U.S. patent application number 13/607842 was filed with the patent office on 2013-01-03 for information searching method, information searching apparatus, information searching system, and computer-readable information searching program.
Invention is credited to Takashi Yano.
Application Number | 20130007059 13/607842 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38675571 |
Filed Date | 2013-01-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130007059 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yano; Takashi |
January 3, 2013 |
INFORMATION SEARCHING METHOD, INFORMATION SEARCHING APPARATUS,
INFORMATION SEARCHING SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER-READABLE INFORMATION
SEARCHING PROGRAM
Abstract
An information searching method to be implemented in a computer
includes accepting a first character string from characters or a
character string in a reading or inspecting document that is
displayed on a display unit, acquiring a second character string
from index information for searching the reading or inspecting
document, based on identification information of the reading or
inspecting document, and executing a search based on the first
character string and the second character string.
Inventors: |
Yano; Takashi; (Tokyo,
JP) |
Family ID: |
38675571 |
Appl. No.: |
13/607842 |
Filed: |
September 10, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11714246 |
Mar 6, 2007 |
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13607842 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
707/770 ;
707/E17.014 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/332
20190101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/770 ;
707/E17.014 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/30 20060101
G06F017/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 8, 2006 |
JP |
2006-063229 |
Feb 1, 2007 |
JP |
2007-023431 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A search apparatus comprising: a search unit configured to
obtain a search result by searching a database based on a character
string selected from an inspecting document displayed on an
information processing apparatus and information of the inspecting
document; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the search
result to the information processing apparatus.
22. The search apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein
information of the inspecting document includes information
specifying a location of the inspecting document.
23. The search apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein the
information specifying the location of the inspecting document is a
Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
24. The search apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the
transmitting unit transmits advertising contents together with the
search result.
25. The search apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the
advertising contents are selected based on the character string and
the information of the inspecting document.
26. A search system comprising: a search unit configured to obtain
a search result by searching a database based on a character string
selected from an inspecting document displayed on an information
processing apparatus and information of the inspecting document;
and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the search result to
the information processing apparatus.
27. The search system as claimed in claim 26, wherein the
transmitting unit transmits advertising contents together with the
search result.
28. A search system comprising: a search apparatus; and an
information processing apparatus, wherein the information
processing apparatus includes a first transmitting unit configured
to transmit a character string selected from an inspecting document
displayed on the information processing apparatus and information
of the inspecting document, and wherein the search apparatus
includes: a search unit configured to obtain a search result by
searching a database based on the character string selected from
the inspecting document displayed on the information processing
apparatus and the information of the inspecting document; and a
second transmitting unit configured to transmit the search result
to the information processing apparatus.
29. The search system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the second
transmitting unit transmits advertising contents together with the
search result.
30. The search system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the
advertising contents are selected based on the character string and
the information of the inspecting document.
31. An information processing apparatus comprising: a display unit
configured to display information; a first transmitting unit
configured to transmit information of an inspecting document
displayed on the display unit; a second transmitting unit
configured to transmit a character string selected from the
inspecting document; and a receiving unit configured to receive a
search result that is obtained based on the information of the
inspecting document and the character string selected from the
inspecting document.
32. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 31,
wherein the receiving unit receives advertising contents together
with the search result.
33. The information processing apparatus as claimed in claim 32,
wherein the advertising contents are selected based on the
character string and the information of the inspecting document.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention generally relates to information
searching methods, information searching apparatuses, information
searching systems and computer-readable information searching
programs, and more particularly to an information searching method,
an information searching apparatus, an information searching system
and a computer-readable information searching program that are
based on a document that is being read or inspected.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Recently, various types of information are electronically
stored and managed due to the developments made in the information
technology. For example, documents related to business in
corporations and the like are managed by a document management
system or the like on an Intranet. In addition, the Internet is
flooded with electronic information sent by various organizations,
groups and individuals.
[0005] Accordingly, desired information can be searched quickly in
a simple manner by inputting a keyword (hereinafter referred to as
a search word) that is related to the desired information on a
search screen provided by the document management system in the
case of the information managed by the document management system
or, on a search screen provided by the so-called search engine in
the case of the information flooding the Internet.
[0006] There are cases where more detailed information is desired
with respect to the information included in the document that is
being read or inspected. In such a case, it is troublesome to input
the search word by newly displaying a search screen. Of course, if
the document that is being read or inspected is formed as a
hypertext, such as the HTML (HyperText Markup Language) format Web
page, for example, the related information can be acquired in a
simple manner by tracing the link.
[0007] However, it is not always the case that the word selected by
the user already has a link associated therewith. In addition,
since the destination of the link is fixed in general, the amount
of stored information constantly changes with time, and the notion
of each word may change with lapse of time, it may be regarded that
the information acquisition based on the link lacks
flexibility.
[0008] For example, a Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.
2000-29906 proposes a technique for acquiring information related
to a word that is arbitrarily selected by the user, in a simple
manner, by using and transferring the word as a keyword to the
search engine.
[0009] However, according to the technique proposed in the Japanese
Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-29906, only a character
string specified by the user becomes the search word. For this
reason, if the character string is used for different meanings in a
plurality of fields or, a plurality of words including the
character string exist, there is a high possibility that the search
result will include noise. Hence, there was a problem in that there
are cases where a search result in accordance with the user's
intentions cannot be obtained.
[0010] On the other hand, if the user is required to input a
plurality of words or the like in order to improve the search
accuracy, it not only deteriorates the operability, but also
requires the user to make contemplative effort such as recollecting
related words. As a result, such a user interface is not
user-friendly and is therefore undesirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention
to provide a novel and useful information searching method,
information searching apparatus, information searching system and
information searching program, in which the problems described
above are suppressed.
[0012] Another and more specific object of the present invention is
to provide an information searching method, an information
searching apparatus, an information searching system and an
information searching program, which can appropriately carry out a
search based on a character string related to information that is
being read or inspected, by a simple operation.
[0013] Still another object of the present invention is to provide
an information searching method to be implemented in a computer,
comprising a selection acquiring procedure accepting a first
character string from characters or a character string in a reading
or inspecting document that is displayed on a display unit; an
index information acquiring procedure acquiring a second character
string from index information for searching the reading or
inspecting document, based on identification information of the
reading or inspecting document; and a search control procedure
executing a search based on the first character string and the
second character string.
