JP2007034466A - Information retrieval system and information retrieval program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To estimate a purpose of information retrieval for presenting a combination of proper search keywords in AND-retrieval before information retrieval processing. <P>SOLUTION: This information retrieval system is provided with a means returning a web page, in which records corresponding to the search words from a browser terminal is listed, to the browser terminal, a means sending a list of translated words, which are translated from Japanese in Roman characters inputted by keys during a search keyword input process at the browser terminal into Japanese, to the browser terminal, and a means returning an event related term corresponding to an event word to the browser terminal when the search keyword selected from the translated word list at the browser terminal corresponds to the event word associated with a predetermined period or date. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a computer system that searches information based on a search keyword.

  With the widespread use of the Internet, users have gained access to an enormous amount of information. In order to directly obtain target information from a huge amount of information, Internet users use a website called a search site. Rather, it can be said that the search site is a Web site that Internet users browse most often.

  A computer system (information search system) for realizing a search site includes a WWW server and a search engine. The information search system has a function called “search front” by a WWW server. The search front is an interface with the browser terminal, returns a Web page serving as an information search service window to a computer (browser terminal) that implements the accessed browser, and receives a search keyword from the browser terminal. Then, the search keyword is given to the search engine.

  The search engine stores and manages information (records), which is a clue to the information that the user wants to finally obtain, such as the content and location of the vast amount of information on the Internet, in the accompanying database, The search keyword received from the browser terminal is inquired to the database via the, and the corresponding record is returned to the search front. The search front creates a list of records received from the search engine as a search result on a Web page and returns it to the browser terminal.

  There is an “and search” in which a user gives a plurality of search keywords to a search engine and presents records corresponding to both of the plurality of search keywords in order to surely obtain the target information. However, if a plurality of keywords used in the AND search are not appropriate, the corresponding record is not searched or a misregistered record is searched. Therefore, it can be said that AND search is a technique suitable for people who are used to information search to some extent.

  The search keyword is given to the search engine to obtain the search result, and one search keyword is added and AND search is performed together with the previous search keyword. If there is no record close to the target information, the added search keyword is another one. There is also a method of performing an AND search again after changing to, but it takes time and effort to obtain a search result by giving a search keyword to a search engine.

  Therefore, the information search system stores and manages a plurality of search keywords accepted when AND search is performed, and accepts the search results when a certain search keyword is accepted and the search results are returned to the browser. It is conceivable to present other search keywords that have been AND searched together with the keywords. Certainly, by presenting the search keyword, the user is more likely to obtain the target information. However, the search keyword is transmitted, the search result is received, and the additional search keyword is given to the search engine again. The procedure itself does not change and still takes time. Even in the information retrieval system, the load increases by performing the retrieval process again.

  Also, even if you manage multiple search keywords and their acceptance frequency, the combination of frequently used keywords (related words) is uniformly high throughout the year. It cannot be a search keyword for information retrieval. For example, as a search keyword that is AND-searched together with “Christmas”, it can be expected that words such as “Christ”, “Present”, and “Santa Claus” are frequently specified throughout the year. However, if it is close to December 24, words such as “illumination” and “night view” that directly relate to the behavior of the user on Christmas Eve are frequently searched with “Christmas”. Of course, even if the absolute value of the number of searches is small, the “illumination” and “night view” clearly increase the number of searches in the period immediately before Christmas compared to other periods. Therefore, even if the user specifies one search keyword “Christmas” for the period of several days to one week immediately before December 24, the user actually “illuminates” or “night view” on Christmas day. There is a high possibility that you want to go to see and get information.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an information search system that can estimate the purpose of information search while reducing the time and processing load required for the information search process, and can present an appropriate combination of search keywords in AND search before the information search process. The purpose is to do.

The present invention for achieving the above object is an information retrieval system,
A predetermined search keyword is associated with an event word at a predetermined time, and a specific search keyword is associated with the event word as an event-related word and managed, and the searched search keyword corresponds to the current event If it corresponds to a word, the information search system includes an event word extracting unit that extracts the event-related word corresponding to the event word.

