Document searching system

• US 20060080295A1
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Elsaesser, Thomas, Engel, Liane
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3331 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3349 Reuse of stored results of previous queries

Abstract

Searching for documents using different sources includes receiving a search statement containing information for the documents, and determining a search strategy based on the search statement. The search strategy includes first and second search activities for searching first and second sources, respectively, where the first and second search activities are weighted. The first and second sources are searched using the first and second search activities, respectively, where an order in which the first and second search activities are performed is dictated by weightings of the first and second search activities.

Claims

1. A method of searching for documents using different sources, comprising:

receiving a search statement containing information for the documents;

determining a search strategy based on the search statement, the search strategy comprising first and second search activities for searching first and second sources, respectively, the first and second search activities being weighted; and

searching the first and second sources using the first and second search activities, respectively, wherein an order in which the first and second search activities are performed is dictated by weightings of the first and second search activities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the search statement comprises a search query and a search parameter, the search query comprising a string and the search parameter corresponding to a source to be searched for the string;

and

wherein the weightings of the first and second search activities are based, at least in part, on the search query and the search parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein searching comprises:

performing the first search activity to identify a first set of documents; and

performing the second search activity using the first set of documents.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second search activity is performed to identify a second set of documents, the second set of documents being a subset of the first set of documents;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

performing a third search activity for searching a third source, the third search activity being part of the search strategy, the third search activity using the second set of documents.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein performing the second search activity using the first set of documents comprises performing the second search activity for information relating to the second set of documents.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a result obtained by searching the first and second sources using the first and second search activities, respectively, the result identifying documents that comport with the search statement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second sources comprises at least one of a table and a database.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the weightings are based, at least in part, on a specificity of the search statement, the specificity being defined in accordance with one of a number of characters in a part of the search statement and whether the search statement contains a wildcard character.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the documents are stored in different locations that are accessible over a network.

10. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product comprising instructions for use in searching for documents using different sources, the instructions for causing at least one machine to:

receive a search statement containing information for the documents;

determine a search strategy based on the search statement, the search strategy comprising first and second search activities for searching first and second sources, respectively, the first and second search activities being weighted; and

search the first and second sources using the first and second search activities, respectively, wherein an order in which the first and second search activities are performed is dictated by weightings of the first and second search activities.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the search statement comprises a search query and a search parameter, the search query comprising a string and the search parameter corresponding to a source to be searched for the string;

and

wherein the weightings of the first and second search activities are based, at least in part, on the search query and the search parameter.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein searching comprises:

performing the first search activity to identify a first set of documents; and

performing the second search activity using the first set of documents.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the second search activity is performed to identify a second set of documents, the second set of documents being a subset of the first set of documents;

and

wherein the computer program product further comprises instructions for causing the at least one machine to;

perform a third search activity for searching a third source, the third search activity being part of the search strategy, the third search activity using the second set of documents.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein performing the second search activity using the first set of documents comprises performing the second search activity for information relating to the second set of documents.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions that cause the at least one machine to:

provide a result obtained by searching the first and second sources using the first and second search activities, respectively, the result identifying documents that comport with the search statement.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first and second sources comprises at least one of a table and a database.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the weightings are based, at least in part, on a specificity of the search statement, the specificity being defined in accordance with one of a number of characters in a part of the search statement and whether the search statement contains a wildcard character.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the documents are stored in different locations that are accessible over a network.

19. A system comprising:

storage locations to store two or more documents; and

a processing device that executes instructions to search for documents using different sources, the processing device for executing instructions to;

receive a search statement containing information for the documents;

determine a search strategy based on the search statement, the search strategy comprising first and second search activities for searching first and second sources, respectively, the first and second search activities being weighted; and

search the first and second sources using the first and second search activities, respectively, wherein an order in which the first and second search activities are performed is dictated by weightings of the first and second search activities.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instructions implement an input engine, an evaluation engine, a determination engine, and a search engine.