[0014] According to the information search method of the present
invention, it is possible to appropriately execute a search based
on a character string that is related to the information being read
or inspected, by carrying out a simple operation.
[0015] A further object of the present invention is to provide an
information searching apparatus and an information searching system
for executing the information searching method described above, and
to provide a computer-readable information searching program and a
computer-readable storage medium which stores the program for
causing a computer to execute the information searching method.
[0016] Other objects and further features of the present invention
will be apparent from the following detailed description when read
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a network structure of an
information searching system of a first embodiment;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the first embodiment;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a manner in which a search
keyword is input by an input dialog;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a manner in which a character
string selected within a reading or inspecting document is regarded
as the search keyword;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a processing procedure of
the information searching system of the first embodiment;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining in detail the search
keyword input process via the input dialog;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining in detail the search
keyword input process of the selection made by the mouse
cursor;
[0024] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining in detail the auxiliary
keyword generating process of the first embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a second embodiment;
[0026] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a third embodiment;
[0027] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining in detail the auxiliary
keyword generating process of the third embodiment;
[0028] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a fourth embodiment;
[0029] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining in detail the auxiliary
keyword generating process of the fourth embodiment;
[0030] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a structure of a co-occurrence
management table;
[0031] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a fifth embodiment;
[0032] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a sixth embodiment;
[0033] FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the processing sequence
of the information searching system of the sixth embodiment;
[0034] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a seventh embodiment;
[0035] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of an eighth embodiment;
[0036] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a ninth embodiment;
[0037] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a tenth embodiment;
[0038] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of an eleventh embodiment;
[0039] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the processing sequence
of the information searching system of the eleventh embodiment;
[0040] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a twelfth embodiment;
[0041] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a thirteenth embodiment;
[0042] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a fourteenth embodiment;
[0043] FIG. 27 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a fifteenth embodiment;
[0044] FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a sixteenth embodiment;
[0045] FIG. 29 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a seventeenth embodiment;
[0046] FIG. 30 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of an eighteenth embodiment;
[0047] FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a nineteenth embodiment; and
[0048] FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of a twentieth embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0049] A description will be given of embodiments of the present
invention, by referring to the drawings.
[0050] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a network structure of an
information searching system of a first embodiment. In FIG. 1, an
information searching system 1 is formed by a user Personal
Computer (PC) 11 in a user site 510, a search server 521 in a
search service site 520, and Web servers 531 in various Web sites
530 and the like. The user PC 11 includes a display unit, and an
input device such as a keyboard and a mouse. These constituent
elements of the information searching system 1 are connected via
one or a plurality of networks, such as the Internet.
[0051] For example, the Intranet or the like in an organization to
which the user belongs, corresponds to the user site 510. In
addition, a Web site (search site) providing a search engine on the
Internet, such as the Google (registered trademark), corresponds to
the search service site 520. Further, a general Web site making
information public by a Web document (Web page), corresponds to the
Web site 530.
[0052] In FIG. 1, a document User Interface (UI) part 10 is
implemented in the user PC 511. In addition, an information
managing part 20 is implemented in each Web server 531. Moreover,
an auxiliary keyword generating part 30, an index file part 40 and
a searching part 50 are implemented in the search server 521. For
example, each of these implemented parts is realized by installing
in each computer a program that is recorded in a recording medium
801, 802 or 803 such as a CD-ROM or, a program that is downloaded
via a network, and executing the program by the CPU of the
computer. The functions of each of the parts will be described with
reference to FIG. 2.
[0053] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the first embodiment. An
information searching system 1a shown in FIG. 2 is includes the
document UI part 10, the information managing part 20, the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30, the index file part 40, the
searching part 50 and the like.
[0054] In the following description of FIG. 2, each symbol in
brackets "( )" corresponds to an arrow designated by the same
symbol in FIG. 2 and indicating the data flow.
[0055] The document UI part 10 acquires an electronic document from
the information managing part 20, and displays the electronic
document as a reading or inspecting document 11 (a1), and accepts
an input of a search keyword from the user for executing a search
based on the reading or inspecting document (hereinafter simply
referred to as a reading document) 11. The input search keyword is
input to the searching part 50 via the auxiliary keyword generating
part 30 (a5). The search keyword may be a character string included
in the reading document 11, a character string describing a feature
of the reading document 11, and the like. For example, the search
keyword is input via a user interface shown in FIG. 3 or FIG.
4.
[0056] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a manner in which the search
keyword is input by an input dialog.
[0057] In FIG. 3, the reading document 11 is displayed on a Web
browser 10a. In addition, an input dialog 101 is displayed on the
Web browser 10a by the document UI part 10, as a Graphical User
Interface (GUI) for inputting the search keyword. The user inputs
to the input dialog 101, a search keyword 11a by a cut-and-paste
from the reading document 11 or, by inputting a word describing a
feature of the reading document 11 or a word included in the
reading document, as the search keyword 11a, via a keyboard.
Furthermore, the user displays a service menu 102 by clicking a
mouse button. For example, a managed document search menu item 1021
for instructing a search with respect to a document management
system on the Intranet or the like, a Web search menu item 1022 for
making a search engine such as the Google (registered trademark) on
the Web to execute a search, and the like are included in the
service menu 102. The user selects a menu item corresponding to the
desired service on the service menu 102, so as to instruct a search
or the like using, as the search keyword, the character string that
is input to the input dialog 101.
[0058] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a manner in which a character
string selected within the reading or inspecting document is
regarded as the search keyword. In FIG. 4, those parts that are the
same as those corresponding parts in FIG. 3 are designated by the
same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be
omitted.
[0059] In FIG. 4, a search keyword 11b is selected by a drag of a
mouse cursor on the reading document 11. In addition, the user can
display the service menu 102, and instruct a desired search or the
like.
[0060] In FIGS. 3 and 4, the service menu 102 may be displayed at
all times or, may be displayed by clicking a menu button, such as a
tool bar, by the mouse. With respect to the click operation of the
mouse, operations may be allocated for the right button click, the
left button click, and a third button. A menu related to a search
of the present invention is displayed within an existing menu in
response to the right button click. A menu related to the search of
the present invention or, an icon related to the menu display
related to the search of the present invention, is displayed when
the left button selects a word or a portion of the document, and a
menu is displayed in response to the left button click of a
corresponding icon. The icon may be semitransparent or, may fade
out with time, for example. It is desirable that the icon does not
interfere with the selection of the word or the portion of the
document for purposes other than for the menu related to the search
of the present invention. When a word or a portion of the document
is selected by a third button click, the menu related to the search
of the present invention is displayed.
