US5963949A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for data gathering around forms and search barriers
Assignee: A9 com Inc
•
Filing: 1997-12-22
•
Granted: 1999-10-05
•
Expires: 2017-12-22
Abstract
Abstract According to the invention, methods for gathering data around forms having one or more fields, enabling a wrapper program to extract semistructured information by determining combinations of values for fields associated with particular forms; submitting the particular forms repeatedly for all combinations of interest and providing the results returned for further processing. In select embodiments, the combinations of values for fields is a Cartesian product of the possible values for the fields. Values to be submitted in the form fields may be specified by using a programming language such as Site Description Language (SDL) or Java.
Inventors
- 👤 Ashish Gupta
- 👤 Peter Norvig
- 👤 Anand Rajaraman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 16:12
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F40/00; G06F40/10; G06F40/166; G06F40/174; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for gathering data around forms in a wrapper program for accessing semistructured information, each form having zero or more fields, each field having one or more possible field values, comprising the steps of: computing a plurality of combinations for all field values in a particular form; for a particular combination in said plurality of combinations, submitting said particular form with said particular combination of field values; providing the results returned from the submitting step for further processing.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for gathering data around forms in a wrapper program for accessing semistructured information, each form having zero or more fields, each field having one or more possible field values, comprising the steps of: computing a plurality of combinations for all field values in a particular form; for a particular combination in said plurality of combinations, submitting said particular form with said particular combination of field values; providing the results returned from the submitting step for further processing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of combinations is determined by a Cartesian product.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: applying the submitting and providing steps repeatedly to process all combinations in said plurality of combinations.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said forms are provided by web pages on the Internet.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said forms are provided by web pages on an intranet.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said forms are provided by web pages on an extranet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said steps are specified to a computing system using a programming language.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said data comprises shopping information.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said data comprises job information.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said data comprises real estate information.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said data comprises semistructured information.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said particular form further comprises an indicator that further information is available on a subsequent page, said subsequent page being retrievable by a mechanism, said mechanism having a trigger for obtaining said subsequent page, further comprising the steps of: submitting said particular form with said trigger in order to obtain said further information.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said mechanism is a button mechanism and said trigger is a get event.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said mechanism is a form mechanism and said trigger is a post event.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for indexing data around forms in a wrapper program for accessing semistructured information, each form having zero or more fields, each field having one or more possible field values, comprising the steps of: computing a plurality of combinations for all field values in a particular form; for a particular combination in said plurality of combinations, submitting said particular form with said particular combination of field values; providing the results returned from the submitting step for further processing.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for indexing data around forms in a wrapper program for accessing semistructured information, each form having zero or more fields, each field having one or more possible field values, comprising the steps of: computing a plurality of combinations for all field values in a particular form; for a particular combination in said plurality of combinations, submitting said particular form with said particular combination of field values; providing the results returned from the submitting step for further processing.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said plurality of combinations is determined by a Cartesian product.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of: applying the submitting and providing steps repeatedly to process all combinations in said plurality of combinations.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said forms are provided by web pages on the Internet.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said forms are provided by web pages on an intranet.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said forms are provided by web pages on an extranet.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said steps are specified to a computing system using a programming language.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said data comprises shopping information.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said data comprises job information.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said data comprises real estate information.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said data comprises semistructured information.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said particular form further comprises an indicator that further information is available on a subsequent page, said subsequent page being retrievable by a mechanism, said mechanism having a trigger for obtaining said subsequent page, further comprising the steps of: submitting said particular form with said trigger in order to obtain said further information.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said mechanism is a button mechanism and said trigger is a get event.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 26 wherein said mechanism is a form mechanism and said trigger is a post event.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
92 words
A method for specifying a wrapper program for accessing semistructured information from a plurality of forms, each form having one or more fields, each field having one or more possible field values, comprising the steps of: specifying an identity of a particular form in said plurality of forms; specifying a plurality of input values for said one or more fields of said particular form; specifying a variable for storing a plurality of data returned from submission of said particular form with said plurality of input values for said one or more fields.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
92 words
A method for specifying a wrapper program for accessing semistructured information from a plurality of forms, each form having one or more fields, each field having one or more possible field values, comprising the steps of: specifying an identity of a particular form in said plurality of forms; specifying a plurality of input values for said one or more fields of said particular form; specifying a variable for storing a plurality of data returned from submission of said particular form with said plurality of input values for said one or more fields.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 29 wherein a particular field is capable of having a plurality of values for a particular submission, further comprising specifying all particular values in said plurality of values using a syntactic means.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 29 wherein a particular field is restricted to a set of possible values, further comprising specifying a plurality of values for said particular field which are members of said set of possible values.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 29 further comprising specifying an alternate variable for storing a plurality of data returned from submission of said particular form with said plurality of input values for said one or more fields.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 29 wherein said forms are provided by web pages on the Internet.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 29 wherein said forms are provided by web pages on an intranet.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 29 wherein said particular form further comprises an indicator that further information is available on a subsequent page, said subsequent page being retrievable by a mechanism, said mechanism having a trigger for obtaining said subsequent page, further comprising the steps of: specifying said particular form with said trigger in order to obtain said further information.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 35 wherein said mechanism is a button mechanism and said trigger is a get event.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 35 wherein said mechanism is a form mechanism and said trigger is a post event.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 29 wherein said specifying steps are performed using a programming language.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5768578A
Cited
US5708825A
Cited
US5745754A
Cited
US5737592A
Cited
US5884309A
Cited
US5790785A
Cited
US5804803A
Cited
US5715453A
Cited
US5864871A
Cited
US5826258A
Cited
US5835905A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-10-04 | 2003-04-05 | 2003-10-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-10-04 | 2007-04-05 | 2007-10-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-10-04 | 2011-04-05 | 2011-10-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |