Method and apparatus for extracting a keyword from scheduling data using the keyword for searching the schedule data file

• US 5,819,261 A
• Filed: 03/21/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Fumiaki, Takiguchi, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulik, Paul V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, JOHN C
• Application Number:
  US08/618,995
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 395/615, 395/601, 395/603, 395/605
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3334 Selection or weighting of terms from queries, including natural language queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 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 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

This invention provides an information processing method and apparatus, which can automatically set a word, which has already been electronically stored, as a search keyword, and can perform a search operation. For this purpose, in an information search apparatus for searching a data file for desired data, and reading out the desired data, input text data is stored in a data storage area, and when extraction of a search keyword is instructed, a search keyword extraction program automatically extracts a keyword used for search from the text data stored in the data storage area in response to the instruction. A multimedia data file stored in a nonvolatile storage medium is searched based on the extracted keyword.

Claims

1. An information search method for searching a data file for desired data, and reading out the desired data, comprising:

a step of storing input schedule data;

a step of instructing extraction of a search keyword;

a step of extracting a keyword used for a search from the stored schedule data in response to the instruction; and

a step of searching the data file on the basis of the extracted keyword.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extraction step includes the step of extracting a keyword on the basis of contents of an event in an instructed time band when the extraction of a keyword based on the time band of the schedule data is instructed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extraction step includes the step of extracting a keyword in accordance with contents of an event at an instructed time when the time of the schedule data is instructed.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing words which are improper for keywords, and wherein the extraction step includes the step of extracting, as a keyword, a word which is not stored as the improper keyword.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data file stores multimedia data.

6. An information processing method for storing and managing information as a file, comprising:

an access detection step of detecting access to a file to be stored and managed or a file which has been stored and managed;

a time detection step for detecting a time; and

a step of registering, upon detection of access, information for specifying the file, a type of access, and time information indicating the time at accessing of the file in association with each other in a predetermined storage medium in accordance with a predetermined format.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

the time designation step of designating a time;

the search step of searching for a file corresponding to the designated time on the basis of information stored in the management/storage; and

the display step of displaying a list of files obtained in the search step.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein each file has reduced image information generated based on the file so as to specify the file, and

said method further comprises the display pattern setting step of designating whether the list of the obtained files is displayed using file names or the reduced image information in the display step.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

the step of designating a desired file of the displayed list of files obtained in the search step; and

the step of starting an application program which processes the designated file, and instructing the application program to open the designated file.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the type of processing includes a file creation operation, an edit operation, a print output operation, electronic mail transmission and reception operations, and an image input operation.

11. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a storage/management step, which comprises the registration step of registering files to be managed, and wherein the registration step includes the step of registering the file to be managed and an application program for processing the file as data in association with each other.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the registration step includes the step of registering a full path and a file name of the file, and a full path and a program file name of the application program.

13. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

the schedule registration step of registering a time band of an event and data of the event;

the display step of displaying a list of events;

the selection step of selecting at least one of the displayed events; and

the step of displaying a list of files, processing operations of which was generated during a time band of the selected event.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the display step includes the step of displaying the list of events in a calendar format.

15. A storage medium which allows to search a data file for desired data and to read out the desired data in such a manner that an information processing apparatus loads contents of said storage medium into a memory and executes the loaded contents, comprising:

a procedure code of the step of storing input schedule data;

a procedure code of the step of instructing extraction of a search keyword;

a procedure code of the extraction step of extracting a keyword used for a search from the stored schedule data in response to the instruction; and

a procedure code of the step of searching the data file on the basis of the extracted keyword.

16. A storage medium which allows to search a data file for desired data and to read out the desired data in such manner that an information processing apparatus loads contents of said storage medium into a memory and executes the loaded contents, comprising:

a procedure code of a step of detecting access to a file to be stored and managed or a file which has already been stored and managed;

a procedure code of a step of detecting a time; and

a procedure code of a step of registering, upon execution of access, information for specifying the file, a type of access, and time information at accessing the file in association with each other in a predetermined storage device in accordance with a predetermined format.

17. An information search apparatus for searching a data file for desired data, and reading out the desired data, comprising:

storage means for storing input schedule data;

instruction means for instructing extraction of a search keyword;

keyword extraction means for extracting a keyword used for a search from the schedule data stored in said storage means in response to the instruction from said instruction means; and

searching means for searching the data file on the basis of the keyword extracted by said keyword extraction means.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein when said instruction means instructs extraction of a keyword based on a time band of the schedule data, said keyword extraction means extracts a keyword on the basis of contents of an event in the instructed time band.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said instruction means can instruct a time of the schedule data, and said keyword extraction means extracts a keyword in accordance with contents of an event at the instructed time.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising improper keyword storage means for storing words which are improper for keywords, and wherein said keyword extraction means extracts, as a keyword, a word which is not stored in said improper keyword storage means.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said keyword extraction means comprises range designation means for designating a range of the schedule data, and word extraction means for extracting words within the range designated by said range designation means.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the data file stores multimedia data.

23. An information processing apparatus for storing and managing information as a file, comprising:

an access detection means for detecting access to a file to be stored and managed or a file which has been stored and managed;

time detection means for detecting a time; and

means for registering, upon detection of access, information for specifying the file, a type of access, and time information indicating the time at accessing of the file in association with each other in a predetermined format.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising:

time designation means for designating a time;

search means for searching for a file corresponding to the designated time on the basis of information stored in the management/storage; and

display means for displaying a list of files obtained by said search means.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein each file has reduced image information generated based on the file so as to specify the file, and

said apparatus further comprises display pattern setting means for designating whether said display means displays the list of the obtained files using file names or the reduced image information.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

file designation means for designating a desired file of the displayed list of files obtained by said search means; and

means for starting an application program which processes the designated file, and instructing the application program to open the designated file.

27. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the type of processing includes a file creation operation, an edit operation, a print output operation, electronic mail transmission and reception operations, and an image input operation.

28. The apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising storage/management means, which comprises registration means for registering files to be managed, and wherein said registration means registers the file to be managed and an application program for processing the file as data in association with each other.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said registration means registers a full path and a file name of the file, and a full path and a program file name of the application program.

30. The apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising:

schedule registration means for registering a time band of an event and data of the event;

display means for displaying a list of events;

selection means for selecting at least one of the displayed events; and

means for displaying a list of files, processing operations of which was generated during a time band of the selected event.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said display means displays the list of events in a calendar format.