JP2012008613A - Information search system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store information by adding, to search-result information, information reusable for a searching person, and re-search for the stored content in the following search and thereafter, allowing the previous search result and determination content to be readily and efficiently recalled, thereby contributing to a searching person, a group to which the person belongs and further to the progress of entire human beings.SOLUTION: The information search system allows reusable information such as a decision made by a person while viewing the search result to be added to searched information and stored together so as to allow the kinds of information to be re-searched for in the following search. For the purpose, the added information is stored along with a search condition and search result. An editor which is capable of displaying and editing all or a part of the searched information responding to an instruction by a searching person is provided. These pieces of information are opened to other people and allow them to accumulate the searched information for future use for their own purposes. Also, the other people are allowed to add information to, or refer to, searched information which is originally created by a creator or publisher of the information search system, and thereby convenience of search is improved.

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for searching for information stored in all information devices connected as communication destinations as well as a single information device used by an operator for communication using communication means such as the Internet. The present invention relates to an information search system that allows a searcher to add arbitrary information in addition to the searched information, save it, and reuse it.

  With regard to information retrieval, conventionally, there have been many retrievals within an independently constructed system or a single information processing device such as a word processor or a personal computer, mainly for text. However, with the development of communication means such as the Internet in recent years, there are an increasing number of systems that search for information stored in all information devices connected as communication destinations as well as information devices used for communication by workers. As a representative example, portal sites on the web such as Google (registered trademark) and Yahoo (registered trademark) are famous.

  When a keyword search is performed from a web portal site such as Google (registered trademark) or Yahoo (registered trademark) using an Internet browser, a list of search candidates is displayed as a search result. This list page can be saved using the URL save function of the browser, but it only saves the list of mechanically searched results as a lump, and adds human judgment results for individual items to it. , It cannot be the target of re-search.

  As techniques for reusing search results, there are techniques described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. However, all of these are intended to shorten the time of re-search by holding the previous search result and paying attention only to the difference.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for improving the hit rate of a search by giving information indicating whether or not the searcher is satisfied with the search result to the search result and providing it as reference information when the next searcher searches. There are techniques described. In this case, only information indicating whether or not the search is successful is added to the search result. Furthermore, there is a technique described in Patent Document 4 as a technique for adding a comment to a search result and storing it to facilitate reuse. This is because when searching for a character string in a single document, the location where the searched character string is found and the corresponding text comment are saved as a pair for convenience when reusing search results. Improved. However, the comment is merely identification information, and is used only in the process of limiting the search location at the time of reuse.

Japanese Patent No. 3451646 Japanese Patent No. 3631676 JP 2009-244922 A JP-A-7-319907

  When searching for keywords from web portal sites such as Google (registered trademark) and Yahoo (registered trademark) using an Internet browser, there are usually hundreds to tens of thousands of search candidates, depending on the keyword settings. In order to find out the information that the searcher needs, the searcher adds a keyword and performs a refined search. However, it is rare to reach the target information only by searching. Finally, it is necessary to open the search candidates one by one and check the contents to determine whether the information is necessary.

  If you repeat such actions, you may want to search again for information that you have searched in the past, or conversely, what you were able to search previously remembers some of the search keyword combinations. For this reason, it may become impossible to search, and information on the corner search result cannot be efficiently held and reused.

  The above problems were not only negative for searchers' personal information accumulation activities, but were also acquired by individual search activities for the groups to which searchers who share the purpose of the activity belong, or for the entire human race. It has a bigger problem that knowledge is difficult to share and reuse.

  In the present invention, information that can be reused by a searcher, such as content determined by looking at the result, is stored in the search result information, and the stored content is appropriately re-searched in subsequent searches. By doing so, it is intended to reliably and efficiently recall past search results and judgment contents, and to make use of it for the progress of the searcher, the group to which the searcher belongs, and the entire human race.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adds not only the information of the search result but also the information that can be reused by the searcher, such as the contents determined by looking at the search result, and saves it for the next and subsequent searches. By re-searching the saved contents as needed, past search results and judgment contents can be recalled reliably and efficiently to help the searcher, the group to which he belongs, and the entire human race. It is characterized by.

  That is, using a communication means such as the Internet, a system for searching information stored in all information devices connected as communication destinations as well as a single information device used by an operator for communication is constructed. At this time, in addition to the searched information, the searcher provides a function of adding arbitrary information and storing it, and re-searching including the information.

  Further, all or a part of the searched information or only the information on the information location is selected by the searcher's intention and stored. The storage location of the information to be saved includes the case where the information is stored in the information storage location installed in the information device operated by the searcher, and the information storage location installed in another information device connected to the device by communication means. In the case of saving in a place, it is preferable to add a function that can be selected according to the intention of the searcher or system administrator.

  Of course, first, the information including one or more keywords specified by the searcher is stored in the original information so that the searcher can select and save a part of the searched information from the searched information according to his intention. Even if the unit of information is stored or the storage location is different, if it is specified to display related information collectively, all the displayed information is displayed. In addition, a searcher adds a function of designating a part to be saved from the displayed information by using a pointing device such as a mouse.

  As a method for designating a part to be saved from the searched information, a function of automatically extracting and saving only a sentence including the search keyword from the searched information is added. At this time, for the sentences before and after the corresponding sentence, the range is automatically determined by counting the number of sentences before and after the sentence specified by the searcher, or only the part before the sentence including the search keyword Alternatively, it is preferable to prepare a function for determining a range to be saved by designating whether the searcher specifies whether only the portion after the sentence including the search keyword is the range. Regardless of how the storage range is determined, the search keywords used in the search are automatically stored for use as item headings.

  Furthermore, even when only the information on the location of the previously searched information is stored, the entire original information is obtained again, and the function of re-searching with the information added by the searcher is also provided.

  In addition, a function is provided that allows a searcher to select whether or not to include, in a search, a place where previously searched information is stored, when searching. At the same time, it also provides a function of re-searching only the place where the previously searched information is stored as a search target.

