JP2000200282A - Method and system for information retrieval and recording medium where information retrieving process program is recorded - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To present desired information with user's desired viewpoint so that it is easy to see by using data bases in which a plurality of information which differ in property and content trend, are stored. SOLUTION: The data bases D1, D2..., Dn in which informations differing in property are stored, are provided so that a plane retrieval which is free of hierarchical structure can be performed and a knowledge data base 2 having the knowledge of which data base information is retrieved from and how retrieval results are displayed is provided, and when an information retrieving processing means 1 receives an item indicated by a user, retrieval corresponding to the indicated item of the user is performed according to the knowledge of the knowledge data base 2 and retrieval results obtained from the respective data bases are rearranged by a display control means 3 according to the knowledge of the knowledge data base and displayed at a display part 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information retrieval method and an information retrieval system for easily integrating and retrieving information desired by a user from a plurality of databases of different types and properties, and a recording medium storing an information retrieval processing program. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, various information retrieval methods are provided.
In most cases, one search is performed. For example, when trying to travel somewhere, it is possible to check the sightseeing spots and accommodations of the place on the Internet. In this case, when trying to obtain such information, search engines are often used to search for information by referring to web pages published by local tourism associations and inn associations. Become.

On the other hand, is the tourist attraction really interesting?
Often, we want to know the quality of accommodation facilities and services. Such information is referred to information sources provided by individuals rather than interest groups such as tourist associations and inn associations. In fact, interest in such information is high, and personal opinions and information (so-called word-of-mouth) are being actively exchanged in a place for information exchange of a certain network subscriber such as a personal computer communication forum or net news. .

[0004]

As described above, for example, when trying to obtain information on sightseeing spots and accommodation facilities, not only information provided by interest groups such as tourist associations and inn associations, but also information provided by individuals. If the word-of-mouth information is also taken out and examined, information closer to the actual situation can be obtained.

[0005] However, the information on the web pages issued by such tourist associations and inn associations and personal opinions and information such as forums for personal computer communication and net news are information of different characteristics, and are different from each other. Exist in different databases. Therefore, when trying to retrieve such information, it is often necessary to access databases having different characteristics.

However, since the databases are heterogeneous, their access methods and information browsing methods are completely different, so that both can be displayed on the same display screen at the same time for comparison and viewing. In practice, it was difficult to use such methods as reading out and examining the other information related to it.

[0007] For example, the contents, location, charge, etc. of accommodation facilities can be checked relatively easily on the Internet. However, it is difficult to find posted articles or the like describing the reputation of the accommodation facility on the Internet. Information such as experiential impressions actually obtained by these users,
Most of them are in other databases such as PC communication forums. Also, since the location of the data is different, access must be performed separately. Further, since the forum for personal computer communication is character-based, it is difficult to see it because it is displayed differently from an Internet browser.

[0008] Recently, there is also a system for providing word-of-mouth information and the like, which have been handled mainly in a personal computer communication forum, through an Internet browser. Further, a patent (JP-A-8-44759) filed by IBM Company discloses a technique for providing various methods for providing miscellaneous information in an easily viewable manner.

However, this technique does not match information provided by tourist associations and inn associations, so that cross-referencing of different databases has not been improved.

There is also a technology (such as Apple Computer's Sherlock) for seamlessly searching data on the Internet or a personal computer on a desktop.
This means that simply searching for various information without regard to the difference between information sources cannot make the searched information easy to see or organize according to the nature of the information.

As described above, the desired information is arguably present in some database, but it is very difficult to access them when the database has different properties, the procedure is complicated, and the database has different properties. Since the method of browsing each piece of information obtained from each database is different, it is difficult to refer to and reuse each piece of information obtained from both databases.

On the other hand, there is also a problem with a search method for each database having different properties. Currently, in most databases, it is necessary to perform an operation such as adding an index for search to the data in advance before searching.

[0013] In addition, data without these operations (when a general page of the web is searched by a search engine) tends to have a remarkably reduced search accuracy (a number of unnecessary pages are found, but the essential pages are difficult to understand). is there. Therefore,
It is difficult to find out desired data accurately only by giving some data to the database appropriately for performing information retrieval.

