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Subject matter context search engine

  • US 8,396,859 B2
  • Filed: 10/21/2004
  • Issued: 03/12/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for use in establishing a searchable data structure, comprising:

  • providing a list of terms pertaining to a subject matter of interest, wherein said list of terms comprise potential search terms for use in search requests to access data of said subject matter, and wherein said potential search terms reflect inconsistencies of linguistics, at least including different terms to identify said same subject matter;

    syntax, at least including different ordering of said different terms; and

    semantics, at least including different correlations between a term meaning and said different terms;

    determining, using a computer-based tool, contextual information from said data of said subject matter including a plurality of usage contexts pertaining to said subject matter;

    using said contextual information, first operating said computer-based tool for establishing a standardization structure for standardizing at least a portion of said potential search terms with respect to at least one of said linguistics, at least including said different terms to identify said same subject matter, and syntax, at least including said different ordering of said different terms, wherein different ones of said potential search terms are standardized into a common standard form corresponding to at least one of said plurality of usage contexts;

    second operating said computer-based tool for establishing a classification structure for said subject matter of interest dependent on said contextual information including said usage contexts, said classification structure having a hierarchical form including classes, corresponding to a subset of said subject matter, each of which includes one or more sub-classes corresponding to a subset of a respective one of said classes; and

    for each term of said portion of said potential search terms, third operating said computer-based tool for associating said each term with a standardized form for said each term according to said standardized structure and relating said standardized form with said classification structure such that said each term is assigned to at least one of said sub-classes and at least one of said classes, wherein said relating is at least partially based on an identified usage context of said each term from said plurality of usage contexts, wherein said step of third operating comprises obtaining a first set of said potential search terms in a first semantic environment and transforming said first set of said potential search terms into a second semantic environment to provide a second set of said potential search terms, wherein said second semantic environment differs from said first semantic environment with respect to at least one of said linguistics, said syntax, or said semantics, and said second set contains less terms than said first set.

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