JP2000181932A - Information storage and retrieval device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information storage and retrieval device for being retrieval oriented and retriever oriented, making a retriever himself easily perform customization and storing/retrieving information altogether for each concept. SOLUTION: A keyword virtual storage space for expressing conceptual extent whose core is a keyword inputted from a keyword input part 20 or the like is set by a keyword virtual storage space management part 30. A space axis can be the attribute of the information as well. The information is arranged/stored in a space by an information storage control part 40. It can be arranged corresponding to the attribute by detecting the attribute of registration information by an attribute detection part 31. Linkage between the information and with an external information source can be set by a hyper link setting part 41. The information is displayed by an information display part 50 and retrieved by an information retrieval part 60. For the retrieval, an attribute information filter 61 is utilized and the retrieval for which the attribute value of the information is specified is made possible as well. Access is managed by an access management table 32 and an access right management part 34.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an information storage and retrieval apparatus for organizing and integrating information. In particular,
Maintain a state where specified information can be easily searched and obtained when necessary, without being aware of the information transmission / reception positions such as the information requester and provider, and the location where the information is located. In addition, the present invention relates to an information storage and retrieval device that organically holds information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of network systems such as the Internet in recent years, opportunities for storing, transmitting, searching, and acquiring information have explosively increased. The problem of how to accumulate a large amount of data on a network and how to search and acquire it is an important technical problem. For example, in an information access method performed using a World Wide Web (WWW) browser, a function of providing a hyperlink between information is provided to some extent. Or provide information that serves as an index.

[0003] On the other hand, there are many such enormous information mountains that are irrelevant information or have not reached desired quality.
Since the information transmitter does not always transmit information from the viewpoint of the information acquisition side, it is often difficult to obtain really necessary information.

[0004] With such a change in the environment, it has become necessary to effectively deal with a large amount of diverse information. Instead of the conventional consciousness of collecting all information that is likely to be relevant, it is necessary to select the information that one wants and to actively sort and handle it.

Conventional information storage and retrieval devices include a keyword retrieval system using a keyword by preparing a systematic thesaurus, a retrieval system using a retrieval engine, a link collection-based index retrieval system, a meta retrieval server system, and a workflow. Information collective management system.

In a keyword search system, keywords assumed by the system are systematically prepared as a thesaurus, and when storing information, a predetermined number of keywords or all possible keywords are assigned. The user inputs keywords that are likely to be related from the thesaurus, extracts information by trial and error, and narrows down the information.

A search system using a search engine is:
A part that collects documents while sequentially accessing and specifying servers on the Internet / intranet using robots, etc., a mechanism that analyzes and indexes them, and a search for certain keywords and documents by conserving them It has a mechanism to list documents close to it.

[0008] The link collection-based index search system mainly uses an index in which a list of information on the Internet / intranet is manually created. Information is appropriately classified and organized into categories considered appropriate.

A meta search server system is a system that uses a search server that integrates, organizes, and returns results from a plurality of search servers. Some have a mechanism such as changing the way to draw depending on the type of word.

[0010] The workflow information collective management system is
This system aims at integration including all tasks such as generation, change, transmission and browsing of information related to a specific task.

[0011]

The above conventional information storage and retrieval system has the following problems.

First, the conventional information storage and retrieval system has a problem that the information storage system is not customized for the individual information retriever. In other words, it is a system that is determined uniformly for the entire system, or a system that is determined and created by the information sender such as a hyperlink. For this reason, the accumulated information is not accumulated in a preferable system as viewed from the individual side of the searcher, and in some cases it is inconvenient for the information management and search by the searcher.

Secondly, in the conventional information storage and retrieval system, the approach to the information for the searcher focuses on mere browsing and search, and the searcher processes the information after searching. And the information storage location / system cannot be freely changed.

Third, the information storage system is complicated. As the amount of information becomes large and diversified, the conventional information storage and retrieval system described above has a complicated information storage system and hierarchy, and the processing is inefficient both at the time of organizing and storing information and at the time of searching for information. There was a problem that would be.

Fourth, there is a problem that information may be inadvertently classified and, as a result, unified management of information may not be possible. In other words, at the time of organizing and storing information, although the information is classified and stored separately from a certain viewpoint, even if both are related and necessary at the viewpoint at the actual retrieval time, the storage locations are different, so the necessary information is different. May not be aligned.

An object of the present invention is to provide an information storage and retrieval apparatus which is search-oriented, searcher-oriented, and can be easily customized by the searcher himself, in order to solve the above problems.

[0017]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned conventional object, an information storage and retrieval apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a storage device;
A keyword input unit that inputs a keyword, a keyword virtual storage space management unit that allocates a storage area of the storage device to the keyword, and manages the storage area allocated to the keyword as a storage space that the keyword virtually has. An information storage control unit, wherein the keyword virtual storage space management unit stores the one piece of information in the storage area when storing one piece of information based on a user's designation by the information storage control unit. With the above-described configuration characterized in that information is managed by virtually arranging and storing the information in the storage space, a keyword virtual storage space of the keyword can be set with the keyword as a core, and various types of information can be stored in the space. By arranging, information can be stored and retrieved.

