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`WO 01163406
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`PCT/US01l05926
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`Client-Server Multitasking
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`by
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`HARVEY LUNENFELD
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`5
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
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`Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 1
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`Background of the Invention ......................................................................................................................................... 3
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`Field of the Invention ................................................................................................................................................ 3
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`10
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`Background Art ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
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`SUl11Illary ....................................................................... : ............................................................................................... 3
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`Drawings ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9
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`Description .................................................................................................................................................................. 15
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`I. System ................................................................................................................................................................. 15
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`15
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`A. Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 15
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`E. Optional Database .......................................................................................................................................... 17
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`F. Additional Details .......................................................................................................................................... 18
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`II. A Particular User, User Interface, and Client on the Network ........................................................................... 20
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`A. Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 20
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`20
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`B. Diagral11Illatic Regrouping ...... ' ....................................................................................................................... 22
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`III. A Particular Service and/or Information Request and Associated Service and/or Information Response on the
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`Network ................................................................................................................................................................... 23
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`B. The Server PS (18) ....................................................................................................................................... 23
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`C. Certain Ones of the Clients ............................................................................................................................ 27
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`25
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`D. Formulating Query Information Groups ........................................................................................................ 32
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`IV Process ............................................................................................................................................................... 39
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`V. Additional Details ............................................................................................................................................... 46
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`A. User Input ...................................................................................................................................................... 46
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`B. User Interface Details .................................................................................................................................... 47
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`30
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`C. Service and/or Information Request Details .................................................................................................. 48
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`D. Optional Instructions ..................................................................................................................................... 49
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`E. COl11Illunicating the Service and/or Information Requests ............................................................................ .49
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`F. Parsing, Processing, and/or Formatting the Service and/or Information Requests ......................................... 50
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`G . Formulating the Requests .............................................................................................................................. 51
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`35
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`H. Determining Queries and Servers to Make the Requests Thereof.. ............................................................... 54
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`I. Grouping the Queries and Sorting/Grouping Criteria ..................................................................................... 56
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`J. COl11Illunicating the Requests to the Servers ................................................................................................... 61
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`K. Replies from the Servers ................................................................................................................................ 63
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`L. Parsing, Processing, Formatting, Sorting, Grouping, and Organizing Responses into Service and/or
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`40
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`Infonnation Responses ........................................................................................................................................ 66
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`M. Typical Service and/or Information Entry Request Forms, Typical Completed Service and/or Information
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`Entry Request Forms, and Typical Service and/or Information Response Forms ............................................... 71
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`N. Additional Features and/or Other Considerations ........................................................................................... 84
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`Claims ......................................................................................................................................................................... 94 <
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`5 Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................................... 97
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`WO 01163406
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`PCT/US01l05926
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`Client-Server Multitasking
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`by
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`HARVEY LUNENFELD
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`5
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`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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`10 The present invention relates generally to clients and servers and more particularly to client-server multitasking.
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`BACKGROUND ART
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`Clients, servers, and client-server systems have been known. However there is a need for client-server multitasking.
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`15 A client-server multitasking system and process are needed, which are capable of information and/or service retrieval
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`from the same and/or different ones of servers substantially simultaneously and on-the-fly, using the same and/or
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`different ones of queries, and sorting, grouping, and/or organizing responses therefrom substantially on-the-fly.
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`20
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`SUMMARY
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`The present invention is directed to a client-server multitasking system and process capable of information and/or
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`service retrieval from the same and/or different ones of servers substantially simultaneously and on-the-fly, using the
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`same and/or different ones of queries of the same and/or different ones ofthe servers, and sorting, grouping, and/or
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`organizing responses therefrom substantially on-the-fly, and communicating service and/or information responses to
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`25
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`the requestors and/or users substantially simultaneously and on-the-fly. The client-server multitasking system and
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`process is capable of use on a variety of networks, such as global area networks, and in particular the internet,
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`metropolitan area networks, wide area networks, and local area networks, and be capable of searching search engines
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`and/or other sites substantially simultaneously and on-the-fly.
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`30 The client-server multitasking system and process is capable of retrieving substantially mUltiple simultaneous
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`services and/or information having the same and/or different criteria from the same and/or different servers, sorting,
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`grouping, and/or organizing the responses from the servers and/or the clients into information and/or services
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`responses, and communicating the service and/or information responses to the requestors and/or the users
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`substantially simultaneously. The requestors and/or the users may make substantially simultaneous service and/or
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`35
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`information requests of servers and clients, using the same and/or different queries, and/or the same and/or different
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`instructions. The same and/or different uniform resource locators, target resources, and/or paths may be used.