In view of the above, the present invention organizes and displays information of a plurality of different databases having different properties into information which can be easily accessed with little burden on the user and which is easy to see from the user's viewpoint. It is another object of the present invention to enable highly accurate information retrieval from a database freely collected to some extent with little restriction such as addition of an index.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an information retrieval method according to the present invention makes it possible to perform a planar search without a hierarchical structure on each database storing information having different properties. And knowledge of how to search for what kind of information from which database, and how to display search results in response to the search request contents specified by the user. A database is provided, and based on the knowledge of this knowledge database, information corresponding to the search request content input by the user is searched, and each search result searched from each of the databases can be arranged and displayed. I have.

Further, the information retrieval system of the present invention includes a plurality of databases provided so as to store information having different properties and to perform a planar search without forming a hierarchical structure therebetween. Information search processing means for receiving a search request from a user to search for information from a plurality of databases in which the information having different properties is stored, and based on the search request from the user, the information search processing means , Which databases to search,
The configuration has a knowledge database that gives knowledge such as how to display search results and a display control unit that organizes and displays the searched results using the knowledge of the knowledge database. ing.

Further, the recording medium on which the information retrieval processing program of the present invention is recorded is provided so that information having different properties is stored, and a hierarchical structure is not formed between the recording media so that a planar retrieval is possible. Multiple databases,
An information search processing means for receiving information from a plurality of databases storing information having different properties in response to a search request from a user; and, based on the search request from the user, What kind of search is performed from which database, and a knowledge database that gives knowledge such as how to display the search result and how to display the searched result using the knowledge of the knowledge database A recording medium recording an information search processing program in an information search system having display control means for displaying, wherein the information search processing program comprises:
When a search request is input from the user, information corresponding to the search request input by the user is searched based on the knowledge in the knowledge database, and the respective search results searched from the respective databases are arranged. The processing is performed according to the procedure of displaying.

In each of these inventions, the plurality of databases storing the information having different properties are as follows:
A database including a database storing information posted in a place for exchanging information between network subscribers and a database storing information for web pages may be used.

The process of searching for information corresponding to the content of a search request input by the user based on the knowledge of the knowledge database is performed by the user by selecting a plurality of items from among items corresponding to various things. Is designated, information on the designated items is searched from the plurality of databases according to the knowledge of the knowledge database.

The search result obtained by searching for information on the item designated by the user can be displayed on a separate display screen for each database having the different characteristics. It is also possible to perform display on a common display screen irrespective of the difference in the nature of the respective databases, and also to enable switching between the two in accordance with a user's instruction.

Further, for each item corresponding to the various fields, a keyword group including a term related to the item or a term associated with the term is set in advance, and the user designates an item. Then, with respect to the information in the plurality of databases, it is checked whether or not the term included in the keyword group for the item exists in each information in the database, and the information is searched based on the result. I have. Then, a free keyword is given to the obtained search result, and the already obtained search result can be further narrowed down by the free keyword.

The information in the database storing the information posted at the information exchange place by the network subscriber is searched by the item designated by the user, and the search result can be dynamically reconfigured. And In this process, a search can be made using the personal name of the contributor as an axis.

[0023] Further, information in a database storing information posted in a place where information is exchanged by the network subscriber, and a corresponding information in a database containing information of a web page having information related to the information. When information of one database is displayed between databases having different properties, it is also possible to extract information of the other database related thereto.

[0024] In addition, in order to eliminate public order and morals and slanderous content from information posted to the information exchange place by the network subscriber, a keyword for detecting the content is prepared, and the existence of the keyword is determined. Then, based on the result, it is possible to automatically exclude inappropriate posts.

In addition, a plurality of advertisements related to the searched result can be displayed in a chain with respect to the searched result for the item designated by the user. Then, when a plurality of advertisements related to the searched result are displayed in a chain, the advertisement target to be displayed, the display content thereof, and the display order are prepared in advance for each item corresponding to the various fields. I will keep it.

Further, with respect to the information searched, arranged, and displayed for the item designated by the user, necessary information is extracted from the information and reconstructed as a print page, and is reconfigured as a print page. When a page is created and a print instruction is issued, the reconstructed page contents are printed.

As described above, according to the present invention, each database storing information having different properties is provided so that a two-dimensional search without a hierarchical structure can be performed, and a user inputs based on the knowledge of the knowledge database. Information corresponding to the content of the search request is searched, and the respective search results searched from the respective databases are arranged and displayed.