Here, the keyword virtual storage space is a virtual storage space constructed for each keyword to integrate and save information links and information itself, and the concept represented by the keyword is expressed in the virtual storage space. Will be organized. Any key may be specified for the keyword. By creating this virtual storage space for each keyword, it becomes easier to handle units of information organization and access to the organized information. For human beings, there is an advantage that when expressing a certain concept, it is easy to express according to the keyword.

Next, the information storage control unit includes a hyperlink setting unit for setting a hyperlink between information,
It is preferable that the information to be stored includes hyperlink information to another keyword virtual storage space, which is included in the information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space.

Preferably, the information to be stored includes hyperlink information indicating connection to information in an external storage device connected via a network.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a connection between information arranged for each keyword virtual storage space, and to store and retrieve information flexibly. The connection between the information can be provided between information in the keyword virtual storage space, between information traversing the keyword virtual storage space, and between information distributed on the network.

Next, it is preferable that the hyperlink set by the hyperlink setting unit has a binding strength.

With the above configuration, the strength of the connection between the information linked by the hyperlink can be provided, and the information becomes effective for a search following the hyperlink.

Next, the information includes, in addition to the information to be searched later, hyperlink information indicating a concept of an individual, an organization, and a project and a connection between the concepts, and stores the concept in the keyword virtual storage space. Is preferably arranged and stored, and inter-project cooperation and human cooperation are managed by hyperlinks between the concepts.

According to the above configuration, the keyword virtual storage space is used to store the information and capabilities of the person in the keyword of the person, and if the person relation and the organizational relation are given by the hyperlink, the person / organization is obtained. The project network can be managed by setting hyperlinks to the people and organizations with the information and skills necessary for project execution using the project as a keyword.

Next, it is preferable that the information includes software and tools in addition to the information to be searched later, and the keyword virtual storage space can be used as a virtual cabinet in a computer window.

With the above configuration, not only the conventional database software but also the general data including software and tools that can be used on a computer as well as the organization and storage of information to be searched later, A virtual organizing space for information such as a virtual reality cabinet constructed in this manner can be provided.

Next, the keyword virtual storage space management unit includes an attribute detection unit for detecting an attribute of information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space, and an arrangement location of the information in the keyword virtual storage space. Is preferably a position corresponding to the result of sorting along the attribute of the information.

According to the above configuration, when arranging and storing information in the keyword virtual storage space, the information can be organized using various attributes of the information. Attribute information includes, for example, storage date and time, information creation date and time, information creator, information source medium, information confidentiality level, information language, information field, auxiliary keyword added at the time of registration, The information may include auxiliary keywords automatically extracted according to the prepared thesaurus, and may be appropriately determined by the user. Arranging them at positions corresponding to the results of sorting according to these attributes is effective for organizing the keyword virtual storage space.

Next, it is preferable that the information storage and retrieval device includes an information display unit, and the information display unit visually displays information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to visually grasp the state of storing and organizing information, and to visually grasp the existence of stored information at the time of retrieval.

Next, it is preferable that the information storage and retrieval device includes an information retrieval unit, and the information retrieval unit retrieves and retrieves information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space.

[0033] It is preferable that the information retrieval unit includes an attribute information filter for selecting information according to the attribute of the information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space.

According to the above configuration, information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space can be searched. When a large amount of information is arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space, the search information is further determined by attributes or the like. The search can be narrowed down, and an efficient search can be performed.

Next, it is preferable that the keyword virtual storage space management unit includes an access management table for holding access history information on the number of times and time of access for each of the keyword virtual storage spaces.

With the above configuration, it is possible to manage the access history and access status to the information stored in the keyword virtual storage space, and to manage the information according to the access status. For example, at the time of search, only those accessed within a specific time can be selected, or the access date and time can be displayed in chronological order.

Next, the keyword virtual storage space management section includes a keyword evaluation section, and the keyword evaluation section deletes the keyword virtual storage space whose access frequency is less than a certain value according to the access history information held in the access management table. It is preferable that the keyword having the keyword is evaluated as a keyword that is not suitable for the search and is notified to the keyword virtual storage space management unit.

It is preferable that the keyword virtual storage space management unit automatically deletes a keyword virtual storage space that has not been accessed for a certain period according to the access history information stored in the access management table.

With the above configuration, an inappropriate keyword that can be a major cause of stored information is evaluated and selectively corrected to prevent the information placed and stored in the keyword virtual storage space from being stored and stored information. Can be effectively utilized.

Next, the keyword virtual storage space management unit has a keyword-undefined virtual storage space not associated with a specific keyword, and stores one piece of information.
When the information storage control unit does not specify the association with a specific keyword, the keyword virtual storage space management unit,
Preferably, the one piece of information is arranged and stored in the keyword-undefined virtual storage space.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a virtual storage space in which various kinds of information are collectively stored without being temporarily or continuously associated with a specific keyword. The previous unorganized information can be temporarily stored, and the storage, organization, and search processing using the information storage and retrieval device can be performed more flexibly.