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`The client-server multitasking system and process is capable of making multiple substantially simultaneous same
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`and/or different requests of same and/or different servers, organizing responses from the servers into service and/or
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`infonnation responses, and communicating the service and/or infonnation responses to the requestors and/or the
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`users substantially simultaneously.
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`The client-server multitasking system and process is also capable of sorting, grouping, and/or organizing results
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`5
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`therefrom the servers, search engines, and/or sites, in accordance with instructions from the requestors and/or the
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`users, and/or instructions resident within the client-server multitasking system and/or process. The client-server
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`multitasking system is capable of use in a variety of applications, and is capable ofinfonnation comparison and/or
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`trend analysis ofinfonnation from the same and/or different sources substantially simultaneously. The client-server
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`multitasking system and process is also be capable of building a client-server multitasking system search engine
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`10
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`and/or database therefrom responses returned from the servers, search engines, and/or sites being queried and/or
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`searched, and/or having requests made thereof, be capable of being searched and/or queried, querying sites
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`referenced therein the client-server multitasking system search engine and/or database, and updating information
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`and/or services stored therein.
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`15 The client-server multitasking system and process are capable ofinfonnation and/or service retrieval from the same
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`and/or different ones of servers substantially simultaneously and on-the-fly, using the same and/or different ones of
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`queries, and sorting, grouping, and/or organizing responses therefrom substantially on-the-fly.
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`A requestor and/or user is capable of making substantially multiple simultaneous same and/or different requests of
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`20
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`same and/or different servers. The client server-multitasking system and process is capable of organizing responses
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`from the servers into service and/or infonnation responses, and communicating the service and/or infonnation
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`responses to the requestors andlor the users substantially simultaneously, and on-the-fly.
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`The requestors and/or users are capable of making substantially simultaneous service and/or infonnation requests of
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`25
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`the same andlor different ones of servers and/or clients, using the same and/or different queries, and/or the same
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`andlor different instructions. The client-server multitasking system and process is capable of retrieving substantially
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`multiple simultaneous services andlor infonnation having the same and/or different criteria from the same and/or
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`different servers, sorting, grouping, andlor organizing the responses from the servers and/or the clients into
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`infonnation and/or services responses, and communicating the service and/or infonnation responses to the requestors
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`30
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`and/or the users substantially simultaneously. The same and/or different ones ofunifonn resource locators, target
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`resources, and/or paths may be used.
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`The requestors and/or users are capable of making multiple simultaneous searches. The searches may have at least
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`one or a plurality of same or different queries of the same andlor different servers and/or clients. The responses from
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`35
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`the servers and/or the clients may be of being organized into the service and/or infonnation response in a variety of
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`fonnats. The responses may be sorted within the service and/or infonnation response, such as, for example, by
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`category, query, group, page, order of importance, ascending and/or descending order, alphabetically and/or
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`numerically, or other characteristics, as detennined by the requestor, andlor the user, and/or the client-server
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`multitasking system, and/or the responses may be combined within the service and/or infonnation response, such as,
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`for example, interleaving the responses one with the other, such as, for example, by order of relevance or other
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`parameters. The responses may also be capable of being grouped by search criteria, server, order of importance, or
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`by numerical factors such as value, price, or other numerical quantifier. For example, the responses may be
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`presentable, for example, in ascending or descending order in interleaved format, such as top ones, twos, threes, and
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`so on, or presentable separately to the requestor and/or the user. The order may be order of importance or relevance
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`5
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`related, or, for example, numerically valued, such as price or stock market value.
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`The client-server multitasking system and process is capable of information and/or service retrieval from the same
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`and/or different ones ofthe servers substantially simultaneously and on-the-fly, using the same and/or different ones
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`ofthe queries, and sorting, grouping, and/or organizing responses therefrom substantially on-the-fly.
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`10
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`The client-server multitasking system and process is capable of substantially multiple simultaneous searching, using
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`the same and/or different ones of queries of the same and/or different ones ofthe clients and/or servers, which may
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`be search engines, and/or sites, and/or servers, and/or locations on the network, and additionally and/or alternatively
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`building a client-server multitasking search engine and/or database. The client-server multitasking search engine
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`15
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`and/or database is capable of storing the information and/or services retrieved therefrom the search engines, and/or
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`sites, and/or servers, and/or locations being queried on the network therein, and building the client-server search
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`engine and/or database. The client-server multitasking search engine should is also capable of being queried either
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`directly and/or in combination therewith the substantially simultaneous searching, using the same and/or different
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`queries of the same and/or different search engines, sites, servers, and/or databases. The client-server multitasking
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`search engine and/or database should is also capable of updating information and/or services stored therein by
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`querying sites, servers, search engines, and/or databases containing information and/or services referenced in client(cid:173)
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`server multitasking search engine and/or database.
