Associative text search and retrieval system that calculates ranking scores and window scores

• US 5,761,497 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RELX Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: RELX Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Inventors: Miller, David James, Holt, John, Pease, Thomas, Daley, Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US08/474,007
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 395/605, 395/792, 395/793, 395/603, 395/606, 395/340, 364/419.1, 364/419.19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/319 Inverted lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3346 using probabilistic model
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/253 Grammatical analysis; Style critique
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

An associative text search and retrieval system uses one or more front end processors to interacting with a network having one or more user terminals connected thereto to allow a user to provide information to the system and receive information from the system. The system also includes storage for a plurality of text documents, and at least one processor, coupled to the front end processors and the document storage. The processor(s) search the text documents according to a search request provided by the user and provide to the front end processor a predetermined number of retrieved documents containing at least one term of the search request. The retrieved documents have higher ranks than documents not provided to the front end processor. The system includes a display for displaying a window of text of one of the retrieved documents, the window having a highest score of all possible windows of the retrieved document, the score varying according to the number of search terms in the window and the number of search terms in the window preceded by a different search term in the window.

Claims

1. An associative text search and retrieval system, comprising:

front end processing means for interacting with a network having one or more user terminals connected thereto to allow a user to provide information to the system and receive information from the system;

storage means for storing a plurality of text documents;

processor means, coupled to the front end processing means and the storage means, for performing a search of the text documents using a plurality of search terms provided by the user, for calculating a ranking score for each of the text documents containing at least one of the search terms, for ranking the text documents based on their ranking scores, and for providing to the front end processing means a predetermined number of retrieved documents that are a subset of the text documents based on the documents'"'"' ranks, the retrieved documents having higher ranks than text documents not provided to the front end processing means, wherein the ranks are calculated using a formula that varies according to the square of the frequency in each of the text documents of each of the search terms; and

means for displaying a window of text of one of the retrieved documents, the window having a highest window score of all possible windows of the retrieved document, the window score being based upon the number of occurrences and diversity of search terms in the window, the diversity of search terms in the window being calculated based on the number of search terms in the window preceded by a different search term in the window.

2. An associative text search and retrieval system, according to claim 1, wherein the window score is calculated by adding one to the window score for the number of search terms in the window, adding two to the window score for each search term in the window that is preceded by a different search term, and by adding two to the window score for each search term in the window that is preceded by a different search term that is also preceded by a different search term.

3. An associative text search and retrieval system, according to claim 1, further comprising means for allowing the user to enter mandatory terms which be present in each of the retrieved documents, wherein the window score is calculated by adding one to the window score for the number of search terms and mandatory terms in the window, adding two to the window score for each search term and mandatory term in the window that is preceded by a different search term or mandatory term, and by adding two to the window score for each search term and mandatory term in the window that is preceded by a different search term or mandatory term that is also preceded by a different search term or mandatory term.

4. An associative text search and retrieval system, comprising:

front end processing means for interacting with a network having one or more user terminals connected thereto to allow a user to provide information to the system and receive information from the system;

storage means for storing a plurality of text documents;

processor means, coupled to the front end processing means and the storage means, for performing a search of the text documents using a plurality of search terms provided by the user, for calculating a ranking score for each of the text documents containing at least one of the search terms using a formula that varies according to the square of the frequency in each of the text documents of each of the search terms, for ranking the text documents based on their ranking scores, and for providing to the front end processing means a predetermined number of retrieved documents that are a subset of the text documents based on the documents'"'"' ranks; and

means for displaying a window of text of one of the retrieved documents, the window having a highest window score of all possible windows of the retrieved document, the window score being based upon the number of occurrences and diversity of search terms in the window, the diversity of search terms in the window being calculated based on the number of search terms in the window preceded by a different search term in the window.

