Method and apparatus for automated, context-dependent retrieval of information
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for context-based document identification, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a database indexing a plurality of documents each in terms of meta-information specifying contextual information about the document;
b. means for automatically acquiring current contextual information;
c. a search facility for searching the database to identify documents whose meta-information comprises information relevant to the acquired current contextual information; and
d. a display for reporting the identified documents to the user.
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Abstract
Documents stored in a database are searched for relevance to contextual information, instead of (or in addition to) similar text. Each stored document is indexed in term of meta-information specifying contextual information about the document. Current contextual information is acquired, either from the user or the current computational or physical environment, and this “meta-information” is used as the basis for identifying stored documents of possible relevance.
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24 Claims
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1. Apparatus for context-based document identification, the apparatus comprising:
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a. a database indexing a plurality of documents each in terms of meta-information specifying contextual information about the document;
b. means for automatically acquiring current contextual information;
c. a search facility for searching the database to identify documents whose meta-information comprises information relevant to the acquired current contextual information; and
d. a display for reporting the identified documents to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
a. a plurality of document templates, each template corresponding to a document type and specifying contextual information within the document; and
b. an analyzer for (i) matching a new document to a template and, in accordance with the template, extracting contextual information from the document, and (ii) indexing the document within the database in terms of the extracted contextual information.
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11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the meta-information is represented in the database as vectors, each vector corresponding to a document and to a type of contextual information associated therewith and having a value representative of the associated contextual information.
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12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the current contextual information is represented as a vector, the searching means determining relevance based on the current contextual-information vector and the vectors in the database.
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13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for acquiring current contextual information comprises user-responsive means for accepting user-provided contextual information.
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14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising means for storing a current document, the means for acquiring current contextual information comprising means for analyzing the current document for contextual information and extracting the contextual information therefrom.
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15. A method of identifying documents from a stored document database in response to contextual information, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. indexing each stored document in terms of meta-information specifying contextual information about the document;
b. automatically acquiring current contextual information;
c. identifying stored documents whose meta-information comprises information relevant to the acquired current contextual information; and
d. reporting the located documents to the user. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
a. defining a plurality of document templates, each template corresponding to a document type and specifying contextual information within the document;
b. matching a new document to a template and, in accordance with the template, extracting contextual information from the document; and
c. indexing the document within the database in terms of the extracted contextual information.
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21. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of representing the meta-information as vectors, each vector corresponding to a document and to a type of contextual information associated therewith and having a value representative of the associated contextual information.
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22. The method of claim 21 wherein the current contextual information is represents as a vector, relevance being determined in accordance with the current contextual information vector and the vectors in the database.
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23. The method of claim 15 wherein the current contextual information is acquired from a user.
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24. The method of claim 15 wherein current contextual information is acquired from a current document.
Specification