  In addition, when searching by including the location where previously searched information is stored in the search target, only the information part added by the searcher in the stored information is included in the search target and the original search There is also provided a means for selecting whether to include only information stored as information as a search target, or to include both as search targets according to the searcher's intention. As an optional feature to reduce the search time when both are included in the search target, the search is first performed only on the information part added by the searcher, and only the items that correspond to the search are re-stored to the original search information. A function for searching using information stored as is added.

  Next, when the operator wants to view information that has been searched and stored at any time, it also provides a function that can display and edit or delete items by item or a list of all items. In this case, the display order may be displayed based on the original search keywords as well as in alphabetical order. At this time, as long as the information storage location information is given appropriately, the information is saved so that the information can be accessed from within the same device or on the network according to the existing file system provided by the OS of the information device to be operated. The information to be performed should conform to a general format, whether text or image data.

  Items selected by the searcher from the list display are sent to the appropriate editor to display all of the saved content, and whether it is the information part added by the searcher or saved as the original search information Regardless of the information that is provided, both provide the ability to edit and delete the contents.

  In this way, when searching including the results of previous searches and adding information as appropriate and storing the results, the searcher is identified as an individual and the search is limited to past search information searched by the searcher himself / herself. A case where the information device used for the search is specified and the search is limited to the search information searched in the past by the information device, and a plurality of searchers or information devices are specified as a group and the group in the past When searching for only the search information that has been searched, or when searching for all search information that has been searched and accumulated in the past as the entire search system, the searcher himself or the person responsible for the group to which the searcher belongs Or, a function that can be selected by the person in charge of the entire system according to their authority is also provided.

  The method of controlling access according to the qualifications of such a searcher and the group to which the searcher belongs is not limited to the above-described search, but also when accessing and editing stored information.

  The above functions are related to the information retrieval system, such as the creator, provider, administrator, user, etc., belonging to the same organization, regardless of the unit or group that they belong to. However, the present invention also provides the following functions for providing a service to others other than the own organization.

  In other words, the creator of the information search system makes part or all of the information search system available to others using communication means such as the Internet, and others store their own search information and reuse it on their own. To obtain the consideration by allowing the other person to use the search information that was originally constructed by the creator / publisher of the information search system for the search. In order to make it possible, a function for permitting or restricting access via the Internet, a function for user authentication and billing, and a function for managing individual access such as accumulation of usage history information are provided.

  Furthermore, in order for others to use the information search system as individuals or groups, and to store and use search information dedicated to themselves or their own group, registration / deletion of information storage locations and group members, It also provides a public function that allows individual administrators to freely set individual access rights.

  In addition, the creator / publisher of the information search system prepares a common storage location for all users, and can be freely searched and referenced by others who have made it public, or search results made by others can be added. And the following functions necessary for its operation are also provided to allow users to add their own information to the search results.

  When registered information violates or is likely to violate the laws of each country, as an operator, the function of deleting the information itself or restricting access to the information according to the user's qualifications In addition, the function to periodically monitor the registered information, and the function to check the contents at the time of registration is also based on the keyword list prepared in advance, using the search function and the timer for automatic search. Realize. Naturally, the operation manager of the entire information retrieval system is also provided with a function for creating and updating the keyword list.

  According to the information search system of the present invention, each time a search is repeated, the user can not only reach the desired search result more appropriately, but also add his / her own knowledge on the accumulation of past search results. New information databases can be constructed, and higher knowledge can be reached through search activities. In addition, by sharing this information database not only with individuals but also with the group to which they belong and sharing the search results and added knowledge, it is possible to improve the knowledge within the group and improve the knowledge of the entire group. I can expect. By collecting the knowledge of all users on the Internet, the present invention is expected to make the search act as a simple individual action produce an effect of accumulating information and improve the knowledge of the entire human race. .

1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of an information search system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows roughly the internal structure of the information search system shown in FIG. It is the schematic which illustrates the data structure of the search management data which manages each search information among the data structures which memorize | store the search result and edit information of the information search system shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a data structure of search condition data for managing individual search conditions among data structures for storing search results and edit information of the information search system shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a data structure of search result data and additional information data for managing individual search results and edit / addition information among data structures for storing search results and edit information of the information search system shown in FIG. 2. . FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the data structure of group management data and personal management data among the data structures of group management information stored in accumulated data such as search results shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the data structure of device management data and attribute information data among the data structures of the group management information stored in the accumulated data such as search results shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the data structure of access management data among the access management information stored in the accumulated data such as search results shown in FIG. 2. 3 is a flowchart schematically showing a flow of processing of the information search system shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. It is a user authentication screen of the information search system shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2. This is a search main screen that is always displayed during a search in the information search system shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 is a detailed option designation screen related to retrieval and display of the information retrieval system shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and data storage. 3 is a search result list display screen for displaying search results of the information search system shown in FIG. 1 or 2 in a list format. 3 is a search result detail display screen for displaying details of individual search results of the information search system shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. It is a new text edit screen for saving each search result of the information search system shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. It is an information addition screen for a searcher to create and store additional information for each search result of the information search system shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3 is a stored data editing main screen for a searcher to delete, add, and edit information on the search result information stored in the information search system shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. When the searcher edits the search result information stored in the information search system shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the stored data edit batch selection screen for selecting the stored data according to the owner or the search date and time. is there. 3 is a stored data editing individual screen for a searcher to work while confirming the contents of each stored data when the searcher edits the search result information stored in the information search system shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. FIG. 3 is an end processing screen for deciding how to handle pending data and updating the original accumulated data when the use of the information search system shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 is ended.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the information search system of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the same number is assigned to the same element throughout the description of the embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an information search system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, the information search system of the present embodiment includes an information search server 110, a search system and temporary work data 120 stored therein, and accumulated data 130 such as search results as main components. The search system and temporary work data 120 include a search engine 121, a search related application 122, an information management application 123, and temporary work data 124. The search result accumulation data 130 includes common public information 131, group A dedicated information 132, group B dedicated information 133, and the like.

  The information search server 110 is connected to not only the management PC terminal 170 for the system administrator to manage the server 110 but also other information storage servers 150 and PC terminals 160 in the company through the intranet network 100. Has been. This intranet network 100 is connected to the Internet network via the Gate-Way server 101, so that not only internal users but also external users can use this information retrieval system.