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`The client-server multitasking system and process is also capable of use on a variety of networks, such as global area
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`25
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`networks, and in particular the internet, metropolitan area networks, wide area networks, and local area networks.
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`The client-server multitasking system and process are capable of substantially simultaneous searching of the same
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`and/or different ones of search engines and/or sites on the network substantially on-the-fly, with the same and/or
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`different ones of the queries, and sorting, grouping, and/or organizing responses therefrom substantially on-the-fly.
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`30
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`The client-server multitasking system and process are also capable of sorting, grouping, and/or organizing results
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`therefrom the servers, search engines, and/or sites, in accordance with instructions from the requestors, and/or
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`instructions resident within the client-server multitasking system and/or process. The client-server multitasking
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`system and process are also capable drilling down and/or up to different levels within the search engines, sites,
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`and/or servers being queried.
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`The client-server multitasking system and process are capable of providing manual and/or timed updates. Such
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`timed updates allow for motion related presentation to the requestor and/or the user.
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`The client-server multitasking system and process are capable of incorporating information and/or services thereinto
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`a variety of user interfaces at different locations therein the user interfaces, greuping, and/or organizing the- -
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`.....
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`""
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`information and/or services, and optionally eliminating duplicate information and/or services.
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`5 The client-server multitasking system and process are capable of incorporating links, graphics, video, text, and
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`audio, and/or combinations thereof, and selective advertising, according to selectable search, query, sorting, and/or
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`grouping criteria, and/or combinations thereof thereinto the information and/or services to be delivered thereto the
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`user interfaces. The requestor and/or the user may place orders, such as purchases, and/or other types of orders,
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`payments, confirmations thereof, and/or combinations thereof, either directly and/or therethrough servers and/or sites
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`10
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`thereon the network.
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`The client-server multitasking system is capable of use in a variety of applications, and is capable of information
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`comparison and/or trend analysis of information from the same and/or different sources substantially simultaneously.
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`The client-server multitasking system is capable of, for example, determining best query results, with respect to a
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`15
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`plurality of search engine results; purchasing and/or price comparisons, viewing and/or reviewing prices/values and
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`trends for different sites, determining lowest costs and lowest cost analyses for wholesale and retail purposes;
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`product availability, e.g., airline tickets, pricing, and ticket availability, from different airlines to the same and/or
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`different locations; purchasing of commodities and/or stocks form the same and/or different sites with updates every
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`few seconds and/or minutes; obtaining prices and/or values in different stock markets substantially simultaneously;
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`20
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`and searching for jobs on the same and/or different job sites, using the same and/or different job criteria, for
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`'example, on a daily basis, the job sites having changing job availability; and/or a combination thereof, all
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`substantially simultaneously. The client-server multitasking system is capable of presenting information and/or
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`services for review and/or updating from the same and/or different ones of sites, servers, and/or applications
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`substantially simultaneously, and trend analysis thereof, using a variety of sorting, grouping and/or organizing
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`criteria, according to the needs ofthe requestor, and/or the user, and/or resident within the client-server multitasking
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`system.
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`The client server-multitasking system and process are capable of service and/or information retrieval from at least
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`one server, organization, communication, and presentation of such services and/or information to at least one
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`30
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`requestor and/or user, and/or optional storage, and/or retrieval of such services and/or information from the optional
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`storage. The client-server multitasking system and process are capable of building a client-server multitasking
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`system search engine and/or database therefrom responses returned from the servers, search engines, and/or sites
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`being queried and/or searched, and/or having requests made thereof. The client-server multitasking system search
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`engine and/or database having stored information and/or services therein are also searchable, are capable of full text
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`searches thereof, and are searchable by the servers and/or the clients on the network, either separately and/or in
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`combination therewith the substantially simultaneous multiple same and/or different searches and/or queries of the
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`same and/or different servers on the network. Information therein the client-server multitasking system search
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`engine and/or database are also searchable and/or retrievable, and are capable of being incorporated therein the
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`service and/or information responses delivered thereto the user interfaces, according to search criteria, selectively
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`40
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`and/or automatically, by the requestor and/or the user. The client-server multitasking system search engine and/or
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`database are capable of spidering, and/or roboting, and/or querying sites, services and/or information to be stored
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`therein and/or stored therein the client-server multitasking system search engine and/or database, and updating the
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`services and/or information to be stored and/or stored therein the client-server multitasking system search engine
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`and/or database.
