Device and method for filtering information, device and method for monitoring updated document information and information storage medium used in same devices

• US 6,092,091 A
• Filed: 09/12/1997
• Issued: 07/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kajiura, Masahiro, Miike, Seiji, Sumita, Kazuo, Sakai, Tetsuya, Shimogori, Nobuhiro, Uehara, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAVAN, THU THAO
• Application Number:
  US08/929,275
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707/513, 707/8, 707/104, 707/102, 707/6, 707/10, 707/4, 709/218, 709/206, 709/208, 348/14, 348/1, 364/963
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

The present invention is a device and method for filtering information, the device comprising a document database storing document data to be filtered, a reproduced document information storing unit storing fundamental document data used for detection of documents, newly created or updated, a detecting unit for detecting a document, newly created or updated, among document data stored in the document database based on document data stored in the document database and the fundamental document data stored in the reproduced document information storing unit, a similarity computing unit for computing a similarity between the detected document detected by the detecting unit and a retrieval condition set in advance, and a presenting unit for presenting detected documents detected by the detecting unit according to the similarities computed by the similarity computing unit.

Claims

1. A device for filtering information, comprising:

first storing means for storing document data to be filtered;

second storing means for storing fundamental document data for detecting at least one of newly created document and updated document;

detecting means for detecting the at least one of newly created document and updated document among the document data stored in the first storage means based on the document data stored in the first storing means and the fundamental document data stored in the second storing means;

similarity computing means for computing a similarity between the at least one of newly created document and updated document by detected the detecting means and a predetermined retrieval condition; and

presenting means for presenting the at least one of newly created document and updated document detected by the detecting means according to the similarity computed by the similarity computing means.

2. A device for filtering information according to claim 1, wherein presentation of documents by the presenting means is conducted according to the descending order of similarities computed by the similarity computing means.

3. A device for filtering information according to claim 1, wherein presentation of documents by the presenting means is conducted on documents of similarities equal to or more than a predetermined value computed by the similarity computing means.

4. A device for filtering information according to claim 1, wherein the device for filtering information further comprises means for compressing the documents detected by the detecting means and storing the compressed documents in the second storage means.

5. A method for filtering information, comprising the steps of:

detecting at least one of newly created document and updated document among document data based on the document data and fundamental document data;

computing a similarity between the at least one of newly created document and updated document and a predetermined retrieval condition; and

presenting the at least one of newly created document and updated document according to the similarity.

6. A method for filtering information according to claim 5, wherein presentation of detected documents is conducted in the descending order of the similarities computed.

7. A method for filtering information according to claim 5, wherein presentation of documents is conducted on documents of similarities computed equal to or more than a predetermined value.

8. A method for filtering information according to claim 5, wherein the method for filtering information further comprises the step of compressing detected documents and adding the compressed documents to the fundamental document data after the detecting step.

9. A device for filtering information, comprising:

detecting means for detecting at least one of newly created document and updated document among document data by comparison between document data being an object for filtering and fundamental document data which is used for detecting the at least one of newly created document and updated document;

deciding means for deciding on whether or not the at least one of newly created document and updated document detected by detecting means includes a plurality of information units;

splitting means for splitting the at least one of newly created document and updated document into the information units, when the at least one of newly created document and updated document has been decided to include a plurality of information units by the deciding means;

similarity computing means for computing a similarity between each information unit split by the splitting means and a predetermined retrieval condition; and

presenting means for presenting a document of the each information unit split by the splitting means according to the similarities computed by the similarity computing means.

10. A device for filtering information according to claim 9, wherein presentation of the documents by the presenting means is conducted in the descending order of the similarities computed by the similarity computing means.

11. A device for filtering information according to claim 9, wherein presentation by the presenting means is conducted on documents of similarities computed by the similarity computing means equal to or more than a predetermined value.

12. A device for filtering information according to claim 9, wherein the presenting means comprises:

selecting means for selecting the split documents split by the splitting means according to the similarities computed by the similarity computing means;

creating means for creating an abstract of each of the selected documents by the selecting means; and

presenting means for presenting abstracts created by the creating means.

13. A device for filtering information, comprising:

detecting means for detecting a hypertext, newly created or updated, among hypertexts from a hypertext with an address specified in advance being an object for filtering up to a hypertext in a position specified in advance in a hierarchy by comparison between the hypertext being an object for filtering and a fundamental hypertext which is used for detecting a hypertext, newly created or updated;

similarity computing means for computing a similarity between a detected hypertext by detecting means and a retrieval condition set in advance; and

presenting means for presenting detected hypertexts by the detecting means according to the similarities computed by the similarity computing means.

14. A device for filtering information according to claim 13, wherein detection of a hypertext by the detecting means is terminated when a first hypertext is detected by the detecting means.

15. A device for filtering information according to claim 13, wherein presentation of hypertexts are conducted in the descending order of the similarities computed by the similarity computing means.