The information retrieval system is constituted by a computer system having a WWW server function,
A search engine that outputs records corresponding to the search keyword sent from the browser terminal that has been accessed,
Search result page return means for returning a search result page listing the records output by the search engine to the browser terminal;
Japanese conversion means for outputting a conversion word obtained by converting a given character into Kana-Kanji,
A conversion word list sending means for monitoring a key input situation in the browser terminal, giving a character key-input in the course of inputting a search keyword to the Japanese conversion means, and sending a list of corresponding conversion words to the browser terminal; With
The event word extracting means, when a search keyword in the list is searched at the browser terminal that sent the converted word list, if the search keyword corresponds to the event word corresponding to the current time, The event-related word corresponding to the word may be returned to the browser terminal.

In this case, a query database that manages a search history of search keywords by the search engine;
When a conversion word is selected by the browser terminal that has sent the conversion word list, a search keyword that has been frequently AND-searched with the conversion word in the past is listed as a related word based on the management information of the query database. A related word list returning means for returning the related word list to the browser terminal,
The event word extraction means uses the search keyword whose search history increases specifically during a specific period as the event word based on the management information of the query database, and is AND-searched together with the event word during the specific period A search keyword that has a search history that specifically increases is used as the event-related word, and if a conversion word selected from the conversion word list in the browser terminal corresponds to an event word, Corresponding event related words may be included so as to be distinguishable from other related words.

More preferably, in the information search system, a search keyword input field is input to a browser terminal accessed by specifying a predetermined URL, and a search instruction is input to the search keyword input field when the browser terminal is instructed. The search window page sending means for sending a search window page including a function for sending a search keyword and a control program interpreted and executed by the browser terminal;
It has a dictionary database that stores and manages the correspondence between alphabetic character strings and kana characters, and the correspondence between kana character strings and conversion words including kanji,
The Japanese language conversion unit sequentially acquires key input information sequentially input in the browser terminal, and extracts a kana character corresponding to a character string specified by the key input information from the dictionary database. And sending back a list of corresponding conversion words to the browser terminal by querying the dictionary database for a character string sent from the browser terminal,
The control program is:
A function for sending the key input information in the character input process to the Japanese conversion means one by one when there is a character input in the search keyword input field in the browser terminal;
A function of inputting the kana characters sent from the Japanese conversion means into the keyword input field;
A function of causing the kana-kanji conversion means to send the kana character input in the keyword input field when there is a predetermined key input corresponding to the conversion instruction in the browser terminal;
A function for displaying a conversion word list returned from the Japanese conversion means, and for selecting a conversion word in the list;
A function of sending selection information to the related word extraction means when one conversion word is selected from the conversion word list in the browser terminal;
A function for displaying the related word list sent from the related word extracting means and selecting a related word in the related word list while selecting one converted word in the converted word list;
In the related word list, a function for displaying the event related words in an identifiable manner;
When one related word is selected from the related word list and there is a confirmation instruction while selecting one conversion word in the conversion word list on the browser terminal, the selected conversion word and the confirmation instruction are given. A function for inputting a related word into the keyword input field;
Information retrieval system including

  Further, the event word extracting means may be an information search system in which a search keyword that drastically decreases after a specific day elapses after the inquiry frequency rapidly increases at a specific time in the year is used as the event word.

Alternatively, when the event-related word corresponding to the event word changes with the passage of the specific period, the event word extraction unit includes the event word extraction unit in the related word list according to the time series of the specific period. The event-related word may be changed.
The event word extracting means uses the search keyword whose query frequency has increased rapidly during a recent predetermined period as an event word, and sets the search keyword whose search frequency has increased rapidly in conjunction with the query frequency of the event word as event related word. It can also be a search system.

  The event word extracting means extracts a word by analyzing a character string included in a news article posted on a predetermined website, and sets a word whose appearance frequency has increased rapidly in a recent predetermined period as an event word. Of the other words included in the article included in the event word, an information search system may be used in which a word whose appearance frequency has increased rapidly in association with the appearance frequency of the event word is used as an event-related word.

The present invention also extends to a computer program, which is installed in a computer connected to a network,
A search step for outputting a record corresponding to a search keyword sent from a browser terminal that has been accessed;
A search result page returning step of returning a search result page listing the records output by the search engine to the browser terminal;
A Japanese conversion step for outputting a conversion word obtained by converting a given character into Kana-Kanji, and
A conversion word list sending step of monitoring a key input situation in the browser terminal, giving a character key-input in the course of inputting a search keyword to the Japanese conversion step, and sending a list of corresponding conversion words to the browser terminal; ,
In addition to associating a predetermined search keyword as an event word with a predetermined time, and managing the event word in association with a specific search keyword as an event-related word, the list at the browser terminal that has sent the conversion word list When a certain search keyword is searched, if the search keyword corresponds to the event word corresponding to the current time, an event word extraction step of returning the event related word corresponding to the event word to the browser terminal;
It is an information retrieval program that executes.

