Patent US 6,928,443

A modular and flexible framework for creating search systems of networked resources. The framework utilizes an abstraction layer between a user of network resources and the underlying resource types and access methodologies to allow the processing of different resource types simultaneously. The system framework accepts resource types and access methodologies through self-contained modules which can be easily deployed and combined. The end result is a unified search system capable of handling heterogeneous network resources and resources from heterogeneous network access methodologies with a single point of access for the user, and simplified setup for the administrator.