Remote-agent-object based multilevel broweser

Abstract

A architecture is provided to enable a client web browser to conduct and manage a multilevel search. The browser includes an application layer interface. The application layer interface is for coupling to network via a protocol stack. The browser also includes a markup language parser. The parser receives information from the application layer interface. The browser includes a graphical user interface for presenting information to a user and allowing the user to specify a set of multilevel search parameters. The browser also includes a multilevel object factory coupled to receive a first input relating to a target web page and a second input specifying a multilevel browser operation such as a multilevel search. The multilevel object factory specifies a remote object agent that orchestrates a multilevel browser operation based upon the first and second inputs. The remote object agent is exported from the web browser to execute on a network server.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . For use in servicing a search request, a method comprising: 
 processing a set of metadata sitemap information associated with a first network-accessible document to determine the presence of one or more second network accessible documents and to make the one or more second network accessible documents available for use in searching operations;    accepting from a remote client-side computerized device via an application-layer interface at least two parameters, including a first parameter that defines a content based search string and a second parameter that defines a linked set of documents wherein each document in the linked set of documents is a member of a group consisting of: documents linked to a target web page via one or more levels of hyperlinks, and documents whose respective hyperlink web addresses fall within a specified domain relative to a hyperlink base address;    implementing a search over the linked set of documents based upon the at least two parameters to cause each respective document in the linked set of documents to be analyzed to determine whether its respective content is respectively associated with the content based search string, and if so, identifying it as a selected respective document; and    for each selected respective document, selectively coupling back to the client-side computerized device information related to the selected respective document;    wherein each selected respective document contains information that is associated with the first parameter and is guaranteed to be a member of the linked set of documents as defined by the second parameter;    wherein the first parameter is not re-entered into any embedded search engines found in the linked set of documents or any other search engines to extend the search beyond the linked set of documents; and    wherein the linked set of documents comprises one or more of the one or more second network accessible documents.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the information related to the selected respective document comprises the selected respective document.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 accepting from the client-side computerized device via the application-layer interface a portable executable program code;    wherein the implementing the search is performed at least in part by execution of at least some of the portable executable program code.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each document in the linked set of documents is a member of the group consisting of documents linked to the target web page via one or more levels of hyperlinks.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein each document in the linked set of documents is a member of the group consisting of documents whose respective hyperlink web addresses fall within the specified domain relative to the hyperlink base address.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the metadata sitemap information is encoded using a syntax that is a member of the group consisting of resource description framework (RDF) language, and extensible markup language (XML).  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 accepting from the client-side computerized device via the application-layer interface a third parameter related to a current geographic location of the client-side computerized device;    wherein the implementing of the search additionally uses the third parameter to determine whether the content associated with each respective document further meets a geographic location criterion, and only if the content additionally meets the geographical location criterion, identifying the respective document as a selected respective document.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the client-side computerized device and the server side method utilize remote object technology, and the application layer interface comprises a remote object interface.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 accepting from the client-side computerized device via the application-layer interface a third parameter that designates a file type;    wherein each document in the linked set of documents is a member of a group consisting of documents whose respective hyperlink web addresses fall within the specified domain relative to the hyperlink base address; and    wherein the method only couples back information related to selected respective documents that are of the designated file type.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the designated file type is a .pdf file type.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the designated file type is a .ppt file type.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the second parameter includes a user-entered text string that identifies the specified domain.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 accepting from the client-side computerized device via the application-layer interface a third parameter that identifies a subsection type which is a member of the group consisting of a paragraph type, a heading type, and a designated tagged object type;    wherein each document in the linked set of documents is a member of the group consisting of documents whose respective hyperlink web addresses fall within the specified domain relative to the hyperlink base address; and    wherein the method only couples back a document as a selected respective document if the first parameter is matched by text found in a subsection of the identified subsection type within the document.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the second parameter includes a user-entered text string that defines the specified domain.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 accepting from the client-side computerized device via the application-layer interface a third parameter that designates a file type;    accepting from the client-side computerized device via the application-layer interface a fourth parameter that identifies a subsection type which is a member of the group consisting of a paragraph type, a heading type, and a designated tagged object type;    wherein each document in the linked set of documents is a member of a group consisting of documents whose respective hyperlink web addresses fall within the specified domain relative to the hyperlink base address; and    wherein the method identify a document as the selected respective document if the document is of the designated file type and if the first parameter is matched by text found in a subsection of the identified subsection type within the document.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the second parameter includes a user-entered text string that defines the specified domain.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth parameters are entered by a user of the client-side computerized device via a user interface.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 accepting from the client-side computerized device via the application-layer interface a third parameter that identifies an image file type;    wherein each document in the -linked set of documents is a member of a group consisting of documents whose respective hyperlink web addresses fall within the specified domain relative to the hyperlink base address.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the image file type is a .gif file type.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the image file type is a .mpg moving image file type.