Apparatus and method for search and retrieval of documents

• US 9,026,509 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2009
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Haim Melman
• Inventors: Melman, Haim Zvi
• Primary Examiner(s): Arjomandi, Noosha
• Application Number:
  US12/613,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 707/723, 707/706, 707/999.5, 707/703, 707/737
• US Class Current: 707/703
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3341 using boolean model
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A system for the support and management of search for documents is presents. The system includes knowledge-database, query interface and communication to a database of documents to be searched. Information generated during a search session is collected by the system and is added to the knowledge-database. The information is ranked automatically according to the usage of that information by the user. During successive search session, or during search made by other users, the system uses the knowledge-database to support the users with keywords, queries and reference to documents.

Claims

1. A computer based method for creating a database, the method comprising:

receiving at least one search query including at least two terms;

storing said at least one search query as a stored query;

searching for and displaying at least one stored query as submitted that includes at least one term included in said received search query; and

storing the terms, included in said at least one search query, as related terms in a database, wherein related terms are terms that appeared in a same query.

2. The method of claim 1, whereas at least a portion of said queries has limited access to certain users.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising storing, in association with two related terms, a Boolean relation as it appeared in said same query.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising storing in relation to said received query information on at least one user who used said query.

5. The method of claim 1, including ranking said stored search queries.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the queries are displayed as submitted.

7. A computer based method for performing searches for queries and terms, the method comprising:

receiving a search query including at least one previously received term to search for documents;

searching for stored queries that were stored as submitted and include at least one term included in said received search query;

searching for terms related to the received term in the received query, wherein a term related to the received term is a term that appeared together with said received term in a same query; and

displaying the results of at least one of said searches for stored queries and related terms.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising receiving a command selecting at least one of said related terms and modifying the search query by adding said selected at least one of said related terms to the search query.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising performing a search for documents based on the modified query.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said modifying comprises adding said selected displayed related term to said received query with a stored Boolean relation.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said displaying comprises displaying said stored related terms in groups according to a stored Boolean relation and the received term as it appear in said same query.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

receiving a command selecting a displayed related term; and

modifying said received query by adding said selected displayed related term to said received query with said Boolean relation.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising performing a search for documents based on the modified query.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising ranking said stored related terms separately for different Boolean relations, and wherein said displaying is in an order according to the separate ranking.

15. The method of claim 7, comprising selecting a database of terms from a plurality of databases, and wherein said searching is in the selected database.

16. The method of claim 7, comprising ranking said stored related terms and displaying said stored related terms in an order according to ranking of at least one stored related term.

17. The method of claim 7, comprising ranking said search queries and displaying stored search queries in an order according to a ranking of at least one stored query.

18. The method of claim 7, comprising providing information on at least one user who used at least one of said displayed stored queries.

19. The method of claim 7, comprising selecting a portion of a database of terms and wherein said searching is in the said selected portion of said database.

20. The method of claim 7, comprising modifying the received query by adding at least one of the said stored related terms to said received query to create a modified query.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising performing a search for documents with said modified query.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising displaying said modified query.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said modifying is according to a ranking of a stored query including said added related term.

24. The method of claim 7, including displaying the results of both of said searches for stored queries and related terms.

25. The method of claim 7, wherein the queries are displayed as submitted.

26. A computer based method for creating a database, the method comprising:

receiving at least one search query including at least two terms;

storing said at least one search query so as to be displayed as submitted;

storing the terms, included in said at least one search query, as related terms in a database, wherein related terms are terms that appeared in a same query; and

storing information on at least one user who used said search query and the related terms.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising storing a rank of at least one search query with relation to said at least one search query.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the information on at least one user is information on a group of users who used said search query and the related terms.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the search queries are stored so as to be displayed as submitted.