Distributed search system and method

Abstract

A method and system for providing distributing a query to devices on a communications network, such as servers on the internet, using an application that can survey a subscriber's server that can include text documents and databases, and use the formatting information and data from the survey to create at least one dictionary customized to the subscriber's data sources. A user seeking information can initiate a search or query from an initiating device using keywords, natural language terms, connectors, expressions, etc., and the query can be transmitted to various subscriber customized dictionaries. The customized dictionaries can customize the query based on respective subscriber databases and text documents, text search engines, etc., to produce an customized query result. The query results can be filtered and integrated for presentation to the initiating device. Search results can be customized using user preference or profile information.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.