APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SEARCH AND RETRIEVAL OF DOCUMENTS

• US 20090182737A1
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Haim Melman
• Inventors: Melman, Haim Zvi
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3341 using boolean model
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A system for the support and management of search for documents is presented. The system includes knowledge-database, query interface and communication to a database of documents to be searched. Information generated during a search session is collected by the system and is added to the knowledge-database. The information is ranked automatically according to the usage of that information by the user. During successive search sessions, or during search made by other users, the system uses the knowledge-database to support the users with keywords, queries and reference to documents.

Claims

1. A method of ranking at least one of first queries stored in a storage device, comprising the steps of:

retrieving at least one of the following values;

a. stored rank of said at least one of said first queries;

b. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries;

c. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked over a certain value;

d. the sum of ranks of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries;

e. the sum of ranks of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked over a certain value;

f. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked at a certain value;

g. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked lower than a certain value;

h. the sum of ranks of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked lower then a certain value;

i. number of times said at least one of said first queries was submitted for a search process;

j. number of representations of documents retrieved using said at least one of said first queries;

k. ranking of at least one representation of a document retrieved using said at least one of said first queries;

l. number of representations of documents retrieved using said at least one of said first queries where the user made a relevancy indication;

m. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries;

n. ranking of at least one representation of a document related to said at least one of said first queries; and

o. number of terms from a second query that are present in said at least one of said first queries; and

setting the ranking of said at least one query according to said at least one value.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally modifying said ranking at, comprising the steps of:

submitting a second query;

comparing at least a part of said second query to at least a part of a t least one of said first queries; and

setting said ranking of at least one of said first queries according to said comparison results.

3. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the step of registering at least one of the following items to the specific user:

a. at least one query; and

b. a rank of at least one query.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of setting the ranking of said at least one query modifies an already existing ranking of said at least one query.

5. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the step of storing said ranking in a storage device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein any of said first queries and values is registered to at least one specific group of users, said group of users contains at least one user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one specific group of users is selectable by the user.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein any of said first queries is registered to at least one specific group of users, said group of users contains at least one user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said at least one specific group of users is selectable by the user.

10. A method of ranking at least one of first queries stored in a storage device, comprising the steps of:

submitting a second query;

Comparing at least a part of said second query to at least a part of a t least one of said first queries; and

ranking at least one of said first queries according to said comparison results.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said ranking of said at least one of said first queries is additionally made in consideration of at least one of the following criteria:

a. stored rank of said at least one of said first queries;

b. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries;

c. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked over a certain value;

d. the sum of ranks of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries;

e. the sum of ranks of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked over a certain value;

f. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked at a certain value;

g. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked lower than a certain value;

h. the sum of ranks of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries that are ranked lower then a certain value;

i. number of times said at least one of said first queries was submitted for a search process;

j. number of representations of documents retrieved using said at least one of said first queries;

k. ranking of at least one representation of a document retrieved using said at least one of said first queries;

l. number of representations of documents retrieved using said at least one of said first queries where the user made a relevancy indication;

m. number of representations of documents related to said at least one of said first queries;

n. ranking of at least one representation of a document related to said at least one of said first queries; and

o. number of terms of the second query that are present in said at least one of said first queries.

12. The method of claim 10, additionally comprising the step of registering at least one of the following items to the specific user:

a. at least one query; and

b. at least one rank of a query.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of setting the ranking of said at least one query modifies an already existing ranking of said at least one query.

14. The method of claim 10, additionally comprising the step of storing said ranking in a storage device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein any of said first queries is registered to at least one specific group of users, said group of users contains at least one user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least one specific group of users is selectable by the user.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein any of said first queries and values is registered to at least one specific group of users, said group of users contains at least one user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said at least one specific group of users is selectable by the user.