[0061] For example, if the reading document 11 is a Web page, the
document UI part 10 may be a Web browser or a plug-in-software with
respect to the Web browser. If the reading document 11 is a
document that is managed by a local document management system on
the Intranet or the like, the document UI part 10 may be a
dedicated or exclusive client application that is exclusively for
the document management system. In a case where the document UI
part 10 is realized by the plug-in-software with respect to the Web
browser, a function of displaying (or a display function for) the
reading document 11, strictly speaking, is covered by the Web
browser.
[0062] The information managing part 20 manages a set of electronic
documents within a storage unit. In the local document management
system on the Intranet or the like, for example, the information
managing part 20 is formed by a document management database. On
the other hand, in the Internet environment, the information
managing part 20 is formed by any Web site that is public on the
Internet.
[0063] The auxiliary keyword generating part 30 generates a search
keyword (hereinafter referred to as an auxiliary keyword) which
supports or assists the search keyword. There is a high possibility
that the search result will include noise if the search is carried
out using only the search keyword. Hence, the searching accuracy is
improved by inputting a word having a close relationship to or a
high association with the search keyword to the searching part 50
as the auxiliary keyword. Using identification information (URL of
the reading document 11 in this case) as the key, for example, the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 acquires index information
related to or associated with the URL from the index file part 40
(a2, a3 and a4), and generates the auxiliary keyword based on the
acquired index information.
[0064] The index file part 40 manages the so-called index
information that is used to execute a search process at a high
speed when the searching part 50 searches the electronic document
or the like by the information managing part 20 or the like. For
example, the index information is formed by the URL of each
electronic document, the words describing the features of the
electronic document, and the relationship or association with the
sets of words extracted from the electronic document by a morpheme
analysis or the like. In addition, the index information may
include, as the word describing the feature of the electronic
document, a character string that indicates a category (or field)
of the electronic document.
[0065] The searching part 50 executes a search with respect to the
information managing part 20 or the like, for example, based on the
search keyword that is input based on the reading document 11 and
is accepted by the document UI part 10, and the auxiliary keyword
generated by the auxiliary keyword generating part 30, and returns
a list of the search result (a search result list) to the document
UI part 10 (a7). The search result list is displayed by the
document UI part 10.
[0066] Next, a description will be given of the processing
procedure of the information searching system 1a shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the processing procedure of the
information searching system of the first embodiment. In the
following description, it is assumed for the sake of convenience
that the document UI part 10 is implemented as a function of the
Web browser.
[0067] For example, when the user inputs the URL to the Web browser
or the like, the document UI part 10 requests the transfer of the
reading document 11 corresponding to this URL with respect to the
information managing part 20 (S101). When the information managing
part 20 returns the reading document 11 (S102), the document UI
part 10 displays this reading document 11 (S103).
[0068] Based on the reading document 11 displayed on the Web
browser, the user inputs or selects the search keyword by carrying
out the operation described above in conjunction with FIG. 3 or
FIG. 4, and instructs execution of the search via the service menu
102 (S104). The document UI part 10 sends a search request with
respect to the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 in response to
the search instruction from the user (S105). The search request
includes the search keyword that is input or selected by the user,
and the URL of the reading document 11 (reading document URL).
[0069] Based on the reading document URL included in the search
request, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 requests the
index information of the reading document 11 (reading document
index) with respect to the index file part 40 (S106). The index
file part 40 extracts the reading document index from the index
information with respect to the plurality of documents being
managed based on the reading document URL (S107), and transfers
this reading document index to the auxiliary keyword generating
part 30 (S108).
[0070] Next, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 generates the
auxiliary keyword based on the acquired reading document index
(S109), and makes a search request with respect to the searching
part 50 using the auxiliary keyword and the search keyword as the
search words.
[0071] The searching part 50 executes a search with respect to each
Web site 530 or the like, based on the search keyword and the
auxiliary keyword. For example, the search based on the search
keyword and the auxiliary keyword includes a search by a logical
product (AND) of the search keyword and the auxiliary keyword, a
search that includes at least one of the search keyword and the
auxiliary keyword, and the like, and the search depends on the
search engine of the searching part 50. The searching part 50
transfers a list of the search result (search result list) to the
document UI part 10 (S112).
[0072] The document UI part 10 that receives the search result list
displays this search result list on the Web browser (S113). For
example, the display format of the search result list may be that
obtained when a search is made with respect to a search engine such
as the Google (registered trademark). In other words, a list of Web
sites that are searched based on the search keyword and the
auxiliary keyword is displayed on the Web browser.
[0073] Next, when the user selects one Web site (URL) from the
search result list (S114) by clicking the mouse, for example, the
document UI part 10 acquires the document corresponding to the
selected URL from the information managing part 20 (S115 and S116).
Then, the document UI part 10 displays the acquired document as a
new reading or inspecting document (S117).
[0074] The process of the step S104 and the subsequent steps may be
further executed based on the new reading or inspecting
document.
[0075] Next, a more detailed description will be given of the input
of the search keyword and the search instruction input process,
before and after the step S104 shown in FIG. 5. First, a
description will be given of the processing procedure for the case
(case shown in FIG. 3) where the search keyword is input via the
input dialog 101.
[0076] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining in detail the search
keyword input process via the input dialog. In FIG. 6, those steps
that are the same as those corresponding steps in FIG. 5 are
designated by the same reference numerals.
[0077] The document UI part 10 displays the input dialog 101
(S1041), and acquires the reading document 11 from the information
managing part 20 and displays this reading document 11 (S103). When
the user inputs a character string with respect to the input dialog
101 (S104a), the document UI part 10 acquires the input character
string as the search keyword (S1042a), and displays the service
menu 102 by a pop-up display (S1043).
[0078] When the user selects from the service menu 102 a menu item
(for example, "Web search") corresponding to the desired service
(S1044), the document UI part 10 recognizes the selected menu item
(S1045), acquires the URL of the reading document 11 (reading
document URL) from the Web browser 10a (S1046), and transfers the
search keyword and the reading document URL to the auxiliary
keyword generating part 30 so as to make a search request
(S105).
