Method and apparatus for facilitating use of hypertext links on the World Wide Web

Abstract

A database server contains pointers to useful information, such as on the World Wide Web. Users of the server may have hypertext links added automatically into documents they submit. Users may additionally contribute to the link database, thereby extending it, and may add additional qualifying information pertaining to the links.

1 . A computer-implemented method for automatically linking phrases in text, the method comprising:
 a) storing linkable phrases in a database;   b) receiving submitted text, wherein the submitted text contains at least one submitted phrase that matches a first linkable phrase in the database, and wherein the submitted phrase contains a shorter key that matches a second linkable phrase in the database;   c) searching the submitted text for an occurrence of a linkable phrase;   d) giving precedence to the submitted phrase over the shorter key it contains;   e) returning information corresponding to the found submitted phrase as output.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein storing linkable phrases in a database further includes the step of associating a linkable phrase with a context. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein searching occurs within a context. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the precedence is established based on an ordering of the stored linkable phrases in the database. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the returned information includes a pointer to a network resource associated with the found submitted phrase. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the returned information includes a ranked list of pointers to network resources associated with the found submitted phrase. 
     
     
         7 . A system for automatically linking phrases in text, comprising:
 a) a computer processor;   b) a storage medium containing stored linkable phrases;   c) text input means for receiving submitted text, wherein the submitted text contains at least one submitted phrase that matches a first linkable phrase, and wherein the submitted phrase contains a shorter key that matches a second linkable phrase;   d) matching means for searching the submitted text and finding an occurrence of the submitted phrase in preference over the shorter key it contains, thereby determining a found submitted phrase;   e) output means for returning information corresponding to the found submitted phrase.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the storage medium further contains information associating a linkable phrase with a context. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the matching means further comprises means for finding an occurrence of the submitted phrase in a particular context. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the stored linkable phrases are ordered so that the submitted phrase is ordered before the shorter key it contains, and wherein the matching means gives preference to the first match. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the output means comprises means for returning a pointer to a network resource associated with the found submitted phrase. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the output means comprises means for returning an ordered list of pointers to network resources.