Information retrieval system using hierarchical data-management function
First Claim
1. An information retrieval system comprising:
- a plurality of management-means hierarchies, each management-means hierarchy of said plurality of management-means hierarchies comprising at least one storing means and one management means, each storing means storing therein information units to be retrieved, a network being common to all management means and each management means managing the respective storing means; and
automatic retrieval means for automatically retrieving a predetermined information unit from among the information units stored in each of said storing means using hierarchy information which is used for hierarchically managing the information units stored in each of said storing means;
wherein said plurality of management-means hierarchies comprises at least three hierarchies including;
at least one general-information storing means and one general-information managing means, said general-information storing me, arts storing general information sets which are managed by said general-information managing means which is provided in said network;
a plurality of sectional-information storing means and a plurality of sectional-information management means, said plurality of sectional-information sets which are managed by respective ones of said plurality of sectional-information managing means, said plurality of sectional-information managing means being provided in said network; and
a plurality of personal-information storing means and a plurality of personal-information management means, said plurality of personal-information sets which are managed by respective ones of said plurality of personal-information managing means, said plurality of personal-information managing mean being provided in said network; and
wherein said automatic retrieval means retrieves a predetermined information unit from among said general information sets, said sectional information sets, and said personal information sets, in response to a relevant retrieval command being input to said information retrieval system.
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Abstract
A general-information storing unit stores general information sets which are managed by a general-information managing unit which is provided in a network. A plurality of sectional-information storing units store respective sectional information sets which are managed by respective ones of a plurality of sectional-information managing units. The plurality of sectional-information managing units are provided in the network. A plurality of personal-information storing units store respective personal information sets which are managed by respective ones of a plurality of personal-information managing units. The plurality of personal-information managing units are provided in the network. An automatic retrieval unit retrieves a predetermined information unit from among the general information sets, sectional information sets, and personal information sets, in response to a relevant retrieval command being input to said information retrieval system. This retrieval is achieved by searching the above information units in either a bottom-up manner or a top-down manner using directory information for managing all the above information units hierarchically.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An information retrieval system comprising:
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a plurality of management-means hierarchies, each management-means hierarchy of said plurality of management-means hierarchies comprising at least one storing means and one management means, each storing means storing therein information units to be retrieved, a network being common to all management means and each management means managing the respective storing means; and automatic retrieval means for automatically retrieving a predetermined information unit from among the information units stored in each of said storing means using hierarchy information which is used for hierarchically managing the information units stored in each of said storing means; wherein said plurality of management-means hierarchies comprises at least three hierarchies including; at least one general-information storing means and one general-information managing means, said general-information storing me, arts storing general information sets which are managed by said general-information managing means which is provided in said network; a plurality of sectional-information storing means and a plurality of sectional-information management means, said plurality of sectional-information sets which are managed by respective ones of said plurality of sectional-information managing means, said plurality of sectional-information managing means being provided in said network; and a plurality of personal-information storing means and a plurality of personal-information management means, said plurality of personal-information sets which are managed by respective ones of said plurality of personal-information managing means, said plurality of personal-information managing mean being provided in said network; and wherein said automatic retrieval means retrieves a predetermined information unit from among said general information sets, said sectional information sets, and said personal information sets, in response to a relevant retrieval command being input to said information retrieval system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An information retrieval apparatus, which is connected to other information retrieval apparatuses via a network;
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said information retrieval apparatus comprising; retrieval information storing means for storing therein sets of retrieval information to be retrieved; directory information storing means for storing therein directory information, said directory information indicating one of said other information retrieval apparatuses to which a retrieval request is sent if a set of retrieval information specified by said retrieval request is not present in said retrieval information storing means; retrieval request receiving means for receiving a retrieval request, sent from one of said other information retrieval apparatuses; information retrieving means for searching, according to said retrieval request received by said receiving means, said retrieval information storing means so as to retrieve a set of retrieval information; retrieval result sending means for sending said set of retrieval information to said one of said other information retrieval apparatuses; and search requesting means for sending, via said network, a retrieval request to one of said other information retrieval apparatuses if a set of retrieval information specified by said retrieval request is not present in said retrieval information storing means, said one of said other information retrieval apparatuses being determined according to said directory information stored in said directory information storing means. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An information retrieval system comprising a plurality of information retrieval apparatuses,
said plurality of information retrieval apparatuses being connected to one another via a network; -
each information retrieval apparatus of said plurality of information retrieval apparatuses comprising; retrieval information storing means for storing therein sets of retrieval information to be retrieved; directory information storing means for storing therein directory information, said directory information indicating one of said other information retrieval apparatuses of said plurality of information retrieval apparatuses to which a retrieval request is sent if a set of retrieval information specified by said retrieval request is not present in said retrieval information storing means; retrieval request receiving means for receiving a retrieval request, sent from one of said other information retrieval apparatuses; information retrieving means;
for searching, according to said retrieval request received by said receiving means, said retrieval information storing means so as to retrieve a set of retrieval information;retrieval result sending means for sending said set of retrieval information to said one of said other information retrieval apparatuses; and search requesting means for sending, via said network, a retrieval request to one of said other information retrieval apparatuses if a set of retrieval information according to said retrieval request is not present in said retrieval information storing means, said one of said other information retrieval apparatuses being indicated by said directory information stored in said directory information storing means. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification