SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING AND USING AGGREGATED SEARCH INDICES AND NON-AGGREGATED VALUE STORAGE

• US 20150081717A1
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Inventors: Pidduck, Patrick Thomas Sidney
• Granted Patent: US 9,626,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/134 Distributed indices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/316 Indexing structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for using searchable aggregate indices associated with non-aggregated value storage. In one method, a search system stores metadata values for each of a plurality of objects in a storage unit. The metadata values are stored in corresponding value storage locations that are associated with an identifiable metadata fields. An aggregate index is provided which includes a dictionary of terms that are contained in metadata values associated with a designated set of the metadata fields. The aggregate index is searched for one or more specific search terms, and one or more of the metadata values are retrieved from the value storage locations in response to the search, where the individual metadata fields associated with the retrieved metadata values are identified.

Claims

1. A method for computerized searches, the method comprising:

at a search system embodied on non-transitory computer memory and having a processor and a data storage unit;

for each of a plurality of objects, the search system storing metadata values of the plurality of objects in corresponding value storage locations in the data storage unit, wherein each of the stored metadata values is associated with an identifiable metadata field;

the search system aggregating or combining indices into a single aggregate index, the indices associated with multiple identifiable metadata fields, each of the multiple identifiable metadata fields retaining, subsequent to the aggregating or combining, a corresponding value storage location in the data storage unit, wherein the aggregate index includes a dictionary of terms and an object list identifying the plurality of objects;

the search system enabling a search of the aggregate index for a specific search term in the dictionary of terms;

the search system enabling retrieval of one or more of the metadata values from the value storage locations in response to the search of the aggregate index, wherein the retrieved metadata values are associated with ones of the plurality of objects which have metadata values that contain the specific search term; and

the search system enabling identification of the metadata fields with which each of the retrieved metadata values is associated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search system further provides one or more metadata-specific indices, wherein each of the one or more metadata-specific indices includes a dictionary of terms that are contained in ones of the metadata values that are associated with a corresponding one of the metadata fields.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling retrieval of the one or more of the metadata values from the value storage locations comprises enabling retrieval of all metadata values for each one of the plurality of objects which have metadata values that contain the specific search term.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling retrieval of the one or more of the metadata values from the value storage locations comprises enabling retrieval of metadata values associated with specified ones of the metadata fields for each one of the plurality of objects which have metadata values that contain the specific search term.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the aggregate index.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the aggregate index comprises:

analyzing the plurality of objects;

identifying search terms in the plurality of objects; and

generating a dictionary for the aggregate index, wherein the dictionary contains ones of the identified search terms that are associated with a designated set of the metadata fields, wherein for each of the identified search terms, the dictionary indicates which ones of the plurality of objects contain the identified search term.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein for each of the identified search terms, the dictionary indicates which of the value storage locations contains the identified search term.

8. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having a set of instructions stored thereon, the instructions executable by a computer system to:

for each of a plurality of objects, store metadata values of the plurality of objects in corresponding value storage locations in a storage unit, wherein each of the stored metadata values is associated with an identifiable metadata field;

aggregate or combine indices into a single aggregate index, the indices associated with multiple identifiable metadata fields, each of the multiple identifiable metadata fields retaining, subsequent to the aggregating or combining, a corresponding value storage location in the data storage unit, wherein the aggregate index includes a dictionary of terms and an object list identifying the plurality of objects;

enable a search of the aggregate index for a specific search term in the dictionary of terms;

enable retrieval of one or more of the metadata values from the value storage locations in response to the search of the aggregate index, wherein the retrieved metadata values are associated with ones of the plurality of objects which have metadata values that contain the specific search term; and

enable identification of the metadata fields with which each of the retrieved metadata values is associated.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions further executable by the computer system to provide one or more metadata-specific indices, wherein each of the one or more metadata-specific indices includes a dictionary of terms that are contained in ones of the metadata values that are associated with a corresponding one of the metadata fields.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions are executable by the computer system to enable retrieval of all metadata values for each one of the plurality of objects which have metadata values that contain the specific search term.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the instructions are executable by the computer system to enable retrieval of metadata values associated with specified ones of the metadata fields for each one of the plurality of objects which have metadata values that contain the specific search term.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, the instructions further executable by the computer system to generate the aggregate index.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the instructions are executable by the computer system to:

analyze the plurality of objects;

identify search terms in the plurality of objects; and

generate a dictionary for the aggregate index, wherein the dictionary contains ones of the identified search terms that are associated with a designated set of the metadata fields, wherein for each of the identified search terms, the dictionary indicates which ones of the plurality of objects contain the identified search term.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein for each of the identified search terms, the dictionary indicates which of the value storage locations contains the identified search term.

15. A system for computerized searches comprising:

a computer search system including a central processing unit and a data storage unit;

wherein for each of a plurality of objects, the central processing unit stores metadata values of the plurality of objects in corresponding value storage locations in the data storage unit, wherein each of the stored metadata values is associated with an identifiable metadata field;

wherein the search system aggregates or combines indices into a single aggregate index in the data storage unit, the indices associated with multiple identifiable metadata fields, each of the multiple identifiable metadata fields retaining, subsequent to the aggregating or combining, a corresponding value storage location in the data storage unit, wherein the aggregate index includes a dictionary of terms and an object list identifying the plurality of objects;

wherein the search system enables a search of the aggregate index for a specific search term in the dictionary of terms;

wherein the search system enables retrieval of one or more of the metadata values from the value storage locations in response to the search of the aggregate index, wherein the retrieved metadata values are associated with ones of the plurality of objects which have metadata values that contain the specific search term; and

wherein the search system enables identification of the metadata fields with which each of the retrieved metadata values is associated.

16. The search system of claim 15, wherein the search system provides one or more metadata-specific indices, wherein each of the one or more metadata-specific indices includes a dictionary of terms that are contained in ones of the metadata values that are associated with a corresponding one of the metadata fields.

17. The search system of claim 15, wherein the search system enables retrieval of the one or more of the metadata values from the value storage locations by enabling retrieval of all metadata values for each one of the plurality of objects which have metadata values that contain the specific search term.

18. The search system of claim 15, wherein the search system enables retrieval of the one or more of the metadata values from the value storage locations by enabling retrieval of metadata values associated with specified ones of the metadata fields for each one of the plurality of objects which have metadata values that contain the specific search term.

19. The search system of claim 15, wherein the search system generates the aggregate index.

20. The search system of claim 19, wherein the search system generates the aggregate index by:

analyzing the plurality of objects;

identifying search terms in the plurality of objects; and

generating a dictionary for the aggregate index, wherein the dictionary contains ones of the identified search terms that are associated with a designated set of the metadata fields, wherein for each of the identified search terms, the dictionary indicates which ones of the plurality of objects contain the identified search term.