Method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for searching and navigating a document database

• US 6,865,568 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chau, Bill
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, CamLinh
• Application Number:
  US09/906,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20030018622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,331 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/1, 707/5
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• 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

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for searching and navigating a document database is provided. Document categories are assigned unique numeric category identifiers. Each document in a database is assigned to one of the document categories. Metadata is associated with each electronic document that includes the numeric category identifier corresponding to the category assigned to the document. The database may be searched or browsed based on category by utilizing the metadata. URLs may also be embedded in a Web page that includes a list of document identifiers and an index. The list of document identifiers is a list containing the identities of an arbitrary number of search results. The index identifies one of the documents in the list of document identifiers to be retrieved. When such a URL is selected, a Web server computer utilizes the list of document identifiers and the index to identify the document to be returned.

Claims

1. A method for searching a database comprising a plurality of electronic documents, said method comprising:

assigning a unique numeric category identifier to each of a plurality of document categories;

assigning each of said electronic documents to one of said document categories, said assigned category based upon the content of each of said electronic documents;

associating metadata with each of said electronic documents, said metadata comprising said unique numeric category identifier corresponding to said document category assigned to each of said electronic documents;

receiving a request to search said database, said search limited to documents assigned to a specified document category associated with said request;

searching said metadata associated with each of said electronic documents;

returning an identity of each of said electronic documents associated with metadata having a numeric category identifier associated with said specified document category, said identities returned as a list of document identifiers and an index into said list corresponding to a one of said electronic documents;

receiving a request to display a second document, the second document identified in said list; and

utilizing said index and said list to identify said second document and to retrieve said second document from said database without performing a second search of the metadata associated with each of said electronic documents.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said metadata for each of said electronic documents is stored in an indexed catalog.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said request to search said database further comprises a search term and wherein returning an identity comprises returning an identity of each of said electronic documents associated with metadata having a numeric category identifier associated with said specified document category and containing said search term.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic documents comprise document templates.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said unique numeric identifier may further comprise numeric information describing one or more sub-categories.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said metadata further comprises an identity of an author or provider of each of said electronic documents.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said metadata further comprises a text description of said document category to which each of said electronic documents is assigned.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said metadata further comprises a title for each of said electronic documents.

9. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 1.

11. A method for navigating between documents stored in a database without performing a document search each time a document is requested, each of said electronic documents identified by a unique document identifier, said method comprising:

receiving a request for one of said electronic documents, said request comprising a list of document identifiers and an index into said list corresponding to said requested electronic document, said list and said index provided previously with a second one of said electronic documents; and

in response to said request, utilizing said index and said list of document identifiers to identify said requested electronic document from said plurality of electronic documents without performing a search of said database, and transmitting said requested electronic document.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said requested electronic document comprises one of said plurality of electronic documents identified in said list of document identifiers previous to a previously transmitted electronic document.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

decrementing said index;

generating a hypertext link comprising said decremented index and said list of document identifiers; and

transmitting said hypertext link with said second electronic document.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

incrementing said index;

generating a hypertext link comprising said incremented index and said list of document identifiers; and

transmitting said hypertext link with said requested electronic document.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said requested electronic document comprises one of said plurality of electronic documents identified in said list of document identifiers and subsequent to a previously transmitted electronic document.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of documents in said database is named consistently with a corresponding document identifier.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said list of document identifiers is generated in response to a single search of said database.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said list of document identifiers is generated in response to a single request to browse said database.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 11.

20. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 11.