Next, the keyword virtual storage space management unit includes an access right management unit, sets an access right for each of the keyword virtual storage spaces to be managed, and sets an access right for an access request for the keyword virtual storage space. It is preferable to grant access only to the process that holds.

Also, the access right management unit sets an access right for each piece of information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space, and assigns an access right to an access request for individual information in the keyword virtual storage space. It is preferable to grant access only to the process that holds it.

According to the above configuration, an access right can be set for each keyword virtual storage space, and personal information and confidential information can be mixed and stored even in an environment where a plurality of users use the network or an environment where login from a network is permitted. The privacy and security of information can be maintained.

[0045]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An information storage and retrieval apparatus according to the present invention will be described. First, the basic principle of the information storage and retrieval device of the present invention will be described, and then the information storage and retrieval device of each embodiment will be described.

First, the basic principle of the information storage and retrieval device of the present invention will be described.

The information storage / retrieval apparatus of the present invention organizes, stores, and retrieves information using a keyword virtual storage space. Here, the keyword virtual storage space is a virtual storage space for integrating and retrieving links to information and information itself for each keyword, and considering the spread of the concept represented by the keyword as the virtual storage space. It arranges and arranges information.

Although any key may be specified as a keyword, from the standpoint of organizing information, a keyword corresponding to a concept or a category that expresses a direction such as a job or a hobby is selected. It is effective to create a virtual storage space with. In other words, the keyword virtual memory space, which is organized while being organized, becomes a user-friendly and customized sort of dictionary, encyclopedia, and information source that organizes a variety of information and has links to other information. sell.

The significance of defining and having this space for each keyword is that, for the user, it is important to link it to the concept of the keyword as a unit of organization when organizing information and to access the organized information. In addition, it is easy to handle for a computer device. Although it is not possible to completely associate information and its group with keywords in an essential sense, keywords can be used as a means of accessing the information. Therefore, the unit for organizing, storing, and retrieving information should be keywords. Can be said to be natural and easy to handle. In particular, for humans, when expressing a set of concepts, there is an advantage that the presence of a keyword makes it easy to grasp and express.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the concept of the keyword virtual storage space.

Although the space visually shown in FIG. 1 is represented in three dimensions so as to be easily understood by humans, it is conceptually possible to use a multidimensional space in a computer. Needless to say.

In the example of FIG. 1, the keyword is “paper manuscript”
The attribute of the stored information represents the keyword virtual storage space with three axes of the presentation date and time, the presenter, and the field of application. However, the setting of the spatial axis based on the attribute information is not essential, and the information may be arranged and stored randomly in the space, or may be arranged in a time-series manner in the storage order. The attribute of the information is not particularly limited and may be various. For example, the storage date and time, the information creation date and time, the information creator, the information source medium, the information security level, the information language, and the field to which the information belongs And auxiliary keywords automatically added according to a pre-prepared thesaurus, etc., and may be appropriately determined by the user. Arranging them at positions corresponding to the results of sorting according to these attributes is effective for organizing the keyword virtual storage space.

An embodiment of the information storage and retrieval apparatus of the present invention using the keyword virtual storage space will be described below.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 2 shows an example of a basic configuration of an information storage and retrieval apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, 10 is a storage device, 20 is a keyword input section for inputting a keyword, 30 is a storage area of the storage device assigned to the keyword, and the storage area assigned to the keyword is a virtual keyword. A keyword virtual storage space management unit that manages the information as a storage space having the information; an information storage control unit that stores designated information in the generated keyword virtual storage space;
Reference numeral 50 denotes an information display unit for visually displaying information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space and other necessary user interfaces, and 60 searches for the keyword virtual storage space and information arranged and stored in the space. It is an information search unit. The control unit, the memory, the communication interface, and the network of the entire information storage and retrieval apparatus are not shown for convenience of explanation.

Next, typical functions required for the information storage and retrieval device using the keyword virtual storage space will be described.

The first function is a function of generating a keyword virtual storage space. A keyword virtual storage space as shown in FIG. 1 is generated. The keyword virtual storage space generation function is provided by the keyword input unit 20 and the keyword virtual storage space management unit 30.

First, when a user inputs a keyword from the keyword input unit 20, a storage area of the storage device 10 is virtually generated to generate a keyword virtual storage space which is a storage space having the input keyword as a core. . The keyword virtual storage space corresponding to a specific keyword may be set in advance, but can be dynamically generated at the time of storing information, and is a concept representing information to be stored at the time of storing information. It is assumed that one keyword is dynamically generated when it is accessed for the first time.

When the keyword virtual storage space is generated, the related information is initially registered, and a table for managing the information is also created. For example, an information storage management table for managing information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space and link information to another keyword virtual storage space related to the keyword, an access management table for managing user information and access history information And a list of unarranged information that is not associated with another keyword virtual storage space and may be associated with the keyword virtual storage space. Use of these various tables will be described later.

