Method and system for creating a database by dividing text data into nodes which can be corrected

• US 5,564,046 A
• Filed: 04/07/1995
• Issued: 10/08/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Shinji, Naito, Hiroshi, Matsuyama, Youichi, Nemoto, Jiro, Masegi, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMERE, JEAN RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US08/418,885
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/444, 395/456, 395/480, 364/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An apparatus and method in which a data base used in a hypertext is created by dividing given data into nodes and spreading links between the nodes according to a predetermined rule, errors in the process of dividing the data into nodes can be found and corrected before creating links, and links are created with respect to the corrected nodes.

Claims

1. A database creating apparatus, comprising:

text data storage means for storing text data representing at least a portion of a document;

text division means for dividing the text data stored in said text data storage means at each position of segmentation data in the text data, into a plurality of nodes;

node memory means for storing the plurality of nodes obtained by said text division means;

display means for displaying the plurality of nodes stored in said node memory means before creating links between the nodes, the plurality of nodes being displayed so that a user can check for errors made by said text division means during the division into the plurality of nodes;

correction means for correcting errors in division into the plurality of nodes displayed by said display means by correcting the data corresponding to the plurality of nodes displayed by said display means;

correction result memory means for storing the plurality of nodes, including any nodes corrected by said correction means;

link creating means for creating links between the nodes, stored in said correction result memory means, including common data; and

link memory means for storing the links created by said link creating means.

2. A data base creating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising link creating rule memory means for storing a rule used for creating the links.

3. A data base creating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising node creating rule memory means for storing a rule used for dividing the text data stored in said text data storage means into the plurality of nodes.

4. A data base creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said node memory means and said correction result memory means comprise portions of the same memory.

5. A data base creating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the text data stored in said text data storage means is text data relating to a dictionary, the plurality of nodes created by said text division means are portions of the dictionary, and each of the links is created between an item explaining a certain portion and a portion having the same contents as the certain portion.

6. A database constructing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said text division means provides each node with a respective attribution corresponding to a type of the segmentation data for that node, and wherein said link creation means creates links between the nodes including common data and each having predetermined attributions, respectively.

7. A method of constructing a database having data composed of a plurality of nodes and links for correlating the nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

storing text data representing at least a portion of a document;

dividing the text data stored in said data storing step at each position of segmentation data in the text data, into a plurality of nodes;

storing the plurality of nodes obtained in said dividing step;

displaying the plurality of stored nodes before creating links between the nodes, the plurality of nodes being displayed so that a user can check for errors in division into the plurality of nodes occurring during said dividing step;

correcting errors occurring in said dividing of the data into the plurality of displayed nodes;

storing the plurality of nodes, including any corrected nodes; and

creating links between the corrected including common data.

8. A method of constructing database according to claim 7, wherein each of the nodes is provided with a respective attribution corresponding to a type of the segmentation data for that node, in said dividing step, and wherein the links are created between the nodes including common data and each having predetermined attributions, respectively, in said creating step.

9. A method of dividing given dictionary information into a plurality of data, setting the plurality of data into nodes, and creating links for correlating the nodes, said method comprising the steps of:

dividing the given dictionary data into entries, and items explaining the entries at each position of segmentation data, and setting each of the divided data as a node;

storing the nodes obtained in said dividing step;

displaying the stored nodes before creating links between the nodes;

correcting the contents of the displayed nodes to correct errors occurring in said dividing step;

storing the corrected nodes; and

creating, after storing the corrected nodes, a link between a first node corresponding to an item explaining a certain one of the entries and a second node having the same contents as those of the first node and corresponding to another entry.