[0079] Next, a description will be given of the processing
procedure for the case (case shown in FIG. 4) where the search
keyword is selected by the mouse cursor.
[0080] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining in detail the search
keyword input process of the selection made by the mouse cursor. In
FIG. 7, those steps that are the same as those corresponding steps
in FIGS. 5 and 6 are designated by the same reference numerals.
[0081] The document UI part 10 acquires the reading document 11
from the information managing part 20 and displays the reading
document 11 (S103). When the user selects a character string on the
reading document 11 by the mouse cursor (S104b), the document UI
part 10 acquires the selected character string as the search
keyword (S1042b), and displays the service menu 102 by a pop-up
display (S1043).
[0082] When the user selects from the service menu 102 a menu item
(for example, "Web search") corresponding to the desired service
(S1044), the document UI part 10 recognizes the selected menu item
(S1045), acquires the URL of the reading document 11 (reading
document URL) from the Web browser 10a (S1046), and transfers the
search keyword and the reading document URL to the auxiliary
keyword generating part 30 so as to make a search request
(S105).
[0083] Next, a more detailed description will be given of the
auxiliary keyword generating process of the auxiliary keyword
generating part 30 in the step S109 shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a
diagram for explaining in detail the auxiliary keyword generating
process of the first embodiment. In FIG. 8, those steps that are
the same as those corresponding steps in FIG. 5 are designated by
the same reference numerals.
[0084] The auxiliary keyword generating part 30 requests the index
information of the reading document 11 (reading document index)
with respect to the index file part 40 (S106) based on the reading
document URL that is included in the search request (S105). The
index file part 40 extracts the reading document index from the
index information with respect to the plurality of documents being
managed based on the reading document URL (S107), and transfers the
reading document index to the auxiliary keyword generating part 30
(S108).
[0085] Next, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 deletes from
the reading document index the index information that overlaps with
the search keyword (S1091), and extracts the auxiliary keyword by
narrowing the candidates according to an evaluation based on the
occurrence (or relative frequency) or the like (S1092 and S1093).
Then, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 generates a search
formula from the search keyword and the auxiliary keyword (S1094),
and transfers the search request based on this search formula to
the searching part 50 (S110).
[0086] As described above, according to the information searching
system 1a of the first embodiment, it is possible to execute a
search which adds the auxiliary keyword to the search keyword,
without requiring the user to input the auxiliary keyword.
Accordingly, it is possible to increase the possibility of
obtaining a search result that is in accordance with the user's
intentions without requiring the user to perform complex or
troublesome operations. In addition, the auxiliary keyword is
generated based on the index information that is generated in
advance and managed. The index information is normally formed as a
set of words describing the feature of each document. Hence, it is
possible to output a search result having a close relationship to
or a high association with the reading document with a high
processing efficiency, based on the search keyword that is input or
selected. For example, if the auxiliary keyword includes a
character string that describes the category (or field) of the
reading document, it is possible to obtain by the search a document
in the same category (or field) as the reading document or, in a
category (or field) similar to that of the reading document. It is
possible to use all of the words included in the index information
as the auxiliary keyword, but the index information normally
includes a large number of words. For this reason, it is preferable
to narrow the candidates by the evaluation based on the occurrence
or the like, as in the case of this embodiment.
[0087] Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the second embodiment. In FIG. 9,
those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in FIG.
2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a description
thereof will be omitted.
[0088] In the second embodiment, the site of each of the parts
forming the information searching system 1a of the first embodiment
is definitely specified.
[0089] In an information searching system 1b shown in FIG. 9, the
document UI part 10 and the auxiliary keyword generating part 30
are implemented in a user site 510. In addition, the searching part
50 and the index file part 40 are implemented in a search service
site 520. Furthermore, the information managing part 20 is provided
on a Web site 530. In other words, in the second embodiment, the
information managing part 20 corresponds to any Web site that is
the search target of the search service site 520.
[0090] In the information searching system 1b shown in FIG. 9, the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 is set up on the Intranet of
the user site 510 or on the PC of the individual user, and acquires
the reading document index from the index file part 40 which is set
up in the search service site 520 and manages the index information
of the Web documents of each Web site (a4). In addition, the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 generates the auxiliary
keyword based on the acquired reading document index.
[0091] The search formula based on the search keyword that is input
via the document UI part 10 and the auxiliary keyword that is
generated by the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 is input to
the searching part 50 in the search service site 520 (A5 and a6).
Based on the search keyword and the auxiliary keyword, the
searching part 50 executes a search using the index information of
the index file part 40 (a8). For example, the Web page including
the search keyword and the auxiliary keyword is searched by the
search process (a9). For example, the search result is returned to
the document UI part 10 in a format similar to that of the search
result from the general search engine (a7).
[0092] Next, a description will be given of a third embodiment,
which is a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a
diagram showing a functional structure of the information searching
system of the third embodiment. In FIG. 10, those parts that are
the same as those corresponding parts in FIG. 2 are designated by
the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be
omitted.
[0093] In an information searching system 1c shown in FIG. 10, the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 acquires a document identical
to the reading document 11 that is displayed by the document UI
part 10 when generating the auxiliary keyword (a10). The auxiliary
keyword generating part 30 acquires the reading document 11 for the
following reasons. The auxiliary keyword generating part 30 of the
third embodiment extracts, from the reading document index acquired
by the index file part 40 (a4), as the auxiliary keyword, the word
that is included in the same unit as the search keyword when the
reading document 11 is segmented into predetermined units, the word
having a physical distance (number of lines, number of characters
or the like) that is relatively close to the search keyword in the
reading document 11, and the like. Accordingly, the auxiliary
keyword generating part 30 acquires the reading document 11 because
of the need to refer to the reading document 11 in order to measure
the predetermined unit or the physical distance from the search
keyword.
[0094] For example, for the HTML document, the segmenting unit of
the reading document may be a minimum unit with which the document
can be specified by identification information such as the URL of
the hyperlink within one HTML document (for example, the value of
the href attribute of the <a> tag). In addition, the
segmenting unit of the reading document may be page units for a
document of a word processing software or the like, and slide units
for a document of a spreadsheet software such as the PowerPoint
(registered trademark).