The information managed in the information storage management table includes, in addition to the storage address, size, and attribute information of the stored information in the storage area, the location information in the keyword virtual storage space.

The second function is to store and organize information in the keyword virtual storage space. This information registration function is performed by the information storage control unit 40 and the keyword virtual storage space management unit 30.
Provided by

The input of the information to be stored is performed by the information storage section 40.
Input of information that the user wants to store, or download of information from an information source on an external network. At this time, a keyword to be stored is specified. The keyword virtual storage space management unit 30 arranges and stores the input information on the corresponding keyword virtual storage space.

The location of the information in the keyword virtual storage space is determined at random without any particular rules.
Time-series order, spatial axes correspond to specific attributes,
Some are arranged according to attribute values of information.

Next, an interface used for information registration will be described. It is important to provide a user interface that additionally registers user-friendly input information and search results of external information sources. Examples of the registration interface include an interface for designating a file in which information is stored, an interface for designating an entire directory, and an interface for designating a URL, which is a notation indicating the location of information on the Internet or an intranet.

When each piece of information is registered, it becomes a problem which keyword virtual storage space is to be registered. For example, there may be a case in which a search result obtained while a certain keyword virtual storage space is being used is desired to be registered in another keyword virtual storage space. Further, in a case where the entire directory is registered collectively, the contents of the entire directory do not always represent the information that should enter the same keyword virtual storage space. Therefore, as an example of an interface related to keyword specification, for example, there is an interface in which a user specifies a keyword when registering information and registers the information.
As another example, an interface for selecting from the following three candidates, a keyword specified at the previous registration, a keyword that has been input in a search in the keyword virtual storage space, and a keyword in a list of keyword virtual storage spaces is available. can give.

The third function is a function of holding information stored in the keyword virtual storage space and displaying the information as needed. This storage information holding display function is provided by the information display unit 50 and the keyword virtual storage space management unit 30.

The keyword virtual storage space shown in FIG. 1 and the information arranged and stored in the space are visually displayed.
The information display unit 50 is also used as an element that visually provides various user interfaces in addition to the above information.

The fourth function is an information search function dedicated to the keyword virtual storage space. This information search function is provided by the information search unit 60 and the keyword virtual storage space management unit 30.

This information search function is a function for searching for information stored and stored in the keyword virtual storage space. This function is used when there is a lot of information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space, and it is desired to further narrow down the information. For example, information is sorted in chronological order to narrow down the information. Further, information is narrowed down by inputting an auxiliary keyword added secondarily at the time of registration and an auxiliary keyword automatically extracted according to a thesaurus prepared in advance. Further, as described later in the second embodiment, the search can be narrowed down using the attribute of the information.

As described above, according to the information storage and retrieval device shown in the first embodiment, the basic device configuration and various functions described above make it possible to store and retrieve information flexibly and efficiently using the keyword virtual storage space. Display can be performed.

(Embodiment 2) Next, an information storage and retrieval apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. Embodiment 2 is an application of the information storage and retrieval device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the information storage and retrieval apparatus according to the second embodiment.

The same elements as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

In FIG. 3, 10 is a storage device, 20 is a keyword input unit, 30 is a keyword virtual storage space management unit, and an attribute detection unit 31, an access management table 32,
It includes a keyword evaluation unit 33 and an access right management unit 34. Reference numeral 40 denotes an information storage control unit, which includes a hyperlink setting unit 41. 50 is an information display unit, 60 is an information search unit, and includes an attribute information filter 61. The control unit, the memory, the communication interface, and the network of the entire information storage and retrieval apparatus are not shown for convenience of explanation.

The attribute detecting section 31 detects the attribute of the information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space. It is preferable that the location of the information in the keyword virtual storage space be a position corresponding to the result of sorting along the attribute of the information. This is because when arranging and storing information in the keyword virtual storage space, it can be organized using various attributes of the information. Attribute information includes, for example, storage date and time, information creation date and time, information creator, information source medium, information confidential level, information language,
The information may include a field to which the information belongs, an auxiliary keyword added secondarily during registration, an auxiliary keyword automatically extracted according to a prepared thesaurus, and the like, and may be appropriately determined by the user.

The access management table 32 holds and manages access history information on the number and time of accesses for each keyword virtual storage space.

According to the access history information held in the access management table, the keyword evaluation unit 33 evaluates a keyword having a keyword virtual storage space whose access frequency is smaller than a certain value as a keyword that is not suitable for search and evaluates the keyword virtual storage. This is to notify the space management unit.

The access right management unit 34 sets an access right for each of the keyword virtual storage spaces to be managed, and permits access only to a process holding the access right in response to an access request for the keyword virtual storage space. is there. In addition, an access right is set for each piece of information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space, and access is permitted only to a process that holds the access right to an access request for individual information in the keyword virtual storage space. It is. Even in an environment where a plurality of users use it or an environment where login from a network is permitted, personal information, confidential information, and the like can be mixed and stored, and privacy and security of information can be maintained.

