System and method for classifying and searching existing document information to identify related information

• US 7,289,982 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saito, Mari, Yamamoto, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mofiz; Apu
• Assistant Examiner(s): LU, CHARLES EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US10/316,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 715/700
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• 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 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An information processing apparatus for processing related information about existing document information and specific document information is provided. The apparatus includes: an acquiring element for acquiring the related information corresponding to the existing document information. The acquiring is based on firstly, a first characteristic word extracted by an extracting element, and secondly a first weight modified by a weight modifying element. The apparatus further includes: a display controlling element for controlling display of the related information corresponding to the existing document information searched for by a searching element; and an attribute information extracting element for extracting attribute information from the existing document information and the specific document information; wherein the weight modifying element modifies the first weight based on the attribute information extracted byte attribute information extracting element.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for presenting related information about existing document information and about specific document information, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a processor for processing the existing document information;

a memory for storing the existing document information;

extracting means for extracting a first characteristic word from the existing document information and a second characteristic word from the specific document information;

attribute information extracting means for extracting attribute information from the existing document information and the specific document information;

classifying means for classifying the existing document information into one or more groups based on the attribute information;

weight calculating means for calculating, for each group, a first weight of the first characteristic word and a second weight of the second characteristic word following the extraction by the extracting means;

weight modifying means for modifying, for each group, the calculated first weight based on the extracted attribute information and based on frequency of either transmissions to a destination or receptions from the destination, wherein the calculated first weight of the first characteristic word in a group associated with a first frequency of transmission is increased if the same or similar words appear in another group having a second frequency of transmission, the first frequency of transmission being lower than the second frequency of transmission;

acquiring means for acquiring the related information corresponding to the existing document information based on the first characteristic word and based on the first weight modified by the weight modifying means;

searching means for searching for the existing document information related to the specific document information, based on the second characteristic word; and

display controlling means for controlling display of the related information corresponding to the existing document information searched for by the searching means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the acquiring means selects, from a plurality of the first characteristic words in the existing document information, keywords based on the first weight in order to acquire the related information about the keywords.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the searching means calculates a similarity based on the first and the second weights in order to search for the existing document information corresponding to the specific document information based on the similarity.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the weight modifying means modifies weights according to the number of occurrences of the attribute information.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

wherein the extracting means extracts the first characteristic word from the groups;

the weight calculating means calculates the first weight of the first characteristic word;

the acquiring means acquires the related information corresponding to the groups based on the first characteristic word and the first weight; and

the searching means is adapted to search within any of the groups which correspond to the specific document information, based on the second characteristic word.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the weight modifying means modifies the first weight of the first characteristic word created by a user of the information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the weight modifying means modifies, in the same manner as the first weight is modified, the weight of the first characteristic word extracted from the existing document information.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the weight modifying means modifies the first weight based on a type of the first characteristic word.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

database creating means for creating a database using the related information acquired by the acquiring means in relation to the first characteristic word;

wherein the searching means searches the database for the existing document information related to the specific document information, based on the second characteristic word.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

detecting means for detecting a specific event;

wherein the specific document information corresponds to the detection of the specific event.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the existing document information and the specific document information comprise emails.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

category dictionary creating means for creating a category dictionary, which is made up of groups of words in a specific data structure and which denotes relations between words within the group of words;

wherein the weight modifying means modifies the first weight calculated by the weight calculating means, based on the category dictionary.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising word groups recorded in categories to which the words belong.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups recorded In a hierarchical structure based on the relations between the words.

15. The Information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups arranged in a list based on a degree of importance assigned to each of the words.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from an existing dictionary database.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from Web page data.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from a list of the second characteristic words used earlier by the searching means.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the weight modifying means modifies the first weight of the first characteristic word corresponding to some words in the category dictionary.

