CONCORDANCE SEARCHING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20080222099A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morgana, Stephen C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Embodiments herein include a method of performing a computerized search of the electronic document based on a multi-term inclusive query supplied by the user. The process checks each search term match to determine if other terms in the query are in close enough proximity to allow the search term match to remain in the final search results that are eventually reported back to the user, even if such proximities span adjacent pages. More specifically, counts that span the adjacent pages comprise a count of items from a term on one page to a term on a second page adjacent to the first page so as to include a count of all terms between the terms in the counts that span adjacent pages of the printed publications.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing an electronic document comprising text and concordance data, wherein said concordance data identifies locations where said text appears in printed publications;

performing a computerized search of said electronic document based on a multi-term inclusive query to produce preliminary search results comprising search term matches, where each search term match only includes a single term, and wherein said search term matches identify page locations within said printed publications where individual terms within said multi-term inclusive query appear;

determining whether terms within said search term matches are within predetermined proximities of other terms in said multi-term inclusive query, wherein said predetermined proximities comprise said term within said search term match being within a predetermined number of pages of said printed publications of at least one of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query;

eliminating said search term matches that do not comprise terms that appear within said predetermined proximities from said preliminary search results to produce final search results; and

reporting said final search results.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determining of whether said terms within said search term matches are within said predetermined proximities further comprises determining whether said terms within said search matches are within a predetermined count of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said determining of whether said terms within said search matches are within a predetermined count of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query counts terms that span adjacent pages of said printed publications.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electronic document comprises an electronic form of said printed publications.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said printed publication comprises one of a book, a pamphlet, a newspaper, and a magazine.

6. A method comprising:

providing an electronic document comprising text and concordance data, wherein said concordance data identifies locations where said text appears in printed publications;

performing a computerized search of said electronic document based on a multi-term inclusive query to produce preliminary search results comprising search term matches, where each search term match only includes a single term, and wherein said search term matches identify page locations within said printed publications where individual terms within said multi-term inclusive query appear;

determining whether terms within said search term matches are within predetermined proximities of other terms in said multi-term inclusive query by determining whether said search term matches are within a predetermined count of at least one of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query, wherein said count spans adjacent pages of said printed publications;

eliminating said search term matches that do not comprise terms that appear within said predetermined proximities from said preliminary search results to produce final search results; and

reporting said final search results.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined proximities comprise said term within said search term match being within a predetermined number of pages of said printed publications of at least one of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said counts that span said adjacent pages comprise a count of items from a term on one page to the beginning or end of said one page, plus a count of items from a term on a second page adjacent to said one page to the beginning or end of said second page, so as to include a count of all terms between said terms in said counts that span adjacent pages of said printed publications.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said electronic document comprises an electronic form of said printed publications.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said printed publication comprises one of a book, a pamphlet, a newspaper, and a magazine.

11. A method comprising:

providing an electronic document comprising text and concordance data, wherein said concordance data identifies locations where said text appears on hyperlinked pages, such as web pages;

performing a computerized search of said electronic document based on a multi-term inclusive query to produce preliminary search results comprising search term matches, where each search term match only includes a single term, and wherein said search term matches identify page locations within said hyperlinked pages where individual terms within said multi-term inclusive query appear;

determining whether terms within said search term matches are within predetermined proximities of other terms in said multi-term inclusive query, wherein said predetermined proximities comprise said term within said search term match being within a predetermined number of hyperlink pages of at least one of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query;

eliminating said search term matches that do not comprise terms that appear within said predetermined proximities from said preliminary search results to produce final search results; and

reporting said final search results.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said determining of whether said terms within said search term matches are within said predetermined proximities further comprises determining whether said terms within said search matches are within a predetermined count of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said determining of whether said terms within said search matches are within a predetermined count of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query counts terms that span hyperlinked pages of said pages.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein adjacent hyperlinked pages comprises pages that directly link to each other, without linking to intervening pages.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein said hyperlinked pages comprise a hyperlink comprising a graphical item a user activates with a single user input action to move between hyperlinked pages.

16. A service comprising:

providing an electronic document comprising text and concordance data, wherein said concordance data identifies locations where said text appears in printed publications;

performing a computerized search of said electronic document based on a multi-term inclusive query to produce preliminary search results comprising search term matches, where each search term match only includes a single term, and wherein said search term matches identify page locations within said printed publications where individual terms within said multi-term inclusive query appear;

determining whether terms within said search term matches are within predetermined proximities of other terms in said multi-term inclusive query, wherein said predetermined proximities comprise said term within said search term match being within a predetermined number of pages of said printed publications of at least one of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query;

eliminating said search term matches that do not comprise terms that appear within said predetermined proximities from said preliminary search results to produce final search results; and

reporting said final search results.

17. The service according to claim 16, wherein said determining of whether said terms within said search term matches are within said predetermined proximities further comprises determining whether said terms within said search matches are within a predetermined count of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query.

18. The service according to claim 17, wherein said determining of whether said terms within said search matches are within a predetermined count of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query counts terms that span adjacent pages of said printed publications.

19. The service according to claim 16, wherein said electronic document comprises an electronic form of said printed publications.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable data carrier storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

providing an electronic document comprising text and concordance data, wherein said concordance data identifies locations where said text appears in printed publications;

performing a computerized search of said electronic document based on a multi-term inclusive query to produce preliminary search results comprising search term matches, where each search term match only includes a single term, and wherein said search term matches identify page locations within said printed publications where individual terms within said multi-term inclusive query appear;

determining whether terms within said search term matches are within predetermined proximities of other terms in said multi-term inclusive query, wherein said predetermined proximities comprise said term within said search term match being within a predetermined number of pages of said printed publications of at least one of said other terms in said multi-term inclusive query;

eliminating said search term matches that do not comprise terms that appear within said predetermined proximities from said preliminary search results to produce final search results; and

reporting said final search results.