Here, the hyperlink setting section 41 sets a hyperlink which is a specific connection between information and between information and another keyword virtual storage space. Hyperlink setting section 4
1 can set the strength of the connection of the hyperlink to be set, and can prioritize the connection between the information.

The attribute information filter 61 is for selecting information according to the attribute of the information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space. The attribute information filter 61 is used for information retrieval, and a large amount of information is stored in the keyword virtual storage space. Is stored, the search information can be further narrowed down by attributes and the like, thereby enabling efficient search.

Next, representative functions of the information storage and retrieval apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. Here, the description of the basic functions described in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the description will focus on the application functions.

First, applied functions at the time of storing information will be described. Applied functions at the time of storing information include a function to expand the target of stored information and register hyperlink information between information, and a function to acquire and register necessary information from external information sources on the network. A function for setting the level of the strength of connection to the hyperlink information is included.

For these functions, the hyperlink setting section 41 sets hyperlink information indicating a link between information and between information and another keyword virtual storage space.

As information to be stored, hyperlink information to another keyword virtual storage space, which is included in information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space, and information to an external storage device connected via a network. Hyperlink information indicating the connection is included.

It is also possible to automatically set a hyperlink from one piece of information to information arranged in another keyword virtual storage space. The method of selecting another keyword virtual storage space that links from one keyword virtual storage space is as follows:
A method of linking keywords entered at the time of narrowing search in the keyword virtual storage space according to the frequency, and conversely, when a keyword used for narrowing search in another keyword virtual storage space points to the keyword virtual storage space There is a method of linking according to the frequency. Further, the strength of the connection of the hyperlink may be variable according to the frequency. However, it goes without saying that a hyperlink can be provided by a user's own input instruction.

The information storage control unit 40 and the hyperlink setting unit 41 provide links to various external information sources in the following procedure in order to obtain information from the external information source into the keyword virtual storage space.

First, an access mechanism according to the external information source is prepared. Prepare necessary communication interface, communication control software, and network resources.

Next, the connection between the information source and the keyword virtual storage space is checked. Here, there are various types of information sources, and particularly when considering the connection with a keyword, it is easy or difficult to associate with a keyword (for example, an English-English dictionary is an English dictionary). It is not a direct link to Japanese words, as it is a source of information indicating the relationship between a word and its simple English expression.)

Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a process for deciding whether or not it is linked to the keyword virtual storage space, and to perform a check. This process is also prepared for each information source.

Next, for the keyword to be linked, the information source access mechanism is linked to the keyword virtual storage space. The linking is performed when the keyword virtual storage space is generated and when the information source itself is updated or added. When the information source itself is updated, the connection is checked for all existing keyword virtual storage spaces.

As described above, hyperlinks are set between information and between the information and the keyword virtual storage space, and the strength of connection is given to the hyperlinks, so that the hyperlinks can be used as effective information for searching for tracing the hyperlinks. it can.

The information storage function has several variations as follows as applications.

The first function variation is a function of registering information obtained from an information source linked from a keyword virtual storage space. This is because capturing the result of external information source search or the like via the keyword virtual storage space is the most efficient for customizing the keyword virtual storage space. Therefore, it is preferable to enhance the information sources that can be used in the keyword virtual storage space.

The second function variation is to search the contents of information and evaluate the frequency, importance, etc., of the keywords used as keywords if they exist as a keyword virtual storage space. This is a function of registering in the keyword virtual storage space of the keyword that has the most superiority.

The third functional variation is a function of storing information that has not been associated with any keyword virtual storage space in a keyword virtual storage space in which information without association is placed.

Information registration to the keyword virtual storage space can be executed flexibly and efficiently by the various functions described above.
Registration of information that can be used effectively in subsequent searches, etc.
It can be organized.

Next, the keyword virtual storage space management unit 30
Will be described.

The first function includes an information attribute detection function for detecting information attributes and an information arrangement storage function for arranging and storing information in the keyword virtual storage space according to the detected attributes. As shown in FIG. 1, the spatial axis of the keyword virtual storage space can be defined with information attributes. In arranging and storing the information in the keyword virtual storage space, an attribute value of the information is detected by the attribute detecting unit 31. In the detection, the attribute detection unit 31 may automatically extract and detect the attribute value, or may provide an input interface that allows the registrant of the information to input the attribute value. For example, the storage date and time, the information creation date and time, the information creator, the information source medium, the information language, the field to which the information belongs, the auxiliary keyword automatically extracted according to a prepared thesaurus, etc. In this case, the information is extracted and detected, and the confidential level of the information and the auxiliary keyword added secondarily during registration can be input from the user via the user interface. It is arranged at the attribute axis position corresponding to the result sorted according to these attributes.

The second function is a function of managing access information to the keyword virtual storage space.

The access information management function includes an access history management function, an access information acquisition function for obtaining access information of an access user and the like, and an access right management function.

