Apparatus and method for extracting and sharing information

• US 20030177192A1
• Filed: 03/11/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Digital Solutions Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Umeki, Hideo, Tsuboi, Sougo, Fukui, Mika, Yokota, Takehiko, Gotoh, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,328,408 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

A message exchange unit receives and distributes a message in a community in which a plurality of users participates. A message memory stores the message received by the message exchange unit. An extraction rule memory stores an extraction rule applicable for the message. The extraction rule includes an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format. An information extraction unit extracts information from the message stored in the message memory by referring to the extraction rule. An extraction result memory stores extraction result information by the information extraction unit. An extraction result editing unit edits the extraction result information stored in the extraction result memory. A message generation unit generates another message representing editing of the extraction result information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for extracting and sharing information, comprising:

a message exchange unit configured to receive a first message from one of a plurality of users and distribute the first message in a community in which the plurality of users participate;

a message memory configured to store the first message received by said message exchange unit;

an extraction rule memory configured to store an extraction rule applicable for the first message, the extraction rule including an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format;

an information extraction unit configured to extract information from the first message stored in said message memory by referring to the extraction rule;

an extraction result memory configured to store extraction result information by said information extraction unit;

an extraction result editing unit configured to edit the extraction result information stored in said extraction result memory; and

a message generation unit configured to generate a second message representing editing of the extraction result information.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising a community management information memory configured to store user data, community data, belonging relation data and message data;

wherein the user data includes at least a user identifier and a user name, the community data includes at least a community identifier, a community name and a type,

the belonging relation data includes at least a belonging relation between the user identifier and the community identifier and a distribution method,

the message data includes at least a message identifier, the user identifier of the one of the users who created the first message, a parent message identifier of another message to which the first message is replied.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said community management information memory further stores extraction rule data and application relation data associated with the extraction rule, the extraction rule data including at least an extraction rule identifier, the user identifier of the user who created the extraction rule, the community identifier to which the extraction rule belongs, a last update time and a latest application time of the extraction rule, the application relation data including at least an application relation between the extraction rule identifier and the message identifier.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising a community information display configured to selectively output an explanation screen of the community, a bulletin board screen of at least the first message stored in said message memory, and an information extraction screen of the extraction result information stored in said extraction result memory.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4,

further comprising an extraction rule editing unit configured to edit the extraction rule stored in said extraction rule memory.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5,

when the one of the users selects creation of a new extraction rule on the information extraction screen,

wherein said community information display outputs a plurality of extraction rule sets each corresponding to a different extraction object.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6,

when the one of the users selects one of the rule sets,

wherein said extraction rule editing unit generates an extraction rule editing screen based on a predetermined value of the one of the rule sets through said community information display.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7,

when the one of the users selects the extraction pattern, the extraction target and the display format on the extraction rule editing screen,

wherein said extraction rule editing unit sets the extraction pattern, the extraction target and the display format to the extraction rule in response to the selection.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7,

when the one of the users selects a detail set on the extraction rule editing screen,

wherein said extraction rule editing unit sets data for the new extraction rule data based on input from the one of the users.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said extraction rule editing unit prepares a standard pattern representing each class attribute of the extraction pattern, and extracts information from the first message corresponding to the extraction target by using the standard pattern.

11. The apparatus according to claim 4,

when the one of the users selects one extraction result from a list of the extraction result information in the information extraction screen,

wherein said extraction result editing unit decides whether it is necessary to update the one extraction result information.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein said extraction result editing unit, deciding to update the one extraction result information, interprets the extraction pattern and the extraction target from the extraction rule applied to the one extraction result information, extracts information from the first message corresponding to the extraction target by using the extraction pattern, and updates the one extraction result using the extracted information.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein said extraction result editing unit, deciding to update the one extraction result information, outputs the one extraction result by applying the display format of the extraction rule through said community information display.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12,

when the one extraction result is updated using the extracted information,

wherein said extraction result editing unit outputs the one extraction result by applying the display format of the extraction rule through said community information display.

15. The apparatus according to claim 5,

when the one of the users selects one from the list of extraction result information as copy of the extraction rule on the information extraction screen,

wherein said extraction rule editing unit copies the extraction rule applied to the one extraction result to another community.

16. The apparatus according to claim 5,

when the one of the users selects a plurality of extraction results from the list of extraction result information as unification of the extraction rules on the information extraction screen,

wherein said extraction rule editing unit generates new extraction rule by unifying each extraction rule applied to the plurality of extraction results.

17. The apparatus according to claim 4,

when the one of the users selects one listed message from a group of listed messages on the bulletin board screen,

wherein said community information display additionally outputs a link of extraction result information related to the one listed message on the bulletin board screen.

18. The apparatus according to claim 4,

when the one of the users selects one of addition, change, and deletion of an entry of the extraction result information on the information extraction screen,

wherein said extraction result editing unit edits the entry of the extraction result information in response to the user'"'"'s selection.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18,

when the one of the users selects creation of an editing message about editing of the extraction result information on the information extraction screen,

wherein said extraction result editing unit outputs a message creation screen of the editing message including the contents of the editing through said community information display, and registers the editing message as a reply of a source message originally including the extraction result information.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19,

if the one of the users selects distribution of the message on the message creation screen,

wherein said message exchange unit distributes the editing message to each of the users of the community from which the source message is received.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18,

wherein said extraction result editing unit correspondingly stores the extraction result information and the contents of editing in said extraction result memory.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18,

when the one of the users creates an editing message including the contents of editing as a reply of a source message originally including the extraction result information,

wherein said extraction result editing unit changes the extraction result information of the source message by referring to the contents of the editing.

23. A method for extracting and sharing information, comprising:

receiving a first message-from one of a plurality of users in a community in which the plurality of users participate;

storing the first message received in a message memory;

extracting information from the first message stored in the message memory by referring to an extraction rule, the extraction rule including an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format;

storing extraction result information in an extraction result memory;

editing the extraction result information stored in the extraction result memory; and

generating a second message representing editing of the extraction result information.

24. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable program code embodied in said product for causing a computer to extract and share information, said computer readable program code having;

a first program code to receive a first message from one of a plurality of users in a community in which the plurality of users participate;

a second program code to store the first message received in a message memory;

a third program code to extract information from the first message stored in the message memory by referring to an extraction rule, the extraction rule including an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format;

a fourth program code to store extraction result information in an extraction result memory;

a fifth program code to edit the extraction result information stored in the extraction result memory; and

a sixth program code to generate a second message representing editing of the extraction result information.