Information retrieving system, information retrieving method, and information retrieving program

• US 7,359,896 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Torigoe, Shin, Ikeno, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahluwalia; Navneet K
• Application Number:
  US10/882,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

In this invention, a database in which a keyword and an attribute of the keyword are stored together with a document ID for discriminating a source document is arranged, at least one keyword and/or retrieval key constituted by attribute information which is not specified as a keyword is input, and the database is retrieved on the basis of the keyword and/or the attribute of the attribute information. As a result, the source document can be specified by the keyword input as the retrieval key, and retrieval intention is reflected by the attribute information input as the retrieval key.

Claims

1. An information retrieving system comprising:

a data registration section in which a keyword and an attribute of the keyword are extracted from a source document;

a database where a keyword and an attribute of the keyword are stored together with a document ID for discriminating the source document;

a retrieval key input section which captures at least one keyword;

an attribute rule registration section where a pair of an attribute keyword and the attribute of the attribute keyword is registered, the attribute keyword being defined as a keyword whose attribute is used for retrieval;

a keyword conversion section which converts a keyword captured from said retrieval key input section into an attribute corresponding to the attribute keyword if the keyword is an attribute keyword registered in said attribute rule registration section;

a retrieval section which retrieves information from the database on the basis of captured keywords and attributes converted from keywords by said keyword conversion section;

an output section which outputs a retrieval result obtained by the retrieval section; and

a computer for processing information in the above-mentioned sections wherein the data registration section comprises;

a document input section which captures an electronic document serving as a source of data to be registered in the database;

a keyword extraction section which extracts a keyword from the electronic document captured by the document input section;

an attribute giving section which gives an attribute to the keyword extracted by the keyword extraction section; and

a registration section which registers a correspondence of the keyword extracted by the keyword extraction section to the attribute given by the attribute giving section in the database together with a document ID unique to the electronic document.

2. The information retrieving system according to claim 1, wherein if the retrieval key input section captures a predetermined mark attached to an attribute keyword, said keyword conversion section does not convert the attribute keyword into its attribute and said retrieval section retrieves information from the database on the basis of the attribute keyword itself and not on the basis of the attribute of the keyword.

3. The information retrieving system according to claim 1, wherein an attribute corresponding to a keyword in the database has, in addition to an attribute name, appearing position information in a source document as an attribute value, and

when a plurality of documents are included in the retrieval results, said retrieval section orders the plurality of documents on the basis of keywords captured by said retrieval key input section and attribute values in the database corresponding to the attribute converted from keywords by said keyword conversion section.

7. The information retrieving system according to claim 1, wherein said retrieval key input section captures at least one attribute which is not a keyword and said retrieval section retrieves information in the database by using the attribute.

8. The information retrieving system according to claim 1, wherein said retrieval key input section captures at least one pair of a keyword and the attribute of the keyword and said retrieval section retrieves information in the database by using the pair of a keyword and the attribute of the keyword.

4. An information retrieving method comprising:

a step of using a database in which a keyword and an attribute of the keyword are stored together with a document ID in the database for discriminating a source document;

a document input step of capturing an electronic document serving as a source of data to be registered in the database;

a keyword extraction step of extracting a keyword from the electronic document captured in the document input step;

an attribute giving step of giving an attribute to the keyword extracted in the keyword extraction step; and

a registration step of registering a correspondence of the keyword extracted in the keyword extraction step to the attribute given in the attribute giving step in the database together with a document ID unique to the electronic document;

a retrieval key input step of capturing at least one keyword;

an attribute rule registration step of registering a pair of an attribute keyword and the attribute of the attribute keyword in an attribute rule registration section, the attribute keyword being defined as a keyword whose attribute is used for retrieval;

a keyword conversion step of converting a keyword captured from said retrieval key input stamp into an attribute corresponding to the keyword if the keyword is an attribute keyword registered in said attribute rule registration section;

a retrieval step of retrieving Information from the database on the basis of captured keywords and attributes converted from keywords by said keyword conversion step;

an output step of outputting a retrieval result obtained in the retrieval step; and

a computer processing sped for processing information in the above-mentioned steps.