[0095] Next, a description will be given of the auxiliary keyword
generating process of the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 of
the information searching system 1c shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a
diagram for explaining in detail the auxiliary keyword generating
process of the third embodiment. In FIG. 11, those steps that are
the same as those corresponding steps in FIG. 8 are designated by
the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be
omitted.
[0096] In FIG. 11, steps S301 through S305 are newly added between
the steps S1092 and S1093.
[0097] In other words, when the auxiliary keyword generating part
30 extracts the auxiliary keyword from the reading document index
by narrowing the candidates by the evaluation based on the
occurrence or the like (S1092), the auxiliary keyword generating
part 30 acquires (searches) the reading document 11 by the
information managing part 20 (S301 and S302). Then, the auxiliary
keyword generating part 30 searches from the reading document 11
the words that are included in the reading document index, so as to
understand or recognize the position (line number or the like) of
each of these words within the reading document 11 (S303). Next,
the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 searches the search
keyword from the reading document 11, so as to understand or
recognize the position of the search keyword within the reading
document 11 (S304). Then, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30
extracts from the words included in the reading document index the
words (for example, the top ten words) having the physical distance
that is relatively close to the search keyword or, the words
included in the same unit as the search keyword when the reading
document 11 is segmented into predetermined units, based on the
information understood or recognized in the steps S303 and S304
(S305). The auxiliary keyword generating part 30 regards the
extracted word as the auxiliary keyword (S1093). The process
carried out thereafter is as described above in conjunction with
FIG. 8.
[0098] As described above, according to the information searching
system 1c of the third embodiment, the reading document index
having the physical distance that is relatively close to the search
keyword is selected from the reading document 11 as the auxiliary
keyword. The physical distance between two words may be regarded as
having, to a certain extent, a correlation to the degree or
intensity with which the meanings of the two words are related.
Accordingly, it is possible to execute the search based on the
auxiliary keyword having a closer relationship to or a higher
association with the search keyword.
[0099] Next, a description will be given of a fourth embodiment,
which is a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a
diagram showing a functional structure of the information searching
system of the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 12, those parts that are
the same as those corresponding parts in FIG. 2 are designated by
the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be
omitted.
[0100] In an information searching system 1d shown in FIG. 12, a
co-occurrence index file part 41 is provided as a constituent
element in place of the index file part 40. The co-occurrence index
file 41 corresponds to the index file part 40 added with a function
of managing the co-occurrence. In other words, the co-occurrence
index file part 41 outputs, as the reading document index (a4), the
word having a relatively high co-occurrence with the search keyword
in the index information of the reading document 11, based on the
reading document URL (a3) and the search keyword (a12) input by the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30.
[0101] Next, a description will be given of the auxiliary keyword
generating process of the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 of
the information searching system 1d shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is a
diagram for explaining in detail the auxiliary keyword generating
process of the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 13, those steps that are
the same as those corresponding steps in FIG. 8 are designated by
the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be
omitted.
[0102] In FIG. 13, steps S401 through S404 are newly added between
the steps S105 and S1092. The step S401 replaces the step S106.
[0103] In other words, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30
requests the index information of the reading document 11 (reading
document index) with respect to the co-occurrence index file part
41, together with the reading document URL and the search keyword
included in the search request (S401).
[0104] The co-occurrence index file part 41 extracts the index
information of the reading document 11 from the index information
with respect to a plurality of documents being managed, based on
the reading document URL (S402). Further, the co-occurrence index
file part 41 extracts from the index information the words having a
relatively high co-occurrence with the search keyword (S403). The
evaluation of the co-occurrence with the search keyword may be made
based on the table described below that is managed by the
co-occurrence index file part 41.
[0105] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a structure of a co-occurrence
management table. A co-occurrence management table 411 shown in
FIG. 14 manages the co-occurrence for each combination of the
words. For example, the co-occurrence management table 411 may be
generated with respect to the words included in the index
information, for every index information of each document.
[0106] When the co-occurrence index file part 41 transfers, as the
reading document index, the set of words extracted as having the
relatively high co-occurrence with the search keyword to the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 (S404), the auxiliary keyword
generating part 30 executes the process of the step S1093 and the
subsequent steps using the reading document index as the auxiliary
keyword.
[0107] As described above, according to the information searching
system 1d of the fourth embodiment, the word having the high
co-occurrence with the search keyword is selected as the auxiliary
keyword. For this reason, it is possible to execute the search
based on the auxiliary keyword having a closer relationship to or a
higher association with the search keyword.
[0108] Next, a description will be given of a fifth embodiment,
which is a modification of the first embodiment. FIG. 15 is a
diagram showing a functional structure of the information searching
system of the fifth embodiment. In FIG. 15, those parts that are
the same as those corresponding parts in FIG. 2 are designated by
the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be
omitted.
[0109] In an information searching system 1e shown in FIG. 15, the
index file part 40 is not included as a constituent element. This
is because the fifth embodiment is characterized by the structure
of the reading document 11. In other words, in the reading document
11 of the fifth embodiment, the index information (reading document
index 111) of the reading document 11 is included within the
document file and managed. For example, the reading document index
111 is added to the reading document 11 as a visible or invisible
meta data. Compared to the index information that is created by
crawling of the index file part 40 for the purpose of search, the
reading document index 111 that is added for every reading document
11 is characterized in that the reading document index 111 can be
created and added according to the intentions of the author of the
document.
[0110] Accordingly, in the fifth embodiment, the auxiliary keyword
generating apparatus 30 acquires the reading document index 111
from the document UI part 10 (a13), and generates the auxiliary
keyword based on the reading document index 111. The searching part
50 executes the search based on the search keyword that is input
via the document UI part 10 and the auxiliary keyword that is
generated by the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 (a5 and a6),
and returns the search result list to the document UI part 10
(a7).
[0111] Next, a description will be given of a'sixth embodiment.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the sixth embodiment. In FIG. 16,
those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in FIG.
2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a description
thereof will be omitted.
[0112] In an information searching system 1f shown in FIG. 16, an
advertising content managing part 60 is newly provided as a
constituent element. The advertising content managing part 60
manages various advertising contents, and has a function of
searching the advertising contents. More particularly, the
advertising content managing part 60 receives a character string
such as a word as input information, and searches and outputs the
advertising content having a close relationship or a high
association with the input information. In other words, the
advertising content managing part 60 covers the function for
realizing a search type advertising method.