  An external user connects to the Internet line network from the mobile terminal 192 via the base station 191 and the mobile terminal provider server 190 using not only the PC terminal 181 connected to the Internet line network but also the mobile terminal 192. Information stored in a large number of information storage servers 180 and 183 connected to the Internet network, information search server 110 or information storage server 150 of a company that operates this information search system itself can be searched. . Some users outside the company are connected to the Internet network via the information storage server 183, such as the PC terminal 182, but this user is also stored on the information storage server 183 directly connected to the user. In addition to the dedicated information, the public information 131 stored in the information search server 110 through the Internet line network, the group A dedicated information 132 if this user belongs to the group A, and the information storage General information such as the servers 150 and 180 can also be searched.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the information search system. A search request from the Internet is input to the search system and temporary work data 120 constructed on the information search server 110 from the Internet network through an input / output screen provided on the Web site. This is processed by the request processing unit 230, the search term and the search condition are determined, and the external search engine 201 is activated. The search result candidate list and detailed information extracted by the external search engine 201 from the information storage server 180 or the like connected on the Internet are stored in the external information search result 210. The request processing unit 230 obtains this information again, and displays it as a search result candidate list or detailed information to the user via the display processing unit 280. When a candidate is selected by the user, the detailed information is displayed. If further search is necessary, information is extracted from the outside again through the external search engine 201.

  At this time, depending on the search conditions of the user, the request processing unit 230 also issues a search instruction to the internal search engine 250 at the same time. Upon receiving the search instruction, the internal search engine 250 searches the information storage server 150 and the storage data 130 such as search results for information on the corresponding part according to the authority and setting conditions of the group to which the user belongs, Information is acquired and stored in the internal information search result 215. Similarly, the request processing unit 230 displays a search result candidate list and detailed information to the user through the display processing unit 280.

  When the user gives an instruction to save or add information to these search results, the request processing unit 230 activates the extraction processing unit 240 in response thereto. Search terms and search conditions are extracted through a search term / instruction extraction process 241, search results are extracted through a search result extraction process 242, and additional information from the user is extracted through an additional information extraction process 243. Through 260, the extracted information editing result 220 is stored in the corresponding part.

  The user not only saves the search result as an archive format of the web page (a plurality of files constituting the web page can be reproduced together) or character data, but also the result information is character data. If there is, you can edit it and change it to your own words, delete unnecessary parts, or add additional information to the resulting sentence and save it. In addition to the search results, add the archive results of other web pages that you specify as additional information, copy and paste data from other documents in the form of character data, or add your own documents It is also possible to create and add and save.

  Therefore, when the information already stored in the accumulated data 130 such as the search result is searched and displayed again by the internal search engine 250 or displayed as the information dedicated to them, or simply without performing a search act, When the dedicated information is called and edited by item or list format, the data input / output processing unit 270 is activated and stored in the accumulated data 130 such as the search result before the editing processing unit 260 starts editing. Detailed information is stored in the extracted information editing result 220 in advance. Next, the edit processing unit 260 calls the internal add process 261, delete process 262, edit process 263, and update process 264 according to the user's instruction, performs the edit, and the edit result is the extracted information edit result 220. To reflect. Further, after the user's editing process is completed, in response to the user's storage instruction, the request processing unit 230 activates the data input / output processing unit 270, and the editing result is stored as the original search result accumulated data 130. Store in the corresponding area. Of course, the group management information 136 and the access management information 137 are referred to according to the group to which the user belongs and the authority held, and control is performed so that only editing within the permitted authority can be executed. In the search result accumulation data 130, in addition to the common public information 131, dedicated information of various groups such as group A dedicated information 132 and group B dedicated information 133 is held. The update history information is also managed by the data configuration management information 135. In addition, since it is necessary to charge each group or individual for service provision, the charge management information 138 is also included in the search result storage data 130.

  FIG. 9 shows the flow of the above processing as a schematic flowchart. The user of the information search system can use the search service by logging in from the home page of the information search system provided on the Web site and receiving user authentication processing 905 in the search system. . Prior to this, in this information search system, the internal search DB update processing 900 for the internal search engine 250 is executed daily, and preparations are made so that high-speed search is possible. When the user logs in, the user authentication process 905 collates with the user information stored in the accumulated data 130 such as the search result. If the registered passwords match, the search system additionally acquires basic information related to the user stored in the accumulated data 130 such as search results by the existing basic information acquisition processing 910. Based on the data acquired here, a process 915 for transitioning to the search main screen is executed, and the main screen for search is displayed on the terminal device of the user.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of an authentication screen of this information search system. Each user accesses the information retrieval system using a Web browser installed in his / her device. When the user inputs the URL of the information search system in the URL input area 1003 in the browser specific area 1001, an authentication screen is displayed in the information search system specific area 1010. Reference numeral 1002 denotes an operation button area for giving various instructions to the browser. The user inputs the login ID of the user previously given by the administrator of the information retrieval system in the login ID input area 1020, inputs the password in the password input area 1030, and clicks the authentication execution button 1040. . If there is an error in the input information, a message is displayed in the message output area 1050, and re-input is performed according to the instruction. When it is authenticated by the user authentication process 905 in FIG. 9 that the user is an appropriate user, the search main screen shown in FIG. 11 is displayed on the terminal device of the user by the process 915 that shifts to the search main screen in FIG. Is displayed. Hereinafter, the diagrams showing the display examples of the screen are illustrated with the browser-specific area 1001 completely omitted.

  A search method will be described using the search main screen of FIG. The user inputs a plurality of search keys in the search key input area 1120 separated by spaces. It is selected with a relationship instruction selection button 1130 between search keys in the same input area whether the search is performed by connecting a plurality of input search keys with an AND condition or an OR condition. Similarly, a plurality of search keys can be input also into the search key input area 1125 below the search key input area 1125, and a search condition between them is selected with a selection button similar to the button 1130. The search key group input to the area 1120 and the search key group input to the area 1125 use the relationship instruction selection button 1140 between the search key input areas to specify whether to connect with an AND condition or an OR condition. Up to four search keys can be handled.

