Apparatus, method, and program for retrieving structured documents

• US 7,231,386 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Niina, Hiroshi, Hattori, Masakazu, Kanawa, Takuya, Nonomura, Katsuhiko, Isobe, Shozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard; Jacques
• Application Number:
  US10/980,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/5, 707100-102, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/4, 709/205, 709/217, 709/219, 709/202, 715/513, 715/514, 715/217, 715/532, 715/517
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying
• 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 system retrieves structured documents based on first desired concept item having first concept items classified hierarchically and subordinated to first desired concept item, second desired concept item having second concept items classified hierarchically and subordinated to second desired concept item, generates a table displaying retrieval results, and associates groups of desired component, one of first items classified as first concept items immediately lower than first desired concept item, and desired second concept item with column index cells of table respectively. When a display area where one of the column index cells is displayed is designated, the system acquire the groups associated with the designated area, and retrieves, based on the acquired group, structured documents each including the desired component including a value in which one of the first concept items subordinated to the one of the first item and one of the second concept items are included.

Claims

1. An apparatus for retrieving structured documents from a structured-documents-database having a hierarchical structure and storing a plurality of structured documents each having a document structure and a plurality of first data items, each of the document structures being constructed by a plurality of components, each of the component constructing the hierarchical structure, and each of the first data items being stored in the structured-documents-database as a value included in one of the components, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first group of a first desired component, a second desired component, a first desired concept item, and a second desired concept item, the first desired concept item having a plurality of first concept items classified hierarchically and subordinated to the first desired concept item, and the second desired concept item having a plurality of second concept items classified hierarchically and subordinated to the second desired concept item;

a first generating device configured to generate a first retrieval condition for retrieving a plurality of first structured documents each including the first desired component including a value in which one of the first concept items is included and the second desired component including a value in which one of the second concept items is included, based on the first group;

a retrieving device configure to retrieve the first structured documents from the structured-documents-database, based on the first retrieval condition, to obtain a plurality of first retrieval results each associated with one of a plurality of first items classified as first concept items immediately lower than the first desired concept item and one of a plurality of second items classified as second concept items immediately lower than the second desired concept item;

a second generating device configured to generate a first table for displaying the first retrieval results, by using a table which constructed by a plurality of cells arranged two-dimensionally, the cells including a plurality of column index cells and a plurality of row index cells and a plurality of data cells, the column index cells in which a plurality of column indexes are set respectively, the row index cells in which a plurality of row indexes are set respectively, and the data cells in which a plurality of second data items are set respectively, setting the first items at the column index cells as the column indexes respectively, setting the second items at row index cells as the row indexes respectively, and setting the first retrieval results at the data cells as the second data items respectively based on the one of the first items and the one of the second items which are associated with each of the first retrieval results;

an associating device configure to associate a plurality of second groups of the first desired component, the second desired component, one of the first items, and the desired second concept item with the column index cells of the first table respectively;

a display to display the first table;

a designating device configure to designate an area where one of the column index cells is displayed, to obtain a first designated area;

an acquiring device configure to acquire one of the second groups associated with the first designated area, to obtain acquired second group; and

wherein;

the first generating device further generates a second retrieval condition for retrieving, a plurality of second structured documents each including the first desired component including a value in which one of the first concept items subordinated to the one of the first item is included and the second desired component including a value in which one of the second concept items are included, based on the acquired second group;

the retrieving device further retrieves a plurality of second structured documents from the structured-documents-database, based on the second retrieval condition, to obtain a plurality of second retrieval results each associated with one of a plurality of third items classified as first concept items immediately lower than the one of the first item and one of the second items;

the second generating device further generates a second table for displaying the second retrieval result, by using the table, setting the third items at the column index cells as the column indexes respectively, setting the second items at row index cells as the row indexes respectively, and setting the second retrieval results at the data cells as the second data items respectively based on one of the third items and one of the second items which are associated with each of the second retrieval results; and

,

the display further displays the second table.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first desired concept item, the first concept items, the second desired concept item, and the second concept items are stored in the structured-documents-database.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the associating device further associates a plurality of third groups of the first desired component, the second desired component, the first desired concept item, and one of the second items with the row index cells of the first table, respectively;

the designating device further designates an area where one of the row index cells is displayed, to obtain a second designated area;

the acquiring device further acquires one of the third groups associated with the second designated area, to obtain acquired third group;

the first generating device further generates a third retrieval condition for retrieving a plurality of third structured documents each including the first desired component including a value in which one of the first concept items subordinated to the first desired concept item is included and the second desired component including a value in which one of the second concept items subordinated to the one of the second items included, based on the acquired third group;

the retrieving device further retrieve a plurality of third structured documents from the structured-documents-database, based on the third retrieval condition, to obtain a plurality of third retrieval results each associated with one of the first items and one of a plurality of fourth items classified as the second concept items immediately lower than the one of the second item;

the second generating device further generate a third table for displaying the third retrieval result, by using the table, setting the first items at the column index cells as the column indexes respectively, setting the fourth items at row index cells as the row indexes respectively, and setting the third retrieval results at the data cells as the second data items respectively based on one of the first items and one of the fourth items which are associated with each of the third retrieval results; and

,

the display further displays the third table.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the associating device further associates a plurality of fourth groups of the first desired component, the second desired component, one of the first items, and one of the second items with the data cells of the first table respectively;

the designating device further designates an area where one of the data cells is displayed, to obtain a third designated area;

the acquiring device further acquires one of the fourth groups associated with the third designated area, to obtain acquired fourth group;

the first generating device further generates a fourth retrieval condition for retrieving a plurality of fourth structured documents each including the first desired component including a value in which one of the first concept items subordinated to the one of the first items is included and the second desired component including a value in which one of the second concept items subordinated to the one of the second items is included, based on the acquired fourth group;

the retrieving device further retrieves the fourth structured documents from the structured-documents-database, based on the fourth retrieval condition, to obtain at least one fourth retrieval result; and

,

the display further displays the fourth retrieval result.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the associating device further associates a plurality of fifth groups of the first desired component, the second desired component, one of the third items, and the desired concept item with the column index cells of the second table respectively;

the designating device further designates an area where one of the column index cells of the second table is displayed, to obtain a fourth designated area;

the acquiring device further acquires one of the fifth groups associated with the fourth designated area, to obtain acquired fifth group;

the first generating device further generates a fifth retrieval condition for retrieving a plurality of fifth structured documents each including the first desired component including a value in which one of the first concept items subordinated to the one of the third item is included and the second desired component including a value in which one of the second concept items subordinated to the desired concept item is included, based on the acquired fifth group;

the retrieving device further retrieves a plurality of fifth structured documents from the structured-documents-database, based on the fifth retrieval condition, to obtain a plurality of fifth retrieval results each associated with one of a plurality of fifth items classified as the first concept items immediately lower than the one of the third item and one of the second items;

the second generating device further generates a fourth table for displaying the fifth retrieval result, by using the table, setting the fifth items at the column index cells as the column indexes respectively, setting the second items at row index cells as the row indexes respectively, and setting the fifth retrieval results at the data cells as the second data items respectively based on one of the fifth items and one of the second items which are associated with each of the fifth retrieval results; and

,

the display further displays the fourth table.