SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING RELEVANCY OF QUERY RESPONSES IN A DISTRIBUTED NETWORK SEARCH MECHANISM

摘要

A system and method for selecting or ordering search results (fig. 1) received from members of a distributing search network in response to a search request. Network nodes operating as consumer or requesting nodes generate the search requests. Nodes operating as hubs (110A, 100B, 100C) are configured to route the search requests in the network. Individual nodes operating as provider (120B) nodes receive the search request and in response may generate results according to their own procedures and return them. Communication between nodes in the network may use a common query protocol. Hub nodes may resolve the search requests to a subset of the provider (120B) nodes in the network, for example by matching search requests with registration information from nodes. Search results may be selected, ordered, and/or consolidated for use by the requesting nodes receiving a plurality of the search results.