5. The information retrieving method according to claim 4, wherein if a predetermined mark attached to an attribute keyword is captured in said retrieval key input step, the attribute keyword is not converted into its attribute and information is retrieved from the database on the basis of the attribute keyword itself and not on the basis of the attribute of the attribute keyword.

6. The information retrieving method according to claim 4, wherein an attribute corresponding to a keyword in the database has, in addition to an attribute name, appearing position information in a source document as an attribute value, and

when a plurality of documents are retrieved in said retrieval step, the plurality of documents are ordered on the basis of keywords captured by said retrieval key input step and attribute values in the database corresponding to the attribute converted from keywords by said keyword conversion step.

9. The information retrieving method according to claim 4, wherein at least one attribute which is not a keyword is captured in said retrieval key input step and information in the database is retrieved in said retrieval step by using the attribute.

10. The information retrieving method according to claim 4, wherein at least one pair of a keyword and the attribute of the keyword is captured in said retrieval key input step and information in the database is retrieved in said retrieval step by using the pair of a keyword and the attribute of the keyword.

11. An information retrieving system comprising:

a data registration section in which a keyword and an attribute of the keyword are extracted from a source document;

a database where a keyword and an attribute of the keyword are stored together with a document ID for discriminating the source document;

a retrieval key input section which captures at least one attribute which is not a keyword;

a retrieval section which retrieves information from the database on the basis of the captured attribute;

an output section which outputs a retrieval result obtained by said retrieval section; and

a computer for processing information in the above-mentioned sections wherein the data registration section comprises;

a document input section which captures an electronic document serving as a source of data to be registered in the database;

a keyword extraction section which extracts a keyword from the electronic document captured by the document input section;

an attribute giving section which gives an attribute to the keyword extracted by the keyword extraction section; and

a registration section which registers a correspondence of the keyword extracted by the keyword extraction section to the attribute given by the attribute giving section in the database together with a document ID unique to the electronic document.

12. The information retrieving system according to claim 11, wherein said retrieval key input section captures at least one pair of a keyword and the attribute of the keyword and said retrieval section retrieves information in the database by using the pair of a keyword and the attribute of the keyword.

13. The information retrieving system according to claim 12, wherein an attribute corresponding to a keyword in the database has, in addition to an attribute name, appearing position appearing position information in a source document as an attribute value, and

when a plurality of documents are included in the retrieval results, said retrieval section orders the plurality of documents on the basis of attribute value in the database corresponding to the pair of a keyword and the attribute of the keyword captured by said retrieval key input section.

14. The information retrieving system according to claim 11, wherein an attribute corresponding to a keyword in the database has, in addition to an attribute name, appearing position appearing position information in a source document as an attribute value, and

when a plurality of documents are included in the retrieval results, said retrieval section orders the plurality of documents on the basis of attribute value in the database corresponding to the pair of a keyword and the attribute of the keyword captured by said retrieval key input section.

15. An information retrieving method comprising:

a step of using a database in which a keyword and an attribute of the keyword are stored together with a document ID in the database for discriminating a source document;

a document input step of capturing an electronic document serving as a source of data to be registered in the database;

a keyword extraction steP of extracting a keyword from the electronic document captured in the document input step;

an attribute giving step of giving an attribute to the keyword extracted in the keyword extraction step; and

a registration step of registering a correspondence of the keyword extracted in the keyword extraction step to the attribute given in the attribute giving step in the database together with a document ID unique to the electronic document;

a retrieval key input step of capturing at least one attribute which is not a keyword;

a retrieval step of retrieving information from the database on the basis of captured attributes;

an output step of outputting a retrieval result obtained by said retrieval section; and

a computer processing step for processing information in the above-mentioned steps.