Method for data retrieval

• US 6,434,552 B1
• Filed: 05/13/1999
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Leong, Jin Fye
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAYYAN, SUSAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/311,172
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 704/9, 707/3-6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A method for retrieving data with a more intuitive manner of specifying search conditions is disclosed. The method is implemented as an application on a computing device. The method is suitable for retrieving information stored as records in the computing device in a search operation. Records are retrieved if they meet a set of search conditions. The search conditions comprise a search text and other conditions. The application accepts a search command which contains the search text and any other search conditions. This search command consists of words entered in a free-form manner. Words which match predetermined keywords are translated into search conditions using information related to the predetermined keywords. Non-matching words form the search text. In a search operation, the application communicates with a user through a set of screens which are bidirectionally linked to one another. Each new set of screens for a new search operation is bidirectionally linked to a set of screens for a preceding search operation. This bidirectional linking of screens allows a user to move from one screen to another within and outside of a search operation.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving data using a search command comprising the steps of:

receiving the search command;

breaking the search command into words;

translating any word which matches one of a plurality of predetermined keywords into an appropriate search condition using information which correspond to the matched one of a plurality of predetermined keywords;

identifying any word which does not match the plurality of predetermined keywords as a search text, wherein the search text includes a plurality of words which are used as a whole for searching; and

retrieving any record from a data store which contains the search text and which meets any search conditions derived from the search command.