Electronic document retrieval and reporting using pre-specified word/operator combinations

• US 9,286,410 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Hong, Jiang, Greetham, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US14/074,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20150128022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

An approach is provided for retrieving electronic documents. The approach provides a Web-based graphical user interface that allows users to construct complex queries that include Boolean clauses, proximity clauses and/or keyword phrases, without requiring the users to have a working knowledge of query languages. The Web-based graphical user interface also allows users to specify a semantic meaning for one or more search terms. The approach also allows users to generate various reports for search results. Various filters may be applied to manage the amount of reporting data and semantic meanings may be applied to increase relevancy. A time cost estimator provides an estimated review time for search results.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause:

a Web application generating and transmitting to a client device over one or more networks, one or more Web pages which, when processed by a Web browser at the client device, provide a graphical user interface that allows a user to construct a query and cause the query to be processed against electronic document data stored in an electronic document management system,

wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to construct the query by;

displaying a plurality of graphical user interface objects that visually indicate a plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations, wherein one or more pre-specified word/operator combinations from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations each includes a distance parameter that specifies a maximum allowable distance between words in the pre-specified word/operator combination, and wherein selection of a particular graphical user interface object that corresponds to a particular pre-specified word/operator combination from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations causes the particular pre-specified word/operator combination to be included in the query; and

wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to perform one or more of add a new word/operator combination to the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations by specifying a word and corresponding operator, edit a pre-specified word/operator combination from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations or delete a pre-specified word/operator combination from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further allows a user to specify a keyword definition to be included in and used as search terms in the query, wherein the keyword definition includes one or more of one or more keywords or one or more phrases.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to specify and have included in the query one or more of a custodian or a domain that corresponds to a portion of searchable data.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of graphical user interface objects:

allow a user to enter one or more search query terms,

in response to entry of a particular search query term, determine two or more semantic meanings for the particular search query term,

display one or more additional user interface objects that indicate the two or more semantic meanings for the particular search query term,

in response to a user selection of a particular semantic meaning from the two or more semantic meanings, modify the query to represent the particular semantic meaning.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface displays search results for the query and a semantic meaning for each of one or more search results from the plurality of search results.

6. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause;

a Web application generating and transmitting to a client device over one or more networks, one or more Web pages which, when processed by a Web browser at the client device, provide a graphical user interface that allows a user to construct a query and cause the query to be processed against electronic document data stored in an electronic document management system,

wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to construct the query by;

displaying a plurality of graphical user interface objects that visually indicate a plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations, wherein one or more pre-specified word/operator combinations from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations each includes a distance parameter that specifies a maximum allowable distance between words in the pre-specified word/operator combination, and wherein selection of a particular graphical user interface object that corresponds to a particular pre-specified word/operator combination from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations causes the particular pre-specified word/operator combination to be included in the query; and

wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to perform one or more of add a new word/operator combination to the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations by specifying a word and corresponding operator, edit a pre-specified word/operator combination from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations or delete a pre-specified word/operator combination from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface further allows a user to specify a keyword definition to be included in and used as search terms in the query, wherein the keyword definition includes one or more of one or more keywords or one or more phrases.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to specify and have included in the query one or more of a custodian or a domain that corresponds to a portion of searchable data.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the plurality of graphical user interface objects:

allow a user to enter one or more search query terms,

in response to entry of a particular search query term, determine two or more semantic meanings for the particular search query term,

display one or more additional user interface objects that indicate the two or more semantic meanings for the particular search query term,

in response to a user selection of a particular semantic meaning from the two or more semantic meanings, modify the query to represent the particular semantic meaning.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface displays search results for the query and a semantic meaning for each of one or more search results from the plurality of search results.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

a Web application generating and transmitting to a client device over one or more networks, one or more Web pages which, when processed by a Web browser at the client device, provide a graphical user interface that allows a user to construct a query and cause the query to be processed against electronic document data stored in an electronic document management system,

wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to construct the query by;

displaying a plurality of graphical user interface objects that visually indicate a plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations, wherein one or more pre-specified word/operator combinations from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations each includes a distance parameter that specifies a maximum allowable distance between words in the pre-specified word/operator combination, and wherein selection of a particular graphical user interface object that corresponds to a particular pre-specified word/operator combination from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations causes the particular pre-specified word/operator combination to be included in the query; and

wherein the graphical user interface allows a user to perform one or more of add a new word/operator combination to the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations by specifying a word and corresponding operator, edit a pre-specified word/operator combination from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations or delete a pre-specified word/operator combination from the plurality of pre-specified word/operator combinations.

12. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface further allows a user to specify a keyword definition to be included in and used as search terms in the query, wherein the keyword definition includes one or more of one or more keywords or one or more phrases.

13. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein the plurality of graphical user interface objects:

allow a user to enter one or more search query terms,

in response to entry of a particular search query term, determine two or more semantic meanings for the particular search query term,

display one or more additional user interface objects that indicate the two or more semantic meanings for the particular search query term,

in response to a user selection of a particular semantic meaning from the two or more semantic meanings, modify the query to represent the particular semantic meaning.

14. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface displays search results for the query and a semantic meaning for each of one or more search results from the plurality of search results.