Method for automatically searching for documents related to calendar and email entries

• US 7,831,601 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2004
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Newbold, David L., Rodriguez, Raudel S., Bolin, Michael, Oral, Tolga
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Wilson
• Application Number:
  US10/910,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20060031197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,288 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707705-707, 707711-715, 707721-723, 707729-732, 707740-743
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A method is provided for enabling a user to search for documents that the user has previously viewed on its local machine. The method may rely upon three main system components: the desktop integration module, the index module, and the graphical user interface module. The desktop integration module is an application which monitors documents with which the user interacts for predetermined events, and obtains content data and metadata from the monitored documents. The index module indexes the content data and metadata received from the desktop integration module. The graphical user interface module then permits a user to utilize the desktop integration module and index module by allowing a user to search for a document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented apparatus for generating an automatic search query for an electronic mail application integrating an electronic calendar system comprising:

a processor configured to;

monitor documents with which a user has interacted;

obtain content data and metadata from the monitored documents;

create an index of documents with which the user has interacted by indexing the content data and metadata obtained from the monitored documents;

receive an input comprising a user-selected calendar entry from the electronic calendar system;

in response to receiving the user-selected calendar entry, automatically generate a search query from the user-selected calendar entry to search the index of documents with which the user has interacted for one or more documents related to the selected calendar entry;

execute said search query by locating one or more documents in the index of documents with which the user has interacted that are related to the selected calendar entry; and

provide search results to the user, wherein the search results include the one or more documents located during the execution of the search query.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein provide said search results further comprises:

provide a user interface having a list of documents matching said search query; and

provide a search entry field enabling the user to enter one or more additional keywords to refine said search results.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the search results include only monitored documents that the user has interacted.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein monitoring documents with which the user has interacted includes filtering out documents that the user has indicated should not to be monitored or indexed.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein executing the search query includes remotely searching a user terminal from an internet portal.

6. A computer-implemented apparatus for generating an automatic search query from an electronic mail application integrating with an electronic calendar system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive an input comprising a user-selected calendar entry from the electronic calendar system;

in response to receiving the user-selected calendar entry, automatically generate a search query from the user-selected calendar entry to search a local index of documents that the user has previously accessed for one or more documents related to the selected calendar entry;

execute said search query by locating one or more documents in the local index that are related to the selected calendar entry; and

provide search results in response to said search query to the user, wherein the search results include the one or more documents in the local index that were located during the execution of the search query.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein executing the search query includes remotely searching a user terminal from an Internet portal.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 where the search results include only documents that the user has previously accessed.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein automatically generating a search query further comprises retrieving metadata from said selected calendar entry and using said metadata to create the search query, wherein said metadata includes one or more of a title of the calendar entry, one or more meeting attendees, and one or more keyword from a body portion of said calendar entry.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein providing said search results further comprises:

providing a user interface having a list of documents matching said search query; and

providing a search entry field enabling the user to enter one or more additional keywords to refine said search results.