Method and system for searching databases

• US 9,507,850 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proquest LLC (Clarivate Plc)
• Original Assignee: Proquest LLC (Clarivate Plc)
• Inventors: Hepp, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU N
• Application Number:
  US11/215,390
• Time in Patent Office: 4,109 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3331 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

A method and system for searching databases uses query catching and/or metadata exploration features to analyze the search terms entered and present suggestions displayed on the initial search results page, together with the traditional search results. The method and system simplifies and improves the user'"'"'s experience by mapping user queries to relevant methods for accessing content based on string similarity measures, term relationships, and editorial assertions. The method and system uses an underlying search engine that enhances search results and suggests topics, dates, and/or publications, displayed as links on the results page, to help focus the search using automatic indexing.

Claims

1. A method executed via computer hardware and software for searching a database of publications, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of navigation features from which a search query can originate and be analyzed, including a first navigation feature, a second navigation feature and a third navigation feature;

selectively providing a search result responsive to the search query for each of the plurality of navigation features, including a first search result comprising query catching terms for the first navigation feature, a second search result comprising metadata exploration terms for the second navigation feature and a third search result for the third navigation feature, wherein the first search result, the second search result and the third search result differ;

selectively providing a plurality of search result options for the first search result, including a first query catching terms search result option, a second query catching terms search result option, a third query catching terms search result option and a fourth query catching terms search result option, wherein selection of the first query catching terms search result option returns an additional search result with query catching terms, wherein selection of the second query catching terms search result option returns an additional search result with metadata exploration terms, wherein selection of the third query catching terms search result option returns a first view select publication result, and wherein selection of the fourth query catching terms search result option returns a browse suggested publications feature result, wherein the additional search result with query catching terms, the additional search result with metadata exploration terms, the first view select publication result and the browse suggested publication feature result differ;

selectively providing a plurality of search result options for the second search result, including a first metadata exploration terms search result option, a second metadata exploration terms search result option and a third metadata exploration terms search result option, wherein selection of the first metadata exploration terms search result option returns a subsequent search result with metadata exploration terms, wherein selection of the second metadata exploration terms search result option returns a subsequent search result with query catching terms, and wherein selection of the third metadata exploration terms search result option returns a second view select publication result, wherein the subsequent search result with metadata exploration terms, the subsequent search result with query catching terms and the second view select publication result differ;

selectively providing a select article search result option for the third search result, wherein selection of the select article search result option returns a third view select publication result; and

selectively providing a further search feature for the first, second or third view select publication result, wherein selection of the further search feature returns another subsequent search result with query catching terms; and

narrowing or focusing a search of the database of publications by providing for a plurality of further type of search results from the first search result comprising query catching terms, a plurality of further type of search results from the second search result comprising metadata exploration terms and at least one further type of search results from the third search result;

wherein the plurality of further type of search results from the first search result comprising query catching terms includes further results with query catching terms, further results with metadata exploration terms, further results for viewing a selected article and further results for browsing a suggested publication;

wherein the plurality of further type of search results from the second search result comprising metadata exploration terms includes other results with query catching terms, other results with metadata exploration terms, and other results for viewing a selected article;

wherein the at least one further type of search results from the third search result includes more results for viewing a selected article and results for browsing a suggested publication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first query catching terms search result option includes at least one of a search box, a publication type tab, and a limit to full text feature, and wherein the method further comprises the step of returning the additional search result with query catching terms upon selection of at least one of the search box, the publication type tab, and the limit to full text feature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first metadata exploration terms search result option includes at least one of a narrow by topic feature, a narrow by date feature, a narrow by publication feature, a limit to full text feature, and a publication type tab, and wherein the method further comprises the step of returning the subsequent search result with metadata exploration terms upon selection of at least one of the narrow by topic feature, the narrow by date feature, the narrow by publication feature, the limit to full text feature, and the publication type tab.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the further search feature includes a more-like-this or sideways search feature, and wherein the method further comprises the step of returning a subsequent search result with query catching terms upon selection of the more-like-this feature or the sideways search feature.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of further narrowing or focusing the search of the database of publications by selectively providing for further search results with query catching terms from the results for viewing a selected article.

6. A method executed via computer hardware and software for searching a database of publications, comprising the steps of:

providing a first navigation feature from which a search query can originate and be analyzed;

selectively providing a first query catching search results page responsive to the search query for the first navigation feature, the first query catching search results page including results with query catching terms;

providing a second navigation feature from which a search query can originate and be analyzed;

selectively providing a first metadata exploration search results page responsive to the search query for the second navigation feature, the first metadata search results page including results with metadata exploration terms;

providing a third navigation feature from which a search query can originate and be analyzed;

selectively providing a basic search results page responsive to the search query for the third navigation feature;

selectively guiding a search of the database of publications by providing for a plurality of further type of search results accessible from the first query catching search results page, wherein the plurality of further type of search results accessible from the first query catching search results page including focused results with query catching terms on a second query catching search results page, focused results with metadata exploration terms on a second metadata exploration search results page, focused results for viewing a selected article on a first view article page, and focused results for browsing a suggested publication on a publication search page;

selectively guiding a search of the database of publications by providing for a plurality of further type of search results accessible from the first metadata exploration search results page, wherein the plurality of further type of search results from the metadata exploration search results page including focused results with query catching terms on a third query catching search results page, focused results with metadata exploration terms on a third metadata exploration search results page, and focused results for viewing a selected article on a second view article page;

selectively guiding a search of the database of publications by providing for at least one further type of search results accessible from the basic search results page, wherein the at least one further type of search results from the basic search results page including focused results for viewing a selected article on a third view article page; and

selectively guiding a search of the database of publications by providing for at least one further type of search results accessible from one of the first, second and third view article pages, wherein the at least one further type of search results accessible from one of the first, second and third view article pages including additional focused results with query catching terms on a fourth query catching search results page; and

continually narrowing or focusing a search of the database of publications by providing differing search results through navigation between additional query catching search results pages and additional metadata exploration search results pages.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each continually narrowed or focused search originating from an additional query catching search results page selectively provides one of focused results with query catching terms on a subsequent query catching search results page, focused results with metadata exploration terms oil a subsequent metadata exploration search results page, focused results for viewing a selected article on a subsequent view article page, and focused results for browsing a suggested publication on a subsequent publication search page.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each continually narrowed or focused search originating from an additional metadata exploration search results page selectively provides one of focused results with query catching terms on a subsequent query catching search results page, focused results with metadata exploration terms on a subsequent metadata exploration search results page, and focused results for viewing a selected article on a subsequent view article page.