Polyarchical data indexing and automatically generated hierarchical data indexing paths

• US 6,938,046 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Factiva Incorporated, Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive LLC (News Corporation), Fuji Jukogyo KK (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive LLC (News Corporation)
• Inventors: Young, Andrew Richard, Cooke, Jonathan Guy Grenside
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo, Thuy N.
• Application Number:
  US09/796,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/5, 707/10, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103, 707/104, 707/3, 707/100, 707/7, 707/6, 707/1, 715/853, 341/67, 382/305
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/31 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/353 into predefined classes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Data indexing using polyarchical indexing codes and automatically generated expansion paths. For a piece of data, an indexing code is received relating to a particular categorization or other indexing parameter. Based upon the indexing code, one or more expansion sets of codes are retrieved and applied to the piece of data. The expansion sets of codes may include indexing codes that relate to hierarchical levels of indexing. The expansion sets of codes may also include different expansion paths through the hierarchical levels of indexing. The polyarchical codes may include multiple cross-categorization of the data across the same or different levels of categories. They may also include multiple expansion paths in different directions across hierarchical levels of categories or indexing.

Claims

1. A computerized method having a data indexing computer for indexing data, comprising:

receiving the data to be indexed;

receiving an automatically generated indexing code related to the data;

retrieving an automatically generated expansion set of codes associated with the automatically generated indexing code;

associating the automatically generated expansion set of codes with the data; and

storing an indication of the data associated with the automatically generated expansion set of codes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the data step includes receiving one or more of the following:

text, graphics, images, photographic information or information in multiple languages.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving the automatically generated indexing code step includes receiving a code providing an indication of one or more of the following:

company information, geographic information, subject matter information or industry information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the receiving the automatically generated indexing code step includes receiving a code for a particular category relating to the data; and

the retrieving the automatically generated expansion set of codes step includes retrieving one or more automatically generated indexing codes identifying increasingly more general categories in relation to the particular category.

5. The method of claim 1, further including receiving and implementing a change in the automatically generated expansion set of codes.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieving the automatically generated expansion set of codes step includes retrieving a set of codes having multiple related levels of indexing for the data.

7. The method of claim 1, further including displaying a user interface to present the data and receive the indexing code.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the receiving the automatically generated indexing code step includes receiving the automatically generated indexing code based upon an entry via the user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, further including searching the data using the automatically generated expansion set of codes.

10. The method of claim 1, further including:

identifying a key term in the data;

determining whether the key term is associated with the automatically generated indexing code; and

automatically retrieving the automatically generated expansion set of codes based upon the determination.

11. A computerized method having a data indexing computer for indexing data, comprising:

receiving the data to be indexed;

receiving an automatically generated indexing code related to the data;

retrieving automatically generated polyarchical codes associated with the automatically generated indexing code;

associating the automatically generated polyarchical codes with the data; and

storing an indication of the data associated with the automatically generated polyarchical codes.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the receiving the data step includes receiving one or more of the following:

text, graphics, images, photographic information or information in multiple languages.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the receiving the automatically generated indexing code step includes receiving a code providing an indication of one or more of the following:

company information, geographic information subject matter information or industry information.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the receiving the automatically generated indexing code step includes receiving a code for a particular category relating to the data; and

the retrieving the automatically generated polyarchical codes step includes retrieving, for at least one of the automatically generated polyarchical codes, one or more automatically generated indexing codes identifying increasingly more general categories in elation to the particular category.

15. The method of claim 11, further including receiving and implementing a change in the automatically generated polyarchical codes.

16. The method of claim 11, further including displaying a user interface to present the data and receive the automatically generated indexing code.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the receiving the automatically generated indexing code step includes receiving the automatically generated indexing code based upon an entry via the user interface.

18. The method of claim 11, further including searching the data using the automatically generated polyarchical codes.

19. The method of claim 11, further including:

identifying a key term in the data;

determining whether the key term is associated with the automatically generated indexing code; and

automatically retrieving at least one of the automatically generated polyarchical codes based upon the determining.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the retrieving the automatically generated polyarchical codes step includes:

retrieving a first automatically generated indexing code associated with a first category at a particular hierarchical level related to the data; and

retrieving a second automatically generated indexing code associated with a second category, different from the first category, at the particular hierarchical level.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the retrieving the automatically generated polyarchical codes step includes:

retrieving a first automatically generated expansion set of codes specifying a first hierarchical indexing path to the first category; and

retrieving a second automatically generated expansion set of codes specifying a second hierarchical indexing path to the second category different from the first category.

