{
  "patent_number": "US 7233978",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Distributed Servers Find Data Using Location Pointers",
  "original_title": "Method and apparatus for managing location information in a network separate from the data to which the location information pertains",
  "summary": "A system that uses a network of specialized servers to track where specific data is located, allowing computers to find information by asking a server for its address rather than searching every machine.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a way to organize data across multiple servers so that finding a specific piece of information is fast and efficient. Instead of storing the actual data on every server, the system uses 'location servers' that hold an identifier for an entity and a 'location string'—essentially a pointer or address—that tells the user where the actual data resides. When a query comes in, the server checks its own records; if it doesn't have the answer, it can send a 'redirect message' to point the user toward a different server that likely has the information. This creates a scalable, hierarchical network where servers can share the load of finding data across a massive, distributed system.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover the actual data content itself, only the mechanism for storing and retrieving the location of that data.",
    "Does not cover centralized databases where all information is stored on a single machine.",
    "Does not cover physical GPS tracking or real-time geographic mapping of mobile devices."
  ],
  "filed": "2001-06-01",
  "granted": "2007-06-19",
  "expires": "2021-06-01",
  "status": "expired",
  "holder": "Econnectix LLC",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/econnectix-llc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Stephen W. Bailey",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/stephen-w-bailey"
    },
    {
      "name": "John K. Overton",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/john-k-overton"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 119,
  "tags": [
    "telecommunications",
    "software",
    "consumer_electronics"
  ],
  "abstract": "A system and method for storing and retrieving location information across a network is disclosed. The system and method utilize a transfer protocol configured to transport an identifier/location relationship to allow one or more locations to be associated with an identifier in the location store of a location server, where the identifier represents a unique entity and the location represents a location of data pertaining to the identifier. The location server contains programming logic operative to provide responses to location queries and capable of scaling a plurality of location servers according to system performance and logistical requirements.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7233978/method-and-apparatus-for-managing-location-information-in-a-network-separate-from-the-data-to-which-the-location-information-pertains",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/7233978/method-and-apparatus-for-managing-location-information-in-a-network-separate-from-the-data-to-which-the-location-information-pertains/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US7233978",
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}