Document retrieval system and search server

• US 20020184186A1
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Iwayama, Makoto, Imaichi, Osamu, Niwa, Yoshiki, Nishioka, Shingo, Hisamitsu, Toru
• Granted Patent: US 7,277,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Ordering is properly performed for document databases registered in an associative search server. In an associative search server capable of performing an associative search by correlating a plurality of document databases, the history of the associative search is stored as an associative search recording table by associative search recording table storing means. By using this associative search recording table, a showing order of document databases presented by document database selecting means is properly set by showing order changing means. Alternatively, by registration fee calculating means, calculation is properly carried out as to registration fees of the document database registered in the associative search server.

Claims

1. A document search system capable of instructing a document search by specifying a document database to be searched next among a plurality of document databases based on a search result of a document database, comprising a step of:

storing an associative search recording table recording the number of times x_ij of searching a document database j based on a search result of a document database i.

2. The document search system according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

changing a showing order of document databases to be searched by using said associative search recording table.

3. The document search system according to claim 1, wherein said associative search recording table is stored for each user, and, by using said associative search recording table for each user, a showing order of document databases to be searched is changed according to a user.

4. The document search system according to claim 1, further comprising a step of:

calculating a registration fee of each document database by using said associative search recording table.

5. The document search system according to claim 4, wherein a registration fee is calculated according to a sum of the number of times of being a search origin for a document search and the number of times of being a search target for a document search.

6. A search server for mediating between a search client and a plurality of document databases, the search server being capable of instructing a document search by specifying a document database to be searched next among plurality of document databases based on a search result of a document database, and comprising:

search query analyzing means for analyzing a search query from said search client;

search query constructing means for sending the search query analyzed by said search query analyzing means to the document database specified by the search client;

means for sending a search result of said specified document database to said search client; and

associative search recording table storing means for storing an associative search recording table recording the number of times x_ij of searching a document database j based on a search result of a document database i.

7. The search server according to claim 6, further comprising:

showing order changing means for changing a showing order of document databases to be searched and to be shown to said search client by using said associative search recording table.

8. The search server according to claim 6, comprising said associative search recording table storing means which stores an associative search recording table for each user, and the showing order changing means for changing a showing order of document databases to be searched and to be shown to said search client according to a user by using said associative search recording table for each user.

9. The search server according to claim 6, wherein a registration fee of each document database is calculated by using said associative search recording table stored by said associative search recording table storing means.