Apparatus and method of implementing fast internet real-time search technology (FIRST)

Abstract

An apparatus for and method of monitoring and retrieving identifiable statements and other information pertinent to one or more desired search terms or concepts. In a preferred embodiment, a fast Internet real-time search technology (FIRST) system provides a user interface for inputting and editing a list of desired search terms, and a list of resource locations to be monitored. A server causes the periodic access of each resource location listed to determine whether any information on a particular resource location has been added that is pertinent to the desired search terms since the previous visit to the location. Any added information is returned to the server for processing. An alert message can be generated and forwarded to an intended recipient to alert the recipient of the added information.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters patent of the United States is:  
     
         1 . An information monitoring system comprising:  
 a processing unit; and     a memory, wherein a computer program is stored in said memory for execution by said processing unit to locate real-time information pertinent to a desired search term, to determine if the located information differs from tracking information corresponding to a given location, and to generate an alert according to a difference from the tracking information.    
     
     
         2 . The information monitoring system as recited in    claim 1   , wherein said memory further stores a resource listing containing a list of a plurality of locations to be monitored for information pertinent to a desired search term.  
     
     
         3 . The information monitoring system as recited in    claim 2   , wherein the resource listing identifies locations using a uniform resource locator (URL) that identifies web pages, message boards, and locations of discussions groups located on the Internet.  
     
     
         4 . The information monitoring system as recited in    claim 3   , wherein the resource listing identifies e-mail recipients using e-mail addresses, said processing unit executing the computer program so as to monitor e-mail messages addressed to the identified e-mail recipients to locate information pertinent to the search terms.  
     
     
         5 . The information monitoring system as recited in    claim 4   , wherein said processing unit monitors the listed locations for information pertinent to desired search terms by performing a search task that attempts to match the text of at least one desired search term with the text of the resource location identified in the resource listing.  
     
     
         6 . The information monitoring system as recited in    claim 4   , wherein said processing unit monitors the listed locations for information pertinent to desired search terms by performing a search task that returns data which contain references to messages on the resource location identified in the resource listing.  
     
     
         7 . A method of searching for information pertinent to a desired list of terms, the method comprising the steps of:  
 periodically accessing predetermined resources found on a communication network so as to effect real-time monitoring of the resources;     downloading data from each of the predetermined resources;     determining whether the downloaded data contains information pertinent to at least one term on the desired list of terms; and     identifying any updates to the pertinent information downloaded from each of the predetermined resources.    
     
     
         8 . The method of searching for information recited in    claim 7   , further comprising the step of modifying a client file containing the list of predetermined resources to include e-mail newsletters, Usenet newsgroups, and proprietary network chat rooms to be accessed by said step of periodically accessing.  
     
     
         9 . The method of searching for information recited in    claim 8   , further comprising the step of sending an e-mail alert message to at least one alert addressee listed in the client file, the alert message containing the update to the pertinent information identified in said step of identifying any updates to the pertinent information.  
     
     
         10 . The method of searching for information recited in    claim 9   , further comprising the step of generating an alert message containing text, graphics, audio or video information pertinent to at least one term on the desired list of terms contained in the client file.  
     
     
         11 . The method of searching for information recited in    claim 7   , wherein said step of determining whether the downloaded data contains information pertinent to at least one term on the desired list of terms comprises the substep of performing a concept search that identifies information as pertinent to at least one desired term based on conceptual relevancy irrespective of the textual match between the listed terms and terms found in the data downloaded from the predetermined resources.  
     
     
         12 . A fast Internet real-time search technology (FIRST) system for use in monitoring information on Web pages, message boards, chat rooms, discussion groups, e-mail messages, and other communications over the Internet, the FIRST system comprising:  
 a user interface which creates client files, each client file including a list of desired search terms for which the FIRST system is to monitor communications over the Internet, a list of desired resource locations on the Internet for which the FIRST system is to monitor, and a list of desired recipients for whom the FIRST system is to alert upon uncovering information concerning one or more of the desired search terms listed in the client file;     a Maximillian server processing requests for monitoring communications over the Internet, said Maximillian server including a client file reader parsing client files to coordinate execution of monitoring for desired search terms in the resource locations identified in the client files, and a script directory identifying at least one bot launched to examine data retrieved from at least one resource location identified in the client files; and     an alert generator communicating an alert from the FIRST system to the desired recipients listed in the client files based on results produced after examination by the at least one bot, wherein the alert is an e-mail message sent to all of the desired recipients listed in a particular client file corresponding to the results produced by the at least one bot.    
     
     
         13 . The fast Internet real-time search technology (FIRST) system according to    claim 12   , wherein the resource locations include static and dynamic Websites, user postings on Websites, and e-mail bulletins, and wherein the data examined by the at least one bot includes textual, pictorial, aural, and visual information.  
     
     
         14 . The fast Internet real-time search technology (FIRST) system according to    claim 12   , further comprising a plurality of bots launched by said Maximillian server in accordance with the script directory, each bot examining a respective one of the resource locations listed in the client file.  
     
     
         15 . The fast Internet real-time search technology (FIRST) system according to    claim 14   , wherein at least one of said plurality of bots examines a resource location and determines whether a textual match is made between the desired search terms and the data retrieved from the resource location.  
     
     
         16 . The fast Internet real-time search technology (FIRST) system according to    claim 15   , wherein the at least one of said plurality of bots examines a resource location and determines whether a conceptual match is made between the desired search terms and the data retrieved from the resource location.  
     
     
         17 . An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable storage medium having stored therein indicia of a plurality of machine-executable control program steps, the control program comprising the steps of:  
 (a) inputting a list of monitored sites and identified terms, wherein data related to such terms may appear in the monitored sites;     (b) retrieving data from one of the monitored sites;     (c) examining the data to return any portion of the data related to the identified terms;     (d) using a tracking index to detect a real-time change in the data on the monitored site retrieved in step (b);     (e) retrieving the real-time change in the data on the monitored site based on the tracking index;     (f) generating an information alert to inform an intended recipient of the real-time change in data on the monitored site retrieved in step (b); and     (g) repeating steps (b) through (f) for each monitored site listed in step (a).    
     
     
         18 . The article of manufacture of    claim 17   , wherein the returning step (c) of the control program comprises the substep of retrieving messages from message boards dedicated to discussion of at least one term identified in said inputting step (a).  
     
     
         19 . The article of manufacture of    claim 17   , wherein the tracking index of step (d) is a message identification number originating on a monitored site.  
     
     
         20 . The article of manufacture of    claim 19   , wherein the change in the data retrieved in step (e) includes a subject of a message on a message board related to at least one term identified in said inputting step (a) and the identity of the entity posting the message.