RETRIEVAL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING RETRIEVED RESULTS IN THE SYSTEM

• US 20080120293A1
• Filed: 11/07/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Morisawa, Shuichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In a case that documents satisfying search conditions input on a retrieval device are retrieved and there is a plurality of retrieved documents, the priority levels of the retrieved documents are determined based on the installation site of the retrieval device, information on the date and time when a search is executed, and information on the schedule of events at the installation site, with the display order of the plurality of retrieved documents determined, and the documents displayed, based on the determined priority levels.

Claims

1. A retrieval system for retrieving a document from among a plurality of documents, comprising:

a search conditions input unit configured to receive search conditions input by a user on a retrieval device;

a retrieval unit configured to retrieve, from among a plurality of documents stored in a storage device, at least one document satisfying the search conditions received by said search conditions input unit;

a determination unit configured to, in a case that a plurality of documents are retrieved by the retrieval unit, determines the priority levels of the plurality of documents based on scheduling information regarding an event at an installation site of the retrieval device; and

a display unit configured to display the documents retrieved by said retrieval unit, the displayed documents being arranged in accordance with the priority levels determined by said determination unit.

2. The retrieval system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a device information storage unit configured to store device information permitting identification of the retrieval device,

wherein said determination unit determines the priority levels based on the scheduling information corresponding to the device information stored in said device information storage unit among a plurality of items of the scheduling information.

3. The retrieval system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the device information is location information describing the installation site of the retrieval device.

4. The retrieval system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an identification unit configured to identify an event at the installation site of the retrieval device based on the date and time when a search is executed by said retrieval unit, as well as the scheduling information,

wherein said determination unit determines a high priority level for a document associated with the event identified by said identification unit.

5. The retrieval system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said identification unit identifies an event scheduled for the date and time when the search by said retrieval unit is executed based on the scheduling information.

6. The retrieval system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said determination unit determines the priority level according to the difference between the scheduled time of the event identified by said identification unit and the date and time when the search by said retrieval unit is executed.

7. The retrieval system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the document associated with the identified event is a document containing a character string indicating the name of the event.

8. The retrieval system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the document associated with the identified event is a document created by a participant of the event.

9. A method of retrieving a document from among a plurality of documents, comprising the steps of:

receiving search conditions set by a user on a retrieval device;

retrieving, from among a plurality of stored documents, at least one document satisfying the received search conditions;

in a case that a plurality of documents are retrieved in said retrieving step, determining the priority levels of the plurality of retrieved documents based on scheduling information regarding an event at an installation site of the retrieval device; and

displaying the retrieved documents, the displayed documents being arranged in accordance with the determined priority levels.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a step of storing device information permitting identification of the retrieval device,

wherein in said determining step, the priority levels are determined based on the scheduling information corresponding to the device information stored in said storing step among a plurality of items of the scheduling information.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the device information is location information describing the installation site of the retrieval device.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a step of identifying an event at the installation site of the retrieval device based on the date and time when a search is executed in said retrieving step, as well as the scheduling information,

wherein in said determining step, a high priority level is determined for a document associated with the event identified in said identifying step.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein, in said identifying step, an event scheduled for the date and time when a search is executed in said retrieving step is identified based on the scheduling information.

14. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein, in said determining step, the priority level is determined according to the difference between the scheduled time of the event identified in said identifying step and the date and time when the search is executed in said retrieving step.

15. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the document associated with the identified event is a document containing a character string indicating the name of the event.

16. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the document associated with the identified event is a document created by a participant of the event.

17. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program which, when executed by a computer or processor in a document retrieval system, causes the system to:

receive search conditions set by a user on a retrieval device;

retrieve, from among a plurality of stored documents, at least one document satisfying the received search conditions;

in a case that a plurality of documents are retrieved in said retrieving step, determine the priority levels of the plurality of retrieved documents based on scheduling information regarding an event at an installation site of the retrieval device; and

display the retrieved documents, the displayed documents being arranged in accordance with the determined priority levels.

18. A retrieval system for retrieving a document from among a plurality of documents, comprising:

search conditions input means for receiving search conditions input by a user on a retrieval device;

retrieval means for retrieving, from among a plurality of documents stored in a storage device, at least one document satisfying the search conditions received by said search conditions input means;

determination means operable, in a case that a plurality of documents are retrieved by the retrieval means, to determine the priority levels of the plurality of documents based on scheduling information regarding an event at an installation site of the retrieval device; and

display means for displaying the documents retrieved by said retrieval means, the displayed documents being arranged in accordance with the priority levels determined by said determination means.