Apparatus and method for search and retrieval of documents

• US 9,152,710 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Suny Cellular Communication Ltd.
• Inventors: Melman, Haim Zvi
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TRUONG V
• Application Number:
  US12/371,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20090182737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,423 Days
• Field of Search: 707/661, 707/696, 707/718, 707/720, 707/723, 707/728, 707/721, 707/618
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3341 using boolean model
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A system for the support and management of search for documents is presented. The system includes knowledge-database, query interface and communication to a database of documents to be searched. Information generated during a search session is collected by the system and is added to the knowledge-database. The information is ranked automatically according to the usage of that information by the user. During successive search sessions, or during search made by other users, the system uses the knowledge-database to support the users with keywords, queries and reference to documents.

Claims

1. A computer based method of ranking stored search queries, the method comprising:

ranking of previously received and stored search queries composed by any user for document searches;

the stored search queries includes at least two terms; and

the ranking being based on at least one of a) the terms in a received search query composed by a first user that are included in a stored search query and b) similarity of stored search queries to the received search query composed by the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said ranking of stored queries is based on number of terms in the received query that are included in a stored search query.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising sorting the ranked stored queries for display according to said ranking and displaying ranked stored queries based according to said sorting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said ranking of stored queries is in response to receiving a search query having at least two terms.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying at least one of the ranked stored search query queries, and performing a search based on a selected displayed search query.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said ranking of stored queries is further based on at least the number of documents related to said stored search query.

7. The method of claim 2, comprising sorting the ranked stored queries for display according to said ranking and displaying ranked stored queries based according to said sorting.

8. The method of claim 3, comprising receiving a selection of a one of said displayed search query.

9. The method of claim 3, comprising displaying at least one reference to document selected by a user in a previous search session.

10. The method of claim 6, comprising sorting the ranked stored queries for display according to said ranking and displaying ranked stored queries based according to said sorting.

11. The method of claim 7, comprising receiving a selection of a one of said displayed search query.

12. The method of claim 7, comprising displaying at least one reference to document selected by a user in a previous search session.

13. The method of claim 8, comprising performing a search based on said selected displayed search query.

14. The method of claim 8, comprising performing a search by said selected displayed search query.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying of at least one reference to document is made in context to a displayed search query that was included in said previous search session.

16. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving a selection of one of said displayed search query.

17. The method of claim 10, comprising displaying at least one reference to document selected by a user in a previous search session.

18. The method of claim 11, comprising performing a search based on said selected displayed search query.

19. The method of claim 11, comprising performing a search by said selected displayed search query.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein said displaying of at least one reference to document is made in context to a displayed search query that was included in said previous search session.

21. The method of claim 16 comprising performing a search based on said selected displayed search query.

22. The method of claim 16 comprising performing a search by said selected displayed search query.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein said displaying of at least one reference to document is made in context to a displayed search query that was included in said previous search session.

24. A computer based method of ranking stored search queries in response to receiving a search query composed by a first user having at least two terms, the method comprising:

ranking of previously received and stored search queries composed by any user for document searches in response to at least one term of the search query composed by the first user;

the ranking being based on a) number of terms in the received search query composed by the first user that are included in a stored search query and b) similarity of stored search queries to the received search query composed by the first user; and

displaying at least one of the ranked stored search queries.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising performing a search based on a selected displayed search query.

26. A computer based method of ranking stored search queries, the method comprising:

ranking of previously received and stored search queries composed by any user for document searches;

the stored queries include at least two terms;

the ranking being based on at least one of a) terms in a received search query composed by a first user that are included in a stored search query composed by any user and b) similarity of stored search queries to the received search query composed by the first user; and

displaying results of a document search of one or more of the ranked stored search queries.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said ranking of stored queries is based on number of terms in the received query that are included in a stored search query.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said ranking of stored queries is in response to receiving a search query having at least two terms.

29. The method of claim 26, comprising displaying at least one indication that a document was selected by a user in a previous search session.

30. The method of claim 26, comprising displaying at least one reference to document selected by a user in a previous search session.