20. An information processing method for use with an information processing apparatus for presenting related information about existing document information and about specific document information, the information processing method comprising the steps of:

extracting a first characteristic word from the existing document information and a second characteristic word from the specific document information;

extracting attribute information from the existing document information and the specific document information;

classifying the existing document information into one or more groups based on the attribute information;

calculating, for each group, a first weight of the first characteristic word and a second weight of the second characteristic word following the extraction in the extracting step;

modifying, for each group, the calculated first weight based on the extracted attribute information and based on frequency of either transmission to a destination or receptions from the destination, wherein the calculated first weight of the first characteristic word in a group associated with a first frequency of transmission is increased if the same or similar words appear in another group having a second frequency of transmission, the first frequency of transmission being lower than the second frequency of transmission;

controlling acquisition of the related information corresponding to the existing document information based on the first characteristic word and based on the first weight modified in the weight modifying step;

searching for the existing document information related to the specific document information, based on the second characteristic word; and

displaying related information corresponding to the existing document information searched for in the searching step.

21. The information processing method according to claim 20, wherein

the acquisition controlling step comprises selecting, from a plurality of the first characteristic words, keywords based on the first weight in order to acquire the related information about the keywords.

22. The information processing method according to claim 20, wherein

the searching step comprises calculating a similarity based on the first and the second weights in order to search for the existing document information corresponding to the specific document information.

23. An information processing method according to claim 20, wherein the modifying step modifies weights according to the number of occurrences of the attribute information.

24. The information processing method according to claim 20, wherein the weight modifying step comprises modifying the first weight based on a type of the first characteristic word.

25. The information processing method according to claim 20, further comprising

creating a database using the related information that is acquired in the acquisition controlling step in relation to the first characteristic word.

26. The information processing method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of

creating a category dictionary which is made up of groups of words in a specific data structure and which denotes relations between the words,

wherein the weight modifying step comprises modifying the first weight calculated in the weight calculating step, based on the category dictionary.

27. The information processing method according to claim 26, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups recorded in categories to which the words belong.

28. The information processing method according to claim 26, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups recorded in a hierarchical structure based on the relations between the words.

29. The information processing method according to claim 26, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups arranged in a list based on a degree of importance assigned to each of the words.

30. The information processing method according to claim 26, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from an existing dictionary database.

31. The information processing method according to claim 26, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from Web page data.

32. The information processing method according to claim 26, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from a list of the second characteristic words used earlier in the searching step.

33. The information processing method according to claim 26, wherein

the weight modifying step comprises modifying the first weight of the first characteristic word corresponding to some of the words in the category dictionary.

34. A storage medium that stores a computer-readable program for controlling an information processing apparatus for presenting related information about existing document information and about specific document information, the program comprising the steps of:

extracting a first characteristic word from the existing document information and a second characteristic word from the specific document information;

extracting attribute information from the existing document information and the specific document information;

classifying the existing document information into one or more groups based on the attribute information;

calculating, for each group, a first weight of the first characteristic word and a second weight of the second characteristic word following the extraction in the extracting step;

modifying, for each group, the calculated first weight based on the extracted attribute information and based on frequency of either transmissions to a destination or receptions from the destination, wherein the calculated first weight of the first characteristic word in a group associated with a first frequency of transmission is increased if the same or similar words appear in another group having a second frequency of transmission, the first frequency of transmission being lower than the second frequency of transmission;

controlling acquisition of the related information corresponding to the existing document information based on the first characteristic word and based on the first weight modified in the weight modifying step;

searching for the existing document information related to the specific document information, based on the second characteristic word; and

controlling display of the related information corresponding to the existing document information searched for in the searching step.

35. The storage medium according to claim 34, wherein

the acquisition controlling step comprises selecting, from a plurality of the first characteristic words in the existing document information, keywords based on the first weight in order to acquire the related information about the keywords.

36. The storage medium according to claim 34, wherein

the searching step comprises calculating a similarity based on the first and the second weights in order to search for the existing document information corresponding to the specific document information based on the similarity.

37. The storage medium according to claim 34, wherein the modifying step modifies weights according to the number of occurrences of the attribute information.