[0113] According to the conventional search type advertising
method, the advertising content is selected and displayed based
solely on the search keyword. However, such a structure introduces
at least two problems. The first problem is that the search keyword
is not always the target of the user's interest. For this reason,
it is conventionally difficult to increase the possibility of
displaying the advertising content that is the target of the user's
interest. The second problem is that it is difficult to distinguish
the displayed search result and the advertising content, which is
not preferable from the point of view of the reliability of the
search.
[0114] Accordingly, the advertising content managing part 60 of the
sixth embodiment is designed to solve these two problems. More
particularly, the advertising content managing part 60 receives, as
the input information, the index information (reading document
index) of the reading document 11 that is managed by the index file
part 40 (a14), and selects or searches, as the display target, the
advertising content having a close relationship or a high
association with the reading document index of the reading document
11 that is presently being read or inspected. The advertising
content that is output from the advertising content managing part
60 is transferred to the document UI part 10 (a15), and is
displayed together with the search result list from the searching
part 50 (a7).
[0115] Next, a description will be given of the processing sequence
of the information searching system if shown in FIG. 16. FIG. 17 is
a diagram for explaining the processing sequence of the information
searching system of the sixth embodiment. In FIG. 17, those steps
that are the same as those corresponding steps in FIG. 5 are
designated by the same reference numerals, and a description
thereof will be omitted.
[0116] After the steps S101 through S113, the auxiliary keyword
generating part 30 transfer the reading document index that is
acquired in the step S108 with respect to the advertising content
managing part 60, and requests the advertising content managing
part 60 to provide the advertising content (S601).
[0117] Then, the advertising content managing part 60 selects and
transfers the advertising content corresponding to the reading
document index to the document UI part 10 (S602 and S603). The
document UI part 10 displays the advertising content together with
the search result list (S604). The process carried out thereafter
(S114 through S117) is the same as that of FIG. 5 described
above.
[0118] Therefore, according to the information searching system 1f
of the sixth embodiment, the advertising content that is displayed
together with the search result is selected based on the index
information (reading document index) of the reading document 11.
The reading document index is a set of words describing the feature
of the reading document, and describes the target of the user's
more universal interest compared to the search keyword. Hence, it
is possible to increase the possibility of displaying the
advertising content that corresponds to the target of the user's
more universal interest, and a high Clock Through Rate (CTR) can be
expected. Of course, the advertising content may be selected based
on information other than the correspondence with the reading
document index, and for example, the advertising content may be
selected with a probability depending upon the advertising rates
paid.
[0119] In addition, the display timing of the advertising content
does not necessarily have to be the same as the display timing of
the search result, and the advertising content may be displayed at
an arbitrary timing after the display of the search result. The
advertising content corresponding to the target of the user's
universal interest may have an arbitrary display timing.
[0120] Next, a description will be given of a seventh embodiment,
which is a modification of the sixth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a
diagram showing a functional structure of the information searching
system of the seventh embodiment. In FIG. 18, those parts that are
the same as those corresponding parts in FIG. 16 are designated by
the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be
omitted.
[0121] In an information searching system 1g shown in FIG. 18, the
advertising content managing part 60 receives, as the input
information, the auxiliary keyword that is generated by the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30, and selects the advertising
content corresponding to the auxiliary keyword (a16). Hence, the
document UI part 10 displays the advertising content corresponding
to the auxiliary keyword, together with the search result list
(a15).
[0122] According to the information searching system 1g of the
seventh embodiment, the advertising content is selected based on
the auxiliary keyword which is considered to more conspicuously
describe the feature of the reading document compared to the
reading document index. For this reason, it is possible to provide
the advertising content that is more in line with the feature of
the reading document.
[0123] Next, a description will be given of an eighth embodiment,
which is a modification of the sixth or seventh embodiment. FIG. 19
is a diagram showing a functional structure of the information
searching system of the eighth embodiment. In FIG. 19, those parts
that are the same as those corresponding parts in FIG. 16 or FIG.
18 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a description
thereof will be omitted.
[0124] In an information searching system 1h shown in FIG. 19, the
advertising content managing part 60 receives, as the input
information, an arbitrary combination of the search keyword (a17),
the reading document index (a18) and the auxiliary keyword (a16)
generated by the auxiliary keyword generating part 30, and selects
the advertising content corresponding to the input information.
Hence, the document UI part 10 displays the advertising content
corresponding to the input information, together with the search
result list (a15).
[0125] According to the information searching system 1h of the
eighth embodiment, it is possible to realize a search type
advertising method that displays the advertising content
corresponding to an arbitrary combination of the reading document
index, the auxiliary keyword and the search keyword. One of the
reading document index and the auxiliary keyword may be used, and
the search keyword may be additionally used if necessary. This is
because, the reading document index, the auxiliary keyword and the
search keyword describe the target of the user's universal interest
in this order with the reading document index describing the most
universal interest. In other words, the search keyword, the
auxiliary keyword and the reading document index describe the
target of the user's instantaneous interest in this order with the
search keyword describing the most instantaneous interest.
[0126] Next, a description will be given of a ninth embodiment.
FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the ninth embodiment. In FIG. 20,
those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in FIG.
16 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a description
thereof will be omitted.
[0127] In the ninth embodiment, the site of each of the parts
forming the information searching system if of the sixth embodiment
(search type advertising method corresponding to the reading
document index) is definitely specified.
[0128] In an information searching system 1i shown in FIG. 20, the
information managing part 20 is implemented in a Web site 530
(information managing part 20a) or a user site 510 (information
managing part 20b). The document UI part 10 is implemented in a
user PC 511 of the user site 510. The index file part 40 is
implemented in a search service site 520 (index file part 40a) on
the Web or, in the user site 510 (index file part 40b). The
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 and the searching part 50 are
implemented in the search service site 520. In addition, the
advertising content managing part 60 is implemented in an
advertising service site 540 on the Web.
[0129] Since the exchange of information among the various parts of
the information searching system 1i is as described above in
conjunction with FIG. 16, a description thereof will be omitted for
the ninth embodiment.
[0130] Next, a description will be given of a tenth embodiment.
FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the tenth embodiment. In FIG. 21,
those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in FIG.
18 or FIG. 20 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a
description thereof will be omitted.
[0131] In the tenth embodiment, the site of each of the parts
forming the information searching system if of the seventh
embodiment (search type advertising method corresponding to the
auxiliary keyword) is definitely specified.
