Information retrieval system for presenting information obtained through efficient retrieval of a data base and processing of the retrieval results

• US 5,963,946 A
• Filed: 11/06/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yanagimoto, Hidekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US08/965,526
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/5, 707/10, 707/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

An information retrieval system for presenting information by processing retrieval results obtained through data retrieval by access to data bases dispersed on a network, comprises a retrieval executing section to, upon receipt of an access request from a user, retrieve data from the data base after specifying a data base as a retrieved party and, in case of specifying a plurality of data bases as the retrieved party, retrieve data in parallel from the plurality of data bases, a retrieval result processing section to process retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by the retrieval executing section and convert the same in a standard format, and a retrieval result supplying section to supply the retrieval results processed by the retrieval result processing section to a display.

Claims

1. An information retrieval system for presenting information by processing retrieval results obtained through data retrieval by access to data bases dispersed on a network, comprising:

a retrieval executing section for, upon receipt of an access request from a user, specifying a data base as a retrieved party and retrieving data from the specified data base, and, in case of specifying a plurality of data bases as the retrieved party, retrieving data in parallel from the plurality of data bases;

a retrieval result processing section for processing retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by said retrieval executing section and converting the same in a standard format; and

a retrieval result supplying section for supplying the retrieval results processed by said retrieval result processing section to a display,

wherein the retrieval result processing section includes a retrieval result arranging unit and a retrieval result knowledge database so that the retrieval result arranging unit converts the retrieval results to the standard format by using a knowledge stored in the retrieval result knowledge database.

2. An information retrieval system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said retrieval executing section includes a retrieval monitoring unit for monitoring executing condition of retrieval processing for the data base of the retrieved party, and

said retrieval result processing section includes a retrieval termination display control unit for supplying the retrieval results of the data base having completed the retrieval processing to the display according to the monitoring results by said retrieval monitoring unit.

3. An information retrieval system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said retrieval executing section includes a retrieval monitoring unit for monitoring executing condition of retrieval processing for the data base of the retrieved party, and

said retrieval result processing section includes a retrieval termination display control unit for supplying the retrieval results of the data base having completed the retrieval processing to the display according to the monitoring results by said retrieval monitoring unit,

said retrieval monitoring unit, if detecting abnormally terminated retrieval processing, notifying it to said retrieval termination display control unit,

said retrieval termination display control unit supplying a message indicating the occurrence of the abnormal termination to the display upon receipt of the notice of detecting the abnormally terminated retrieval processing from said retrieval monitoring unit.

4. An information retrieval system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said retrieval executing section includes a retrieval monitoring unit for monitoring executing condition of retrieval processing for the data base of the retrieved party, and

said retrieval result processing section includes a retrieval termination display control unit for supplying the retrieval results of the data base having completed the retrieval processing to the display according to the monitoring results by said retrieval monitoring unit,

said retrieval monitoring unit measuring running time of retrieval processing in the respective data bases, breaking the retrieval processing if the measured time is beyond a predetermined time limit, and notifying it to said retrieval termination display control unit,

said retrieval termination display control unit supplying a message indicating the occurrence of the abnormal termination to the display, upon receipt of the notice, from said retrieval monitoring unit, informing that the processing has been terminated because the running time of the retrieval processing was beyond the time limit.

5. An information retrieval system as set forth in claim 1, in which

said retrieval executing section includes a retrieval monitoring unit for monitoring executing condition of retrieval processing for the data base of the retrieved party, and

said retrieval result processing section includes a retrieval termination display control unit for supplying the retrieval results of the data base having completed the retrieval processing to the display according to the monitoring results by said retrieval monitoring unit,

said retrieval monitoring unit,

if detecting abnormally terminated retrieval processing, notifying it to said retrieval termination display control unit,

measuring running time of retrieval processing in the respective data bases, breaking the retrieval processing if the measured time is beyond a predetermined time limit, and notifying it to said retrieval termination display control unit,

said retrieval termination display control unit

supplying a message indicating the occurrence of the abnormal termination to the display upon receipt of the notice of detecting the abnormally terminated retrieval processing from said retrieval monitoring unit, and

supplying a message indicating the occurrence of the abnormal termination to the display, upon receipt of the notice, from said retrieval monitoring unit, informing that the processing has been terminated because the running time of the retrieval processing was beyond the time limit.

6. An information retrieval system for presenting information by processing retrieval results obtained through data retrieval by access to data bases dispersed on a network, comprising:

a retrieval executing section for, upon receipt of an access request from a user, retrieving data from the data base after specifying a data base as a retrieved party and retrieving data from the specified data base, and, in case of specifying a plurality of data bases as the retrieved party, retrieving data in parallel from the plurality of data bases;

a retrieval result processing section for processing retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by said retrieval executing section and converting the same in a standard format; and

a retrieval result supplying section for supplying the retrieval results processed by said retrieval result processing section to a display, in which;

said retrieval result processing section includes

a standard structure extracting unit for taking data corresponding to predetermined items out of the retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by said retrieval executing section, and

said retrieval result supplying section includes

a redundant data detecting unit for detecting the data having the identical content as for all the items by comparison among the respective items of the data taken by said standard structure extracting unit, and

a merge screen forming unit for forming a display screen to be supplied to the display after unifying the identical data and eliminating the redundant data, according to the detected results by said redundant data detecting unit.