38. The storage medium according to claim 34, wherein

the weight modifying step comprises modifying the first weight based on a type of the first characteristic word.

39. The storage medium according to claim 34, further comprising the step of

creating a database using the related information that is acquired in the acquisition controlling step in relation to the first characteristic word.

40. The storage medium according to claim 34, further comprising the step of

creating a category dictionary which is made up of groups of words in a specific data structure and which denotes relations between words of the group of words,

wherein the weight modifying step comprises modifying the first weight calculated in the weight calculating step, based on the category dictionary.

41. The storage medium according to claim 40, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups recorded in categories to which the words belong.

42. The storage medium according to claim 40, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups recorded in a hierarchical structure based on the relations between the words.

43. The storage medium according to claim 40, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups arranged in a list based on a degree of importance assigned to each of the words.

44. The storage medium according to claim 40, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from an existing dictionary database.

45. The storage medium according to claim 40, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from Web page data.

46. The storage medium according to claim 40, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from a list of the second characteristic words used earlier in the searching step.

47. The storage medium according to claim 40, wherein

the weight modifying step comprises modifying the first weight of the first characteristic word corresponding to some words in the category dictionary.

48. A storage medium that stores a computer-readable program for controlling an information processing apparatus for presenting related information about existing document information and about specific document information, the program causing a computer to execute the steps of:

extracting a first characteristic word from the existing document information and a second characteristic word from the specific document information;

extracting attribute information from the existing document information and the specific document information;

classifying the existing document information into one or more groups;

calculating, for each group, a first weight of the first characteristic word and a second weight of the second characteristic word following the extraction in the extracting step;

modifying, for each group, the calculated first weight based on the extracted attribute information and based on frequency of either transmissions to a destination or receptions from the destination, wherein the calculated first weight of the first characteristic word in a topic associated with a frequency of transmission is increased if the same or similar words appear in another group having a second frequency of transmission, the first frequency of transmission being lower than the second frequency of transmission;

controlling acquisition of the related information corresponding to the existing document information based on the first characteristic word and based on the first weight modified in the weight modifying step;

searching for the existing document information related to the specific document information, based on the second characteristic word;

controlling display, using an animated desktop agent, of the related information corresponding to the existing document information searched for in the searching step.

49. The storage medium according to claim 48, wherein

the acquisition controlling step comprises selecting, from a plurality of the first characteristic words, keywords based on the first weight in order to acquire the related information about the keywords.

50. The storage medium according to claim 48, wherein

the searching step comprises calculating a similarity based on the first and the second weights in order to search for the existing document information corresponding to the specific document information.

51. The storage medium according to claim 48, wherein the modifying step modifies weights according to the number of occurrences of the attribute information.

52. The storage medium according to claim 48, wherein

the weight modifying step comprises modifying the first weight based on a type of the first characteristic word.

53. The storage medium according to claim 48, further comprising the step of

creating a database using the related information that is acquired in the acquisition controlling step in relation to the first characteristic word.

54. The storage medium according to claim 48, further comprising the step of

creating a category dictionary which is made up of groups of words in a specific data structure and which denotes relations between words of the group of words,

wherein the weight modifying step comprises modifying the first weight calculated in the weight calculating step, based on the category dictionary.

55. The storage medium according to claim 54, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups recorded in categories to which the words belong.

56. The storage medium according to claim 54, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups recorded in a hierarchical structure based on the relations between the words.

57. The storage medium according to claim 54, wherein

the category dictionary constitutes a database comprising the word groups arranged in a list based on a degree of importance assigned to each of the words.

58. The storage medium according to claim 54, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from an existing dictionary database.

59. The storage medium according to claim 54, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from Web page data.

60. The storage medium according to claim 54, wherein

the category dictionary comprises the word groups and a data structure formed by the word groups that are derived from a list of the second characteristic words used earlier in the searching step.

61. The storage medium according to claim 54, wherein

the weight modifying step comprises modifying the first weight of first characteristic word corresponding to some words in the category dictionary.