The information search program includes a query database access step for accessing a query database that manages a search history of search keywords by the record search step,
Based on the management information of the query database, a plurality of search keywords at the time of AND search are associated with each other as related words, and related words managed by associating the frequency of AND search for each set of related words A related term database access step for accessing the database;
When a conversion word is selected in the browser terminal to which the conversion word list is sent, the conversion word is referred to the related word database, and the related word list in which the corresponding related words are listed in order of frequency is displayed in the browser terminal. A related word list returning step to be returned to
As well as
In the event word extraction step, based on the management information of the query database, a search keyword whose search history specifically increases during a specific period is set as an event word, and a search that is AND-searched together with the event word during the specific period If the conversion word selected from the conversion word list in the browser terminal corresponds to the event word, the event related word whose search history increases specifically among the keywords is managed in association, the related word list It is possible to include an event-related word corresponding to the item so that it can be distinguished from other related words.

  Further, the event word extraction step may be an information search program in which a search keyword that drastically decreases after a specific date passes after a rapid increase in the inquiry frequency at a specific time in the year is the event word.

  Alternatively, in the event word extraction step, when an event related word corresponding to the event word changes with the passage of the specific period, the event word extraction step includes the event word in the related word list according to the time series of the specific period. The event-related word may be changed.

  In the event word extracting step, the search keyword whose query frequency has increased rapidly in a recent predetermined period is used as an event word, and the search keyword whose AND search frequency has increased in conjunction with the query frequency of the event word is used as an event related word. It can also be a search program.

  Further, in the event word extraction step, a word is extracted by analyzing a character string included in a news article posted on a predetermined website, and a word whose appearance frequency has increased rapidly in a recent predetermined period is set as an event word. Of the other words included in the article included in the event word, a word whose appearance frequency has increased rapidly in association with the appearance frequency of the event word may be used as the event-related word.

  According to the information search system of the present invention, while reducing the time and processing load required for the information search process, the user's purpose of information search is also estimated, and an appropriate search keyword combination in AND search before the information search process Can be presented.

=== Information Retrieval System ===
FIG. 1 shows a network configuration including an information search system in an embodiment of the present invention. The information retrieval system 1 is a computer system connected to the Internet 31, and includes a WWW server 10 that performs HTTP communication with a computer (browser terminal) 30 that is equipped with a browser. The search front unit 11 is a function realized by the WWW server 10. It includes a search engine 12, a kana character conversion unit 17, a kana-kanji conversion unit 18, a related word extraction unit 19, and various databases (13, 14, 15, 16).

  The record database 13 stores and manages a large number of records. When the search engine 12 receives the search keyword sent from the browser terminal 30 via the search front unit 11, the search database 12 queries the record database 13 for the search keyword. The corresponding record is extracted and the record is output to the search front 11. The query database 14 stores and manages a log of search keywords accepted by the search engine 12 during past searches.

  The dictionary database 15 stores and manages the correspondence between a character string in Roman letters and a Kana character, and the correspondence between a Kana character string and a Kanji character. In the dictionary database 15, based on the management information in the query database 14, if there are a plurality of words that are homophones (tableware, looms, etc.) for the same character string, the search keyword is used for each word. Are associated with the received frequency.

  The kana character conversion unit 17 obtains the input information of each key of the browser terminal 30 one by one, and inquires the dictionary database for the permutation of the input information corresponding to the alphabet character code, and corresponds to the alphabet character string. Convert to kana and output. For example, if there is a key input in the order of “j” and “i”, the kana “ji” will be output when “i” is acquired, and the key input will be accepted in the same way, and the key corresponding to the kana will be output. When the permutation is recognized, the kana character is output.

  When there is a predetermined key input from the browser terminal 30, the kana-kanji conversion unit 18 queries the dictionary database 15 for the kana character string obtained and converted so far, and outputs the corresponding word / phrase as a conversion word. Also, if there are multiple conversion words that have the same syllables in the same “reading”, a predetermined number of conversion words are listed in order from the top based on the corresponding frequency, and the predetermined number of conversion words Create and output a conversion word list containing words. Specifically, for example, if there is a key input of “jishin”, the kana character conversion unit 17 converts it to “kineshin” and kana characters, and if there is a space key input next, the kana-kanji conversion unit 18 However, for this “jishin”, “self”, “confidence”, “earthquake”, “magnetic needle”, “jishin”, “jishin”, etc., and conversion words including flat and katakana are listed and output in the order of the corresponding frequencies. To do.