The access history management function manages the access information by using the access management table 32 which holds the access history information of the number and time of access for each keyword virtual storage space. This access history information can be used for various purposes. As an example, it can be applied as information for determining whether or not a keyword set from the access frequency is valid and valid. A keyword evaluation unit is provided. According to the access history information held in the access management table, the keyword evaluation unit provides a keyword having a keyword virtual storage space whose access frequency is smaller than a certain value.
If the keyword is evaluated as not suitable for the search, a certain criterion for the effectiveness of the set keyword can be obtained.

The access information acquisition function is a function for acquiring and managing access information such as the user accessing the keyword virtual storage space, the accessed user ID, and the access time. This access information can be used for various purposes. As an example, access time and access frequency can be used to know the interests and interests of the accessor, enabling the accumulation of data such as sales information, and the sharing of information, such as a forum, with a human network between alikes. It becomes possible.

However, there may be a case where it is desired to keep the access to the keyword virtual storage space secret, so that the user who accesses the keyword virtual storage space can also designate the user name or the like to be secret. . Even in this case, by grasping the number of accesses made anonymously, it is possible to obtain information about how many people are interested in the common keyword, and it can be expected to be useful for market research and the like.

The access right management function sets an access right for each keyword virtual storage space and for each piece of information arranged and stored in the space by the access right management unit 34, and responds to an access request for the keyword virtual storage space. This is a function that permits access only to the process that holds the access right.

An access right can be set for each keyword virtual storage space, and personal information and confidential information can be mixed and stored in an environment where a plurality of users use the network or an environment where login from a network is permitted. , Maintain the privacy and security of information.

As a third function, there is a function of deleting a keyword virtual storage space.

This function is to delete the generated keyword virtual storage space by the user's specification or by the automatic deletion function of the system.

Here, when deleting the keyword virtual storage space, it is not always necessary to delete all information in the keyword virtual storage space. In other words, there are cases where the entire stored information is not required, and where the information itself is useful, but the keyword attached to the keyword virtual storage space is inappropriate, and there is also a case where only the generated keyword virtual storage space is to be deleted. . Therefore, as for the information in the keyword virtual storage space at the time of erasing the keyword virtual storage space, the information stored in the other keyword keyword virtual storage spaces is deleted, and the information not stored is temporarily stored. I do.

The function of automatically deleting a keyword virtual storage space is a function of automatically deleting a keyword virtual storage space that has not been accessed for a long period of time, or notifying the user as a deletion target. The determination of automatic deletion is made by the keyword virtual storage space management unit according to the access history information held in the access management table, and the keyword virtual storage space that has not been accessed for a certain period is automatically deleted.

When the keyword virtual storage space is automatically erased, the information itself is carelessly erased for the information contained in the keyword virtual storage space, as in the case of the keyword virtual storage space deletion specified by the user. Protect it from being done.

Next, as a fourth function, the information display unit 50
The application function of the information display in the above will be described.

Functional elements that should be displayed visually in consideration of the convenience of the user are also displayed at the same time. For example, search function elements used for the purpose of filtering to further narrow down the content of information by attributes etc. and its operation unit,
There are a new information registration function element and its operation unit, a hyperlink creation function element to other information and its operation unit, and the like. Also, if the keyword virtual storage space and the information arranged and stored can be visualized and displayed, the user can easily grasp the status of the information storage search. When the keyword virtual storage space has an attribute axis, the information is arranged and stored according to the attribute value of the information. If the situation is also visualized, the usability of the user is further improved.

Next, as a fifth function, the information retrieval unit 60
A description will be given of an applied function at the time of information search using.

This is located in the keyword virtual storage space.
This is a function of narrowing down the search for organized information by further using attribute information and the like. This function is provided by the attribute information filter 61. When the information has various attributes, or when the information is stored in the keyword virtual storage space according to the various attributes, a narrowing-down search is executed through the search information filter 61 using the attributes as a criterion. The attributes of information may be various as described in the keyword virtual storage space generation function, such as storage date and time, information creation date and time, information creator, information source medium, information confidential level, information language, information The field to which the affiliation belongs, the supplementary keywords added at the time of registration,
There are auxiliary keywords automatically extracted according to a thesaurus prepared in advance, and attributes appropriately determined by the user. Among these attributes, the information is filtered by giving an attribute value assumed to be held by the information to be searched to the attribute information filter 61.

Next, an applied use form of the information storage and retrieval device using the keyword virtual storage space of the present invention will be described.

The first application of the information storage and retrieval apparatus is to utilize the information storage and retrieval apparatus of the present invention as a virtual cabinet. The virtual cabinet is a virtual cabinet and organizing tool provided on a desktop environment in a simulated manner for storing, organizing, and retrieving information on a storage medium such as a hard disk. This provides the user with virtual reality that uses a cabinet that handles a real paper medium, and provides added value that is not provided in a real cabinet.

