed by an application using an API (e.g., the results can be viewed via a browser).

Abstract: A method for presenting to an end-user the intermediate matching search results of a keyword search in an index list of information. The method comprising the steps of: coupling to a search engine a graphical user interface for accepting keyword search terms for searching the indexed list of information with the search engine; receiving one or more keyword search terms with one or more separation characters separating there between; performing a keyword search with the one or more keyword search terms received when a separation character is received; and presenting the number of documents matching the keyword search terms to the end-user, and presenting a graphical menu item on a display. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an information processing system and computer readable storage medium carries out the above method.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for dynamically generating an abstract from a search result abstract retrieved from a search engine. Preferably embodied as a software program, the present invention allows a user to “zoom” in and out of the abstract thereby retrieving greater or lesser details of the abstract to further determine whether the resource is useful or not. Groups of words within the search result abstract are searched for indexable words or key words useful to the user. The indexable words are then displayed to the user. Advantageously, the process of the present invention is performed entirely on the user side without having to reset the abstract level at the server side with a new query.

Abstract: A method for associating search results is provided. According to the method, an original list of search results is provided to a first user in response to a first query, and the search results selected by the first user are recorded and associated with the first query. Additionally, a second query that is the same as or similar to the first query is received from a second user, and an alternate list of search results is provided to the second user. The alternate list lists those search results from the original list that have been associated with the first query due to selection by a user. Also provided is a system for providing search results that includes a search engine, a query database, and a controller. The search engine provides original lists of search results in response to queries, and the query database stores the search results selected by users in response to each of the queries.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention is a system for managing a high volume of request reaching a file server which avoids slowing down of the request of all client computers. The system serves a limited number of clients at one time, and deploys an applet to other requesting clients which is programmed to check the server at a later time for availability, and through which a client user can be informed of estimated times to start and complete the download. A second aspect of the invention is a system managing traffic through a gateway between an Intranet and the Internet which accepts web resource requests along with threshold time value. The system matches up requests for the same resource received from different clients, and issues a single request for the matched up requests. The threshold time values of the requests may correspond to off peak hours when the gateway's resources are not over utilized. Methods and software for the systems are disclosed.

Abstract: An adaptive advertising system can be used in the context of an Internet environment. Transparently to the user, the system continuously operates in the background to adapt banner advertisements based on the detection of competing ads. The system includes a page analyzer that translates the hosted ad's web page into a document that can be analyzed for the presence of competing ads. An ad comparison unit compares the output of the page analyzer with information stored in the competitor ad database to detect competing ads. A design and layout evaluator detects the presence of color, texture, and animation in the competing ads. The ad summary evaluator identifies competing ads and devises a counter strategy for banner ad display. An ad display generator creates the enhanced multimedia banner ad based on the strategy determined by the ad summary evaluator. An ad web server transmits the new ad to the banner display module for display in place of the initial banner ad.

Abstract: A computer program product provides an active interactive document resource with an active shell surrounding its data. The shell operates in a runtime environment, a nest, and can operate with a helper process for the coordination and distribution of tasks. The active document in conjunction with its shell provides functionality in basic document management features, interactivity features, search, and other miscellaneous features such as imbedding dynamically generated content. Basic document features include automatic update or synchronization of document content, maintaining a list of similar documents, adding related or updated content, automatic update of the document's index, and automatic update and conversion of the underlying document format. Interactivity features include interacting with other documents within the same nest or other nests, interacting with users, and maintaining security.