  Based on the management information in the query database 14, the related term database 16 uses a plurality of search keywords received at the AND search as related terms, and associates the AND search execution frequency with each set of search keywords that are related terms. Are stored and managed.

  The event word extraction unit 20 uses a specific search keyword as a query at a specific time or period of the year or a recent past predetermined period (for example, the past week) even if the absolute value of the search frequency itself is small. If you find a phenomenon in which the frequency of acceptance increases rapidly (hereinafter referred to as a burst), the search keyword is used as an event word, and the event word and the period or period (hereinafter referred to as the burst period) when the occurrence of a burst is recognized. The retrieved related terms are extracted as event related terms. Then, the association between the event word or event-related word and the corresponding burst period is managed. Of the related words in the related word database, for the event words and event related words having the current time as the burst period, the frequency in the related word database is weighted, and the related word database is updated as needed.

  The related word extraction unit 19 inquires the related word database 16 for the search keyword sent from the browser terminal 30, and selects a related word having a high frequency among the related words searched together with the search keyword from the browser terminal 30. Extract and output the number as the upper limit.

  And the information search system 1 of a present Example is a process in which the search keyword is input in the browser terminal which accessed the search site by the said structure, A related word is used as another search keyword which should be AND-searched with the keyword. In addition, it provides an event word information search service that supports the user to reliably obtain the target information by changing the related words according to the search date and time. In the information retrieval system 1, each functional block (10 to 19) may be configured by an individual computer, or may be realized by executing a program appropriately installed in one or more computers. .

=== Search window page ===
The information search system 1 includes a Web page (search window) including a program (control program) for enabling the browser terminal 30 that has accessed the search front unit 11 by specifying a predetermined URL to use the Japanese search service. Page). FIG. 2 shows an outline of the search window page. In this embodiment, the WWW server 10 publishes a portal site, and the search window page 40 has a screen configuration as a home page of the portal site as well as a home page of the search site. In this example, a search keyword input field 41, a send button 42 for sending the search keyword entered in the input field to the search engine 12 as a query, a link 43 to a home page for each service provided by the portal site, A directory 44 or the like for searching for records by using a category corresponding to the contents as a clue is described.

=== Event word and event related word ===
The event word is
(1) An event word in which a burst is recognized with a relatively short period (for example, 3 days to 1 week) until a specific month or day / a specific month / week / day of the week as a burst period. (2) A specific period every year. (3) Event words that burst within the last short period of time and can be distinguished into three types of event words that continue the burst.

  The event words of (1) include “Christmas”, “Valentine's Day”, “Mother's Day”, etc. For example, event related words for “Christmas” include “illumination” and “night view”. Fig. 3 shows the burst situation with "Christmas" as the event word, and the change in the number of searches for each day by the event word "Christmas" (A) and the number of AND searches by the word and the event-related word "illumination". Transition (B) is shown. The number of searches for the word “Christmas” has increased rapidly from around 3 days before December 24 of Christmas Eve, and the frequency of AND searches for “Christmas” and “Illumination” increases in conjunction with the number of searches. Then, on December 25, the number of searches for the event word and the number of AND searches for the event word and the event-related word are drastically reduced. In this example, the event period 32 is from December 21 to December 24, and the event word extraction unit 20 increases the frequency of the related word “illumination” corresponding to “Christmas” in the related word database 16 for this period. To do.

  Event words classified into the type (2) include “hay fever”, and event-related words corresponding to the event word change during the burst period, such as before and after the burst period. For example, if the event word is the previous “hay fever”, since the beginning of the period is before the onset, “measure” and “prevention” burst as event related words. From the middle to the end of the burst period, after the onset, "treatment" and "symptoms" are event-related words. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the burst status of event-related words for “hay fever”. (A) shows a burst of the event word “hay fever”. (B) shows the transition of the number of AND searches performed by “hay fever” and “countermeasure”, and (C) shows the transition of the number of AND searches by “hay fever” and “treatment”. In the initial 33a of the burst period 33, the number of AND searches for “hay fever” and “countermeasure” increases, and when the increasing trend starts to decrease, “treatment” is replaced with “treatment” as “event”. "And" Treatment "AND searches are increasing. In addition, regarding the time 33c when the number of times “countermeasure” and “treatment” are searched together with “hay fever” is switched, both “countermeasure” and “treatment” may be event-related words for “hay fever”. .

