Method, system, and apparatus for delivering query results from an electronic document collection

• US 8,364,679 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPA Global Patent Research Limited
• Original Assignee: CPA Global Patent Research Limited
• Inventors: Resnick, Jason David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phong
• Assistant Examiner(s): MYINT, DENNIS Y
• Application Number:
  US12/561,516
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 707/737, 707/748, 707/758, 707/765, 707/707, 707/713, 707/760
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3347 using vector based model
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/11 Patent retrieval

Abstract

A method, system, and article are provided for efficiently and effectively searching an electronic document collection. Each of the documents in the collection is pre-divided into sub-sections. One or more profiles are created, each including a selection of at least one of the sections of the documents in the collection. In addition, a weight is assigned to each of the selected sections in the profile. Based upon the parameters of a query and selection of a profile, select sub-sections of each document are employed to compare query data to the underlying document collection. A compilation of documents is created with data matching the query data, and a relevancy score is computed for each document in the compilation. The relevancy score is then leveraged to sort the documents in a manner to convey relevancy to the query submission.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for assigning relevancy to results of a search on an electronic document collection comprising:

compiling and indexing a collection of intellectual property documents, each of the documents in the collection having multiple sections;

identifying each of the sections of each document in the collection;

assigning a weight to each of the identified sections;

organizing a search profile for the document collection based on weights assigned to each of the identified sections, wherein the search profile includes a selection of at least one of the identified sections of each document in the compiled collection;

at query time, submitting a query to the patent document collection, including selecting at least one search profile, and comparing query data with data in each of the document sections of the selected profile in the collection;

computing a relevancy score for each document returned in a compilation of documents generated from said query submission;

ranking the documents in the compilation based upon the computed relevancy score;

dynamically limiting results in the compilation based upon the ranking;

sorting relevant documents in the compilation based upon the dynamic limit applied to the compilation; and

applying a secondary weight to add or subtract from the weight assigned to each of the identified sections based upon a quantity of matching strings in select sections of each profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising dividing the compilation of documents into hierarchical tiers in response to the sorting relevant documents in the compilation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising limiting query results obtained in response to selection of the hierarchical tiers.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising dividing adjacent tiers at an inflection point present in the ranking.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a secondary rank factor to the first compilation of documents and ranking the sorted compilation based upon the secondary factor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said secondary factor is selected from the group consisting of:

filing date, publication date, foreign priority date, alphabetical list of title, assignee, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a second compilation of documents as a subset of the first compilation, and computing a second relevancy score for the subset based upon secondary criteria present in the search profile.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising separately sorting each subset of documents.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising dynamically assigning a relevancy limit to the sorted subset and limiting return of query results based upon the assigned relevancy limit.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a graphical presentation of the first compilation based upon the computed relevancy score and a quantity of documents in the compilation represented at different computed scores.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a slider on the graphical presentation for representing a line of demarcation, including the compilation to include all documents referenced on one side of the line and to exclude all documents referenced on another side of the line.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a curve fitting routine to the first compilation, wherein the routine calculates a theoretical function to data of the first compilation and calculates at least one derivative of the function.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of dynamically limiting results in the compilation includes selecting a derivative of the function and returning data falling within the selected derivative from the function.

14. A system comprising:

a processor in communication with memory and storage media;

a collection of intellectual property documents retained on the storage media, with each of the documents in the collection having multiple sections;

a director in communication with the processor and to compile and index the collection of documents;

a document manager in communication with the director, the document manager to identify each section of each document in the collection;

a profile manager, in communication with the document manager, the profile manager to assign a weight to each of the identified sections;

the profile manager to organize a search profile for the document collection based on weights assigned to each of the identified sections, wherein the search profile includes a selection of at least one of the identified sections of each document in the compiled collection;

at query time, a query manager to submit a query to the document collection, the query to include selection of at least one search profile and comparison of query data with data in each of the document sections of the selected profile in the collection having an assigned weight, said query resulting in a compilation of relevant documents generated from said query submission and returned from the query manager, with each document having a match of the query to data in at least one identified profile section having an assigned weight and a relevancy score;

a relevancy navigator in communication with the query manager, the relevancy navigator to rank the documents in the compilation based upon the relevancy score and to dynamically limit results in the compilation based upon the rank;

the relevancy navigator to sort relevant documents in the compilation based upon the dynamic limit application to the compilation; and

the profile manager to apply a secondary weight to add or subtract from the weight assigned to each of the identified sections based upon a quantity of matching strings in select sections of each profile.

