System and method for indexing electronic text

• US 6,535,873 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Dugan, Jonathan, Fagan, Lawrence, Berrios, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford W.
• Application Number:
  US09/558,411
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-7, 707/10, 707/100-103, 707/200, 707/203, 707/500-563, 707/511-515, 707/516, 707/526-527, 707/529-532, 709/200-203, 709/332
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

System and method for integrating electronic text indexing and search. A concept model defines a set of concept-value pairs. A set of queries is constructed in the query model in terms of a subset of the concept-value pairs, which is used to create allowable concept-values in an inventive markup tool for assignment, via markup tags, to sentences of a piece of electronic text. Concepts are automatically updated as the query model is updated to keep the concept-values used in the markup tool consistent with the concept-values used in the query model. The queries and the assigned markup tags integrate concept-values from the concept model. The integration of the concept model with the markup tool and the query model tool makes indexing electronic textbooks much quicker with less effort.

Claims

1. An integrated electronic text indexing and search system comprising:

a concept model having concepts and values, wherein the concept model defines a set of concept-value pairs and wherein the concept model is modifiable by a domain expert;

a query model characterized as a structured set of queries constructed by the domain expert in terms of a first subset of the set of concept-value pairs, wherein each of the queries has one or more replaceable parameters corresponding one-to-one to the concepts and each of the queries becomes a template for a number of possible user-formulated queries;

a markup tool for generating a set of allowable concept-value pairs based on the first subset and for assigning the allowable concept-value pairs via markup tags to sentences or a piece of electronic text; and

a query model tool for constructing the query model and for automatically generating a query interface for presenting restrictions and the set of queries that a user uses to formulate a query, wherein the user query interface is capable of submitting the user-formulated query to a search engine for matching concept-value pairs in the user-formulated query against the assigned markup tags.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the search engine searches the assigned markup tags.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a concept model tool, wherein the domain expert modifies the concepts in the concept model from within the concept model tool or the markup tool and changes to the concept model appear in the markup tool and the query model tool.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the domain expert constructs a query, via a query model tool, with a combination of fixed text and one of a plurality of enumerated concepts, and wherein the enumerated concepts come from the concepts in the concept model or dynamically-valued concepts found in the electronic text.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the query model tool dynamically updates the allowable concept-value pairs when the domain expert modifies the concepts in the concept model or the dynamically-valued concepts.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the dynamically-valued concepts are found by comparing each word in the electronic text to a semantic dictionary.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the semantic dictionary is a UMLS knowledge base.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the markup tool and the query model tool are controlled with Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concept model and the query model are developed concurrently.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the structured set of queries constructed by the domain expert are stored in the concept model, thereby merging the query model and the concept model.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a calculating means for calculating, for each section of the electronic text, a geometric closeness measure relative to a query vector, the markup tool then selects and suggests a closest query vector to the domain expert.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the markup tool enables the domain expert to enter a new concept and add values for the new concept.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the markup tool analyzes the electronic text and suggests markup tags to the domain expert, and wherein the assigned markup tags are stored directly in the electronic text or in record format in a markup instance database.

14. A method for integrating electronic indexing and searching, comprising a step of:

integrating a concept model, a query model, a query model tool, and a markup model tool so that queries constructed in the query model and markup tags assigned by the markup tool integrate concepts and values from the concept model, thereby increases ease of marking up a piece of electronic text for a domain expert, the integrating step further comprising the steps of;

defining, in the concept model, a set of concept-value pairs modifiable by the domain expert;

constructing, with the query model tool, the queries in terms of a first subset of the set of concept-value pairs;

generating, with the markup tool, allowable concept-value pairs based on the first subset;

assigning, via the markup tags, the allowable concept-value pairs to a portion of the electronic text;

presenting the queries and associated restrictions to a user and the user formulates at least one query;

submitting the at least one user-formulated query to a search engine; and

searching the assigned markup tags to find concept-value pairs that match the concept-values contained in the at least one user-formulated query.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a step of:

integrating a concept model tool such that the domain expert can modify the concepts from within the concept model tool or the markup tool, wherein resulting changes to the concept model appear in the markup tool and the query model tool.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the constructing step further comprising a step of:

combining fixed text and one of a plurality of enumerated concepts, wherein the enumerated concepts come from the concepts in the concept model or dynamically-valued concepts found in the electronic text.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the presenting step further comprising a step of:

automatically generating a user query interface for presenting the restrictions and the queries to the user.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein

the user query interface enables the user to formulate the at least one query based on the restrictions and the queries.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a step of:

dynamically updating the allowable concept-value pairs when the domain expert modifies the concepts in the concept model or the dynamically-valued concepts.

20. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a step of:

comparing each word in the electronic text to a semantic dictionary to find the dynamically-valued concepts.

21. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

calculating, for each section of the electronic text, a geometric closeness measure relative to a query vector; and

selecting and suggesting a closest query vector to the domain expert.

22. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a step of:

developing the concept model and the query model concurrently.

23. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a step of:

merging the query model and the concept model by storing the queries in the concept model.

24. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a step of:

integrating the markup tool with inputting means to allow the domain expert to enter a new concept and add corresponding values for the new concept.

25. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a step of:

providing the markup tool an ability to suggest markup tags for assignment to the domain expert.

26. A computer readable medium accessible by a processor and carrying instructions executable by the processor for implementing method steps that integrate electronic indexing and searching, the instructions comprising:

computer program means for integrating a concept model, a query model, a query model tool, and a markup model tool so that queries constructed in the query model and markup tags assigned by the markup tool integrate concepts and values from the concept model, thereby increases ease of marking up a piece of electronic text for a domain expert, the computer program means further comprising;

program means for defining the concept model containing a set of concept-value pairs modifiable by the domain expert;

program means for constructing the query model containing the queries formed in terms of a first subset of the set of concept-value pairs;

program means for generating allowable concept-value pairs based on the first subset;

program means for assigning, via the markup tags, the allowable concept-value pairs to a portion of the electronic text;

program means for presenting the queries and associated restrictions to a user and for enabling the user to formulate at least one query;

program means for submitting the at least one user-formulated query to a search engine; and

program means for searching the assigned markup tags to find concept-value pairs that match the concept-values contained in the at least one user-formulated query.

27. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

program means for integrating a concept model tool such that the domain expert can modify the concepts from within the concept model tool or the markup tool, wherein resulting changes to the concept model appear in the markup tool and the query model tool.

28. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

program means for combining fixed text and one of a plurality of enumerated concepts, wherein the enumerated concepts come from the concepts in the concept model or dynamically-valued concepts found in the electronic text.

29. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

program means for automatically generating a user query interface for presenting the restrictions and the queries to the user.

30. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 29, further comprising:

program means for enabling the user to formulate the at least one query based on the restrictions and the queries.

31. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

program means for dynamically updating the allowable concept-value pairs when the domain expert modifies the concepts in the concept model or the dynamically-valued concepts.

32. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

program means for comparing each word in the electronic text to a semantic dictionary to find the dynamically-valued concepts.

33. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

program means for calculating, for each section of the electronic text, a geometric closeness measure relative to a query vector; and

program means for selecting and suggesting a closest query vector to the domain expert.

34. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

program means for enabling the domain expert to develop the concept model and the query model concurrently.

35. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

program means for storing the queries in the concept model thereby merging the query model and the concept model.

36. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

program means for allowing the domain expert to enter a new concept and add corresponding values for the new concept.

37. The computer readable medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

program means for enabling the markup tool to suggest markup tags for assignment to the domain expert.