Query method involving more than one corpus of documents

• US 7,908,280 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Frank, John R., Rauch, Erik M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black; Linh
• Application Number:
  US11/929,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 707/749, 707/602
• US Class Current: 707/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method of querying a first corpus of documents and a second corpus of documents, the method involving: accepting search criteria from a user, the search criteria including a free text entry query and a domain identifier identifying a domain; requesting a search of the first corpus of documents to identify a first set of documents, wherein each document of the first set of documents: (1) contains anywhere within the document location-related information that identifies a location within the domain; and (2) contains anywhere within the document information that is responsive to the free text entry query, wherein said identified documents are identified by a plurality of document identifiers; receiving a first result set for the first corpus of documents, the first result set identifying the first set of documents in order of relevance; requesting a search of the second corpus of documents to identify a second set of documents, wherein each document of the second set of documents: (1) contains anywhere within the document location-related information that identifies a location within the domain; and (2) contains anywhere within the document information that is responsive to the free text entry query, wherein said identified documents are identified by a plurality of document identifiers; receiving a second result set for the second corpus of documents, the second result set identifying the second set of documents in order of relevance; and merge sorting the first and second result sets to produce a new result set that is ordered in relevance.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving search criteria from a user, said search criteria including a free text entry query and a domain identifier identifying a domain;

determining to request a search of a first corpus of documents to identify a first set of documents;

receiving a first result set for the first corpus of documents, the first result set identifying the first set of documents in order of relevance;

determining to request a search of a second corpus of documents to identify a second set of documents;

receiving a second result set for the second corpus of documents, the second result set identifying the second set of documents in order of relevance;

determining to merge sort the first and second result sets to produce a new result set that is ordered in relevance; and

wherein determining to merge sort is based on a relevancy of the search criteria; and

wherein the determined scores for each of the identified documents include a document-to-location relevance score, a document-to-text relevance score, and an abstract quality score; and

combining the document-to-location relevance scores, the document-to-text, and the abstract quality score to generate a combined relevance score for the identified document.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising determining to display the merged result.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising determining to accept a designation by the user of a designated category, wherein each of the documents corresponding to the plurality of document identifiers further includes information that falls within the designated category.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein each of the document identifiers of the first set of documents and the second set of documents identifies a corresponding different document that contains text matching the free text entry query.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein each document of the first set of documents or the second set of documents:

contains anywhere within the document location-related information that identifies a location within the domain; and

contains anywhere within the document information that is responsive to the free text entry query, wherein said identified documents are identified by a plurality of document identifiers.

6. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

receiving search criteria from a user, said search criteria including a free text entry query and a domain identifier identifying a domain;

determining to request a search of a first corpus of documents to identify a first set of documents;

receiving a first result set for the first corpus of documents, the first result set identifying the first set of documents in order of relevance;

determining to request a search of a second corpus of documents to identify a second set of documents;

receiving a second result set for the second corpus of documents, the second result set identifying the second set of documents in order of relevance;

determining to merge sort the first and second result sets to produce a new result set that is ordered in relevance; and

wherein determining to merge sort is based on a relevancy of the search criteria; and

wherein the determined scores for each of the identified documents include a document-to-location relevance score, a document-to-text relevance score, and an abstract quality score; and

combining the document-to-location relevance scores, the document-to-text, and the abstract quality score to generate a combined relevance score for the identified document.

7. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is further caused to perform accepting a designation by the user of a designated category, wherein each of the documents corresponding to the plurality of document identifiers further includes information that falls within the designated category.

8. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein each of the document identifiers of the first set of documents and the second set of documents identifies a corresponding different document that contains text matching the free text entry query.

9. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein each document of the first set of documents or the second set of documents:

contains anywhere within the document location-related information that identifies a location within the domain; and

contains anywhere within the document information that is responsive to the free text entry query, wherein said identified documents are identified by a plurality of document identifiers.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including computer program code,

the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

receive search criteria from a user, said search criteria including a free text entry query and a domain identifier identifying a domain;

determine to request a search of a first corpus of documents to identify a first set of documents;

determine to receive a first result set for the first corpus of documents, the first result set identifying the first set of documents in order of relevance;

determine to request a search of a second corpus of documents to identify a second set of documents;

receive a second result set for the second corpus of documents, the second result set identifying the second set of documents in order of relevance; and

determine to merge sort the first and second result sets to produce a new result set that is ordered in relevance; and

wherein determining to merge sort is based on a relevancy of the search criteria; and

wherein the determined scores for each of the identified documents include a document-to-location relevance score, a document-to-text relevance score, and an abstract quality score; and

combining the document-to-location relevance scores, the document-to-text, and the abstract quality score to generate a combined relevance score for the identified document.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused, to determine to display the merged result.

12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to determine to accept a designation by the user of a designated category, wherein each of the documents corresponding to the plurality of document identifiers further includes information that falls within the designated category.

13. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein each of the document identifiers of the first set of documents and the second set of documents identifies a corresponding different document that contains text matching the free text entry query.

14. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein each document of the first set of documents or the second set of documents:

contains anywhere within the document location-related information that identifies a location within the domain; and

contains anywhere within the document information that is responsive to the free text entry query, wherein said identified documents are identified by a plurality of document identifiers.