5. An associative text search and retrieval system, comprising:

front end processing means for interacting with a network having one or more user terminals connected thereto to allow a user to provide information to the system and receive information from the system;

storage means for storing a plurality of text documents;

processor means, coupled to the front end processing means and the storage means, for performing a search of the text documents using a plurality of search terms provided by the user, for calculating a ranking score for each of the text documents containing at least one of the search terms, for ranking the text documents based on their ranking scores, and for providing to the front end processing means a predetermined number of retrieved documents that are a subset of the text documents based on the documents'"'"' ranks; and

means for displaying a window of text of one of the retrieved documents, the window having a highest window score of all possible windows of the retrieved document, the window score being based upon the number of occurrences and diversity of search terms in the window, the diversity of search terms in the window being calculated based on the number of search terms in the window preceded by a different search term in the window, wherein the window score is calculated by adding one to the window score for the number of search terms in the window, adding two to the window score for each search term in the window that is preceded by a different search term, and by adding two to the window score for each search term in the window that is preceded by a different search term that is also preceded by a different search term.

6. An associative text search and retrieval system, according to claim 5, further comprising means for allowing the user to enter mandatory terms which must be present in each of the retrieved documents, wherein the window score is calculated by adding one to the window score for the number of search terms and mandatory terms in the window, adding two to the window score for each search term and mandatory term in the window that is preceded by a different search term or mandatory term, and by adding two to the window score for each search term and mandatory term in the window that is preceded by a different search term or mandatory term that is also preceded by a different search term or mandatory term.

7. A method of operating an associative text search and retrieval system, comprising the steps of:

allowing a user to provide a plurality of search terms;

performing a search of text documents using the plurality of search terms provided by the user;

calculating a ranking score for each of the text documents containing at least one of the search terms;

ranking the text documents based on their ranking scores;

providing the user with a predetermined number of documents that are a subset of the text documents based on the documents'"'"' ranks;

for a selected one of the retrieved documents, calculating a window score for each of all possible windows of the retrieved document based upon the number of occurrences and diversity of search terms in the window, the diversity of search terms in the window being calculated based on the number of search terms in the window preceded by a different search term in the window, wherein the window score is calculated by adding one to the window score for the number of search terms in the window, adding two to the window score for each search term in the window that is preceded by a different search term, and by adding two to the window score for each search term in the window that is preceded by a different search term that is also preceded by a different search term; and

displaying the window of text for the selected retrieved document having the highest window score of all possible windows of the selected retrieved document.

8. A method of operating an associative text search and retrieval system, comprising the steps of:

allowing a user to provide a plurality of search terms;

performing a search of text documents using the plurality of search terms provided by the user;

calculating a ranking score for each of the text documents containing at least one of the search terms;

ranking the text documents based on their ranking scores;

providing the user with a predetermined number of documents that are a subset of the text documents based on the documents'"'"' ranks;

for a selected one of the retrieved documents, calculating a window score for each of all possible windows of the retrieved document based upon the number of occurrences and diversity of search terms in the window, the diversity of search terms in the window being calculated based on the number of search terms in the window preceded by a different search term in the window;

displaying the window of text for the selected retrieved document having the highest window score of all possible windows of the selected retrieved document; and

allowing the user to enter mandatory terms which must be present in each of the retrieved documents;

wherein in said calculating step, the window score is calculated by adding one to the window score for the number of search terms and mandatory terms in the window, adding two to the window score for each search term and mandatory term in the window that is preceded by a different search term or mandatory term, and by adding two to the window score for each search term and mandatory term in the window that is preceded by a different search term or mandatory term that is also preceded by a different search term or mandatory term.

9. A method of operating an associative text search and retrieval system, comprising the steps of:

allowing a user to provide a plurality of search terms;

performing a search of text documents using the plurality of search terms provided by the user;

calculating a ranking score for each of the text documents containing at least one of the search terms using a formula that varies according to the square of the frequency in each of the text documents of each of the search terms;

ranking the text documents based on their ranking scores;

providing the user with a predetermined number of documents that are a subset of the text documents based on the documents'"'"' ranks;

for a selected one of the retrieved documents, calculating a window score for each of all possible windows of the retrieved document based upon the number of occurrences and diversity of search terms in the window, the diversity of search terms in the window being calculated based on the number of search terms in the window preceded by a different search term in the window; and

displaying the window of text for the selected retrieved document having the highest window score of all possible windows of the selected retrieved document.