  Next, the search target selection button 1160 is used to search only for an external server connected via the Internet, or to the inside of the group including the information stored in the information search system. Specify whether to search only on the Internet or to search both externally and internally. The default is to search both outside and inside. Further, regarding the inside, an internal search range selection button 1170 is set to select only information stored in the information search system, whether to target other internal information, or both. Use to specify. The default is the entire interior including both. For the information stored in the information search system, the search range is limited to only the additional information added by the user by using the stored data search range selection button 1180 instead of storing the search result as it is. Can be narrowed down to those other than the additional information, or the entire information. The default here is the entire stored information including both. After the above selection is completed, when the search execution button 1150 is clicked (search request 920 in FIG. 9), the search is executed.

  Here, it returns to the schematic flowchart which shows the flow of the process of FIG. In response to the search request 920 on the screen of FIG. 11, the search request analysis process 922 divides the process into an external search and an internal search. The external search process 924 starts the external search engine 201 in FIG. 2 and searches for information stored in an external server indicated by 180 or 183 in FIG. The internal search processing 926 starts the internal search engine 250 of FIG. 2 and searches for information stored in the information storage server 150 and the stored data 130 such as search results. These search results are received, and the search result display processing 928 displays the search results on the user's terminal device.

  FIG. 13 shows an example of a search result list display screen. The search results are arranged in the search result list display area 1320 in the order of the score, etc., for example, divided into 20 pages and displayed together with an example of the extraction part including the search key. When the underlined title or URL address display portion is clicked, a detailed display screen of each search result is displayed as a separate window. FIG. 14 shows the search result detail display screen. When the user confirms the search result detail display area 1420 and presses, for example, a “save URL” button from the operation execution button group 1430, the URL of the displayed page is saved together with the search condition. When the “archive save” button is pressed, an archive of the displayed page is created and saved as archive data together with the search condition. When only a part of the displayed information is to be saved, the “new text” button is pressed to display another window shown in FIG. 15, and a new creation page for the designated editor appears there. The necessary part is pasted on the newly created page of FIG. 15 by cutting and pasting from the window that has been created, and the “save result” button in the action execution button group 1530 is pressed, so that the information edited by the editor is also used as a search condition. Save with.

  In the search result detail display screen of FIG. 14, a simple comment can be added and saved with the “Enter Comment” button, or another window shown in FIG. 16 can be opened with the “Add Information” button, and a new page of the editor can be opened. You can add information freely. Here, it is possible to bring information from a completely different information resource and save it, or to describe and save the content understood by the user. As a result, it is possible to construct a knowledge library by storing the information obtained by the search with further adding their own knowledge.

  The remaining operation buttons on the search result detail display screen of FIG. 14 will be described. “Hold (Temporary Save)” button is used to determine whether to save information for which it is difficult to decide whether to save the information temporarily. Use to do. The “hold (temporary storage)” button in FIGS. 15 and 16 is the same. The “direct edit” button is grayed out in this example and cannot be pressed. Some of the search results include things that can be edited directly in the editor, such as their own additional information saved in the past. In this case, this button is usually displayed as a button that can be pressed instead of grayed out. You can edit the contents directly by pressing.

  The confirmation result holding process 935 accompanying the result confirmation 930 and the additional information holding process 945 accompanying the information addition 940 in the schematic flowchart showing the processing flow of FIG. 9 correspond to the user's work described in FIGS. Done.

  Next, the existing information editing 950 will be described. Up to this point, search, accumulation of results, and addition of information have been described. However, it may be necessary to edit the accumulated information. When this edit request is issued, the existing detailed information acquisition process 955 operates in the search system, and all the related existing information is read from the stored data 130 such as search results, and the edit main screen transition process 957 is performed to store the stored data. Display the main editing screen.

  FIG. 17 shows an example of the stored data editing main screen. This screen 1710 is displayed as a separate window by pressing the “stored data edit” button 1190 from the search main screen shown in FIG. In the accumulated data list display area 1720 of FIG. 17, past search results that can be edited by the user are displayed as a list. The display order is determined in ascending or descending order with respect to a display key for display selected from a search key, a search date and time, and the like. In addition to the display key, the list screen displays search conditions, search results, additional information, links to management data, and some of their contents, and provides a check box for selection for each search unit. Has been. By directly clicking the link to the individual data or by checking the check box and pressing the “edit” button of the operation execution buttons 1730, each detailed data is displayed as a separate window. This is the stored data editing individual screen shown in FIG. When editing or addition is performed on this screen 1910 and the “save editing result” button of the operation execution buttons 1930 is pressed, the editing result is saved. If “Delete” button is clicked, data is deleted in units of data.

  Editing and deletion can be executed according to the above procedure, but if the number of accumulated data is large, it will be difficult to reach the desired search result. Therefore, when the “to collective selection” button is pressed on the stored data editing main screen 1710 of FIG. 17, the stored data editing batch selection screen 1810 shown in FIG. 18 is displayed in a separate window. On this screen 1810, data to be selected can be specified in units of individuals or groups, and data can be narrowed down at a level before or after the search date. When these conditions are determined and the “select execution” button of the operation execution buttons 1840 is pressed, a list of selected data is displayed in the accumulated data selection result display area 1830. Since the selection check boxes in this list are checked in a lump, if the check result is unchecked as necessary and the “result confirmation” button is pressed, the list data in FIG. 17 is narrowed down and redisplayed. . This function can be used for efficient editing.

  Some screens such as the search main screen in FIG. 11 and the edit main screen in FIG. 17 have a “detailed option” button. When this button is pressed, a detailed option designation screen 1210 shown in FIG. 12 is displayed. Various settings can be made using this screen. First, the “use common stored data” selection box can expand the use range of stored data to individuals, groups, and even to a range provided in common with the system. Specifically, when “individual data” is selected, the stored data of the individual user is searched, and when “in group” is selected, the stored data of the group to which the user belongs is searched, "" Is selected, the stored data of the entire system is set as a search target. Although not shown here, a setting that limits the usage range to “device” is also possible. “Development of original data URL” indicates whether or not to expand the URL in the internal search and include the contents written in the data at the location even when only the URL is stored as the search result. specify. In “search result display order”, the display order of search results can be selected from score order or update date order, and “display number” specifies the number of items to be displayed on one page. “Search result priority display” can specify whether the results are mixedly displayed or the internal or external priority is given when external search and internal search are performed simultaneously. Further, a location for storing information can be designated by “data storage destination URL”, and an editor to be used for editing can be selected by “editor selection”. In “Stored Data List Display Order”, ascending order or descending order can be selected as the list display order, and “Number of Displayed Items” can specify the number of search results displayed on one page. In the “accumulated data list display key”, a search key, a comment, additional information, and a search date and time can be specified as keys for determining the display order of the list displayed at the time of editing. When a search key, comment, or additional information is specified, the first word is adopted. The check positions and numbers in the check boxes shown in FIG. 12 are default values, and can be restored to the initial values at any time by the “initial value recovery” button. The “change execution” button can be used to confirm the setting of the option selected as described above, and the “cancel” button can be used to cancel the setting.