[0132] In an information searching system 1j shown in FIG. 21, the
sites in which each of the parts are implemented are the same as
those in FIG. 20. In addition, since the exchange of information
among the various parts of the information searching system 1j is
as described above in conjunction with FIG. 18, a description
thereof will be omitted for the tenth embodiment.
[0133] Next, a description will be given of an eleventh embodiment.
FIG. 22 is a diagram showing functional structure of the
information searching system of the eleventh embodiment. In FIG.
22, those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in
FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a
description thereof will be omitted.
[0134] In an information searching system 1k shown in FIG. 22, a
user keyword managing part 70 is newly provided as a constituent
element. The user keyword managing part 70 records and manages, as
user keywords, the reading document indexes acquired from the index
file part 40, for every user (a21). In addition, the user keyword
managing part 70 updates the user keyword based on the reading
document index acquired from the index file part 40. In other
words, the user keyword managing part 70 stores, as the user
keywords, the reading document indexes that have been acquired
based on past searches, for every user. The user keywords that are
managed for every user are valid information related to each user's
interest and business.
[0135] The auxiliary keyword generating part 30 acquires the user
keyword from the user keyword managing part 70 (a23), and adds the
acquired user keyword to the auxiliary keyword. As a result, the
auxiliary keyword related to the reading document 11 and the
auxiliary keyword related to the user are used for the search, and
a search result having less noise can be expected.
[0136] The purpose of the auxiliary keyword is to reduce the noise
in the search result. The reading document index is used for the
filtering by the feature of the reading document. On the other
hand, in the eleventh embodiment, the filtering is realized using
the user keyword that is recorded with the context related to the
user's search.
[0137] Next, a description will be given of the processing sequence
of the information searching system 1k shown in FIG. 22. FIG. 23 is
a diagram for explaining the processing sequence of the information
searching system of the eleventh embodiment. In FIG. 23, those
steps that are the same as those corresponding steps in FIG. 5 are
designated by the same reference numerals, and a description
thereof will be omitted.
[0138] In the eleventh embodiment, identification information of
the user, such as a user ID, is input in advance on a log-in screen
or the like that is displayed by the document UI part 10 (S1101),
and the document UI part 10 acquires the user ID (S1102). Then, as
described above in conjunction with FIG. 5, the steps S101 through
S103 are executed, and the reading document 11 is displayed.
[0139] When the search keyword is input or selected and the
execution of the search is instructed (S104), the document UI part
10 sends a search request with respect to the auxiliary keyword
generating part 30 together with the user ID, the search keyword
and the reading document URL (S105).
[0140] Next, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 transfers the
user ID to the user keyword managing part 70, and requests the user
keyword managing part 70 to provide the user keyword (S1103). The
user keyword managing part 70 searches the user keyword
corresponding to the user ID, and transfers the searched user
keyword to the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 (S1105).
[0141] When the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 acquires the
reading document index from the index file part 40 (S106 through
S108), the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 transfers the
reading document index and the user ID to the user keyword managing
part 70 (S1016). The user keyword managing part 70 updates the user
keyword of the use based on the user ID and the reading document
index that are transferred from the auxiliary keyword generating
part 30 (S1017).
[0142] In addition, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30
combines the user keyword and the reading document index (S1018).
Then, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 deletes from the
combined information the index information overlapping with the
search keyword, and generates the auxiliary keyword by narrowing
the candidates according to the evaluation based on the occurrence
or the like (S109).
[0143] Next, a description will be given of a twelfth embodiment,
which is a modification of the eleventh embodiment. FIG. 24 is a
diagram showing a functional structure of the information searching
system of the twelfth embodiment. In FIG. 24, those parts that are
the same as those corresponding parts in FIG. 22 are designated by
the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be
omitted.
[0144] In an information searching system 11 shown in FIG. 24, the
user keyword managing part 70 records and manages, as the user
keywords, the auxiliary keywords that are generated by the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 based on the reading document
indexes (a24). The user keywords that are managed for every user
are valid information related to each user's interest and
business.
[0145] When generating the auxiliary keyword, the auxiliary keyword
generating part 30 acquires the user keyword from the user keyword
managing part 70 (a23), and adds the acquired user keyword to the
auxiliary keyword. As a result, the auxiliary keyword related to
the reading document 11 and the user keyword related to the user
are used for the search, and a search result having less noise can
be expected. In addition, the user keyword managing part 70 updates
the user keyword based on the auxiliary keyword acquired from the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 (a24).
[0146] Next, a description will be given of a thirteenth
embodiment, which is a modification of the tenth or twelfth
embodiment. FIG. 25 is a diagram showing a functional structure of
the information searching system of the thirteenth embodiment. In
FIG. 25, those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts
in FIG. 22 or FIG. 24 are designated by the same reference
numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0147] In an information searching system 1m shown in FIG. 25, the
user keyword managing part 70 acquires an arbitrary combination of
the reading document index acquired from the index file part 40
(a21), the auxiliary keyword generated by the auxiliary keyword
generating part 30 (a24), and the search keyword acquired by the
document UI part 10 (a25), and records and manages the acquired
arbitrary combination as the user keyword.
[0148] Because the search keyword is added to the user keyword and
recorded and managed, the most recent target of the user's interest
is reflected to the search result.
[0149] Furthermore, the user keyword managing part 70 updates the
user keyword by the reading document index acquired from the index
file part 40, the auxiliary keyword acquired from the auxiliary
keyword generating part 30, and the search keyword acquired from
the document UI part 10.
[0150] Next, a description will be given of fourteenth embodiment.
FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the fourteenth embodiment. In FIG.
26, those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in
FIG. 25 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a
description thereof will be omitted.
[0151] In the fourteenth embodiment, the site of each of the parts
forming the information searching system 1m of the thirteenth
embodiment is definitely specified.
[0152] In an information searching system in shown in FIG. 26, the
document UI part 10 is implemented in a user site 510. The user
keyword managing part 70, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30,
the index file part 40, and the searching part 50 are implemented
in a search service site 520. The information managing part 20 is
implemented in a Web site 530.
[0153] According to the structure shown in FIG. 26, the search
service site 520 can utilize the index information, that is used
for the search, as valid or valuable resources.
[0154] Next, a description will be given of a fifteenth embodiment.
FIG. 27 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the fifteenth embodiment. In FIG.
