System, method and article of manufacture for concept based information searching

• US 6,910,003 B1
• Filed: 07/10/2000
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Discern Communications, Inc. (ConvergeOne Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Voss, Loren L., Bear, John S., Tyson, W. Mabry, Israel, David J., Arnold, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAWAN, VIJAY B
• Application Number:
  US09/613,235
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 704/1, 704/4, 704/10, 704/270.1, 704/270, 707/6, 707/104.1, 706/45
• US Class Current: 704/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/313 Selection or weighting of terms for indexing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system, method and article of manufacture are provided for allowing concept based information searching. Textual information is collected utilizing a network. The textual information is parsed to create topic specific information packets, which are stored in an information cache. The system parses a user query and compares the parsed user query with the information packets in the information cache to locate matching information packets and displays the matching information packets to a user.

Claims

1. A method for allowing concept based information searching, comprising the steps of:

(a) collecting textual information utilizing a network;

(b) parsing the textual information for creating topic specific information packets;

(c) storing the information packets in an information cache;

(d) receiving a query from a user;

(e) parsing the user query and comparing the parsed user query with the information packets in the information cache to locate matching information packets; and

(f) displaying the matching information packets to a user.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein query is converted into an internal query form.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user inputs the query in natural language.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of executing a network search, performing a search of information sources responsive to the user query, and outputting information matching the user query to the user if the user query is not understood.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the formatted information includes a hyperlink to the original source of the textual information.

6. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for allowing concept based information searching, comprising:

(a) a code segment that collects textual information utilizing a network;

(b) a code segment that parses the textual information for creating topic specific information packets;

(c) a code segment that stores the information packets in an information cache;

(d) a code segment that receives a query from a user;

(e) a code segment that parses the user query and compares the parsed user query with the information packets in the information cache to locate matching information packets; and

(f) a code segment that displays the matching information packets to a user.

7. A computer program as recited in claim 6, wherein query is converted into an internal query form.

8. A computer program as recited in claim 6, wherein the user inputs the query in natural language.

9. A computer program as recited in claim 6, further comprising a code segment that executes a network search, a code segment that performs a search of information sources utilizing the user query, and a code segment that outputs information matching the user query to the user if the user query is not understood.

10. A computer program as recited in claim 6, wherein the formatted information includes a hyperlink to the original source of the textual information.

11. A system embodied on a computer readable medium for allowing concept based information searching, comprising:

(a) logic that collects textual information utilizing a network;

(b) logic that parses the textual information for creating topic specific information packets;

(c) logic that stores the information packets in an information cache;

(d) logic that receives a query from a user;

(e) logic that parses the user query and compares the parsed user query with the information packets in the information cache to locate matching information packets; and

(f) logic that displays the matching information packets to a user.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein query is converted into an internal query form.

13. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the user inputs the query in natural language.

14. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising logic that executes a network search, logic that performs a search of information sources utilizing the user query, and logic that outputs information matching the user query to the user if the user query is not understood.

15. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the formatted information includes a hyperlink to the original source of the textual information.