  The above is the contents of work in the information editing 960 of the schematic flowchart showing the processing flow of FIG. 9 and the editing information holding processing 965 in response thereto.

  When receiving a request for work result storage 970 from the user, the search system stores the work result in the search result storage data 130 by the work result information output process 975 executed by the data input / output processing unit 270 of FIG. To reflect. Finally, when a logout request is issued from the user, the search system updates the usage information by the user end process 980 and ends the series of processes.

  When the “end processing” button 1195 is pressed on the search main screen 1110 shown in FIG. 11, a transition is made to the end processing screen 2010 shown in FIG. The default setting of the hold data processing selection area 2020 is “confirm on individual screen”. Even if the “execute end” button is pressed as it is, the hold data (“hold (temporary save) in FIGS. 14, 15, 16 and 19) is displayed. The specification is such that the screen on which the individual hold process is executed is called again to confirm whether or not to save the data for which hold is specified with the “button”. In other words, consideration is given so as not to accidentally save or to end without saving. Even during the work, if the end processing screen 2010 is called and the “data update” button is pressed, the work contents up to that point can be reflected in the accumulated data 130 such as search results. Of course, if there is pending data at that time, the same processing is performed.

  The outline of the components and processing of the information search system has been described above. Hereinafter, detailed processing will be described while exemplifying a specific data structure in information processing.

  The purpose of this information retrieval system is to save not only the search result information but also the information that can be reused by the searcher, such as the contents judged by looking at the results. By re-searching the contents that have been made, the past search results and judgment contents can be called up reliably and efficiently to be used for the progress of the individual searcher, the group to which the searcher belongs, and the entire human race. For this purpose, a system for searching information stored in all information devices connected as communication destinations as well as a single information device used by an operator for communication is constructed using communication means such as the Internet. In addition to the searched information, the searcher adds arbitrary information and saves it, and provides a function of re-searching including the information.

  In order to make this process feasible, the search result information needs to be organized and stored so that it can be reused for the above purpose. The data structure for this is shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG. First, FIG. 3 shows a detailed data structure of the search result information 300. This data structure shows the data structure when the search result information is held on the extraction information editing result 220 or the search result storage data 130 of FIG. The search result information 300 includes search management data 310, search condition data 330, search result data 350, and additional information data 370. The search management data 310 is used to store the search condition data 330, the search result data 350, and the additional information data 370 in association with the searched person and the information device used for the search.

  Hereinafter, the contents of the search management data 310 will be described in detail. When a user browses the home page of the information search system using the Internet line network or intranet line in order to use the information search system, a screen for specifying a plurality of search keywords and a search condition indicating their relationship (FIG. 11) is displayed. When a search condition is specified on this screen and a search is instructed, URLs of searched candidates are displayed as a list as a search result (FIG. 13). The user designates the URL to be viewed from the displayed list and looks at the detailed information. When the user instructs to save the result by a button on the Web page, the search action The following information is stored for each time.

  First, in the field of the personal ID 311, user information registered in advance is stored as personal management data 630 (FIG. 6) in order to specify the searched person, and the user in the personal management data 630 is stored. Stores the address that points to the specified record. Next, in the field of search time 312, the searched time is stored as 4 digits of the calendar year + 2 digits of the month + 2 digits of the day + 2 digits of the time + 2 digits of the minute + 2 digits of the second. As the time data, the local time set in the information retrieval device such as a PC used for the retrieval is adopted. A combination of these two fields is used as a search ID for identifying each search action. Since the same personal pointer (ascending order) 313 and the same personal pointer (descending order) 314 are referred to from the personal management data 630 when the search management data 310 is referred to, the address is based on the address of the first record and the number of records. (Refer to the search management address 633 and the number of search managements in FIG. 6), which is used as a pointer for connecting search data belonging to the same individual. The reason why two pointers in ascending order and descending order are used is to perform high-speed switching of records accompanying data deletion or addition. The search condition TBL address 315 and the number of search condition TBLs 316 are pointers used when referring to the search condition data 330 described in detail in FIG. Similarly, the search result TBL address 317 and the search result TBL number 318 are pointers used when referring to the search result data 350 described in FIG. Similarly, the additional information TBL address 319 and the number of additional information TBLs 320 are pointers used when referring to the additional information data 370 in FIG. Further, the same device pointer 322 as the search information device ID 321 is used to allow the search management data 310 to be referred to from the device management data 650 (FIG. 7).

  In addition, the fields below the referenceable range 323 are used to limit access to the search result information 300 in units of records in the search management data 310 in conjunction with the access management data 810 in FIG. In other words, the referable range 323 designates a range in which the search information related to the search management data can be referred to. The searchable range 323 is limited to the searched individual or device, can be referred to in the specified group, and further this information search Specify whether to allow access to everyone using the system. At this time, when a group is designated, the address is specified from the groups registered in the group management data 610 in FIG. 6 using the field of reference group designation 324. Similarly, in the reference and addable range 325, the range in which information can be added in addition to the reference is still limited to the searched individual or device, or allowed in the specified group, and further this information search system is used. Specify whether to allow all who are. Here again, when a group is designated, the group is designated by the reference addition group designation 326. Here, it may seem strange to allow all users who use this information retrieval system to add information as well as to reference, but due to the intention of the inventor to help improve the knowledge of the entire human race. It is possible to select and implement. No change or deletion is allowed, but it is based on the judgment that it can be restored later if it is added. In this sense, the level 327 that can be changed and deleted does not include “all” as an option, but is selected from an individual, a device, an entire group, or a group manager. When a group or group manager is designated, the group is specified by the change / delete group designation 328.