27, those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in
FIG. 26 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a
description thereof will be omitted.
[0155] In an information searching system 1o shown in FIG. 27, the
index file part 40 (index file part 40b) and the information
managing part 20 (information managing part 20b) are further
implemented in the user site 510.
[0156] The index file part 40b in the user site 510 generates and
manages index information of Intranet shared documents and personal
documents, and index information of Web documents if necessary. The
index information is used for generating the auxiliary keyword. In
other words, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 shown in FIG.
27 acquires the reading document index from the index file part 40b
that is implemented in the user site 510 (a26), and generates the
auxiliary keyword.
[0157] On the other hand, the index file part 40 in the search
service site 520 is used only for the search (a13).
[0158] Next, a description will be given of a sixteenth embodiment.
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the sixteenth embodiment. In FIG.
28, those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in
FIG. 27 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a
description thereof will be omitted.
[0159] In an information searching system 1p shown in FIG. 28, the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 acquires the reading document
index from both the index file part 30a that is implemented in the
search service site 520 and the index file part 40b that is
implemented in the user site 510 (a4 and a26), and generates the
auxiliary keyword.
[0160] Next, a description will be given of a seventeenth
embodiment. FIG. 29 is a diagram showing a functional structure of
the information searching system of the seventeenth embodiment. In
FIG. 29, those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts
in FIG. 26 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a
description thereof will be omitted.
[0161] In an information searching system 1q shown in FIG. 29, the
use keyword managing part 70 is implemented in a user site 510,
such as a server on the user's Intranet or a user PC 511. The user
keyword is recorded in advance and managed by the user keyword
managing part 70 together with the user ID, for every user, for use
in personalizing the service and personalizing the advertising.
[0162] In FIG. 29, the user keyword in the user keyword managing
part 70 is transferred to the auxiliary keyword generating part 30
in the search service site 520 via the document UI part 10, for
example (a23). In this case, it is possible to pass the user
keyword through a word filter (not shown) or the like that is
implemented in the user site 510, so as to prevent personal
information or confidential information, which could be included in
the user keyword, from being transferred to the auxiliary keyword
generating part 30.
[0163] In FIG. 29, the user keyword in the user keyword managing
part 70 is updated by the search keyword (a24).
[0164] In each of the fourteenth embodiment (FIG. 26) through the
seventeenth embodiment (FIG. 29) described above, the auxiliary
keyword generating part 30 is implemented in the search service
site 520 on the Web, and acquires the index information from the
index file part 40 that is implemented in the user site 510 or the
search service site 520 on the Web, and acquires the user keyword
from the user keyword managing part 70.
[0165] This structure realizes the following two advantageous
features to the search service site 520.
[0166] First, it is possible to provide a good keyword search with
reduced noise, which is a competitive advantage.
[0167] Second, it is possible to acquire the reading document URL
when the user makes the search request. This may be utilizes for
personalized search and personalized advertising.
[0168] Next, a description will be given of an eighteenth
embodiment. FIG. 30 is a diagram showing a functional structure of
the information searching system of the eighteenth embodiment. In
FIG. 30, those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts
in FIG. 28 or FIG. 29 are designated by the same reference
numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0169] In an information searching system 1r shown in FIG. 30, the
auxiliary keyword generating part 30 is implemented in a user site
510. In addition, the index file part 40 is implemented in the
user, site 510 or a search service site 520. Moreover, the
information managing part 20 is implemented in a Web site 530 or
the user site 510.
[0170] In FIG. 30, the auxiliary keyword generating part 30 that is
implemented in the user site 510 can generate the auxiliary keyword
by acquiring the reading document index of the Web document from
the index file part 40a that is implemented in the search service
site 520 (a4), and acquiring the reading document index of the
shared document or the like from the index file part 40 that is
implemented in the user site 510.
[0171] Next, a description will be given of a nineteenth
embodiment. FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a functional structure of
the information searching system of the nineteenth embodiment. In
FIG. 31, those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts
in FIG. 20 or FIG. 28 are designated by the same reference
numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0172] In an information searching system is shown in FIG. 31, the
user keyword managing part 70 shown in FIG. 28 is added with
respect to the structure shown in FIG. 20, and the advertising
content managing part 60 shown in FIG. 20 is added with respect to
the structure shown in FIG. 28.
[0173] In FIG. 31, the advertising content managing part 60
acquires the user keyword from the user keyword managing part 70
(a30), and selects the advertising content corresponding to the
acquired user keyword. Hence, the document UI part 10 displays the
advertising content corresponding to the user keyword. As a result,
it is possible to display, together with the search result list,
the advertising content that has a closer relationship or a higher,
association with the user.
[0174] Next, a description will be given of a twentieth embodiment.
FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a functional structure of the
information searching system of the twentieth embodiment. In FIG.
32, those parts that are the same as those corresponding parts in
FIG. 31 are designated by the same reference numerals, and a
description thereof will be omitted.
[0175] In an information searching system 1t shown in FIG. 32, the
advertising content managing part 60 receives, as the input
information, an arbitrary combination of the reading document index
acquired from the index file part 40 (a18), the user keyword
acquired from the user keyword managing part 40 (a30), the
auxiliary keyword acquired from the auxiliary keyword generating
part 30 (a16), and the search keyword acquired from the document UI
part 10 (a17), and selects the advertising content corresponding to
the input information. Hence, the document UI part 10 displays the
advertising content corresponding to the input information. As a
result, it is possible to display, together with the search result
list, the advertising content having a close relationship or a high
association with both the reading document 11 and the user.
[0176] In each of the embodiments described above, the auxiliary
keyword generating part 30 includes a selecting part or means, an
index information acquiring part or means, a search control part or
means, and a character string extracting part or means. In
addition, the advertising content managing part 60 includes an
advertising content searching part of means. Moreover, the user
keyword managing part 70 includes a user keyword storing part or
means. Furthermore, the Web server 531 includes a document managing
apparatus. The search server 521 includes a searching apparatus.
The user PC 511 includes a client apparatus.
[0177] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent
Applications No. 2006-63229 filed Mar. 8, 2006 and No. 2007-23431
filed Feb. 1, 2007, in the Japanese Patent Office, the disclosures
of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
[0178] Further, the present invention is not limited to these
embodiments, but various variations and modifications may be made
without departing from the scope of the present invention.
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