System for processing at least partially structured data

• US 7,233,940 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Answers Corporation (Answers.com Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Answers Corporation (Answers.com Corporation)
• Inventors: Reich, Gil, Bamberger, Naama, Kustanowitz, Jack, Berkowitz, Mike, Bernstein, Uri, Rosen, Tamar, Lubin, Yedida, Halle, Yehudit, Zlotnikov, Rita, Samuel, Oren, Reitblat, Lev
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US09/985,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,052 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 5, 707100-1041, 707/203, 707/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An improved system for processing at least partially structured data includes a method for comparing a population of terms in a term repository, including standardizing each term within the population of terms based on at least one standardization rule. The method also includes comparing at least a pair of terms including determining a match between the terms if, once standardized, they are substantially identical.

Claims

1. A computer system for displaying information pertaining to any of a universe of topics, said information comprising at least partially structured data culled from a plurality of online data sources each storing a first multiplicity of at least partially structured online data entries each pertaining to an individual topic from among a second multiplicity of topics, wherein, for at least one topic, more than one online data entry pertains thereto, the system comprising:

a topic repository;

a topic builder including a user interface and being operative at least partially automatically to employ structure in at least partially structured data in said plurality of online data sources to facilitate access to said data from said plurality of online data sources, by topic, including unification of online data entries pertaining to a single topic, for display under said single topic, said unification comprising analyzing a set of topics to identify therewithin subsets of identical topics and collapsing the set by redefining all identical topics in each subset as a single topic; and

a topic-oriented user interface employed by a user to access said data in association with said topic repository by topic.

3. A system according to claim 1 and also comprising:

an access controller operative to selectively assign, to various users, permission to access data originating from various of the plurality of online data sources.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein at least one logical combinations of at least one sequences of at least one keywords are deemed to pertain to a single topic.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein said unification comprises unification based on overlap of significant words or phrases between entries.

6. A system according to claim 1 wherein said unification comprises unification of data entries based on similarity in meaning between at least one data fields which each data entry includes.

7. A system according to claim 1 wherein said unification comprises using fuzzy matching algorithms to compare texts of data entries.

8. A system according to claim 1 wherein said unification comprises internal unification within a single data source.

9. A system according to claim 1 wherein said unification comprises title-based unification based on titles of data entries.

10. A system according to claim 1 wherein said unification comprises manually changing at least one system-made unification decision.

2. A topic builder for use in a computer system for displaying information pertaining to any of a universe of topics,

said information comprising at least partially structured data culled from a plurality of online data sources each storing a first multiplicity of at least partially structured online data entries each pertaining to an individual topic from among a second multiplicity of topics, wherein, for at least one topic, more than one online data entry pertains thereto, the system comprising a topic repository and a topic-oriented user interface employed by a user to access said data in said topic repository by topic,

said topic builder including a user interface and being operative at least partially automatically to employ structure in at least partially structured data in said plurality of online data sources to facilitate access to said data from said plurality of online data sources, by topic, including unification of data entries pertaining to a single topic, for display under said single topic, said unification comprising analyzing a set of topics to identify therewithin subsets of identical topics and collapsing the set by redefining all identical topics in each subset as a single topic.

11. A topic builder according to claim 2 wherein at least one logical combinations of at least one sequences of at least one keywords are deemed to pertain to a single topic.

12. A topic builder according to claim 2 wherein said unification comprises unification based on overlap of significant words or phrases between entries.

13. A topic builder according to claim 2 wherein said unification comprises unification of data entries based on similarity in meaning between at least one data fields which each data entry includes.

14. A topic builder according to claim 2 wherein said unification comprises using fuzzy matching algorithms to compare texts of data entries.

15. A topic builder according to claim 2 wherein said unification comprises internal unification within a single data source.

16. A topic builder according to claim 2 wherein said unification comprises title-based unification based on titles of data entries.

17. A topic builder according to claim 2 wherein said unification comprises manually changing at least one system-made unification decision.