The information handled by the virtual cabinet includes software and tools in addition to various information to be searched later. The data format may be any format that can handle computer resources, such as text data, image data, and audio data. Software and tools can also be handled in the virtual cabinet. For example,
Store and organize translation tools between languages, such as Japanese-English translation tools, English-Japanese translation tools, Japanese-German translation tools, German-Japanese translation tools, etc., in the drawer of the cabinet called "Translation Tools" You can open and take out the translation tool and use it.

The capacity of the virtual cabinet can be easily expanded or contracted by changing the amount of storage resources such as hard disks. In addition, the change of the number of drawers of the virtual cabinet and the setting of a new drawer can be easily performed by updating the storage resource allocation setting.

The virtual cabinet has an interface with the user. FIG. 4 shows a display example of the desktop including the interface of the virtual cabinet. Reference numeral 401 denotes a virtual cabinet; and 402a to 402c, drawers of the virtual cabinet 401. 403a to 403b are iconized link tools for linking to another keyword virtual storage space related to the virtual cabinet 401. 404 is a toolbar, 405 is an example of an activated application window, and 410 is a desktop screen background.

The virtual cabinet 401 corresponds to the keyword virtual storage space described above, and stores, organizes, and stores information.
Searchable. For example, when the drawer 402a of the dissertation manuscript is clicked, the drawer 402a is opened, and the keyword virtual storage space shown in FIG. 5 is displayed. Reference numeral 501 denotes information on the manuscript manuscript arranged in the virtual storage space, and reference numeral 502 denotes a bookmark (bookmark) and tag attached to the information. You can make certain information stand out so that it is easy to find. Further, instead of the display in the keyword virtual storage space format, it can be displayed as a result sorted by the designated attribute. FIG. 6 shows an example of sorting by the attribute axis of the application field. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 601 denotes various sorted information;
02 is a bookmark (bookmark). Pointer 603
It is preferable that the information touched is displayed as if the paper were pulled up. Also, a search using a keyword can be executed via the search key input function of the toolbar 404.

The link tool 403 links a virtual cabinet to another related keyword virtual storage space. This function is a hyperlink in the configuration of the information storage and retrieval apparatus shown in FIG. 3 of the second embodiment. It is provided from the setting unit 41. A link is established between the keyword virtual storage spaces by the above-described operation processing of the hyperlink setting unit 41, and the information display unit 5 is used to visualize the link destination.
0 indicates an icon. Here, for a virtual cabinet called a manuscript manuscript,
An icon 403a representing a link to a keyword virtual storage space having a keyword of “” and an icon 403b representing a link to a keyword virtual storage space having a keyword “research project” in an organization have been given as examples.

The setting of a link to another related keyword virtual space can be automatically performed by the hyperlink setting unit 41. The selection method is, as described above, a method in which a link is established according to the use frequency of another keyword virtual storage space in the virtual cabinet use history, and conversely, the keyword of the virtual cabinet is used in search of another keyword virtual storage space. There is a method of linking according to the frequency of the link. In addition, the virtual cabinet user can use the hyperlink setting unit 41 to newly establish a link with another keyword virtual storage space, and additionally display the link destination as an icon on the desktop display screen. be able to. Also, unnecessary links can be deleted, and the icon can be deleted from the desktop display screen.

As described above, when the information storage and retrieval apparatus of the present invention is used as a virtual cabinet, it is possible to not only organize and store information to be searched later as in the case of conventional database software, but also to change the information as required in a real cabinet. In each case, data keywords including information, software, and tools can be stored and arranged in the virtual storage space, providing a user-friendly environment. If a link tool is used, a link to another related keyword virtual storage space can be set, and the link destination can be visually displayed as an icon.

A second application of the information storage and retrieval apparatus is to utilize the information storage and retrieval apparatus of the present invention as a project management system and an organization / personal network management system. Stored information includes information that will be searched later, and the concepts of individuals, organizations and projects,
Hyperlink information indicating a connection between the concepts is included, and the concepts are arranged in the keyword virtual storage space.
By storing and providing hyperlinks between the concepts, it becomes possible to manage the inter-project cooperation and the human / organizational cooperation. By setting the strength of the connection between the hyperlinks, the work flow in the project can be quantitatively expressed, and the strength of the connection between the organizations can also be expressed.

As described above, according to the information storage and retrieval apparatus shown in the second embodiment, the basic apparatus configuration and various functions described above make it possible to store and retrieve information flexibly and efficiently by using the keyword virtual storage space. Display can be performed.

[0126]

According to the information storage / retrieval apparatus of the present invention, a keyword virtual storage space which is search-oriented, searcher-oriented, and can be easily customized by the searcher himself and has a keyword as a core is set. Storage of information by arranging various information in the space,
You can search.

Further, according to the information storage / retrieval apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to have hyperlink information, which is a link between pieces of information arranged for each keyword virtual storage space. It can be provided between information in the space, between information traversing the keyword virtual storage space, and between information distributed on the network, the strength of connection can be set, and the priority of the relationship between information is given You can also.

Further, according to the information storage and retrieval apparatus of the present invention, when arranging and storing information in the keyword virtual storage space, the information can be organized using various attributes of the information.

