System and method for retrieving documents responsive to a given user's role and scenario

• US 6,598,046 B1
• Filed: 09/29/1998
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Winkel, Edwin K., Kenyon, Jeffrey D., Goldberg, Motti
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US09/162,596
• Time in Patent Office: 1,757 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-7, 707/9-10, 707/100-104, 707/500-501, 707/513-514, 709/200-203, 706/45-50, 706/61, 704/1-4, 704/9-10, 704/243-245, 704/257
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• 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 and navigational system and method based on a user'"'"'s role, scenario, and context in a given context or scenario. A database is provided which has a plurality of documents which are stored therein. Each document having metadata defined by at least one predetermined tag and corresponding value which is assigned thereto. Selection criteria is received and corresponds to a user scenario. The received selection criteria is compared to the metadata of each document to determine if there is a document match. In the case that a document match is found, a retrieval report is generated for presentation on the output device which includes each document match.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving documents responsive to a given user scenario and serving at least one user accessing an output device, comprising:

providing at least one database having a plurality of documents stored therein, each of the plurality of documents having metadata manually assigned thereto, the metadata defined by at least one predetermined tag and corresponding value assigned thereto;

receiving selection criteria from a user corresponding to the user'"'"'s role and scenario;

comparing the received selection criteria to the metadata assigned to each document to determine if there is a document match; and

if a document match is found, generating a retrieval report including each document match for presentation on the output device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising prompting the user to enter the selection criteria.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the scenario criteria includes receiving a user tag and corresponding user value assigned thereto based on the actual user scenario.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving selection criteria from the user includes:

receiving a searchable phrase corresponding to the actual user scenario; and

parsing the searchable phrase and extracting keywords corresponding to at least one user tag and corresponding user value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving selection criteria from the user includes:

receiving a searchable phrase corresponding to the actual user scenario; and

translating the searchable phrase into a set of user tags and corresponding user values.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving selection criteria from the user further includes receiving an at least one user tag and corresponding user value associated with a process and a stage of the process in which the user is operating.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving selection criteria by the user further includes receiving search terms to constrain the search.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving selection criteria by the user includes the user specifying a set of user tags and corresponding user values.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the presentation includes ranking the documents displayed in the presentation based on the calculated relevance of each document retrieved.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving selection criteria corresponding to the user includes selection criteria entered by the user via an input device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the user selection criteria in a storage database.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

searching the storage database for stored user selection criteria; and

retrieving the stored selection criteria from the storage database.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the search request to extract at least one of an actual tag and an actual corresponding value that may be present therein.

14. A method of retrieving information for serving at least one user accessing an output device, the method comprising:

providing at least one database for storing a homogenous set of documents each having a plurality of predetermined tags and associated values representing a possible user scenario;

receiving selection criteria entered by the user, including actual user scenario and role;

translating the selection criteria into a set of actual user tags and corresponding actual values;

comparing the user tags and values with the predetermined tags and values associated with each document in the at least one database to determine if there is a match; and

if there is a match, generating a retrieval report for presentation to the output device representing each matched document.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein translating the selection criteria includes parsing the selection criteria to extract actual values that may be present therein;

searching a second database having stored therein a table for matching an actual value to a corresponding actual tag.

16. A method for storing and selectively retrieving documents comprising:

providing a plurality of homogenous documents in a storage device;

identifying the documents by assigning a plurality of predetermined tags and corresponding predetermined values in the database associated to predetermined user scenarios;

prompting the user to enter specific user criteria in the form of user values corresponding to a plurality of user tags;

comparing the user tags and values to the predetermined tags and values to determine a document match;

if there is at least one document match, calculating a rating for each document by adding the number of tag matches per document; and

generating a report to the output device in a manner defined by rating calculation.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a document to the output device based on selection by the user.

18. A method for storing and selectively retrieving data from a plurality of documents, the method comprising:

assigning manually to said plurality of documents a plurality of data scenario factors, each data scenario factor having a corresponding numerical value indicative of the document'"'"'s applicability to a user;

storing said plurality of documents in a database;

prompting a user to specify a plurality of user criteria, each of the user criteria having a corresponding user scenario factor;

comparing the user scenario factors to the data scenario factors of each document to determine if there is a matched document;

calculating an applicability rating for each matched document by combining the numerical value thereof; and

displaying at least one matched document to the user according to applicability rating.

19. For use in a computer system having a processor serving at least one display device, a method of identifying and transmitting documents responsive to a user'"'"'s scenario, the method comprising:

providing at least one database in communication with the searching processor, the at least one database including a plurality of documents of homogenous subject matter, the plurality of documents having predetermined tags and corresponding values manually assigned thereto;

receiving at the searching processor a search request signal including a search request generated by the user having at least one user tag and corresponding user value;

parsing the search request to extract the at least one user tag therein;

comparing the extracted user tags to the predetermined tags in the at least one database; and

generating a response signal for receipt by the user, the response signal having one or more documents responsive to the user scenario and search request.

20. A document retrieval system adaptable for access by at least one user comprising:

a database including a plurality of documents each having manually assigned thereto a set of predetermined tags corresponding to a user scenario and at least one corresponding predetermined value for each tag which define the parameters by which each document is searchable in the database;

a processor in electrical communication with the database for receiving a plurality of user tags and corresponding user values and for comparing the user tags and corresponding user values with the predetermined tags and corresponding predetermined values to determine a match;

a generator in electrical communication with the processor which generates a results list of documents corresponding to the matched documents; and

an output device in electrical communication with the generator for delivering the results list to the user.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising at least one input device for allowing the user to enter the user scenario.

22. An information retrieval system including a computer having an input device and output device, the system comprising:

at least one database in cooperation with the computer including a plurality of documents of homogenous subject matter each having a plurality of manually assigned predetermined tags and corresponding predetermined values associated therewith defining a documents scenario parameters;

a processor in communication with the input device and in electrical communication with the database for receiving a plurality of user tags and corresponding user values and for comparing the user tags and corresponding user values with the predetermined tags and corresponding predetermined values to determine a match; and

a generator in electrical communication with the processor which generates a results list of documents corresponding to the matched documents and delivers the results list to the output device.