Method and apparatus for classification

• US 20030135430A1
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ibbotson, John Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A method and apparatus for classification of objects (17) for retrieval from a database (19). The method includes a user (10) classifying an object (30) by designating one or more terms for the object (17). The one or more terms are saved in association with an address for the object (17) in a user index (21). The user index (21) is in a local environment (14) of the user (10). The method also includes promoting the one or more terms for the object (17) from the user index (21) to a global index (22) if the one or more terms meet a predefined set of rules. The global index (22) is accessible by multiple users (10) and may be a search engine index. The objects (17) for retrieval from the database (19) may be web pages or web sites on the Internet. The objects (17) may be in the form of text documents, audio, video, image or any other form of media or a combination of forms of media. The one or more terms may be terms in the object (17) or in an associated description of the object (17).

Claims

1. A method for classification of objects for retrieval from a database, the method comprising:

classifying an object by designating one or more terms for the object;

saving the one or more terms in association with an address for the object in a user index, the user index being in a local environment of the user; and

promoting the one or more terms for the object from the user index to a global index if the one or more terms meet a predefined set of rules, the global index being accessible by multiple users.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the global index is a search engine index.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined set of rules relate to the use of the one or more terms by a number of different users.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the database is formed of a plurality of servers connected by a network.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the objects for retrieval from the database are one of web pages and web sites on the Internet.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each object comprises at least one media selected from the group of text documents, audio, video, image and any other form of media.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more terms are terms in the object or in an associated description of the object.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the local environment of the user is a portal to the Internet.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user registers with a global search engine and the local environment of the user is a partition of a global search engine.

10. An apparatus for classification of objects for retrieval from a database, the apparatus comprising:

means for classifying an object by designating one or more terms for the object;

a user index in which the one or more terms are stored in association with an address for the object, the user index being in a local environment of the user; and

promotion means for promoting the one or more terms for the object from the user index to a global index if the one or more terms meet a predefined set of rules, the global index being accessible by multiple users.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the global index is a search engine index.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predefined set of rules relate to the use of the one or more terms by a number of different users.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the database is formed of a plurality of servers connected by a network.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the objects for retrieval from the database are one of web pages and web sites on the Internet.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein each object comprises at least one media selected from the group of text documents, audio, video, image and any other form of media.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the one or more terms are terms in the object or in an associated description of the object.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the local environment of the user is a portal to the Internet.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the local environment of the user is a partition of a global search engine.

19. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable program code means for performing the steps of:

classifying an object by designating one or more terms for the object;

saving the one or more terms in association with an address for the object in a user index, the user index being in a local environment of a user; and

promoting the one or more terms for the object from the user index to a global index if the one or more terms meet a predefined set of rules, the global index being accessible by multiple users.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein the global index is a search engine index.

21. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein the predefined set of rules relate to the use of the one or more terms by a number of different users.

22. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein the database is formed of a plurality of servers connected by a network.

23. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein the objects for retrieval from the database are one of web pages and web sites on the Internet.

24. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein each object comprises at least one media selected from the group of text documents, audio, video, image and any other form of media.

25. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein the one or more terms are terms in the object or in an associated description of the object.

26. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein the local environment of the user is a portal to the Internet.

27. The computer program product as claimed in claim 19, wherein the local environment of the user is a partition of a global search engine.