Apparatus and method therefor of intelligently searching for information in a personal communications device

• US 5,708,804 A
• Filed: 07/26/1996
• Issued: 01/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lewis, James Robert, Yee, Raymond Lee, Lanier, Charles Sterling, Goodwin, Julie Francis, Tiller, Byron Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMERE, JEAN RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US08/686,407
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 395/603, 395/605, 395/606, 379/355, 379/96, 379/368
• US Class Current: 707/752
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

A data processing device and method for searching a database having a plurality of entries to locate entries which match a search string. Each entry within the database is arranged into one or more predetermined search fields which each contain a character string. In response to receipt of a search string, a determination is made whether the search string is a subset of a particular entry within the database. In response to the determination that the search string is a subset of a particular entry, the particular entry is recorded as a matching entry. However, in response to a determination that the search string is not a subset of a particular entry, a determination is made whether a modified search string formed by removing delimiters from the search string is a subset of a character string within a particular predetermined search field within the particular entry. In response to a determination that the modified search string is a subset of the character string, the particular entry is recorded as a matching entry. Thereafter, the foregoing steps are repeated for each of the number of entries within the database such that matching entries within the database are efficiently located.

Claims

1. A method within a data processing system for searching an address database having a plurality of entries, said plurality of entries each arranged as one or more predetermined search fields, wherein each of said predetermined search fields contains a character string, said method comprising:

(a) in response to receipt of a search string, determining whether said search string is a subset of a search field within a particular entry among said plurality of entries;

(b) in response to a determination that said search string is a subset of said particular entry, recording said particular entry as a matching entry;

(c) in response to a determination that said search string is not a subset of said particular entry, determining if a modified search string formed by removing delimiters from said search string is a subset of a character string within a particular predetermined search field within said particular entry;

(d) in response to a determination that said modified search string is a subset of said character string within said particular predetermined search field, recording said particular entry as a matching entry; and

(e) repeating steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) for each of said plurality of entries within said database, wherein entries among said plurality of entries which include a character string which matches said search string are efficiently located.

2. The method for searching a database of claim 1, and further comprising converting said search string into a case-insensitive search string.

3. The method for searching a database of claim 1, and further comprising:

displaying the matching entries.

4. The method for searching a database of claim 3;

and further comprising the steps of;

arranging words in said search string as one or more sub-search string;

arranging words in a character string within a particular predetermined search field within said particular entry as one or more sub-character strings;

determining whether each of said sub-search strings is a subset of a distinct one of said one or more sub-character strings; and

in response to a determination that each of said sub-search strings is a subset of a distinct one of said one or more sub-search strings, recording said particular entry as a matching entry.

5. The method for searching a database of claim 4, wherein said particular predetermined search field within said particular search string is a name search field which stores a name, and wherein said steps of arranging said search string and arranging said character string comprise arranging said search string such that each word within said search string is a sub-search string and arranging said name such that each word within said name is a sub-character string.

6. The method for searching a database of claim 4, wherein within said step of determining whether each of said sub-search strings is a subset of a distinct one of said one or more sub-character strings, said sub-search strings are processed in order of length from longest to shortest.

7. The method for searching a database of claim 4 wherein one search field is for telephone numbers and for matching any alphabetic characters in a subsearch string or a subcharacter string are converted to the corresponding number on a telephone keypad.

8. A data processing system comprising:

memory means for storing an address database having a plurality of entries, said plurality of entries each arranged as one or more predetermined search fields, wherein each of said predetermined search fields contains a character string;

means for receiving an input specifying a search string of characters;

means for searching said database to locate entries among said plurality of entries which match said search string, including;

means for determining whether said search string is a subset of an entry among said plurality of entries;

means for recording said entry among said plurality of entries as a matching entry in response to a determination that said search string is a subset of said entry;

means for determining if a modified search string formed by removing delimiters from said search string is a subset of a character string within a particular predetermined search field within said entry in response to a determination that said search string is not a subset of said entry; and

means for recording said particular entry as a matching entry in response to a determination that said modified search string is a subset of said character string within said particular predetermined search field, wherein entries among said plurality of entries which match said search string are efficiently located.

