Targeted distribution of search index fragments over a wireless communication network

#This application relates generally to the field of data processing systems. More particularly, this application relates to an improved architecture for generating and distributing search indexes over a wireless communication network.

#A “search engine” is an information retrieval system designed to help locate data stored on a computer system or a network of computer systems such as on the World Wide Web. The search engine allows a user to request content meeting specific criteria and generates a list of items that match those criteria. The list is often sorted with respect to some measure of relevance of the search results.

#As illustrated in FIG. 1, search engines 130 use search “indexes” 120 to operate quickly and efficiently. In operation, index generation logic 110 continually updates the index 120 using information gathered from Web servers 100-102 (or other types of servers). One well known form of index generation logic 110 is a “Web crawler” (also known as a “Web spider” or “Web robot”), a program or automated script that browses the World Wide Web in a methodical, automated manner and extracts text and metadata from Web pages to generate the index 120.

#A better understanding of targeted distribution of search index fragments over a wireless communication network can be obtained from the following detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 illustrates an architecture of a prior art search engine and index.

#FIG. 2 illustrates the manner in which tokens are arranged in an exemplary inverted index.

#Throughout the description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding, yet it will be apparent, to one skilled in the art that targeted distribution of search index fragments over a wireless communication network may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring any underlying principles.

#Embodiments of the invention may be implemented on a wireless device 310 which communicates with a data processing service 300 as illustrated generally in FIG. 3. Embodiments of a service 300 and data processing device 310 are described, for example, in co-pending application entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTEGRATING PERSONAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND MESSAGING APPLICATIONS, Ser. No. 10/262,298, filed Sep. 30, 2002, and embodiments of dynamically managing presence and contact information on a data processing device 310 are described in co-pending application entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMICALLY MANAGING PRESENCE AND CONTACT INFORMATION, Ser. No. 10/611,019, filed Jun. 30, 2003 (hereinafter “co-pending applications”), which are assigned to the assignee of the present application and which are incorporated herein by reference.

#Certain features of the service 300 will now be described followed by a detailed description of the system and method for distributing targeted search indexes over a wireless network. It should be noted, however, that the specific data processing device and system architecture described in the co-pending applications are not required for implementing the underlying principles of the invention.