CONTEXT-BASED ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT SEARCH USING A SYNTHETIC EVENT

• US 20140006390A1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: FRIEDLANDER, ROBERT R., KRAEMER, JAMES R., SILOBRCIC, JOSKO
• Granted Patent: US 8,903,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/723
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A computer hardware-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product identifies non-synthetic event elements in electronic files. A first set of binary data that describes a synthetic event is received from a requesting computer. The synthetic event is a non-executable descriptor of a set of context-related factors. A processor performs a context-based search of a database of electronic files to identify a relevant electronic file, which includes the synthetic event. The processor then searches the relevant electronic file for at least one non-synthetic event element, which is absent from the synthetic event. In response to determining that the relevant electronic file comprises the non-synthetic event element, the processor transmits a second set of binary data to the requesting computer. This second set of binary data includes the relevant electronic file and a description of an identified non-synthetic event element in the relevant electronic file.

Claims

1. A computer hardware-implemented method of identifying non-synthetic event elements in electronic files, the computer hardware-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a requesting computer, a first set of binary data that describes a synthetic event, wherein the synthetic event is a non-executable descriptor of a set of context-related factors;

performing a context-based search of a database of electronic files to identify a relevant electronic file, wherein the relevant electronic file comprises the synthetic event;

searching the relevant electronic file for at least one non-synthetic event element, wherein the non-synthetic event element is absent from the synthetic event; and

in response to determining that the relevant electronic file comprises said at least one non-synthetic event element, transmitting a second set of binary data to the requesting computer, wherein the second set of binary data comprises the relevant electronic file and a description of an identified non-synthetic event element within the relevant electronic file.

2. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, and wherein the computer hardware-implemented method further comprises:

generating a recommendation based on the identified non-synthetic event element, wherein the recommendation recommends performing additional steps related to the user activity.

3. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is scientific laboratory research, and wherein the computer hardware-implemented method further comprises:

generating a recommendation to perform additional scientific laboratory research on topics related to the identified non-synthetic event element.

4. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is diagnosing a medical patient, and wherein the computer hardware-implemented method further comprises:

generating a recommendation to perform additional medical tests, on the medical patient, which are related to the identified non-synthetic event element.

5. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synthetic event describes a user activity, and wherein the computer hardware-implemented method further comprises:

determining a context for the context-based search based on an activity type of the user activity.

6. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on a public reputation of the source; and

weighting the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking.

7. The computer hardware-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

ranking a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on an historical frequency of usage of the source by a generator of the synthetic event; and

weighting the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking.

8. A computer program product for identifying non-synthetic event elements in electronic files, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to receive, from a requesting computer, a first set of binary data that describes a synthetic event, wherein the synthetic event is a non-executable descriptor of a set of context-related factors;

second program instructions to perform a context-based search of a database of electronic files to identify a relevant electronic file, wherein the relevant electronic file comprises the synthetic event;

third program instructions to search the relevant electronic file for at least one non-synthetic event element, wherein the non-synthetic event element is absent from the synthetic event; and

fourth program instructions to, in response to determining that the relevant electronic file comprises said at least one non-synthetic event, transmit a second set of binary data to the requesting computer, wherein the second set of binary data comprises the relevant electronic file and a description of an identified non-synthetic event element within the relevant electronic file; and

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

fifth program instructions to generate a recommendation based on the identified non-synthetic event element, wherein the recommendation recommends performing additional steps related to the user activity; and

wherein the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is scientific laboratory research, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

fifth program instructions to generate a recommendation to research topics related to the identified non-synthetic event element; and

wherein the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is diagnosing a medical patient, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

fifth program instructions to generate a recommendation to perform additional medical tests, on the medical patient, which are related to the identified non-synthetic event element; and

wherein the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the synthetic event describes a user activity, and wherein the computer program product further comprises:

fifth program instructions to determine a context for the context-based search based on an activity type of the user activity; and

wherein the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to rank a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on a public reputation of the source; and

sixth program instructions to weight the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking; and

wherein the fifth and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to rank a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on an historical frequency of usage of the source by a generator of the synthetic event; and

sixth program instructions to weight the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking; and

wherein the fifth and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media.

15. A computer system comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU), a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to receive, from a requesting computer, a first set of binary data that describes a synthetic event, wherein the synthetic event is a non-executable descriptor of a set of context-related factors;

second program instructions to perform a context-based search of a database of electronic files to identify a relevant electronic file, wherein the relevant electronic file comprises the synthetic event;

third program instructions to search of the relevant electronic file for at least one non-synthetic event element, wherein the non-synthetic event element is absent from the synthetic event; and

fourth program instructions to, in response to determining that the relevant electronic file comprises said at least one non-synthetic event, transmit a second set of binary data to the requesting computer, wherein the second set of binary data comprises the relevant electronic file and a description of an identified non-synthetic event element within the relevant electronic file; and

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

fifth program instructions to generate a recommendation based on the identified non-synthetic event element, wherein the recommendation recommends performing additional steps related to the user activity; and

wherein the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is scientific laboratory research, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

fifth program instructions to generate a recommendation to research topics related to the identified non-synthetic event element; and

wherein the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, wherein the user activity is diagnosing a medical patient, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

fifth program instructions to generate a recommendation to perform additional medical tests, on the medical patient, which are related to the identified non-synthetic event element; and

wherein the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the synthetic event describes factors related to a user activity, and wherein the computer system further comprises:

fifth program instructions to determine a context for the context-based search based on an activity type of the user activity; and

wherein the fifth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.

20. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

fifth program instructions to rank a source of the relevant electronic file, wherein the ranking is based on a public reputation of the source; and

sixth program instructions to weight the identified non-synthetic event element based on said ranking; and

wherein the fifth and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.