System and method for transferring attribute values between search queries in an information retrieval system

• US 6,434,546 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1998
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Majandro LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Williamowski, Jutta, Pareschi, Remo, Borghoff, Uwe M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, TE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/218,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/102, 707/103, 707/532, 707/203, 707/1-10, 707/100-104, 707/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9532 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An information retrieval system for retrieving information from multiple information sources. The information retrieval system provides for the building of dynamic queries through the use of query channels. A query channel permits the passing of attributes of the search results between different queries. The query channel can cause the automatic passing of the attributes, or it can be user controlled (breakpoints). Further, the query results may be transformed so that they are in the context of the target query (computational transformations). For example, the results may be translated or reformatted into a form utilized by the target query. Query channels are created based on graphical representations of queries and their attributes. A simple drag and drop operation, wherein an attribute is selected and dragged to the target query, is used to create the channel. A channel may be created while a query is running. Specification of breakpoints or computational transformations are made using a pop-up window interface that may appear when the channel is selected.

Claims

1. An information retrieval system for generating queries to one or more information sources, said information retrieval system comprising:

a demand agent providing;

a user interface for allowing a user to specify a search expression;

a query specification interface for allowing a user to specify a dynamic channel between a first query and a second query wherein the search results for an attribute of said first query are provided as a search attribute of said second query, said dynamic channel specified and operational while said first query or said second query is being executed;

a broker agent providing

a search and retrieval element for processing a search expression and creating specific information source search requests;

a channel element for associating the results of an attribute of said first query with said input attribute of said second query;

a supply agent for receiving said search requests and requesting and obtaining documents from information sources responsive to said search requests.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said demand agent is further comprised of a channel control interface for causing user controls on said channel.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein a first user control is a computational transformation for transforming the results of the search for said first attribute into the query context of said second query;

and wherein said broker agent is further comprised of an element for causing an associated computational transformation to occur.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said computational transformation is a translation from a source language to a target query language.

5. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said computational transformation is an attribute type integration.

6. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said computational transformation is an attribute arity integration.

7. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein said computational transformation is an attribute unit integration.

8. The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said a second user control is for specifying automatic or user controlled transfer;

and wherein said broker agent is further comprised of an element for causing said user controlled transfer when specified by said user.

9. A method for obtaining information from one or more information sources from an information retrieval system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) a user specifying one or more query attributes for a first query and causing said first query to be executed by said information retrieval system;

b) said user specifying a second query while said first query is being executed, wherein at least one of said attributes for said second query is the results of a query attribute from said first query;

c) said information retrieval system providing the results of said first query;

d) said information retrieval system extracting from the results of said first query, the results for said specified query attribute;

e) said information retrieval system providing said results for said specified query attribute as a an input attribute for said second query; and

f) said information retrieval system providing said user with the results of said second query.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein prior to said step of said information retrieval system providing said results for said specified query attribute as a result for said second query, said user performing the step of specifying that a computational transformation should be performed on said results for said specified query attribute so that said results are in a context of said second query;

and said system performing said computational transformation as results are received.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said computational transformation is a translation from a source language to a target query language.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said computational transformation is an attribute type integration.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said computational transformation is an attribute arity integration.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said computational transformation is an attribute unit integration.

15. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein prior to said step of said information retrieval system providing said results for said specified query attribute as a result for said second query, said user performing the step of specifying that said results for said specified query attribute should be user controlled;

and said system providing said user the ability to exclude results from being provided to said second query.

16. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for obtaining information from one or more information sources from an information retrieval system, said method comprising the steps of:

a) a user specifying one or more query attributes for a first query and causing said first query to be executed by said information retrieval system;

b) said user specifying a second query while said first query is being executed, wherein at least one of said attributes for said second query is the results of a query attribute from said first query;

c) said information retrieval system providing the results of said first query;

d) said information retrieval system extracting from the results of said first query, the results for said specified query attribute;

e) said information retrieval system providing said results for said specified query attribute as an input attribute for said second query; and

f) said information retrieval system providing said user with the results of said second query.

17. The method steps as recited in claim 16 wherein prior to said step of said information retrieval system providing said results for said specified query attribute as a result for said second query, said user performing the step of specifying that a computational transformation should be performed on said results for said specified query attribute so that said results are in a context of said second query;

and said system performing said computational transformation as results are received.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein prior to said step of said information retrieval system providing said results for said specified query attribute as a result for said second query, said user performing the step of specifying that said results for said specified query attribute should be user controlled;

and said system providing said user the ability to exclude results from being provided to said second query.