Document retrieval system recognizing types and values of numeric search conditions

• US 20050198027A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Hamaguchi, Yoshitaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A document retrieval system has an index information generator that generates index information about the frequency of occurrence of non-numeric terms in documents, and index information about the numeric values of numeric terms and the types of quantities they represent. Numeric terms received as search conditions are processed by a numeric information generator that generates search information indicating the type and numeric value of each numeric term. The index information generator and numeric information generator preferably convert numeric values to a standard notation. Numeric search conditions can then be used appropriately, flexibly, and conveniently to obtain useful retrieval results.

Claims

1. A document retrieval system for retrieving a document from a set of documents according to one or more terms received as search conditions, the terms that can be received including both numeric terms, which include numeric values, and non-numeric terms, which do not include numeric values, the document retrieval system comprising:

an index information generator for generating at least one item of index information for each document in the set of documents, the index information generated for the documents including both numeric term index information and non-numeric term index information, the non-numeric term index information including information about frequency of occurrence of non-numeric terms in the document, the numeric term index information including information about types and numeric values of numeric terms in the document; and

a numeric information generator for examining each numeric term received as a search condition, determining its type, and generating numeric search information indicating the type and numeric value of the numeric term.

2. The document retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the type of a numeric term indicates the type of quantity represented by the numeric value of the numeric term.

3. The document retrieval system of claim 1, further comprising an index memory for storing the index information generated by the index information generator, the index information being stored in a table in which frequencies of non-numeric terms and numeric values of numeric terms are both stored together in a single column.

4. The document retrieval system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first evaluator for using the non-numeric term index information generated by the index information generator to calculate, for each document in the set of documents including a non-numeric term received as a search condition, a first quantity indicating a goodness of fit between the non-numeric term and the document; and

a second evaluator for using the numeric term index information generated by the index information generator and the numeric search information generated by the numeric information generator from a numeric term received as a search condition to calculate, for each document in the set of documents including a numeric term of the same type as the numeric term received as the search condition, a second quantity indicating a goodness of fit between the numeric term received as the search condition and the document.

5. The document retrieval system of claim 4, further comprising a third evaluator for calculating, for a document in the set of documents, a third quantity indicating a goodness of fit between the document and the one or more terms received as search conditions, the third quantity being calculated from the first and second quantities.

6. The document retrieval system of claim 5, wherein the third quantity is a sum of the first and second quantities obtained for the document from the one or more terms received as search conditions.

7. The document retrieval system of claim 5, further comprising an output unit for presenting documents from the set of documents in order of the third quantity.

8. The document retrieval system of claim 5, further comprising an output unit presenting documents for which the third quantity exceeds a predetermined quantity.

9. The document retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the numeric term index information generated for a document in the set of documents includes, for each type of numeric term appearing in the document, all numeric values of numeric terms of said type appearing in the document.

10. The document retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the numeric term index information generated for a document in the set of documents includes, for each type of numeric term appearing in the document, a minimum numeric value appearing in the document and a maximum numeric value appearing in the document.

11. The document retrieval system of claim 10, wherein the numeric term index information generated for a document in the set of documents also includes, for each type of numeric term appearing in the document, a median value appearing in the document.

12. The document retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the numeric information generator and the index information generator convert numeric values to a standard notation.

13. A search condition input device for entry of search terms for retrieving a document from a set of documents, the search terms that can be entered comprising both numeric terms, which include numeric values, and non-numeric terms, which do not include numeric values, the search condition input device having a numeric information generator for examining each numeric term input as a search term, determining its type, and generating numeric search information indicating the type and numeric value of the numeric term.

14. The search condition input device of claim 13, wherein the type of a numeric term indicates the type of quantity represented by the numeric value of the numeric term.

15. The search condition input device of claim 13, wherein the numeric information generator converts the numeric values of the numeric terms input as search conditions to a standard notation.

16. The search condition input device of claim 13, further including a search condition input unit (16) having separate areas for input of numeric terms and non-numeric terms.

17. A retrieval execution apparatus for use in a system for retrieving a document from a set of documents according to one or more terms received as search conditions, the terms that can be received including both numeric terms, which include numeric values, and non-numeric terms, which do not include numeric values, the retrieval execution apparatus having an index information generator for generating at least one item of index information for each document in the set of documents, the index information generated for the documents including both numeric term index information and non-numeric term index information, the non-numeric term index information including information about frequency of occurrence of non-numeric terms in the document, the numeric term index information including information about types and numeric values of numeric terms in the document.

18. The retrieval execution apparatus of claim 17, wherein the type of a numeric term indicates the type of quantity represented by the numeric value of the numeric term.

19. A method of retrieving a document from a set of documents according to one or more terms received as search conditions, the terms that can be received including both numeric terms, which include numeric values, and non-numeric terms, which do not include numeric values, the method comprising:

generating at least one item of index information for each document in the set of documents, the index information generated for the documents including both numeric term index information and non-numeric term index information, the non-numeric term index information including information about frequency of occurrence of non-numeric terms in the document, the numeric term index information including information about types and numeric values of numeric terms appearing in the document; and

examining each numeric term received as a search condition, determining its type, and generating numeric search information indicating the type and numeric value of the numeric term.

20. A machine-readable medium storing a program for retrieving a document from a set of documents according to one or more terms received as search conditions, the search terms that can be received including both numeric terms, which include numeric values, and non-numeric terms, which do not include numeric values, the program being executable by computing device, the program including:

instructions for generating at least one item of index information for each document in the set of documents, the index information generated for the documents including both numeric term index information and non-numeric term index information, the non-numeric term index information including information about frequency of occurrence of non-numeric terms in the document, the numeric term index information including information about types and numeric values of numeric terms appearing in the document; and

instructions for examining each numeric term received as a search condition, determining its type, and generating numeric search information indicating the type and numeric value of the numeric term.