7. An information retrieval system for presenting information by processing retrieval results obtained through data retrieval by access to data bases dispersed on a network, comprising:

a retrieval executing section for, upon receipt of an access request from a user, retrieving data from the data base after specifying a data base as a retrieved party and retrieving data from the specified data base, and, in case of specifying a plurality of data bases as the retrieved party, retrieving data in parallel from the plurality of data bases;

a retrieval result processing section for processing retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by said retrieval executing section and converting the same in a standard format; and

a retrieval result supplying section for supplying the retrieval results processed by said retrieval result processing section to a display, in which;

said retrieval result processing section includes

a standard structure extracting unit for taking data corresponding to predetermined items out of the retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by said retrieval executing unit, and

said retrieval result supplying unit includes

a redundant data detecting unit for detecting the data having the identical content as for all the items by comparison among the respective items of the data taken by said standard structure extracting unit, and

a merge screen forming unit for forming a display screen to be supplied to the display after unifying the identical data and eliminating the redundant data according to the detected results by said redundant data detecting unit,

wherein said redundant data detecting unit, when detecting some retrieval results short of data on a part of items in the above data taken by said standard structure extracting unit, relating the retrieval results to the other retrieval results if there are other retrieval results having the data on the remaining item identical with the retrieval results short of the data on the part of items, and

wherein said merge screen forming unit, when said redundant data detecting unit detects the retrieval results short of the data on a part of items in the above taken data and there are other retrieval results related to the retrieval results short of the data on the part of items, placing the retrieval results short of the data on the part of items next to the other retrieval results.

8. An information retrieval system for presenting information by processing retrieval results obtained through data retrieval by access to data bases dispersed on a network, comprising:

a retrieval executing section for, upon receipt of an access request from a user, retrieving data from the data base after specifying a data base as a retrieved party and retrieving data from the specified data base, and, in case of specifying a plurality of data bases as the retrieved party, retrieving data in parallel from the plurality of data bases;

a retrieval result processing section for processing retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by said retrieval executing section and converting the same in a standard format; and

a retrieval result supplying section for supplying the retrieval results processed by said retrieval result processing section to a display, in which;

said retrieval result processing section includes

a standard structure extracting unit for taking data corresponding to predetermined items out of the retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by said retrieval executing section, and

said retrieval result supplying section includes

a redundant data detecting unit for detecting the data having the identical content as for all the items by comparison among the respective items of the data taken by said standard structure extracting unit, and

a merge screen forming unit for forming a display screen to be supplied to the display after unifying the identical data and eliminating the redundant data according to the detected results by said redundant data detecting unit,

wherein said redundant data detecting unit, when detecting some retrieval results short of data on a part of items in the above data taken by said standard structure extracting unit, relating the retrieval results to the other retrieval results if there are other retrieval results having the data on the remaining item identical with the retrieval results short of the data on the part of items, and

wherein said merge screen forming unit, when said redundant data detecting unit detects the retrieval results short of the data on a part of items in the above taken data and there are other retrieval results related to the retrieval results short of the data on the part of items, placing the retrieval results short of the data on the part of items next to the other retrieval results and presenting the retrieval results short of the data on the part of items in a display format different from the other retrieval results.

9. An information retrieval system for presenting information by processing retrieval results obtained through data retrieval by access to data bases dispersed on a network, comprising:

a retrieval executing section for, upon receipt of an access request from a user, retrieving data from the data base after specifying a data base as a retrieved party and retrieving data from the specified data base, and, in case of specifying a plurality of data bases as the retrieved party, retrieving data in parallel from the plurality of data bases;

a retrieval result processing section for processing retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by said retrieval executing section and converting the same in a standard format; and

a retrieval result supplying section for supplying the retrieval results processed by said retrieval result processing section to a display,

wherein said retrieval executing section includes

a retrieval monitoring means for monitoring executing condition of retrieval processing for the data base of the retrieved party,

wherein said retrieval result processing section includes

a retrieval termination display control unit for supplying the retrieval results of the data base having completed the retrieval processing to the display according to the monitoring results by said retrieval monitoring unit, and

a standard structure extracting unit for taking data corresponding to predetermined items out of the retrieval results obtained through retrieval processing by said retrieval executing section, and

wherein said retrieval result supplying section includes

a redundant data detecting unit for detecting the data having the identical content as for all the items by comparison among the respective items of the data taken by said standard structure extracting unit, and

a merge screen forming unit for forming a display screen to be supplied to the display after unifying the identical data and eliminating the redundant data, according to the detected results by said redundant data detecting unit.