  Note that the common public information 131 in the accumulated data 130 such as the search result in FIG. 1 is a collection of search result information in which the referenceable range 323 of the data structure is “all”. Similarly, the group A dedicated information 132 is a collection of search result information in which the referenceable range 323 is “group” and the reference group designation 324 is group A.

  The above is the details of the search management data 310 for managing the search information for each case shown in FIG.

  Next, the search condition data 330 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. When storing the search results, reusability is enhanced by storing the search results in pairs with the search conditions used for the search. Therefore, the search conditions are stored in the search condition data 330 so that the search management data 310 can refer to them. The search key TBL address 331 and the number of search key TBLs 332 are used as pointers for tracing a plurality of search terms stored in the search key TBL. That is, from the position in the search key TBL indicated by the search key TBL address 331, the number indicated by the search key TBL number 332 is a search word corresponding to one record of the search condition data 330. A relationship 333 between the search keys indicates whether the plurality of search terms are connected by the AND condition or the OR condition. At this time, the search key TBL indicates the search key character string by the search key character TBL address 341 and the search key character TBL number 342 so that the number of characters of the search word can be handled variably. That is, the character codes 345 corresponding to the number indicated by the search key character TBL number 342 are sequentially stored from the position in the search key character TBL indicated by the search key character TBL address 341 and stored in the search key character 345. The character code can be followed one by one.

  When the search condition data 330 is traced from the search management data 310 corresponding to one search action, one search condition TBL address 315 and the number of search condition TBLs 316 shown in FIG. (FIG. 4) can be traced because the search condition data 330 is combined for a plurality of records so that a search condition with parentheses can be remembered. At this time, one record of the search condition data 330 corresponds to one parenthesis, and an AND or OR condition indicating the relationship between them is shown in the relationship 334 with the previous search key group. When the number of search condition TBLs 316 is 1, that is, when searching with a plurality of search terms that do not use parentheses, there is only one search condition data 330, so only the first record indicated by the search condition TBL address 315 is present. Since the relationship 334 with the previous search key group is not used, zero is inserted for convenience.

  Next, details of the search result data 350 for storing the search results and the additional information data 370 for storing additional information will be described with reference to FIG. First, the search result data 350 has a field of the original data URL 351 for storing the URL of the original data. This corresponds to the searcher's intention to store only the URL of the original data as a search result and store only the URL of the original data and refer to it as necessary. When the search result information is specifically stored, the search result storage TBL address 352 and the search result storage TBL number 353 are used. Using this pointer, the number of result storage TBLs is referenced. There is a Web page archive URL or character data storage destination URL 361, which stores the specific URL of the data in the storage destination of the result designated by the searcher or the manager of the group to which the searcher belongs. . In the case of a Web page archive, it is only displayed using a browser, but in the case of character data, an edit target (character data) identification flag 362 is also prepared so that it can be edited using an editor. .

  After preparing the above devices, all or a part of the searched information or only the information on the information location is selected according to the intention of the searcher and stored. The storage location of the information to be saved includes the case where the information is stored in the information storage location installed in the information device operated by the searcher, and the information storage location installed in another information device connected to the device by communication means. In the case of saving in a place, a function that can be selected according to the intention of the searcher or the manager of the group to which the searcher belongs, or the administrator of the entire system is added (designation of the data storage destination URL in FIG.

  Of course, first, the information including one or more keywords specified by the searcher is stored in the original information so that the searcher can select and save a part of the searched information from the searched information according to his intention. Even if the unit of information is stored or the storage location is different, if it is specified to display related information collectively, all the information to be displayed is displayed. In addition, a function for a searcher to designate a part to be saved from the displayed information by using a pointing device such as a mouse is added (designation of “new text” in FIG. 14 and the like). As a method for designating a part to be saved from the searched information, a function of automatically extracting and saving only a sentence including the search keyword from the searched information is added. At this time, for the sentences before and after the corresponding sentence, the range is automatically determined by counting the sentences before and after the number of sentences specified by the searcher, or only the part before the sentence including the search keyword In addition, a function for determining a range to be stored by the searcher specifying whether only the portion after the sentence including the search keyword is the range is added. Regardless of how the storage range is determined, the search keywords used in the search are automatically stored for use as item headings.

  Furthermore, even when only the information on the location of the previously searched information is stored, the entire original information is obtained again, and the search function is added together with the information added by the searcher. In addition, when searching, a function is added that allows the searcher to select whether or not to include the location where the previously searched information is stored in the search target. specify. At that time, it is also possible to perform a re-search by making only the place where the previously searched information is stored as a search target. In addition, when searching by including the location where previously searched information is stored in the search target, only the information part added by the searcher in the stored information is included in the search target and the original search It is possible to select the case where only the information stored as information is included in the search target and the case where both are included in the search target depending on the intention of the searcher. As an optional feature to reduce the search time when both are included in the search target, the search is first performed only on the information part added by the searcher, and only the items that correspond to the search are re-stored to the original search information. There is also a function to search using information stored as.

