Text analysis system

• US 5,392,428 A
• Filed: 03/23/1994
• Issued: 02/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stanford K. Robins
• Original Assignee: Stanford K. Robins
• Inventors: Robins, Stanford K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/217,136
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 364/419.01-419.2, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 395/600, 395/650, 395/700
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A computer-based system for analyzing textual works is achieved by operating on a model of the text as stored in a relational database. The text is divided into user-defined segments, and the system maintains a series of records, each of which characterizes a segment of the text. The system generates a one-to-one association between each record and the indicia which indicate the length of the record and correspond to the beginning and end points of text segments. The system also includes topic records which maintain a list of topics. The system generates one-to-many associations between topics and records so that a link is established between a particular topic and one or more records. Based on the model, the system manages the text and generates reports for analysis of the text.

Claims

1. A computer-based information analysis system for creating a representation of at least a portion of at least one of first and second predetermined bodies of text, the representation comprising records which correspond to text segments each of which have a length determined by the system user, the system comprising:

a) input means for entering data, the input means comprising topic input means for inputting a set of user-defined topics;

b) organization means for structuring the representation, the organization means comprising;

i) record division means for creating at least one of first and second sets of records, wherein each set of records corresponds to a particular body of text and wherein each record comprises data which characterizes a particular text segment chosen by a system user, the record division means comprising demarcation indicia means for entering demarcation indicia representing the user selected length of each record;

ii) one-to-one association organizing means comprising demarcation indicia association means for establishing a one-to-one association between a predetermined record and the corresponding demarcation indicia for indicating the length of the record; and

iii) one-to-many association organizing means comprising topic organizing means for establishing a user-designated one-to-many association between at least one user-defined topic and at least one of the records; and

c) output means for generating a report.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises annotation input means for inputting one or more user-defined annotations to the text;

b) the one-to-one association organizing means further comprises annotation organizing means for establishing a one-to-one association between each annotation and a corresponding record; and

(

c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more annotations associated with at least one record.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the output means further comprises:

a) text search and retrieval query means for locating each occurrence of a string of characters in the annotations; and

b) text search and retrieval report means comprising;

i) occurrence report means for listing the location in the annotations of all occurrences of the string of characters; and

ii) context report means for reporting each string of characters as it occurs in a range of surrounding text of a size determined by a user.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the text search and retrieval query means further comprises Boolean query means for enabling a user to formulate a query comprising at least one character string optionally in Boolean relation to at least one condition of conjunctive or disjunctive or negative proximity to another character string.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises annotation input means for inputting user-defined annotations selected from the group consisting of text, symbols, digitized pictorial material, digitized voice, or a binary representation of analog information; and

b) the organizing means further comprises annotation organizing means for organizing annotations into at least one of first and second sets classified according to type of annotation.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises synopsis input means for inputting at least one of first and second sets of user-created synopses of the text; and

b) the one-to-one association organizing means further comprises synopsis organizing means for establishing a one-to-one association between each synopsis and a corresponding record.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the output means further comprises:

a) text search and retrieval query means for locating each occurrence of a string of characters in at least one of the first and second sets of synopses; and

b) text search and retrieval report means comprising;

i) occurrence report means for listing the location in at least one of the first and second sets of synopses of all occurrences of the string of characters; and

ii) context report means for reporting each string of characters as it occurs in a range of surrounding text of a size determined by a user.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the text search and retrieval query means further comprises Boolean query means for enabling a user to formulate a query comprising at least one character string optionally in Boolean relation to at least one condition of conjunctive or disjunctive or negative proximity to another character string.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises descriptive sentence input means for inputting one or more sentences corresponding to the synopses for describing the content of the synopsis in abstract form;

b) the one-to-one association organizing means further comprises descriptive sentence organizing means for establishing a one-to-one association between each descriptive sentence and a corresponding record; and

(

c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more of the descriptive sentences associated with at least one record.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the output means further comprises:

a) text search and retrieval query means for locating each occurrence of a string of characters in the descriptive sentences; and

b) text search and retrieval report means comprising;

i) occurrence report means for listing the location in the descriptive sentences of all occurrences of the string of characters; and

ii) context report means for reporting each string of characters as it occurs in a range of surrounding text of a size determined by a user.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the text search and retrieval query means further comprises Boolean query means for enabling a user to formulate a query comprising at least one character string optionally in Boolean relation to at least one condition of conjunctive or disjunctive or negative proximity to another character string.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises item-identifier input means for inputting at least one of first and second sets of item-identifiers corresponding to items comprehended by the text;

b) the one-to-many association organizing means further comprises item-identifier association means for establishing a one-to-many association between each item-identifier and the corresponding records which comprehend a reference to the respective item; and

(c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more of the item identifiers corresponding to items comprehended by the text, and associated with at least one of the records.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises item depictor means for inputting item depictors describing items comprehended by the text;

b) the one-to-one association organizing means further comprises item depictor one-to-one association organizing means for establishing a one-to-one association between each item depictor and a corresponding item-identifier; and