16. A device for filtering information according to claim 13, wherein presentation of the hypertexts by the presenting means is conducted on hypertexts of similarities computed by the similarity computing means equal to or more than a predetermined value.

17. A device for filtering information according to claim 13, wherein the presenting means comprises:

compressing means for compressing the detected hypertexts by the detection means; and

presenting means for presenting the compressed hypertexts compressed by the compressing means according to the similarities computed by the similarity computing means.

18. A device for filtering information according to claim 13, wherein the similarity computing means comprises:

deciding means for deciding on whether or not a detected hypertext detected by the detection means includes a plurality of information units;

splitting means for splitting the detected hypertext detected by the detecting means into respective information units, when the detected hypertext is decided by the deciding means to include a plurality of information units; and

similarity computing means for computing a similarity between each split information unit and a retrieval condition set in advance.

19. A device for filtering information comprising:

incorporating means for incorporating a filtered document output from another device for filtering information; and

filtering means for filtering incorporated documents incorporated by the incorporating means together with documents to be filtered while including the former documents in the latter documents.

20. A method for filtering information, comprising the steps of:

detecting documents, newly created or updated, among documents to be filtered by comparison between document data of an object for filtering and fundamental document data, which are used for detecting the documents, newly created or updated;

deciding on whether or not the detected document data include a plurality of information units;

splitting the detected documents into information units, when the detected document data are decided to include a plurality of information units;

computing a similarity between each split information unit and a retrieval condition set in advance; and

presenting the split documents according to the similarities computed.

21. A method for filtering information according to claim 20, wherein presentation of the documents is conducted in the descending order of the similarities computed.

22. A method for filtering information according to claim 20, wherein presentation of the documents is conducted on documents of similarities computed equal to or more than a predetermined value.

23. A method for filtering information according to claim 20, wherein the presenting step for the split documents comprises the steps of:

selecting the split documents according to similarities computed;

creating an abstract of a selected document; and

presenting abstracts created.

24. A method for filtering information, comprising the steps of:

detecting a hypertext, newly created or updated, among hypertexts from an hypertext with an address specified in advance being an object for filtering up to a hypertext in a position specified in advance in a hierarchy by comparison between the hypertext being an object for filtering and a fundamental hypertext which is used for detecting a hypertext, newly created or updated;

computing a similarity between a detected hypertext by the detecting means and a predetermined retrieval condition; and

presenting the detected hypertexts by the detecting means according to the similarities computed by the similarity computing means.

25. A method for filtering information according to claim 24, wherein detection of a hypertext by the detecting means is terminated when a first hypertext is detected by the detecting means.

26. A method for filtering information according to claim 24, wherein the hypertext presenting step is conducted according to the descending order of the similarities computed by the similarity computing means.

27. A method for filtering information according to claim 24, wherein the hypertext presenting step is conducted on hypertext of similarities computed equal to or more than a predetermined value.

28. A method for filtering information according to claim 24, wherein the hypertext presenting step comprises:

compressing the detected hypertexts; and

presenting the compressed documents according to similarities computed.

29. A method for filtering information according to claim 24, wherein the similarity computing step comprises:

deciding on whether or not the detected hypertext includes a plurality of information units;

splitting the detected hypertext into information units, when the detected hypertext has been decided to include a plurality of information unites; and

computing a similarity between each split information unit and a predetermined retrieval condition.

30. A method for filtering information among a plurality of documents, comprising the steps of:

incorporating a filtering result output from another device for filtering information; and

filtering incorporated results together with a plurality of documents while including the former documents in the latter documents.

31. A device for monitoring updated document information, comprising:

document specifying means for specifying an address showing a storage location for a document of a monitoring object and documents in a hierarchical structure with the monitored document being a starting point thereof as a group;

update detecting means for detecting an updated document among the specified documents specified by the document specifying means; and

indicating means for indicating the detected documents by the update detecting means with information on their respective positions in the hierarchical structure of the documents including the detected documents therein.

32. A device for monitoring updated document information according to claim 31, wherein the indicating means comprises means for presenting the detected document detected by the update detecting means with information on their respective position in the hierarchical structure including the document therein.

33. A device for monitoring updated document information according to claim 31, wherein the update detecting means comprises:

update time predicting means for predicting an update time of each document specified by the specifying means;

selecting means for selecting a document among the specified documents specified by the document specifying means based on an predicted update time predicted by the update time predicting means; and

detecting means for detecting updated documents among the selected documents by the selecting means.

34. A device for monitoring updated document information according to claim 31, wherein the device for monitoring updated document information further comprises:

latest-update-time storing means for storing the latest update time of each of the specified documents by the document specifying means; and

specification deleting means for deleting the addresses showing storage locations of documents from the specifications specified by the document specifying means, elapsed times of which documents exceeds a threshold holding time set in advance, when counting from the latest update time stored in the latest update time storing means.

35. A device for monitoring updated document information according to claim 31, wherein the device for monitoring updated document information further comprises:

detecting means for detecting the documents, which have been deleted, among the specified documents specified by the document specifying means; and

specification deleting means for deleting addresses showing the storage locations of deleted documents from the specifications specified by the document specifying means when the deleted documents have been detected by the detecting means.