  At this time, as the type of information added by the searcher, the character data stored as the search result is the same as the case where the searcher added or deleted the same data, and another character data storage destination If you have created and saved new text data by yourself, or you simply added a comment to the dedicated area prepared by this information retrieval system for the original data. is there. Therefore, the following fields are also prepared in the search result data 350 in order to distinguish and store such information. First, since the original search result storage location is on the result storage TBL referred to by the result storage TBL address 352 and the result storage TBL number 353 introduced earlier, whether or not the original information is simply stored in this state. On the other hand, it is impossible to distinguish whether character data is being edited. Therefore, a field for a result edit flag 358 is prepared, and a save flag is set in the field when the original data is simply saved, and an edit flag is set when the original data is edited. By the way, since it is often decided whether or not to save the search result after viewing the candidate list, there is also a function to hold it as a candidate for storage for the time being. A hold flag is recorded in the result edit flag 358. If this hold flag remains at the end of the search, it is confirmed by a function for inquiring the searcher whether or not to save, and if it is not saved, it is changed to a deletion flag and discarded at the time of saving. If save is selected, an edit or save flag is stored depending on whether the original data has been edited or not. Next, another character data storage destination is prepared for the original search result and added to the search result data 350 in case the character data is newly created and saved by itself. A field for information TBL address 354 and additional information TBL number 355 is prepared. Using this pointer, the additional information TBL in the additional information data 370 is accessed. The additional information TBL includes a Web page archive URL field or a character data storage URL URL field 371 indicating a storage location of information added independently by the searcher in addition to the search result. In this case as well as the result storage TBL, in the case of a Web page archive, it is only displayed using a browser, but in the case of character data, it is edited so that it can be edited using an editor. A (character data) identification flag 372 is prepared. In order to deal with the case of another type of comment that remains at the end, a field of comment character TBL address 356 and comment character TBL number 357 is prepared, and this is used as a pointer to comment character 375 of comment character TBL (FIG. 4). The character code of the comment is stored in the field for the number of characters.

  In order to efficiently provide the above mechanism to a plurality of users, the group management information 136 is important. Details of the group management information 136 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6, the group management information 136 includes group management data 610, personal management data 630, device management data 650, and attribute information data 670. Among them, the group management data 610 is further composed of the following fields. First, the group name 611 stores a character string of the group name of the corresponding record. The upper group address 612 indicates an address on the main TBL of a record corresponding to the upper (one higher) group in the group hierarchical structure. On the contrary, the lower group address 613 and the lower group number 614 are pointers for tracing a record group corresponding to a group belonging to the lower level (one lower level) of this group. The record of this group also has a field of the same row group pointer 615, which indicates the address on the main TBL of the next group of the same hierarchy as a chain connecting the groups belonging to the same hierarchy. Although there is one upper hierarchy group, there can be a plurality of lower hierarchy groups, so the above four fields are prepared to handle these hierarchical structures. By using the in-group group pointer 615, it is possible to follow changes in the hierarchical structure between groups.

  In addition, the group management data 610 includes a management authority holder address 616, which can identify an individual who has management authority for the group. The belonging individual address 617 and the belonging individual number 618 serve as a pointer when referring to the personal management data 630 and can follow all the individuals belonging to the group. The charging management address 619 plays a role of connecting the group and the charging management information 138, and the access management address 620 similarly plays a role of connecting the group and the access management information 137. The affiliated device address 621 and the number of affiliated devices 622 are used as pointers for referring to the device management data 650 in order to obtain information on devices belonging to the group.

  Next, as details of the personal management data 630, the personal name 631 stores a character string of the personal name, and the same group pointer 632 is a pointer for tracing individuals belonging to the same group. The search management address 633 and the search management number 634 are for tracing the search management data 310 in units of individuals, and can be traced using the same personal pointer (ascending order) 313 and the same personal pointer (descending order) 314. The affiliation group address 635 plays a role of connecting the individual and the affiliation group, and the access management address 636 similarly plays a role of connecting the individual and the access management information 137. The attribute information address 637 and the attribute information number 638 are used as pointers when referring to the attribute information data 670.

  FIG. 7 shows details of the device management data 650. The device name 651 stores a character string of the device name. The same group pointer 652 is used when tracing devices belonging to the same group. The search management address 653 and the search management number 654 are used to trace the search management data 310 from the device and use the same device pointer 322. The affiliation group address 655 serves to link the device to the group to which the device belongs, and the access management address 656 similarly serves to link the device to the access management information 137. The attribute information address 657 and the attribute information number 658 are used as pointers when referring to the attribute information data 670. The Mac address 659 of the device stores the Mac address of the device and is used when specifying the device, and the management authority holder address 660 specifies an individual who has the management authority of the device.

  The attribute information data 670 is described in detail below. The attribute character TBL address 671 and the attribute character TBL number 672 are used to refer to the variable-length character code stored in the attribute character 675 in the attribute character TBL. . Therefore, the character string of the attribute can be arbitrarily set. The same individual / device pointer 673 is used to allow a plurality of attributes to be assigned to a specific individual or device. After that, the attribute classification 674 stores an attribute classification code so that a character string of the attribute itself can be arbitrarily set, but several types of classification as an attribute are possible.

  Next, details of the access management information 137 will be described with reference to FIG. The access management data 810 includes the following fields, which are referred to from group management data, personal management data, and device management data. The lowest level 811 in which access authority can be set has setting authority when setting access rights such as reference, addition, change, and deletion for each record of the search management data 310 belonging to the group / individual / device. To set whether the lowest level is permitted up to the individual or device level where the search was performed, or whether it is permitted only by a higher-level group administrator or, in some cases, an administrator of the entire information retrieval system. Used for. If the setting content of this field is a group manager, the lowest group designation field 812 is used to identify which group. As in the case of the lowest group, the manager of the group at a higher hierarchy than the group designated at this time automatically has setting authority. Further, the field of the lowest level 813 in which the access authority can be changed designates a person who has the authority to change the setting contents of 811, and is used to enable the upper group manager to delegate authority. Similarly, when a group manager is set, the field of the lowest group designation 814 is used to identify which group. By using these, it becomes possible for the manager of each level to appropriately set the access authority to the search information for the subordinate groups. The authentication password 815 is a field for storing a password set for a group, an individual, or a device, and the password setting date 816 stores a password last update date. The password authentication management method selection 817 can also be set so that personal authentication can be used for groups and devices. The password validity period 818 stores the password validity days in order to manage password expiration. The login ID for authentication 819 stores the login ID for authentication of a group, an individual, or a device. The authentication permission flag 820 is used when authentication is prohibited or when a message for changing the temporary password is issued at the first login. .

  Next, when the operator wants to view information that has been searched and stored at any time, it is possible to display a list of items or all items in a list for editing and deletion (FIG. 17). Complement. In this case, the display order is displayed based on the original search keyword or the like in alphabetical order or according to the search date. At this time, as long as the information storage location information is given appropriately, the information is saved so that the information can be accessed from within the same device or on the network according to the existing file system provided by the OS of the information device to be operated. The information to be performed follows a general format, whether it is text or an archive of a Web page including image data. In addition, the items selected by the searcher from the list display are sent to the appropriate browser or editor to display all of the saved content, whether it is the information part added by the searcher or the original Whether it is information stored as search information, if it is character data, the contents can be edited or deleted by using an editor.