15. The System of Claim 14, Further Comprising a secondary rank factor applied to the first compilation of documents to rank the sorted first compilation based upon the secondary factor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the secondary factor is selected from the group consisting of:

filing date, publication date, foreign priority date, alphabetical listing of title, assignee, and combinations thereof.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a second compilation of documents compiled as a subset of the first compilation and a second relevancy score for the subset based upon each secondary criteria present in the search profile.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a sort manager in communication with the relevancy navigator, the sort manager to sort each compilation based upon the second relevancy score.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a division of the first compilation of documents into hierarchical tiers based upon the sort of the compilation and a limit of presentation of query results based upon a selection of hierarchical tiers.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising the relevancy navigator to divide adjacent tiers at an inflection point present in the rank.

21. The system of claim 14, further comprising a graphical presentation of the first compilation based upon the computed relevancy score and a quantity of documents in the compilation represented at different computed scores.

22. The system of claim 21, a tool configured to communication with the graphical presentation, wherein the tool dynamically sets a line of demarcation for compilation results to include all documents reference on a first side of the line and to exclude all documents reference on a second side of the line.

23. The system of claim 14, further comprising instructions to execute on the processor a curve fit routine to the first compilation, the routine to calculate a theoretical function to data of the first compilation and to calculate at least one derivative of the function.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising the relevancy navigator to limit results in the first compilation within a select derivative of the function, and to return data that falls within the selected function derivative.

25. An article configured to assign relevancy to results of a search on an electronic patent document collection on computer memory, the article comprising:

a tangible computer-readable medium including computer program instructions to perform a relevancy assignment, the instructions comprising;

instructions to compile and index a collection of intellectual property documents, each of the documents in the collection having multiple sections;

instructions to identify each of the sections of each document in the collection;

instructions to assign a weight to each of the identified sections;

instructions to organize a search profile for the document collection based on weights assigned to each of the identified sections, wherein the search profile includes a selection of at least one of the identified sections of each document in the compiled collection;

instructions to submit a query to the patent document collection at query time, including selection of at least one search profile, and comparison of query data with data in each of the document sections of the selected profile in the collection; and

instructions to compute a relevancy score for each document returned in a compilation of documents generated from the query submission and to rank the documents in the compilation based upon the computed relevancy score;

instructions to dynamically limit results in the compilation based upon the rank;

instructions to sort relevant documents in the compilation based upon the dynamic limit applied to the compilation; and

instructions to apply a secondary weight to add or subtract from the weight assigned to each of the identified sections based upon a quantity of matching strings in select sections of each profile.

26. The article of claim 25, further comprising instructions to apply a secondary rank factor to the first compilation of documents and to rank the sorted first compilation based upon the secondary factor.

27. The article of claim 26, wherein the secondary factor is selected from the group consisting of:

filing date, publication date, foreign priority date, alphabetical listing of title, assignee, and combinations thereof.

28. The article of claim 25, further comprising instructions to compile a second compilation of documents as a subset of the first compilation based upon secondary criteria present in the search profile.

29. The article of claim 28, further comprising instructions to computer a second relevancy score for the subset.

30. The article of claim 28, further comprising instructions to sort the second compilation of documents based upon the second relevancy score.

31. The article of claim 25, further comprising instructions to divide the compilation of documents into hierarchical tiers based upon the sort of the compilation, and to limit presentation of the query results based upon a selection of hierarchical tiers.

32. The article of claim 25, further comprising the instructions to divide adjacent tiers at an inflection point present in the rank.

33. The article of claim 25, further comprising a graphical presentation of the first compilation based upon the computed relevancy score and a quantity of documents in the compilation represented at different computed scores, and instructions to communicate with the graphical presentation, wherein the instructions dynamically set a line of demarcation for compilation results to include all documents reference on a first side of the line and to exclude all documents reference on a second side of the line.

34. The article of claim 25, further comprising instructions to execute a curve fit routine to the first compilation, the routine to calculate a theoretical function to data of the first compilation and to calculate at least one derivative of the function.

35. The article of claim 34, further comprising instructions to limit results in the first compilation within a select derivative of the function, and to return data that falls within the selected function derivative.