36. A device for monitoring updated document information according to claim 31, wherein the device for monitoring updated document information further comprises:

address detecting means for detecting an address of a new location when a stored location of a document specified by the document specifying means has been modified to the new location; and

address modifying means for modifying the old address of the document whose storage location specified by the document specifying means to the new address detected by the address detecting means when the new address of a document is detected to which address the old address of the document is modified.

37. A device for monitoring updated document information, comprising:

referential relation collecting means for collecting referential relations between documents;

document specifying means for specifying an address showing a storage location of a document of an object for monitoring;

detecting means for detecting a second document, which refers to the specified document specified by the document specifying means, based on a referential relation collected by the referential relation collecting means; and

indicating means for indicating an user in regard to the second document detected by the detecting means.

38. A method for monitoring updated document information, comprising the steps of:

specifying an address showing a storage location for a document of a monitoring object and documents having a hierarchical structure with a document as a starting point as a group;

detecting an updated document among the specified documents by the document specifying means; and

indicating the detected documents detected by the update detecting means with information on their respective positions in the hierarchical structure of documents including the detected documents therein.

39. A method for monitoring updated document information, comprising the steps of:

collecting referential relations between documents;

specifying an address showing a storage location of a document of an object for monitoring;

detecting that a new document, which refers to the specified document specified by the document specifying means, is created, based on a referential relation collected by the referential relation collecting means; and

indicating an user in regard to the new document detected by the detecting means.

40. A computer program product for operating a computer, said program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instruction means for instructing a computer processor to detect a document, newly created or updated, among documents to be filtered based on document data for filtering and fundamental document data which is used for detecting the document, newly created or updated;

second program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to compute a similarity between a detected document and a retrieval condition set in advance; and

third program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to present detected documents according to similarities computed, wherein each of said program instruction means is recorded on said medium in executable form and is loadable into the computer for execution by the processor.

41. A computer program product for operating a computer, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instruction means for instructing a computer processor to detect a document, newly created or updated, among documents to be filtered based on document data for filtering and fundamental document data which is used for detecting the document, newly created or updated;

second program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to compute a similarity between a detected document and a retrieval condition set in advance;

third program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to present detected documents according to similarities computed, wherein each of said program instruction means is recorded on said medium in executable form and is loadable into the computer for execution by the processor.

42. A computer program product for operating a computer, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instruction means for instructing a computer processor to detect a document, newly created or updated, among documents to be filtered by comparison between document data for filtering and fundamental document data which are used for detecting the document, newly created or updated;

second program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to decide on whether or not detected document data include a plurality of information units;

third program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to split the detected document into information units, when the detected document data are decided to include a plurality of information units;

fourth program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to compute a similarity between each split information unit and a retrieval condition set in advance;

fifth program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to present split documents split by splitting means according to the similarities computed, wherein each of said program instruction means is recorded on said medium in executable form and is loadable into the computer for execution by the processor.

43. A computer program product for operating a computer, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

detect a hypertext, newly created or updated, among hypertexts from a hypertext with an address specified in advance being an object for filtering up to a hypertext in a position specified in advance in a hierarchy by comparison between the hypertext being an object for filtering and a fundamental hypertext which is used for detecting a hypertext, newly created or updated;

second program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to compute a similarity between a detected hypertext by detecting means and a retrieval condition set in advance;

third program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to present detected hypertexts by the detecting means according to the similarities computed by the similarity computing means, wherein each of said program instruction means is recorded on said medium in executable form and is loadable into the computer for execution by the processor.

44. A computer program product for operating a computer, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instruction means for instructing a computer processor to incorporate a filtering result output from another device for filtering information;

second program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to filter incorporated documents together with documents to be filtered while including the former documents in the latter documents, wherein each of said program instruction means is recorded on said medium in executable form and is loadable into the computer for execution by the processor.

45. A computer program product for operating a computer, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instruction means for instructing a computer processor to specify an address showing a storage location for a document of a monitoring object and documents in a hierarchical structure with the monitored document being a starting point thereof as a group;

second program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to detect an updated document among the specified documents specified by the document specifying means;

third program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to notice the detected documents detected by the update detecting means with information on their respective positions in the hierarchical structure of the documents including the detected documents therein, wherein each of said program instruction means is recorded on said medium in executable form and is loadable into the computer for execution by the processor.

46. A computer program product for operating a computer, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instruction means for instructing a computer processor to collect referential relations between documents;

second program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to specify an address showing a storage location of a document of an object for monitoring;

third program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to detect that a new document, which refers to the specified document specified by the document specifying means, is created, based on a referential relation collected by the referential relation collecting means; and

fourth program instruction means for instructing the computer processor to notice an user in regard to the new document detected by the detecting means, wherein each of said program instruction means is recorded on said medium in executable form and is loadable into the computer for execution by the processor.