Document retrieval assisting method, system and service using closely displayed areas for titles and topics

• US 6,457,004 B1
• Filed: 09/01/1998
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ono, Kazuhiro, Iwayama, Makoto, Yamaguchi, Atsuko, Niwa, Yoshiki, Nishioka, Shingo, Takano, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): RONES, CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US09/145,155
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/4, 707/103, 707/5, 707/6, 707/531, 345/146, 345/333, 345/7, 455/4.2, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/30 of unstructured textual data document management systems G06F16/93
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A document retrieval assistance method has a user interface with an interactive guidance function. In response to a search query, search results including a title list of retrieved documents is displayed alongside a separate display of topic words extracted from the retrieved documents which reflect the search results. In particular, a topic-word graph is displayed alongside a list of titles of the retrieved documents and the interface enables browsing of the documents using the topic words. Further, the interface permits emphasized display of the list of titles of the documents through direct selection of the titles displayed in the list or through selection of the topic words. Further, an associative search can be executed using a selected document to refine the original search results and develop updated displays of the search results and topic words contained in the documents.

Claims

1. A document retrieval assisting method having a key word search function and an associative search function, wherein displaying search results comprises displaying a title list of a set of retrieved documents and displaying an overview of the search results in the form of topic word information extracted from the set of retrieved documents, both displays being arranged adjacently, wherein each document and each topic word in the search results is respectively stored in a data structure in which a selection/non selection mode and a degree of emphasis are set, wherein cross-reference data specifying which topic word is contained in each individual document of the search results, together with data specifying which document of the search results contains each individual topic word, is stored, and wherein the method comprises:

a step of adding or deleting a word displayed as a topic word to or from the search words;

a step of designating selection/non selection state of each word displayed as a topic word;

a step of emphasizing each document containing one or more selected topic words with an intensity, depending on how many selected topic words are contained;

a step of rearranging and displaying the search results in decreasing order of intensity for emphasis;

a step of designating the selection/non selection state of each document from the search results;

a step of emphasizing topic words contained in the selected documents;

a step of carrying out associative search by using one or more selected documents as a search key; and

a prune step of leaving only selected documents and gathering information about topic words only from the selected documents.

2. A document retrieval service for sending search results, information about topic words, and information relevant to a relation between the search results and the topic words, wherein an information provider side computer is equipped with a text data base functioning as a search subject, a retrieval assisting execution program comprising a program for arranging and displaying a display area of the search results in a list of a set of retrieved documents including information in a form convenient for a user to identify the retrieved documents, an area for displaying topic words reflecting the search results in a list style or for displaying topic words in a graph style indicating a degree of relevance between the topic words extracted from the set of retrieved documents, and a communication program, wherein in response to a search query received from a user via the retrieval assisting execution program, a retrieval operation for the query is performed with extraction of topic words from the search results and calculation of the degree of relevance between the topic words and sending to the retrieval assisting execution program working on the user-side computer all needed data concerning the search results, topic words and cross-reference data between retrieved documents and corresponding topic-words,

wherein said retrieval operation comprises:

a step of adding or deleting a word displayed as a topic word to or from search words;

a step of designating a selection/non selection state of each word displayed as a topic word;

a step of emphasizing each document containing one or more selected topic words with an intensity, depending on how many selected topic words are contained;

a step of rearranging and displaying the search results in decreasing order of intensity for emphasis;

a step of designating a selection/nonselection state of each document from the search results;

a step of emphasizing topic words contained in the selected documents;

a step of carrying out an associative search by using one or more selected documents as a search key; and

a prune step of leaving only selected documents and gathering information about topic words only from the selected documents.

3. A document retrieval service or document retrieval assisting service according to claim 2, wherein the retrieval assisting execution program is preliminarily delivered to the user, so that the user might start the program when desired.

4. A document retrieval service or a document retrieval assisting service according to claim 2, wherein as to the step of adding or deleting an individual word displayed as a topic word to or from search words, an operation to add only designated topic words to search words, an operation to delete some search words being the same as designated topic words from the search words, and an operation to collectively add selected topic words to the search words, and an operation to delete all search words being the same as any one of the selected topic words, are effected with mouse operation.

5. A document retrieval service or a document retrieval assisting service according to claim 2, wherein as to the step of designating the selection/non selection state of an individual word displayed as a topic word, an operation to display the background color of a selected topic word or the font thereof as distinctive to make the selected topic word readily identifiable and put only a designated topic word at selection state while putting others at non selection state, an operation to toggle the selection/non selection of only the designated word, an operation to collectively select words with overlap with a designated rectangle region while putting others at non selection state, an operation to collectively move a selected word group, and an operation to add to selection state all topic words which can be reached through one relevance-link between topic words from any of already selected words, are carried out by mouse operation or button operation.

