Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-26
2004-02-03
Rones, Charles (Department: 2175)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C709S218000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06687712
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a scientific information viewing system for viewing scientific information which is information relating to scientific fields through communication lines, and a host computer and a viewing computer for use with the system. In particular, the invention relates to a technique for efficiently searching and viewing scientific information.
Scientific fields include various fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, medicine and so on, and cover extensive ranges. Thus, a computer system is used to search and view, through the Internet, for example, information relating to the scientific fields (hereinafter called “scientific information” as appropriate), such as scientific/technical software, information regarding academic societies or exhibitions, advertisements and so on.
Specifically, organizations operating in the scientific fields, such as laboratories, business enterprises relating to science, and individual persons interested in science, set up Web sites or home pages by using a computer system to offer the above scientific information on computers, thereby to disclose the information to people (hereinafter called “the user” as appropriate) wishing to view such information through the computer system.
On the other hand, the user may access directly to the Web sites of the organizations in the scientific fields by using the computer system, make a search by inputting key words through a search device (search engine), or access desired information by using mail magazines.
However, the user encounters the following inconvenience in accessing the above scientific information by using a conventional computer system.
It is very troublesome to search and view desired information.
The user not knowing the addresses of sites (URLs or Uniform Resource Locators, e.g. Http://www . . .) must make a search through a search device as noted above. Since the scientific fields cover extensive ranges as noted above, such results could reach several thousands to several tens of thousands, depending on information sought or key words inputted. To confirm whether the information serves the purpose, the user must check each of the numerous search results.
The Web sites are set up individually. Even when the user knows the address of one site, he or she may fail to find desired information at this site. Then, the user must make a new attempt to access a different Web site.
In particular, the development of computer technology has produced overwhelming quantities of information on scientific and technical software. When purchasing software by relying, for example, on information on software used in a scientific field (hereinafter called “software information” as appropriate), information relating to that software retrieved may be insufficient. To determine whether the software is what the user desires to obtain, it may be necessary to run the software for demonstration. In practice, “demonstration downloading” is often offered at Web sites for the user to test the performance of software before purchase. Thus, it takes time to examine one piece of software, and great trouble must be taken before the user reaches a desired piece of software.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been made having regard to the state of the art noted above, and its object is to allow desired scientific information to be searched and viewed in an efficient way.
The above object is fulfilled, according to this invention, by a scientific information viewing system comprising an uploading computer for uploading scientific information which is information relating to scientific fields, a host computer for storing the scientific information, and a viewing computer for viewing the scientific information, the computers being interconnected through communication lines, wherein the uploading computer includes a first display/input device for displaying and inputting the scientific information; the host computer includes a storage device for storing the scientific information as hierarchized at at least three levels of field, category and software product, and a search device for searching and retrieving given scientific information from the storage device; the viewing computer includes a second display/input device for displaying the scientific information and inputting search information for searching the scientific information; the uploading computer transmitting the scientific information inputted by the first display/input device to the host computer through one of the communication lines; the host computer hierarchizing the scientific information and storing the scientific information in the storage device; the viewing computer transmitting the search information inputted by the second display/input device to the host computer through the other communication line; the host computer searching the scientific information stored in the storage device, based on the search information, and transmitting search results to the viewing computer through the other communication line; and the viewing computer displaying the search results for browsing.
In the system according to this invention, the scientific information inputted by the first display/input device of the uploading computer is transmitted from the uploading computer through the communication line to the host computer. The scientific information transmitted to the host computer is stored in the storage device as hierarchized at at least three levels of field, category and software product. The search information inputted by the second input/display device of the viewing computer is transmitted from the viewing computer through the communication line to the host computer. Based on the search information transmitted to the host computer, the search device searches the scientific information stored in the host computer. Search results are transmitted from the host computer through the communication line to the viewing computer.
In time of the search, the scientific information has been arranged in a hierarchy. When the search information is applied to the host computer from the viewing computer, the search device outputs search results immediately. The search results are transmitted from the host computer to the viewing computer. Thus, when the search information is inputted in the order of field, category and software product by the second display/input device of the viewing computer, the scientific information is immediately displayed as search results on the viewing computer to enable an efficient browsing.
In this invention, one example of the scientific information is software information which is information on software for use in scientific fields. In this case, the software information transmitted from the uploading computer to the host computer is stored in the storage device as hierarchized at at least three levels of field, category and software product. With the search information transmitted from the viewing computer to the host computer, the search device allows the software information to be displayed immediately as search results on the viewing computer to realize an efficient browsing.
Other examples of the scientific information are academic society and exhibition information which is information on academic societies and exhibitions, and advertisement information which is information on advertisements. In this case, as in the case of software information, the information transmitted from the uploading computer to the host computer is stored in the storage device as hierarchized at at least three levels of field, category and software product. With the search information transmitted from the viewing computer to the host computer, the search device allows the software information to be displayed immediately as search results on the viewing computer to realize an efficient browsing.
Preferably, the host computer includes a translating device for translating the scientific information into different languages. The translating device is operable to translate the scientific inform
Mito Yasuhiro
Nakagawa Katsuhiro
Mahmoudi Hassan
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
Rones Charles
Shimadzu Corporation
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