  The event word of (3) includes words related to recent major events and disasters, and celebrity gossip. For example, “Sumatra”, “Indonesia”, “Tsunami”, “Fault”, and other events related to the well-known event word “earthquake” off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia at the end of December 2004 The frequency of AND searches as related terms has increased.

=== Event word information search service ===
Next, information processing based on an information search system associated with the implementation of the event word information search service will be described. FIG. 5 shows the flow of processing related to the event word search service. 6 to 14 show screen transitions of Web pages displayed on the browser terminal 30 during the service provision process.

  First, the browser terminal specifies a predetermined URL and obtains the search window page 40. A hyperlink for obtaining a control program is set in the HTML document describing the screen structure of the search window page 40, and the browser terminal 30 interprets the HTML of the search window page 40 and displays the screen of the search window page 40. In addition to displaying, a control program identified by a predetermined URL of the information search system 1 is obtained and executed (s1 to s3). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the control program is a JAVA (registered trademark) applet and the JAVA execution environment is installed in the browser terminal 30. Of course, the code of the control program body in an appropriate program language can also be written in the HTML describing the search window page 40.

  When the browser terminal 30 interprets and executes the control program, first, when there is a character input from the keyboard to the search keyword input field 41, the key input information in the character input process is sent to the kana character conversion unit 17 one by one (s4). , S5). For example, if “j” is key-inputted (FIG. 6), the character code is given to the kana character conversion unit 17. The kana character conversion unit 17 acquires the character code that is successively input and sent from the browser terminal 30 and inputs “j” and “i”, and the permutation of the acquired character is the kana character “ji”. The code of the kana character “ji” is returned to the browser terminal 30. The browser terminal 30 inputs the kana character “ji” 46 corresponding to the kana character code returned from the kana character conversion unit 17 to the keyword input field 41 by the control program (FIG. 7, s6 to s8).

  When kana characters are successively input to the search keyword input field 41 in the browser terminal 30 (s4 to s9 → s4), and a predetermined key (space key in this embodiment) is input at a certain time (FIG. 8). Then, using this input as a conversion instruction, the kana characters that have been input in the keyword input field 41 are sent to the kana-kanji conversion unit 18 (s4 to s9 → s10). Here, it is assumed that the character code “Jinshin” has been sent.

  The kana-kanji conversion unit 18 returns a conversion word list created by extracting conversion words corresponding to the sent kana characters to the browser terminal 30 (s11, s12). At the beginning when the conversion word list 47 is sent from the kana-kanji conversion unit 18, the browser terminal 30 sets the highest conversion word 48a in the list 47 to a selected state (FIG. 9). In this embodiment, the conversion word being selected is highlighted. Then, the control program causes the browser terminal 30 to send selection information about the conversion word 48a that is initially selected to the related word extraction unit 19 (s13 to s15). Note that the conversion word selection information may be the character code of the selected conversion word, or the sent conversion word list 47 and the rank of each conversion word (48a, 48) in the list 47. Information is managed on the information retrieval system 1 side, and the browser terminal 30 is made to send information for identifying the conversion word list 47 and the rank in the list 47 of the selected conversion words (48a, 48). Also good.

  When the selection information about the conversion word is sent from the browser terminal 30, the related word extraction unit 19 returns a related word list created by extracting the related word corresponding to the conversion word (s 16 and s 17). Then, the browser terminal 30 displays the related word list 49a together with the converted word list 47 on the search window page 40 (s18). Further, even when the related word list 49a is returned, the highest related word 50a in the related word list 49a is set to be selected (FIG. 10). The related word list 49a may send the selection information to the related word extraction unit 19 when any conversion word (48a, 48) in the conversion word list 47 is instructed to be selected.

  Here, when another conversion word 48 is designated with the mouse cursor 51 at the browser terminal 30, the designated conversion word 48 is selected. Then, the browser terminal 30 sends the character code of the selected conversion word 48 to the related word extraction unit 19 to have a corresponding list of related words returned, and the returned related word list 49 is returned to the original. It displays instead of the related word list 49a. At this time, the top related word 50a in the related word list 49 is selected (FIG. 9, s15 to s18).