9. The data processing system of claim 8, and further comprising means for converting said search string into a case-insensitive search string.

10. The data processing system of claim 8, said means for searching further comprising:

means for determining whether said modified search string is a superset of said character string within said particular predetermined search field within said entry;

means for recording said entry as a matching entry in response to a determination that said modified search string is a superset of said character string within said particular predetermined search field.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, said means for searching further comprising:

means for arranging words of said search string as one or more sub-search strings;

means for arranging words of a character string within a particular predetermined search field within each of said plurality of entries as one or more sub-character strings;

means for determining whether each of said sub-search strings within said particular predetermined search field of said entry is a subset of a distinct one of said one or more sub-character strings; and

means for recording said entry as a matching entry in response to a determination that each of said sub-search strings is a subset of a distinct one of said one or more sub-search strings.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein said particular predetermined search field within said particular search string is a name search field which stores a name, and wherein said means for arranging said search string and means for arranging said character string comprise means for arranging said search string such that each word within said search string is a sub-search string and means for arranging said name such that each word within said name is a sub-character string.

13. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein said means for determining whether each of said sub-search strings is a subset of a distinct one of said one or more sub-character strings processes said sub-search strings in order of length from longest to shortest.

14. The data processing system of claim 8, and further comprising a display for displaying all matching entries to a user.

15. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein said database comprises an address book, and wherein said one or more predetermined search fields include a name search field, an address search field, and a telephone number search field.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, said data processing system comprising a personal communication device, wherein said display comprises a touch sensitive display upon which at least a name and a telephone number are displayed for each matching entry, said personal communication device further comprising:

communications interface means for effecting a call to a telephone number displayed within said touch sensitive display.

17. A computer program product for searching a database having a plurality of entries, said plurality of entries each arranged as one or more predetermined search fields, wherein each of said predetermined search fields contains a character string, said computer program product stored on a computer-readable media for use within a data processing system, said computer program product comprising:

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to search said database to locate entries among said plurality of entries which match a search string, including;

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for accepting as input said search string;

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to determine whether said search string is a subset of an entry among said plurality of entries;

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to record said entry among said plurality of entries as a matching entry in response to a determination that said search string is a subset of said entry;

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to determine if a modified search string formed by removing delimiters from said search string is a subset of a character string within a particular predetermined search field within said entry in response to a determination that said search string is not a subset of said entry; and

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to record said particular entry as a matching entry in response to a determination that said modified search string is a subset of said character string within said particular predetermined search field, wherein an entry among said plurality of entries which match said search string is efficiently located.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, and further comprising instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to convert said search string into a case-insensitive search string.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, said instruction means for searching further comprising:

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to determine whether said modified search string is a superset of said character string within said particular predetermined search field within said entry;

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to record said entry as a matching entry in response to a determination that said modified search string is a superset of said character string within said particular predetermined search field.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, said instruction means for searching further comprising:

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to arrange said search string as one or more sub-search strings;

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to arrange a character string within a particular predetermined search field within each of said plurality of entries as one or more sub-character strings;

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to determine whether each of said sub-search strings within said particular predetermined search field of said entry is a subset of a distinct one of said one or more sub-character strings; and

instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to record said entry as a matching entry in response to a determination that each of said sub-search strings is a subset of a distinct one of said one or more sub-search strings.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said particular predetermined search field within said particular search string is a name search field which stores a name, and wherein said instruction means for arranging said search string and instruction means for arranging said character string comprise instruction means stored within said computer-readable media for causing said data processing system to arrange said search string such that each word within said search string is a sub-search string and instruction means for arranging said name such that each word within said name is a sub-character string.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein said instruction means for determining whether each of said sub-search strings is a subset of a distinct one of said one or more sub-character strings causes said sub-search strings to be processed in order of length from longest to shortest.