Search engine method and apparatus
First Claim
1. An interactive method for searching a database to produce a refined results space, the method comprising:
- analyzing for search criteria, searching said database using said search criteria to obtain an initial result space, and obtaining user input to restrict said initial results space, thereby to obtain said refined results space.
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Abstract
An interactive method for searching a database to produce a refined results space, the method comprising: analyzing for search criteria, searching said database using said search criteria to obtain an initial result space, and obtaining user input to restrict said initial results space, thereby to obtain said refined results space. Refining comprises using classifications of the retrieved data items to formulate prompts for the user, asking said user at least one of the formulated prompts and receiving a response thereto; and using responses in conjunction with classification values to exclude some of the results, thereby to provide to the user a subset of the retrieved data items as a query result.
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Citations
260 Claims
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1. An interactive method for searching a database to produce a refined results space, the method comprising:
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analyzing for search criteria, searching said database using said search criteria to obtain an initial result space, and obtaining user input to restrict said initial results space, thereby to obtain said refined results space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. Apparatus for interactively searching a database to produce a refined results space, comprising:
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a search criterion analyzer for analyzing to obtain search criteria, a database searcher, associated with said search criterion analyzer, for searching said database using said search criteria to obtain an initial result space, and a restrictor, for obtaining user input to restrict said results space, and using said user input to restrict said results space, thereby to formulate a refined results space. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A database with apparatus for interactive searching thereof to produce a refined results space, the apparatus comprising:
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a search criterion analyzer for analyzing for search criteria, a database searcher, associated with said search criterion analyzer, for searching said database using search criteria to obtain an initial result space, and a restrictor, for obtaining user input to restrict said results space, and using said user input to restrict said results space, thereby to provide said refined results space. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A query method for searching stored data items, the method comprising:
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i) receiving a query comprising at least a first search term, ii) expanding the query by adding to said query, terms related to said at least first search term, iii) retrieving data items corresponding to at least one of said terms, iv) using attribute values applied to said retrieved data items to formulate prompts for said user, v) asking said user at least one of said formulated prompts as a prompt for focusing said query, vi) receiving a response thereto, and vii) using said received response to compare to values of said attributes to exclude ones of said retrieved items, thereby to provide a subset of said retrieved data items as a query result. - View Dependent Claims (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157)
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158. A query method for searching stored data items, the method comprising:
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receiving a query comprising at least a first search term from a user, expanding the query by adding to said query, terms related to said at least first search term, analyzing said query for ambiguity, formulating at least one ambiguity-resolving prompt for said user, such that an answer to said prompt resolves said ambiguity, modifying said query in view of an answer received to said ambiguity resolving prompt, retrieving data items corresponding to said modified query, formulating results-restricting prompts for said user, selecting at least one of said results-restricting prompts to ask said user, and receiving a response thereto using said received response to exclude ones of said retrieved items, thereby to provide to said user a subset of said retrieved data items as a query result. - View Dependent Claims (159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205)
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206. A query method for searching stored data items, the method comprising:
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receiving a query comprising at least two search terms from a user, analyzing the query by determining a semantic relationship between the search terms thereby to distinguish between terms defining an item and terms defining an attribute value thereof, retrieving data items corresponding to at least one of identified items, using attribute values applied to said retrieved data items to formulate prompts for said user, asking said user at least one of said formulated prompts and receiving a response thereto using said received response to compare to values of said attributes to exclude ones of said retrieved items, thereby to provide to said user a subset of said retrieved data items as a query result. - View Dependent Claims (207)
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208. A query method for searching stored data items, the method comprising:
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receiving a query comprising at least a first search term from a user, parsing said query to detect noun phrases, retrieving data items corresponding to said parsed query, formulating results-restricting prompts for said user, selecting at least one of said results-restricting prompts to ask a user, and receiving a response thereto using said received response to exclude ones of said retrieved items, thereby to provide to said user a subset of said retrieved data items as a query result. - View Dependent Claims (209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 220)
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221. An automatic method of classifying stored data relating to a set of objects for a data retrieval system, the method comprising:
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defining at least two object classes, assigning to each class at least one attribute value, for each attribute value assigned to each class assigning an importance weighting, assigning objects in said set to at least one class, and assigning to said object, an attribute value for at least one attribute of said class. - View Dependent Claims (222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244)
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245. A method of processing input text comprising a plurality of terms relating to a predetermined set of concepts, to classify said terms in respect of said concepts, the method comprising
arranging said predetermined set of concepts into a concept hierarchy, matching said terms to respective concepts, and applying further concepts hierarchically related to said matched concepts, to said respective terms.
Specification