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`5
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`The client-server multitasking system and process are capable of retrieving, parsing, processing, formatting,
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`organizing, grouping, sorting, and consolidating services and/or information therefrom the same and/or different
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`ones of the servers and/or clients having the same and/or different structures, formats, organizations, groupings,
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`and/or data structures, and incorporating the parsed, processed, formatted, organized, grouped, sorted, and
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`10
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`consolidated services and/or information thereinto user responses for delivery to and use by the requestors and/or
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`users.
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`The client-server multitasking system and process, then, are capable of information and/or service retrieval from the
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`same and/or different ones of servers substantially simultaneously and on-the-fly, using the same and/or different
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`15
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`ones of queries of the same and/or different ones of the servers, and sorting, grouping, and/or organizing responses
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`therefrom substantially on-the-fly, and communicating service and/or information responses to the requestors and/or
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`users substantially simultaneously and on-the-fly. The client-server multitasking system and process are capable of
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`use on a variety of networks, such as global area networks, and in particular the intemet, metropolitan area networks,
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`wide area networks, and local area networks, and are capable of searching search engines and/or other sites
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`20
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`substantially simultaneously and on-the-fly. The client-server multitasking system and process are capable of
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`sorting, grouping, and/or organizing results therefrom the servers, search engines, and/or sites, in accordance with
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`instructions from the requestors, and/or users, and/or instructions resident within the client-server multitasking
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`system and/or process. The client-server multitasking system is capable of use in a variety of applications, and
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`capable of information comparison and/or trend analysis of information from the same and/or different sources
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`25
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`substantially simultaneously. The client-server multitasking system and process are capable of building a client(cid:173)
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`server multitasking system search engine and/or database therefrom responses returned from the servers, search
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`engines, and/or sites being queried and/or searched, and/or having requests made thereof, is capable of being
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`searched and/or queried, querying sites referenced therein the client-server multitasking system search engine and/or
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`database, and updating information and/or services stored therein. The client-server multitasking system and process
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`30
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`are capable of retrieving, parsing, processing, formatting, organizing, grouping, sorting, and consolidating services
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`and/or information therefrom the same and/or different ones ofthe servers and/or clients having the same and/or
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`different structures, formats, organizations, groupings, and/or data structures, and incorporating the parsed,
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`processed, formatted, organized, grouped, sorted, and consolidated services and/or information thereinto user
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`responses for delivery to and use by the requestors and/or users.
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`The client-server multitasking system 'and process are also capable of performing as a multiple query search engine,
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`which performs multiple queries of multiple sites, and of performing as a single point of sale for purchasing multiple
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`products from multiple sources.
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`A multitasking process having features of the present invention comprises: parsing, processing, and/or formatting a
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`service and/or information request thereinto a current request group; opening connections therewith and making at
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`least one request thereof at least one server; parsing, processing, formatting, grouping, and/or organizing at least one
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`response therefrom the at least one server thereinto at least one addressable response information group; formulating
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`5
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`information therefrom the current request group thereinto a request pointer/address group having at least one
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`pointer/address; formulating at least one addressable query pointer/address group having at least one other
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`pointer/address; incorporating information and/or services therefrom the at least one addressable response
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`information group thereinto at least <?ne addressable query information group; and incorporating the at least one
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`addressable query information group thereinto a service and/or information response.
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`A client-server multitasking system having features of the present invention comprises: means for parsing,
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`processing, and/or formatting a service and/or information request thereinto a current request group; means for
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`opening connections therewith and making at least one request thereof at least one server; means for parsing,
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`processing, formatting, grouping, and/or organizing at least one response therefrom the at least one server thereinto
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`15
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`at least one addressable response infonnation group; means for formulating information therefrom the current
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`request group thereinto a request pointer/address group having at least one pointer/address; means for formulating at
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`least one addressable query pointer/address group having at least one other pointer/address; means for incorporating
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`information and/or services therefrom the at least one addressable response information group thereinto at least one
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`addressable query information group; and means for incorporating the at least one addressable query infonnation
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`group thereinto a service and/or infonnation response.