It is possible to visually grasp the situation where information is stored and arranged, and to visually grasp the existence of stored information at the time of retrieval.

According to the information storage / retrieval apparatus of the present invention, an access management table for holding access history information on the number of times and time of access for each keyword virtual storage space is provided to manage the access history and access status. Information management according to the access situation.

Further, according to the information storage / retrieval apparatus of the present invention, access rights can be set for each keyword virtual storage space, and personal information and confidentiality can be maintained even in an environment where a plurality of users use the network or an environment where login from a network is permitted. Information and the like can be stored mixedly, and privacy and security of the information can be maintained.

Further, according to the information storage / retrieval apparatus of the present invention, a virtual cabinet, a virtual contact box, and a link tool can be provided and used on a desktop interface, and can be used in a project management system, an organization / human network management. Can be used as a system.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a concept of a keyword virtual storage space according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a basic configuration example of an information storage and retrieval device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a basic configuration example of an information storage and retrieval device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a desktop using the keyword virtual storage space of the present invention as a virtual cabinet;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display example when a drawer of a virtual cabinet is opened.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a display example when a drawer of a virtual cabinet is opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 storage device 20 keyword input unit 30 keyword virtual storage space management unit 31 attribute detection unit 32 access management table 33 keyword evaluation unit 34 access right management unit 40 information storage control unit 41 hyperlink setting unit 50 information display unit 60 information search unit 61 Attribute information filter 401 Virtual cabinet 402 Virtual cabinet drawer 403 Link tool 404 Tool bar 405 Application window 410 Desktop background 501 Storage information 502, 602 Bookmark (bookmark) 601 Information sorted in chronological order 603 Pointer

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. An information storage and retrieval device for storing information and retrieving the stored information, comprising: a storage device, a keyword input unit for inputting a keyword, and allocating a storage area of the storage device to the keyword. A keyword virtual storage space management unit that manages a storage area assigned to the keyword as a storage space virtually held by the keyword; and an information storage control unit, wherein the keyword virtual storage space management unit is When storing one piece of information in the storage area based on a user's designation, the one piece of information is virtually arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space to manage the information. Search device. 2. The information storage control unit includes a hyperlink setting unit configured to set a hyperlink between information to be stored, and the information to be stored has information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space. 2. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, further comprising hyperlink information to another keyword virtual storage space. 3. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 2, wherein the information to be stored includes hyperlink information indicating connection to information in an external storage device connected via a network. 4. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 2, wherein the hyperlink set by the hyperlink setting unit has a level of connection strength. 5. The information includes, in addition to information to be searched later, hyperlink information indicating a concept of an individual, an organization, and a project and a connection between the concepts, and stores the concept in the keyword virtual storage space. Arrangement
Claims 2 to store and manage inter-project cooperation and human / organizational cooperation by hyperlinks between the concepts.
5. The information storage and retrieval device according to any one of 4. 6. The information storage and retrieval apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information includes software and tools in addition to information to be searched later, and the keyword virtual storage space can be used as a virtual cabinet in a computer window. 7. The keyword virtual storage space management unit,
An attribute detecting unit that detects an attribute of the information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space, and corresponds to a result obtained by sorting the arrangement location of the information in the keyword virtual storage space according to the attribute of the information; 2. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, wherein the information is a position. 8. An information display unit, comprising: an information display unit,
The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, wherein the information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space is visually displayed. 9. An information search unit, comprising: an information search unit,
2. The information storage and retrieval apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space is retrieved and retrieved. 10. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 9, wherein the information retrieval unit includes an attribute information filter for selecting information according to an attribute of information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space. . 11. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, wherein the keyword virtual storage space management unit includes an access management table that holds access history information on the number of times and time of access for each of the keyword virtual storage spaces. . 12. The keyword virtual storage space management unit includes a keyword evaluation unit, and the keyword evaluation unit has a keyword virtual storage space whose access frequency is less than or equal to a certain value according to access history information held in the access management table. 12. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 11, wherein the keyword is evaluated as a keyword that is not suitable for the search and the keyword virtual storage space management unit is notified. 13. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 11, wherein the keyword virtual storage space management unit automatically deletes the keyword virtual storage space that has not been accessed for a certain period according to the access history information stored in the access management table. . 14. The keyword virtual storage space management unit has a keyword-undefined virtual storage space that is not associated with a specific keyword, and stores one piece of information.
When the information storage control unit does not specify the association with a specific keyword, the keyword virtual storage space management unit,
2. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, wherein the one information is arranged and stored in the keyword-undefined virtual storage space. 15. The keyword virtual storage space management unit includes an access right management unit, sets an access right for each of the keyword virtual storage spaces to be managed, and assigns an access right to an access request for the keyword virtual storage space. 2. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, wherein access is permitted only to the process held. 16. The access right management unit sets an access right for each piece of information arranged and stored in the keyword virtual storage space, and assigns an access right to an access request for individual information in the keyword virtual storage space. 16. The information storage and retrieval device according to claim 15, wherein access is permitted only to the held process.