Content-Specific URLs for Robust Navigation in Dynamic Documents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hyperlink systems face challenges with linkrot, where hyperlinks become outdated or inaccessible due to document modifications or network issues, and current fragment identifier schemes are inefficient and prone to errors, making it difficult for users to reliably find and access specific content.
Innovation Solution
The development of a system using rolling n-gram hashes and canonical form mapping to create efficient, content-specific URLs that support inexact matches and discrimination between match quality, allowing for automatic identification and retrieval of intended content, even when links are broken or modified.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional hyperlinks are used to navigate documents, then navigation simplicity is maintained, but link reliability deteriorates due to linkrot and document modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces fragment identifiers as intermediary elements that mediate between hyperlinks and document content. These fragment identifiers act as stable references that remain valid even when documents are modified, resolving the contradiction by providing a reliable linking mechanism without requiring complex verification systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates content-based copies of document fragments that are embedded in hyperlinks. Instead of relying on the original document's stability, the system copies relevant content characteristics into the hyperlink structure itself, making the link self-contained and reliable regardless of document changes.
2Measurement precision
If exact match fragment identifiers are used, then content precision is improved, but robustness to document modifications deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms fragment identifiers from exact match parameters to fuzzy match parameters. By changing the matching criterion from exact equality to similarity-based matching, the system maintains content identification precision while becoming robust to document modifications. The fragment identifier system allows for approximate matches that can tolerate certain levels of document change.
3Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive search functionality is provided, then content finding capability is improved, but user operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-processing documents to extract and index fragment identifiers before user queries. This preliminary indexing enables the system to provide comprehensive search functionality while keeping user operations simple, as users only need to input basic search terms rather than complex queries.
Solution Approach 2:
The fragment identifier system serves as an intermediary layer between user search queries and document content. This intermediary automatically handles the complexity of matching and ranking, providing users with a simple interface while maintaining comprehensive search capabilities through sophisticated backend processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented system and method for search and navigation on a network to find and display specific search identified information in documents. Queries are sent to search engine services and responses comprising snippets are returned. Then, in response to only one or a few user inputs, documents are opened and locations of content matching or best matching the snippets are found reliably and distinguished in a display.