(c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more of the item depictors describing items comprehended by the text, and associated with at least one of the records.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the organizing means further comprises item class organizing means for organizing the item-identifiers into at least one of first and second sets classified according to a userdefined class of item.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the organizing means further comprises item reference organizing means for organizing item-identifiers into at least one of first and second sets classified according to a user-defined type of item.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the output means further comprises:

a) text search and retrieval query means for locating each occurrence of a string of characters in at least one of the first and second bodies of text; and

b) text search and retrieval report means comprising;

i) occurrence report means for listing the location in at least one of the first and second bodies of text of all occurrences of the string of characters; and

ii) context report means for reporting each string of characters as it occurs in a range of surrounding text of a size determined by a user.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the text search and retrieval query means further comprises Boolean query means for enabling a user to formulate a query comprising at least one character string optionally in Boolean relation to at least one condition of conjunctive or disjunctive or negative proximity to another character string.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein:

a) the text search and retrieval query means further comprises topic query means for enabling a user to define queries to text occurring in records previously associated with at least one topic; and

b) the text search and retrieval report means further comprises record report means for reporting each record in which the string occurs.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises;

i) item-identifier input means for inputting at least one of first and second sets of item-identifiers corresponding to items referenced by the text; and

ii) item-location indicium input means for inputting at least one of first and second sets of item location indicia wherein each indicium serves to demarcate the location in the text of a reference in the text to an item;

b) the one-to-many association organizing means further comprises means for establishing a one-to-many association between each item-identifier and all item-location indicia for the same item; and

(c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more of the item identifiers corresponding to items references by the text, and associated with at least one of the records.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the one-to-one association organizing means comprises item-location indicium organizing means for establishing a one-to-one association between each item-location indicium and the corresponding record which comprehends a reference to the respective item.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises;

i) item-identifier input means for inputting at least one of first and second sets of item-identifiers corresponding to items located in the text; and

ii) item-location indicium input means for inputting at least one of first and second sets of item location indicia wherein each indicium serves to demarcate the location in the text of the items located in the text;

b) the one-to-many association organizing means further comprises means for establishing a one-to-many association between each item-identifier and all item-location indicia for the same item; and

(c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more of the item identifiers corresponding to items located in the text, and associated with at least one of the records.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the one-to-one association organizing means comprises item-location indicium organizing means for establishing a one-to-one association between each item-location indicium and the corresponding record which comprehends a reference to the respective item.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein each record corresponds to a unique portion of the text.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises date input means for inputting one or more user-determined dates associated with at least one of the records;

b) the one-to-one association organizing means further comprises date organizing means for establishing a one-to-one association between each date and a corresponding record; and

(c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more dates associated with at least one record.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein

(a) the input means further comprises time input means for inputting a user-determined time associated with at least one of the records;

and

(b) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more times associated with at least one record.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein:

(a) the input means further comprises time period input means for inputting a user-defined range of dates associated with at least one of the records; and

(b) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more ranges of dates associated with at least one record.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein:

(a) the input means further comprises time period input means for inputting a user-defined range of times associated with at least one of the records; and

(b) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more ranges of times associated with at least one record.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the topic input means further comprises subtopic input means for inputting one or more sets of user-defined subtopics wherein each set of subtopics comprises a subset of a set of topics;

b) the organizing means further comprises subtopic one-to-many organizing means for establishing a userdesignated one-to-many association between at least one of the user-defined subtopics and at least one of the records; and

(c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more of the user-defined subtopics associated with at least one record.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises priority input means for enabling a user to input indicia of user-defined priority of degree of importance of at least one of the records;

b) the organizing means further comprises priority organizing means for establishing a user-designated association between an indicium of priority and at least one of the records; and

(c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more of the user-defined indicia of priority associated with at least one record.

30. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises reminder input means to enable a user to input user-defined reminders;

b) the organizing means further comprises reminder organizing means for establishing a user-designated association between the user-defined reminders and at least one of the records; and

(c) the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more of the user-defined reminders associated with at least one record.

31. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the organizing means further comprises query organizing means for storing a list of one or more user-defined queries; and

b) the output means further comprises query report means for generating a report of all locations of one or more of the queries in at least one of the first and second bodies of text.

32. The system of claim 1 wherein the output means comprises data report means for reporting user-selectable portions of the data contained in the records.

33. The system of claim 1 wherein the output means comprises relational report means for graphically reporting:

a) at least one of the one-to-one associations; and

b) at least one of the one-to-many associations.

34. The system of claim 1 wherein the output means comprises sorting means for arranging in alpha-numeric and chronological order, as appropriate, data from each of the records to be included in the report.

35. The system of claim 1 wherein:

a) the input means further comprises converter input means for converting the text of at least one of the first and second predetermined bodies of text into a series of numbered lines, the converter input means comprising;

i) converter input test means for testing whether the format of text to be converted comprehends adequate location indicia so that no further indicia will be required by the user; and

ii) reference copy converter means for superimposing reference page numbers or reference page and line numbers on the converted text in the event the format of the converted text does not comprehend adequate location indicia; and

b) the organizing means further comprises reference copy organizing means for establishing a one-to one association between the reference page numbers or reference page and line numbers of the converted text and corresponding location indicia in the text of at least one of the first or second predetermined bodies of text.

36. The system of claim 1 wherein the output means further comprises record retrieval means for retrieving one or more records according to one or more of the user-defined topics associated with at least one of the records.