  On the other hand, the event word extraction unit 20 always acquires information about the current month and day, recognizes an event word corresponding to the current event period, and weights event-related words corresponding to the event word to the frequency. In addition, an identifier to that effect is added to the event related word and registered in the related word database 16 (s31 to s35). Thereby, when the conversion word 48 selected as the return origin of the related word list 49 is an event word, the related word extracting unit 19 lists event related words that are less likely to be displayed outside the burst period. become. Then, the related word extraction unit 19 attaches an identifier to the event related word among the listed related words and returns it to the browser terminal 30. When the browser terminal 30 displays the related word list 49, the event related word 50b is changed to another related word (50a, 50) according to the presence or absence of the identifier of the event related word attached to the related word (50a, 50, 50b). It is displayed so that it can be identified. In this embodiment, event-related words can be identified by coloring the character display area (FIG. 11). Of course, the user interface environment can be changed as appropriate, such as displaying event-related words as a separate list in an area different from the display area of the related word list.

  Next, when the mouse cursor 51 is moved to the related word list 49 in a state where a certain conversion word 48 is designated, the related words (50a, 50) can be selected while the designated converted 48 is highlighted. When the mouse cursor 51 designates one related word (50a, 50, 50b) in the related word list 49 (FIG. 12) and performs a predetermined confirmation operation such as clicking the left button of the mouse, the selected state is displayed. The converted word 48 and the confirmed related word (50a, 50, 50b) are respectively input as search keywords (52, 53) into the search keyword input field 41 via a single-byte space (FIG. 13, s19, s20). . Here, when an instruction / confirmation operation is performed on the search button 42 of the search window page 40, the browser terminal 30 sends the search keyword input in the search keyword input field 41 to the search front 11 (s21, s22). The search front 11 gives the search keyword sent to the search engine 12 and receives the corresponding record output by the search engine 12. Then, a Web page (search result page) listing the received records is created and returned to the browser terminal 30, and the browser terminal 30 displays the search result page 60 (FIG. 14, s23 to s28). When only the conversion word (48a, 48) is sent to the search engine 12 as a search keyword, the mouse cursor 51 is placed in the display area of the conversion word list 47 and the target conversion word (48a, 48) is indicated. In this state, a confirmation operation is performed, and only the designated conversion word (48a, 48) is input to the search keyword input field 41. Then, an instruction confirmation operation for the transmission button 42 may be performed.

  Thus, according to the information search system 1 of the present embodiment, when the conversion word selected by the user as the search keyword is a search keyword that is intensively referred to the record database in a predetermined period up to the present time, It is possible to present the user with related words that are frequently AND-searched in conjunction with the conversion frequency of the conversion word during the period. Therefore, an AND search can be performed with a plurality of appropriate search keywords, and the user can reliably obtain a record for reaching the target information. Further, since the plurality of search keywords are presented before actually inquiring the search engine for the search keywords, the user can save time required for information search. In the information search system 1 and the browser terminal, the search keyword inquiry frequency to the record database is reduced, and the load related to the search process is reduced.

=== Presentation method of event-related words ===
In the above embodiment, the event word extraction unit 20 adjusts the frequency of event related words in the related word database 16, so that the event related words are included in the related word list that the related word extraction unit 19 sends to the browser terminal 30. It was like that. The method for presenting event-related words is not limited to this method. For example, a database (event word database) in which an event period, an event word, and an event-related word are associated with each other is prepared separately, and the conversion word is converted by the browser terminal 30. If selected, the conversion word is queried in the event word database. If the conversion word is an event word, the event related word is added to the related word list created by the related word extracted by the related word extraction unit 19. The related word list may be updated, and the updated related word list may be sent to the browser terminal 30.

=== Event word extraction method ===
The event word of the above type (3) is not extracted based on the management information in the query database, but may be extracted from, for example, an article posted on a newspaper or news website (news site). . That is, an event word belonging to the type (3) is surely present in the news article. Therefore, the information search system 1 accesses a predetermined news site, acquires articles posted on the site, and extracts a combination of a plurality of words that frequently appear as event words and event-related words. These words are registered in the related word database in association with a predetermined frequency. As a result, when a user tries to obtain detailed information on a topic that has recently been attracting attention, when the user accesses his / her browser terminal to the search site, an AND is used to acquire a record that serves as a window to the target information source. A plurality of search keywords to be searched are surely presented.

