Method and system for full text indexing optimization through identification of idle and active content

• US 7,756,851 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Heidloff, Niklas, Brooks, David A., O'Brien, Michael R., Belakovskiy, Igor L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital; Pierre M
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBISESAN, AUGUSTINE KUNLE
• Application Number:
  US11/237,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/335 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles filtering in web context G06F16/9535, G06F16/9536

Abstract

A system for full text indexing optimization that operates based on identification of idle and active content in a content source, and by prioritizing indexing of idle content over active content. Active and idle content items are automatically identified, and idle content items are given a higher priority for indexing, while active content items are given a lower priority. Active content items are generally those that are considered relatively more likely to be located by the user without using the full text indexing function, while idle content items are those content items that are relatively more likely to be located through use of the full text indexing function. The specific content item attributes that are used to determine whether a given content item is active or idle may depend on the type content source for which the full text index is being provided. Additionally, the determination of which content items are active and which are idle may be based on predetermined, static criteria, and/or dynamically determined use patterns determined by monitoring operations performed on content items by a user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a full text search index, comprising:

determining an active subset of a set of content items, wherein each content item in said active subset of said set of content items is associated with a respective one of a plurality of content item idle timers;

determining an idle subset of said set of content items at least in part by reclassifying content items from said active subset of said set of content items to said idle subset of said set of content items responsive to expiration of their associated content item idle timers;

making said idle subset of said set of content items available for indexing into said full text index, wherein said active subset of said set of content is not available for indexing; and

resetting respective ones of said content item idle timers responsive to detecting that an operation is performed on said associated one of said content items in said active subset of said set of content items.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decreasing a time remaining in respective ones of said content item idle timers in response to detecting a user performing a specific operation on said associated one of said content items in said active subset of said set of content items.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said specific operation is dynamically determined in response to determining at least one use pattern of said user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said set of content items comprises a set of electronic mail messages, and wherein said specific operation comprises moving said associated electronic mail message from an inbox folder structure to another folder structure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

increasing a time remaining in respective ones of said idle timers in response to detecting a user performing a specific operation on said associated ones of said content items in said active subset of said set of content items.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said specific operation is dynamically determined in response to determining at least one use pattern of said user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said set of content items comprises a set of electronic mail messages, and wherein said specific operation comprises at least one operation from the set of operations consisting of reading said associated electronic mail message, replying to said associated electronic mail message, forwarding said electronic mail message, and modifying a draft response to said electronic mail message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of content items comprises a set of electronic mail messages, and further comprising:

increasing a time remaining of respective ones of said content item idle timers in response to detecting receipt of new electronic mail messages belonging to message threads to which also belong the electronic mail messages associated with said respective ones of said content item idle timers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring user behavior to determine at least one use pattern; and

adjusting a time remaining of said content item idle timers responsive, at least in part, to said at least one use pattern.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one use pattern comprises an average time between user operations.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one use pattern comprises a minimum time between user operations.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one use pattern is associated with a content item characteristic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said use pattern indicates a likelihood that a given content item having said content item characteristic will be enter said idle subset prior to being deleted.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said use pattern indicates a likelihood that a given content item having said content item characteristic will be deleted prior to entering said idle subset.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor and a computer readable memory having program code stored thereon for, when executed on said processor, providing a full text search index, said program code comprising;

program code for determining an active subset of a set of content items, wherein each content item in said active subset of said set of content items is associated with a respective one of a plurality of content item idle timers,

program code for determining an idle subset of said set of content items at least in part by reclassifying content items from said active subset of said set of content items to said idle subset of said set of content items responsive to expiration of their associated content item idle timers,

program code for making said idle subset of said set of content items available for indexing into said full text index, wherein said active subset of said set of content is not available for indexing, and

program code for resetting respective ones of said content item idle timers responsive to detecting that an operation is performed on said associated one of said content items in said active subset of said set of content items.

16. The system of claim 15, said program code further comprising:

program code for decreasing a time remaining in respective ones of said content item idle timers in response to detecting a user performing a specific operation on said associated one of said content items in said active subset of said set of content items.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said specific operation is dynamically determined in response to determining at least one use pattern of said user.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said set of content items comprises a set of electronic mail messages, and wherein said specific operation comprises moving said associated electronic mail message from an inbox folder structure to another folder structure.

19. The system of claim 15, said program code further comprising:

program code for increasing a time remaining in respective ones of said idle timers in response to detecting a user performing a specific operation on said associated ones of said content items in said active subset of said set of content items.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein said specific operation is dynamically determined in response to determining at least one use pattern of said user.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said set of content items comprises a set of electronic mail messages, and wherein said specific operation comprises at least one operation from the set of operations consisting of reading said associated electronic mail message, replying to said associated electronic mail message, forwarding said electronic mail message, and modifying a draft response to said electronic mail message.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein said set of content items comprises a set of electronic mail messages, and said program code further comprising:

program code for increasing a time remaining of respective ones of said content item idle timers in response to detecting receipt of new electronic mail messages belonging to message threads to which also belong the electronic mail messages associated with said respective ones of said content item idle timers.

23. The system of claim 15, said program code further comprising:

program code for monitoring user behavior to determine at least one use pattern; and

program code for adjusting a time remaining of said content item idle timers responsive, at least in part, to said at least one use pattern.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said at least one use pattern comprises an average time between user operations.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said at least one use pattern comprises a minimum time between user operations.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said at least one use pattern is associated with a content item characteristic.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein said use pattern indicates a likelihood that a given content item having said content item characteristic will be enter said idle subset prior to being deleted.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein said use pattern indicates a likelihood that a given content item having said content item characteristic will be deleted prior to entering said idle subset.

29. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon for, when executed, providing a full text search index, said program code comprising;

program code for determining an active subset of a set of content items, wherein each content item in said active subset of said set of content items is associated with a respective one of a plurality of content item idle timers,

program code for determining an idle subset of said set of content items at least in part by reclassifying content items from said active subset of said set of content items to said idle subset of said set of content items responsive to expiration of their associated content item idle timers,

program code for making said idle subset of said set of content items available for indexing into said full text index, wherein said active subset of said set of content is not available for indexing, and

program code for resetting respective ones of said content item idle timers responsive to detecting that an operation is performed on said associated one of said content items in said active subset of said set of content items.