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`DRAWINGS
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`These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard
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`to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
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`5
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`FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a client-server multitasking system, constructed in accordance with the
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`present invention;
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`FIG. 2 is a more detailed schematic representation of the client-server multitasking system;
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`FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of user input Uln from user Un thereinto user interface In of the client-server
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`multitasking system;
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`10
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`FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a server Sz ofthe client-server multitasking system;
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`FIG. 5A is a schematic representation of a server PS ofthe client-server multitasking system having an optional
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`database;
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`FIG. 5B is a schematic representation of a client C n ofthe client-server multitasking system having an optional
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`database;
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`20
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`FIG. 6 is a schematic representation ofa particular one ofthe clients C1",Cn of the client-server multitasking
`system, designated as the particular client Cn, communicating with ones of the servers S1"'Sz, in
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`accordance with the designation scheme corresponding to the corresponding ones of the server
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`designations Sn1 •• ,Snm, corresponding to the requests Qn1" .Qnm, therethrough the server PS;
`FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the particular client C n of the client-server multitasking system
`communicating with ones of the servers S1"'Sz, in accordance with the designation scheme
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`corresponding to the corresponding ones of the server designations Sn1" ,Snm, corresponding to the
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`requests Qn1 ... Qnm;
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`FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the particular client C n of the client-server multitasking system
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`communicating with ones of the servers S1"'Sz, in accordance with the designation scheme
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`25
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`corresponding to the corresponding ones of the server designations Sn1",Snm, corresponding to the
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`requests Qn1 ... Qnm, and also therethrough the server PS;
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`FIG. 9 is an alternate schematic representation of the client-server multitasking system of FIG. 1, constructed in
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`accordance with the present invention, regrouped diagrammatically and alternatively named for
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`illustrative purposes only, to illustrate and visualize possible typical communication paths;
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`30
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`FIG. 10 is a schematic representation ofa particular service and/or information request IQn;
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`FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of a particular service and/or information request IQn parsed, processed,
`and/or formatted into a current request group QAnc, request groups QAn1 ••• QAnz, and corresponding
`optional instructions VJn1 ... VJnk, and utilization of information therefrom to make the requests
`Qn1'" Qnm, obtain the responses Rn1 ••• Rnm, and incorporate information therefrom into a particular
`service and/or information response 1Rn;
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`FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of the particular service and/or information request IQn parsed, processed,
`and/or formatted into a current request group QAnc, request groups QAn1 ... QAnz, and corresponding
`optional instructions VJ n1 ... VJnk, and utilization of information therefrom to make the requests
`Qn1 ... Qnm, obtain the responses Rn1 ... Rnm, and incorporate information therefrom into the particular
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`service and/or information response IRn, having other grouping/sorting that may be used additionally
`and/or alternatively to that of FIG. 11;
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`FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of the particular service and/or information response IRn having a service
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`and/or infonnation group G n, additional request links SLn1 ••• SLnw, optional order form, optional
`additional advertisements and/or links, optional hidden information, and the optional service and/or
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`information entry request form;
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`FIG. 14 is a schematic representation of a particular user service and/or information request iqn;
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`FIG. 15 is a schematic representation ofa particular user service and/or information request iqn parsed,
`processed, and/or fonnatted into the current request group QAnc, the request groups QAn1 ••• QAnz, and
`the corresponding optional instructions VJn1 ••• VJ nk, and utilization of information therefrom to make the
`requests Qn1 ••• Qnm, obtain the responses Rn1 ••• Rnm, and incorporate information therefrom into the
`particular user service and/or information response irn;
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`FIG. 16 is a schematic representation of the particular user service and/or information request iqn parsed,
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`processed, and/or formatted into the current request group QAnc, the request groups QAn1 ••• QAnz, and
`the corresponding optional instructions VJn1 ••• VJ nk, and utilization of information therefrom to make the
`requests Qn1 ••• Qnm, obtain the responses Rn1 ••• Rnm, and incorporate information therefrom into the
`particular user service and/or infonnation response irn, having other grouping/sorting that may be used
`additionally and/or alternatively to that of FIG. 15;
`
`FIG. 17 is a schematic representation ofthe particular user service and/or information response irn having the
`
`service and/or information group G n, the additional request links SLn1 ••• SLnw, the optional order form,
`the optional additional advertisements and/or links, the optional hidden information, and the optional
`
`service and/or information entry request form;
`
`5
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`FIG. 18A is a schematic representation ofa response information group RGnm having addressable individual
`information groups LGnm1 ••• LGnmr showing optional addressable pointer/address indices INnm1 •• .INnmr
`
`25
`
`correspondingly associated therewith optional addressable ind