It is a functional block block diagram of the information search system in the Example of this invention. It is the schematic of the search window page which the said information search system sends to a browser terminal. It is a graph which shows the search frequency of the event word and event related word which the event word extraction part in the said information search system extracts. It is a graph which shows the search frequency of the other event word and event related word which the said event word extraction part extracts. It is an implementation procedure figure of the event word information search service which the said information search system provides. It is the screen schematic displayed on a browser terminal in the provision process of the said event word information search service. It is the screen schematic displayed on a browser terminal in the provision process of the said event word information search service. It is the screen schematic displayed on a browser terminal in the provision process of the said event word information search service. It is the screen schematic displayed on a browser terminal in the provision process of the said event word information search service. It is the screen schematic displayed on a browser terminal in the provision process of the said event word information search service. It is the screen schematic displayed on a browser terminal in the provision process of the said event word information search service. It is the screen schematic displayed on a browser terminal in the provision process of the said event word information search service. It is the screen schematic displayed on a browser terminal in the provision process of the said event word information search service. It is the screen schematic diagram of the search result page which the above-mentioned information search system sends to a browser terminal.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information search system 10 WWW server 11 Search front part 12 Search engine 13 Record database 14 Query database 15 Dictionary database 16 Related word database 17 Kana character conversion part 18 Kana-Kanji conversion part 19 Related word extraction part 20 Event word extraction part 30 Browser terminal 40 Search window page 47, 47b Conversion word list 49, 49a Related word list 60 Search result page

Claims (14)