6. A document retrieval service or document retrieval assisting service according to claim 2, comprising as to the step of designating the selection/non selection state of an individual word from search results, displaying a small window on the side of the title of an individual document on a search results display area and using a distinctive color for a document, if selected, to make the selected document readily identifiable and toggle the selection/non selection of the corresponding document if a designated operation such as mouse clicking on the window part is effected (the color thus changes), and collectively selecting or un-selecting a plurality of documents by designating such documents by drag operation.

13. A document retrieval system according to claim 2, wherein the user side computer is also equipped with the provider side functions and work stand-alone.

7. A document retrieval assisting service having an information provider side computer having a text data base functioning as a search subject, a retrieval assisting execution program comprising a program for arranging and displaying a display area of the search results in a list of a set of retrieved documents including information convenient for a user to identify the retrieved documents, an area for displaying topic words reflecting the search results in a list style or for displaying topic words in a graph style reflecting a degree of relevance between the topic words extracted from the set of retrieved documents, wherein said areas are displayed close to each other, and a communication program, wherein the service comprises sending the retrieval assisting execution program to a user side computer on a query from a user and making the program operable on the user side computer,

wherein said retrieval operation comprises:

a step of adding or deleting a word displayed as a topic word to or from search words;

a step of designating a selection/non selection state of each word displayed as a topic word;

a step of emphasizing each document containing one or more selected topic words with an intensity depending on how many selected topic words are contained;

a step of rearranging and displaying the search results in decreasing order of intensity for emphasis;

a step of designating a selection/nonselection state of each document from the search results;

a step of emphasizing topic words contained in the selected documents;

a step of carrying out an associative search by using one or more selected documents as a search key; and

a prune step of leaving only selected documents and gathering information about topic words only from the selected documents.

8. A document retrieval service or document retrieval assisting service according to claim 7, comprising sending the retrieval assisting execution program to a user side computer on a query from a user, to preliminarily deliver the retrieval assisting execution program to a user with a desire to use the service but with no start of its operation, so that the user might start the program if desired.

9. A document retrieval service or a document retrieval assisting service according to claim 7, wherein as to the step of adding or deleting an individual word displayed as a topic word to or from search words, an operation to add only designated topic words to the search words, an operation to delete some search words being the same as the designated topic words from the search words, an operation to collectively add selected topic words to the search words, and an operation to delete all search words being the same as any one of the selected topic words, are effected with mouse operation.

10. A document retrieval service or a document retrieval assisting service according to claim 7, wherein as to the step of designating the selection/non selection state of an individual word displayed as a topic word, an operation to display the background color of a selected topic word or the font thereof as distinctive to make the selected topic word readily identifiable and put only a designated topic word at selection state while putting others at non selection state, an operation to toggle the selection/non selection of only the designated word, an operation to collectively select words with overlap with a designated rectangle region while putting others at non selection state, an operation to collectively move a selected word group, and an operation to add to selected state all topic words which can be browsed through one link with relevance between topic words from any of already selected words, are carried out by mouse operation or button operation.

11. A document retrieval service or document retrieval assisting service according to claim 7, comprising as to the step of designating the selection/non selection state of an individual word from search results, displaying a small window on the side of the title of an individual document on an search results display area and using a distinctive color for a document, if selected, to make the selected document readily identifiable and toggle the selection/non selection of the corresponding document if a designated operation such as mouse clicking on the window part is executed (the color thus changes), and collectively selecting or never selecting a plurality of documents by designating such documents by drag operation.

12. A document retrieval system having an information provider side computer having a text data base functioning as a search subject, a retrieval assisting execution program comprising a program for arranging and displaying a display area of search results in a list of a set of retrieved documents including information convenient for a user to identify the retrieved documents, and an area for displaying topic words reflecting the search results in a list or for displaying topic words in a graph style reflecting a degree of relevance between the topic words extracted from the set of retrieved documents, said areas being displayed at close positions to each other, and a communication program, wherein a user side computer has a communication program capable of communication through a network with the information provider side computer,

wherein said retrieval operation comprises:

a step of adding or deleting a word displayed as a topic word to or from search words;

a step of designating a selection/non selection state of each word displayed as a topic word;

a step of emphasizing each document containing one or more selected topic words with an intensity, depending on how many selected topic words are contained;

a step of rearranging and displaying the search results in decreasing order of intensity for emphasis;

a step of designating a selection/nonselection state of each document from the search results;

a step of emphasizing topic words contained in the selected documents;

a step of carrying out an associative search by using one or more selected documents as a search key; and

a prune step of leaving only selected documents and gathering information about topic words only from the selected documents.