Apparatus and method for retrieval of documents

• US 9,965,557 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2005
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Melman, Haim Zvi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jensen
• Application Number:
  US11/160,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,707 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1, 707 2, 707 3, 707 4, 707 5, 707723, 707732
• 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 support and management of search for documents is presented. The system includes a 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 session or during a search made by another user, the system uses the knowledge-database to support the users with keywords, queries and reference documents.

Claims

1. A computer system implementing a method for sorting references to documents for display, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a user interface, an initial search query from a user;

providing to a user a set of uniform resource locators (URLs), responsive to the initial search query;

collecting from the user a history of interaction with each URL;

ranking each URL by a URL score based upon the history of interaction, comprising a sum of;

a positive first factor if the user found the URL to be relevant, a negative second factor if the user found the URL to be not relevant, a third factor if information pointed to by the URL was viewed, a fourth factor if information pointed to by the URL was printed, and a fifth factor if information pointed to by the URL was saved;

constructing suggested queries from terms related to the URLs;

ranking each suggested query by a query score comprising a weighted sum of;

a ratio of sum of ranks of URLs to number of URLs related to this query that are ranked over zero, a ratio of sum of ranks of URLs to number of URLs related to this query that are ranked lower then zero, and number of terms in the query;

displaying the ranked suggested queries to the user;

receiving, by the user interface, a search query from the user, said received search query includes a Boolean query comprising;

at least two terms;

a first Boolean relation; and

a second Boolean relation, wherein the first Boolean relation is different than the second Boolean relation;

storing, in a memory, said search query to enable displaying of said search query as submitted by said user;

using, by a processor, said search query to identify at least two references to documents, whereby at least one of said referenced documents has been previously retrieved by a related search query;

sorting for display by a user interface said at least two references to documents based on past users'"'"' interactions relating to at least one of said referenced document that was previously retrieved by said related search query; and

displaying by a user interface said at least two references to documents based on said sorting;

wherein a related search query, is a search query a) comprising of at least two terms, b) received in a past search session from any user which was stored to enable displaying of said previously stored related search query as it was submitted, and c) includes at least one term included within the received search query from said user.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein a representation of said reference to a document includes at least one of:

a title;

a URL; and

a summary relating to said referenced document.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said past users'"'"' interactions includes at least one of:

a) said at least one referenced document was indicated by a user as relevant;

b) said at least one referenced document was indicated by a user as irrelevant;

c) said at least one referenced document was selected for review by a user; and

d) said at least one referenced document was saved in a storage device by a user.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein order of sorting of said at least two references to documents is further based on at least one of:

a) URL ranking of said at least one reference to document;

b) date said referenced document was last updated;

c) received search query that was used to display said at least one reference to a document; and

d) ranking of at least one of the term within said received query that was used to display said at least one reference to a document.

5. The computer system of claim 1, including using said at least one previously stored related search query to identify at least two references to documents and sorting for display said at least two references to documents based on ranking of said identified previously stored related search query.

6. The computer system of claim 1, including using said at least one previously stored related search query, that was used to retrieve said at least one of said referenced document, to identify at least one other previously stored related search query

wherein said other previously stored related search query is a search query

a) comprising of at least two terms,

b) was received in a past search session from any user and was stored to enable displaying of said other previously stored related search query as it was submitted, and

c) includes at least one term included within the received previously stored related search query.

7. The computer system of claim 6, including using said other previously stored related search query to retrieve at least two references to documents;

and sorting for display said retrieved at least two references to documents based on ranking of said identified previously stored related search query.

8. The computer system of claim 7, including displaying said at least two references to documents based on said sorting.

9. The computer system of claim 6, including receiving a selection of said at least one of said identified at least one other previously stored related search query.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving a selection of said at least one of said previously stored related search query.

11. The computer system of claim 1, including filtering said displayed list of reference to documents based on one of:

a) documents that have been previously reviewed by said user;

b) documents that have not yet been reviewed by said user;

c) documents including references to document s that have been previously reviewed by a user belonging to at least one same users group database; and

d) documents that have been previously reviewed by a user not belonging to at least one same users group.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said previously stored related query retrieving is limited based on at least one of the following;

a) individual users;

b) user groups, each such users group includes at least two users; and

c) a mix of at least one user and at least one group of users.

13. The computer system of claim 1, including displaying of said previously stored related search query.

14. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said previously stored related search query has at least one stored Boolean relation.

15. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising a server, a database and a computer hardware processor for performing the method implementation.

16. A computer system implementing a method for sorting references to documents for display, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a user interface, an initial search query from a user;

providing to a user a set of uniform resource locators (URLs), responsive to the initial search query;

collecting from the user a history of interaction with each URL;

ranking each URL by a URL score based upon the history of interaction, comprising a sum of;

a positive first factor if the user found the URL to be relevant, a negative second factor if the user found the URL to be not relevant, a third factor if information pointed to by the URL was viewed, a fourth factor if information pointed to by the URL was printed, and a fifth factor if information pointed to by the URL was saved;

constructing suggested queries from terms related to the URLs;

ranking each suggested query by a query score based comprising a weighted sum of;

a ratio of sum of ranks of URLs to number of URLs related to this query that are ranked over zero, a ratio of sum of ranks of URLs to number of URLs related to this query that are ranked lower then zero, and number of terms in the query;

displaying the ranked suggested queries to the user;

receiving, by the user interface, a search query from the user, said received search query includes a Boolean query comprising;

at least two terms;

a first Boolean relation; and

a second Boolean relation, wherein the first Boolean relation is different than the second Boolean relation;

storing, in a memory, said search query to enable displaying of said search query as submitted by said user;

identifying, by a processor, at least one previously stored related search query;

using said identified previously stored related search query to retrieve at least two references to documents, whereby at least one of said retrieved references to documents was previously retrieved by said at least one identified previously stored related search query;

sorting for display by a user interface said at least two references to documents based on the ranking of said identified previously stored related search query; and

displaying by a user interface said at least two references to documents based on said sorting;

wherein a previously stored related search query, is a query a) comprising of at least two terms, b) received in a past search session from any user which was stored to enable displaying of said previously stored related search query as it was submitted, and c) includes at least one term included in the received search query from said user.

17. The computer system of claim 16 wherein a representation of said reference to a document includes at least one of:

a title;

a URL; and

a summary relating to said referenced document.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein said ranking of said identified previously stored related search query is based on at least one of the following user actions relating to at least one of the referenced document that was previously retrieved by said previously stored related search query:

a) at least one of said at least one referenced document was indicated by a user as relevant;

b) at least one of said at least one referenced document was indicated by a user as irrelevant;

c) said at least one referenced document was selected for review by a user; and

d) said at least one referenced document was saved in a storage device by a user.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein said sorting order of said at least two references to documents is further based on at least one of:

a) URL ranking of said at least one reference to document;

b) date said referenced document was last updated;

c) ranking of the received search query that was used to retrieve said previously stored related search query; and

d) ranking of at least one of the term within said received search query.

20. The computer system of claim 16, including filtering said displayed list of reference to documents based on one of:

a) references to documents that have been previously reviewed by said user;

b) references to documents that have not yet been reviewed by said user;

c) documents that have been previously reviewed by a user belonging to at least one same users group database; and

d) documents that have been previously reviewed by a user not belonging to at least one same users group.