An information retrieval system,
A predetermined search keyword is associated with an event word at a predetermined time, and a specific search keyword is associated with the event word as an event-related word and managed, and the searched search keyword corresponds to the current event An information retrieval system comprising event word extraction means for extracting the event-related word corresponding to the event word if it corresponds to the word. In claim 1,
Consists of a computer system with a WWW server function,
A search engine that outputs records corresponding to the search keyword sent from the browser terminal that has been accessed,
Search result page return means for returning a search result page listing the records output by the search engine to the browser terminal;
Japanese conversion means for outputting a conversion word obtained by converting a given character into Kana-Kanji,
A conversion word list sending means for monitoring a key input situation in the browser terminal, giving a character key-input in the course of inputting a search keyword to the Japanese conversion means, and sending a list of corresponding conversion words to the browser terminal; With
The event word extracting means, when a search keyword in the list is searched at the browser terminal that sent the converted word list, if the search keyword corresponds to the event word corresponding to the current time, An information retrieval system, wherein the event-related word corresponding to a word is returned to the browser terminal. In claim 2,
A query database for managing a search history of search keywords by the search engine;
When a conversion word is selected by the browser terminal that has sent the conversion word list, a search keyword that has been frequently AND-searched with the conversion word in the past is listed as a related word based on the management information of the query database. A related word list returning means for returning the related word list to the browser terminal,
The event word extraction means uses the search keyword whose search history increases specifically during a specific period as the event word based on the management information of the query database, and is AND-searched together with the event word during the specific period A search keyword that has a search history that specifically increases is used as the event-related word, and if a conversion word selected from the conversion word list in the browser terminal corresponds to an event word, An information retrieval system comprising a corresponding event-related word so as to be distinguishable from other related words. In claim 3,
An input field for a search keyword to a browser terminal that has been accessed by designating a predetermined URL, a function for sending the search keyword input in the search keyword input field when a search instruction is issued at the browser terminal, and the browser The search window page sending means for sending a search window page including a control program interpreted and executed by the terminal;
It has a dictionary database that stores and manages the correspondence between alphabetic character strings and kana characters, and the correspondence between kana character strings and conversion words including kanji,
The Japanese language conversion unit sequentially acquires key input information sequentially input in the browser terminal, and extracts a kana character corresponding to a character string specified by the key input information from the dictionary database. And sending back a list of corresponding conversion words to the browser terminal by querying the dictionary database for a character string sent from the browser terminal,
The control program is:
A function for sending the key input information in the character input process to the Japanese conversion means one by one when there is a character input in the search keyword input field in the browser terminal;
A function of inputting the kana characters sent from the Japanese conversion means into the keyword input field;
When there is a predetermined key input corresponding to the conversion instruction in the browser terminal, a function of sending the kana characters input in the keyword input field to the Japanese conversion means;
A function for displaying a conversion word list returned from the Japanese conversion means and enabling selection of conversion words in the list;
A function of sending selection information to the related word extraction means when one conversion word is selected from the conversion word list in the browser terminal;
A function for displaying the related word list sent from the related word extracting means and selecting a related word in the related word list while selecting one converted word in the converted word list;
In the related word list, a function for displaying the event related words in an identifiable manner;
When one related word is selected from the related word list and there is a confirmation instruction while selecting one conversion word in the conversion word list on the browser terminal, the selected conversion word and the confirmation instruction are given. A function for inputting a related word into the keyword input field;
An information retrieval system comprising:   5. The event word extracting means according to claim 3, wherein the event word extracting means sets a search keyword whose query frequency drastically decreases after a specific day elapses at a specific time in a year as the event word. Characteristic information retrieval system.   5. The event word extraction unit according to claim 3, wherein the event word extraction unit, when an event related word corresponding to an event word changes with the passage of the specific period, corresponds to the time series of the specific period. An information retrieval system characterized by changing event-related words included in a word list.   5. The search keyword according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the event word extraction means uses the search keyword whose query frequency has rapidly increased during a recent predetermined period as an event word, and the AND search frequency has increased rapidly in conjunction with the query frequency of the event word. An information retrieval system characterized by using event-related words.   5. The method according to claim 3, wherein a word string is extracted by analyzing a character string included in a news article posted on a predetermined website, and a word whose appearance frequency has rapidly increased in a recent predetermined period is defined as an event word. An information search system characterized in that, among other words included in an article included in an event word, a word whose appearance frequency has increased rapidly in association with the appearance frequency of the event word is set as an event-related word. A computer program installed on a computer connected to a network,
A search step for outputting a record corresponding to a search keyword sent from a browser terminal that has been accessed,
A search result page returning step of returning a search result page listing the records output by the search engine to the browser terminal;
A Japanese conversion step of outputting a conversion word obtained by converting a given character into Kana-Kanji,
A conversion word list sending step of monitoring a key input situation in the browser terminal, giving a character key-input in the course of inputting a search keyword to the Japanese conversion step, and sending a list of corresponding conversion words to the browser terminal; ,
In addition to associating a predetermined search keyword as an event word with a predetermined time, and managing the event word in association with a specific search keyword as an event-related word, the list at the browser terminal that has sent the conversion word list When a certain search keyword is searched, if the search keyword corresponds to the event word corresponding to the current time, an event word extraction step of returning the event related word corresponding to the event word to the browser terminal;
An information retrieval program characterized by causing In claim 9,
A query database access step for accessing a query database for managing a search history of search keywords by the record search step;
Based on the management information of the query database, a plurality of search keywords at the time of AND search are associated with each other as related words, and related words managed by associating the frequency of AND search for each set of related words A related term database access step for accessing the database;
When a conversion word is selected in the browser terminal to which the conversion word list is sent, the conversion word is referred to the related word database, and the related word list in which the corresponding related words are listed in order of frequency is displayed in the browser terminal. A related word list returning step to be returned to
As well as
In the event word extraction step, based on the management information of the query database, a search keyword whose search history specifically increases during a specific period is set as an event word, and a search that is AND-searched together with the event word during the specific period If the conversion word selected from the conversion word list in the browser terminal corresponds to the event word, the event related word whose search history increases specifically among the keywords is managed in association, the related word list An information retrieval program characterized by including event-related words that are identifiable to and related to other related words.   11. The event word extraction step according to claim 10, wherein, in the event word extraction step, a search keyword that drastically decreases after a specific day elapses after the query frequency rapidly increases at a specific time in the year is defined as the event word. Information retrieval program.   11. The related word list according to claim 10, wherein, in the event word extraction step, when an event related word corresponding to an event word changes with the passage of the specific period, the related word list according to a time series of the specific period. An information search program characterized by changing event-related words to be included.   11. The event word extracting step according to claim 10, wherein the search keyword whose query frequency has rapidly increased in a recent predetermined period is set as an event word, and the search keyword whose AND search frequency has rapidly increased in association with the query frequency of the event word is defined as an event. An information search program characterized by being related words. 11. The event word extracting step according to claim 10, wherein in the event word extracting step, a word string included in a news article posted on a predetermined website is analyzed to extract a word, and a word whose appearance frequency has increased rapidly in a recent predetermined period. An information search program characterized in that, as an event word, a word whose appearance frequency increases rapidly in association with the appearance frequency of the event word among other words included in an article included in the event word is set as an event-related word.

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