APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SEARCH AND RETRIEVAL OF DOCUMENTS

• US 20100106717A1
• Filed: 11/06/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• 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 9,026,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• 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 presents. 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 session, 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 for creating a keyword database and using the keyword database for the composition of queries, comprising the steps of:

storing keywords that are included in a first query submitted in a search process;

storing, for a first stored keyword, a link to at least one second stored keyword, the link being generated if both keywords appeared in the same query;

submitting a second query for a search process;

searching the keyword database for at least one keyword linked to at least one keyword in said second query; and

displaying said at least one linked keywords.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the steps of modifying second query by adding at least one of said displayed linked keyword to said second query;

and

submitting said modified second query for a search process.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one stored data item is registered to the specific user submitting said second query.

4. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the steps of:

identifying, in said first query, at least one Boolean relation between said linked keywords; and

storing said at least one Boolean relation of said linked keywords; and

displaying said at least one Boolean relation in conjunction with said displayed linked keyword.

5. The method of claim 4, additionally comprising the steps of modifying said second query by adding at least one displayed keyword, with the Boolean relation stored on the storage device in association with said keyword, to said query;

and

submitting said modified second query for a subsequent search process.

6. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the steps of:

ranking stored links between keywords, said ranking is modified according to at least one of the following criteria items;

a. number of stored first queries in which the same pair of linked key words appear;

b. number of stored first queries in which the same pair of linked keywords appear with the same Boolean relation;

c. number of stored first queries in which the linked keyword appear;

d. ranking of stored first queries in which the linked keyword appears; and

e. number of times a linked keyword was added to a said second query submitted to a search process; and

displaying said linked keywords in the order of said ranking.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a log of the occurrence of at least one said criteria item is registered to the specific user submitting said second query, whereas said registration is stored on a storage device.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one stored data item is registered to the specific user, said specific user is determined by the user submitting said second query.

9. A method for modifying a query, comprising the steps of:

displaying a query on a display device;

displaying at least one keyword on said display device;

selecting at least one of said at least one keywords; and

automatically adding said selected at least one keyword to said displayed query.

10. The method of claim 9, additionally comprising the steps of modifying said second query by automatically adding said displaying at least one keyword, with the Boolean relation associated with said keyword, to said query.

11. The method for using a database of keywords for query modification, including the steps of:

generating a database of keywords, each keyword is associated with users who used said keywords in the past;

keywords of said database are linked if they have been used together in at least one query in the past;

the user specifies a group of at least one user;

the user submits a query;

in response, at least one keyword is automatically displayed to the user, said at least one keyword has been used by at least one member of said group; and

said at least one keyword is linked to at least one keyword in said submitted query.

12. The method of claim 11 additionally including the steps of selecting at least one of said at least one displayed keyword;

and

automatically adding said selected at least one displayed keyword to said submitted query.