22. A computer system for indexing data, comprising:

a module for receiving the data to be indexed;

a reception module for receiving an automatically generated indexing code related to the data;

a retrieval module for retrieving an automatically generated expansion set of codes associated with the automatically generated indexing code;

a module for associating the automatically generated expansion set of codes with the data; and

a storage module for storing an indication of the data associated with the automatically generated expansion set of codes.

23. The computer system of claim 22 wherein the module for receiving data includes a module for receiving one or more of the following:

text, graphics, images, photographic information or information in multiple languages.

24. The computer system of claim 22 wherein the reception module includes a module for receiving a code providing an indication of one or more of the following:

company information, geographic information, subject matter information or industry information.

25. The computer system of claim 22 wherein:

the reception module includes a module for receiving a code for a particular category relating to the data; and

the retrieval module includes a module for retrieving one or more automatically generated indexing codes identifying increasingly more general categories in relation to the particular category.

26. The computer system of claim 22 further including a module for receiving and implementing a change in the automatically generated expansion set of codes.

27. The computer system of claim 22 wherein the retrieval module includes a module for retrieving a set of automatically generated codes having multiple related levels of indexing for the data.

28. The computer system of claim 22, further including a module for displaying a user interface to present the data and receive the automatically generated indexing code.

29. The computer system of claim 28 wherein the reception module includes a module for receiving the automatically generated indexing code based upon an entry via the user interface.

30. The computer system of claim 22, further including a module for searching the data using the automatically generated expansion set of codes.

31. The computer system of claim 22 further including:

a module for identifying a key term in the data;

a module for determining whether the key term is associated with the automatically generated indexing code; and

a module for automatically retrieving the automatically generated expansion set of codes based upon the determination.

32. The computer system for indexing data, comprising:

a module for receiving the data to be indexed;

a reception module for receiving an automatically generated indexing code related to the data;

a retrieval module for retrieving automatically generated polyarchical codes associated with the automatically generated indexing code;

a module for associating the automatically generated polyarchical code with the data; and

a storage module for storing an indication of the data associated with the automatically generated polyarchical codes.

33. The computer system of claim 32 wherein the module for receiving data includes a module for receiving one or more of the following:

text, graphics, images, photographic information or information in multiple languages.

34. The computer system of claim 32 wherein the reception module includes a module for receiving a code providing an indication of one or more of the following:

company information, geographic information, subject matter information or industry information.

35. The computer system of claim 32 wherein:

the reception module includes a module for receiving a code for a particular category relating to the data; and

the retrieval module includes a module for retrieving, for at least one of the automatically generated polyarchical codes, one or more automatically generated indexing codes identifying increasingly more general categories in relation to the particular category.

36. The computer system of claim 32, further including a module for receiving and

implementing a change in the automatically generated polyarchical codes.

37. The computer system of claim 32, further including a module for displaying a user interface to present the data and receive the automatically generated indexing code.

38. The computer system of claim 37 wherein the reception module includes a module for receiving the automatically generated indexing code based upon an entry via the user interface.

39. The computer system of claim 32, further including a module for searching the data using the automatically generated polyarchical codes.

40. The computer system of claim 32, further including:

a module for identifying a key term in the data;

a module for determining whether the key term is associated with the automatically generated indexing code; and

a module for automatically retrieving at least one of the automatically generated polyarchical codes based upon the determination.

41. The computer system of claim 32 wherein the retrieval module includes:

a module for retrieving a first automatically generated indexing code associated with a first category at a particular hierarchical level related to the data; and

a module for retrieving a second automatically generated indexing code associated with a second category, different from the first category, at the particular hierarchical level.

42. The computer system of claim 32 wherein the retrieval module includes:

a module for retrieving a first automatically generated expansion set of codes specifying a first hierarchical indexing path to a first category; and

a module for retrieving a second automatically generated expansion set of codes specifying a second hierarchical indexing path to a second category different from the first category.