  In this way, when searching including the results of previous searches and adding information as appropriate and storing the results, the searcher is identified as an individual and the search is limited to past search information searched by the searcher himself / herself. A case where a plurality of searchers or information devices are specified as a group and the search is limited to search information searched in the past in the group, and all search information searched and accumulated in the past as the entire search system The functions that can be selected according to the authority of the searcher himself / herself, the person in charge of the group to which the searcher belongs, or the person in charge of the system as a whole have the data structure described so far. Has been implemented using. The method of controlling access based on the qualifications of such searchers and the groups to which they belong is not limited to searching as described above, but also when accessing and editing stored information. Yes.

  As mentioned above, the functions explained so far are mainly related to the information retrieval system, such as creator, provider, administrator, user, etc. Anyway, although prepared for providing a service to the own organization, the present invention also provides the following functions for providing a service to others other than the own organization. In other words, the creator of the information search system makes part or all of the information search system available to others using communication means such as the Internet, and others store their own search information and reuse it on their own. To obtain the consideration by allowing the other person to use the search information that was originally constructed by the creator / publisher of the information search system for the search. In order to make this possible, the information retrieval system has functions for permitting and restricting access via the Internet, user authentication and billing functions, and individual user access management functions such as the accumulation of usage history information. Yes. The search result storage data 130 constructed on the information search server 110 in FIG. 1 includes common public information 131 that can be referred to and added by all users. Group-specific information 131, 132, etc. are prepared by a searcher who uses this information search system from an external PC terminal 182 via an information storage server 183 held by the organization. If it is desired to construct group-dedicated information in the information storage server 183 of its own organization, this is possible, and the information is recorded in the data configuration management information 135 of FIG. It is constructed and operated on the storage server 183.

  Furthermore, in order for others to use the information search system as individuals or groups, and to store and use search information dedicated to themselves or their own group, registration / deletion of information storage locations and group members, A public function in which an administrator of another authorized person can freely set individual access authority can be provided using the detailed data structure of the group management information 136 and the access management information 137 described above. It has become.

  In addition, the creator / publisher of the information search system prepares a common storage location for all users, and can be freely searched and referenced by others who have made it public, or search results made by others can be added. In addition, the following functions necessary for its operation are also provided in order to permit the addition of others' own information to the search results. For example, when the registered information violates or may violate the laws of each country, as an operator, delete the information itself, or restrict access to the information according to the user's qualifications. A function to regularly monitor registered information, and a function to check the contents at the time of registration are also based on the keyword list prepared in advance and the timer for automatic search as described above. Can be realized. Of course, the operation manager of the entire information retrieval system is also provided with a function for creating and updating the keyword list.

  As mentioned above, although the specific embodiment was shown and demonstrated about the information search system of this invention, this invention is not limited to these. Various changes and improvements can be added to the configurations and functions of the invention according to the above-described embodiments or other embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  In particular, regarding the storage form of search results, various formats such as image data, graphic data, audio data, moving image data, and tabular data are conceivable. If an appropriate editor can be prepared, not only display but also the above-mentioned Various data can be edited and information added.

  The information search system of the present invention is useful not only for collecting various personal information by searching through the Internet network, but also for teaching tools for the group to which the searcher belongs and knowledge of the individual, the group, and the entire human race. It can also be used as a database construction tool.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Intranet network, 101 ... Gate-Way server, 110 ... Information search server, 120 ... Search system and temporary work data, 121 ... Search engine, 122 ... Search related application, 123 ... Information management application, 124 ... Temporary work Data, 130 ... Accumulated data such as search results, 131 ... Common public information, 132 ... Group A exclusive information, 133 ... Group B exclusive information, 135 ... Data configuration management information, 136 ... Group management information, 137 ... Access management information, 138 ... billing management information, 150 ... information storage server, 160 ... PC terminal, 170 ... management PC terminal, 180, 183 ... information storage server, 181, 182 ... PC terminal, 190 ... mobile terminal provider server, 191 ... base station, 192: Mobile terminal 201: External search engine 210: External information Search results, 215 ... Internal information search results, 220 ... Extracted information editing results, 230 ... Request processing section, 240 ... Extraction processing section, 241 ... Search word / instruction extraction, 242 ... Search result extraction, 243 ... Additional information extraction, 250 ... internal search engine, 260 ... edit processing unit, 261 ... addition processing, 262 ... deletion processing, 263 ... edit processing, 264 ... update processing, 270 ... data input / output processing unit, 280 ... display processing unit.

Claims (5)

An information retrieval system that retrieves not only information stored in an information device used by a user but also information stored in an external information device that can communicate via a network,
An internal search engine for searching for information stored in the information device used by the user;
An external search engine that searches for information stored in an external information device that can communicate via the network;
A means for entering search criteria;
Means for executing a search by the search engine with the input search condition and obtaining the search result;
Means for inputting additional information arbitrarily added by the user regarding the search;
Means for associating and storing the search conditions, search results, and additional information entered by the user;
With saved search criteria, search results and means to edit additional information,
An information search system, wherein the search engine, search results, and additional information can be re-searched by the search engine. The information search system according to claim 1,
The information search system according to claim 1, wherein the means for storing the search result stores a range designated by the user among the search results returned from the search engine. The information search system according to claim 1 or 2,
The information search system further comprising means for selecting a storage means connected to an information device used by the user or a storage means connected to an external information device as means for storing the search result. In the information search system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The storage unit further includes means for selecting whether to search only for additional information added by the user, whether to search for other information other than the additional information, or to search for both. An information retrieval system characterized by that. In the information search system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
When the search condition, the search result, and additional information input by the user are stored in association with each other, the information specifying the individual who performed the search and the information specifying the group to which the individual belongs are associated with the information. Save
When the user searches, the search information searched by the user himself / herself in the past is searched, or the search information searched by the member of the group to which the user belongs in addition to the search information searched by the user himself / herself in the past. An information search system further comprising means for selecting whether to search as a target or whether to search the entire system.

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