By this means, it is possible to provide information in a form that allows a user to easily view desired information from a desired viewpoint only by appropriately accumulating a plurality of data having different properties and tendencies of data in corresponding databases. it can. In other words, a plurality of pieces of information having different characteristics and tendencies in the content can be extracted in a fused form, and when registering information in the database, there is no need to use a special format (for later search). (It is not necessary for the user to perform any special operation such as adding an index or specifying a keyword.) Since the information created by the user need only be stored as it is, the burden on the user when registering information can be greatly reduced.

The information having different properties is information posted in a place for information exchange between network subscribers, information for a web page, and the like. The information posted in the information exchange area between network subscribers includes many word-of-mouth information and the like, and for example, there is also a large amount of information on shops and tourist facilities from the user's standpoint. Meanwhile, web
The information for a page is generally guide-like information created by a shop or a tourist facility. According to the present invention, such information having different properties can be extracted and viewed on the same screen.

When each piece of information having such a different property is extracted, a plurality of items are designated by the user, so that information on the items designated by the user can be retrieved from the plurality of databases according to the knowledge of the knowledge database. Therefore, the user can take out information having different properties only by performing a simple operation without being aware of the difference in properties of information.

Each search result retrieved from the database having different properties can be displayed on a different display screen for each piece of information having the different properties, and can be displayed on the same screen. Display is also possible,
Since it is possible to arbitrarily switch and display the information, the user can see the information desired by the user in a manner suited to the situation.

In addition, for each item corresponding to various fields, a keyword group including a term related to the item or a term associated with the item is set.
The user can extract appropriate information for the general item only by specifying the general item.

Further, by giving a free keyword to the search result obtained by the keyword group,
Information can be further narrowed down, and information desired by the user can be appropriately extracted.

The information in the database storing the information posted at the information exchange place by the network subscriber is searched by the item designated by the user, and the search result can be dynamically reconfigured. Therefore, a posted article such as word-of-mouth information desired by the user can be efficiently and appropriately extracted.

Further, when the posted articles such as word-of-mouth information are taken out, it is possible to perform a search based on the personal name of the contributor, so that only the posted articles about a certain contributor can be taken out. This is useful if you are interested in

Further, information in a database storing information posted in a place where information is exchanged by a network subscriber, and information in a database containing information of a web page having information related to the information are stored in a database. Link, so if you are looking at word-of-mouth information about a store, for example, and try to view the guide information for that store, you can immediately retrieve and display the corresponding guide information, so you can see both at the same time This can be done easily and is very convenient for the user.

In addition, for a posted article that violates public order and morals or a slanderous posted article, a keyword for detecting the keyword is prepared, the existence of the keyword is determined, and the result is determined to be inappropriate based on the result. Since the posted articles are automatically excluded, the posted articles that intentionally attack the individual can be automatically excluded. Conventionally, such processing has been performed by a system operator, and there has been a problem in that it takes a long time to make a determination criterion and trouble. However, the present invention can deal with these points.

Further, in the present invention, a plurality of advertisements relating to the search result can be displayed in a chain with respect to the search result for the item designated by the user, so that the user is displayed. While viewing the search results, the user can also view information (advertisements) related to the search results, and can obtain a wide range of information.

When the advertisements are displayed in a chain, the advertisement targets to be displayed, their display contents, and the display order are prepared in advance for each item corresponding to the various fields. Since the display contents and the display order can be appropriately changed according to the contents of the advertisement knowledge database, appropriate advertisement contents can be obtained, and the contents can be obtained without being tired of the viewer.

Further, for the information searched, arranged, and displayed for the item designated by the user, necessary information is extracted from the information, reconstructed as a print page, and reconstructed as a print page. When a print instruction is issued, it is possible to print the reconstructed page contents, so that not only guide information but also necessary information such as word-of-mouth information is appropriately written on one sheet of paper. It is printed in a bundled state, the user can see necessary information when needed, save several printed results in this way and bundle them together, so to speak, a guidebook Information.

[0041]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention makes it possible to simultaneously search each database storing information having different properties by one information retrieval system. A description will be given of what each database storing information is.

Information has completely different contents and formats. The way to look for information and the way to look at it are different. For example, newspaper articles, academic papers, manuals, etc. can be said to be information whose format is relatively fixed. Many of those used in commercial databases and the like are documents of this type. The information is a bit public and solid, but the format and discipline are fixed, so if you give the right keywords,
It is relatively easy to find a document that meets the purpose. Also, a so-called homepage created by a tourist facility or a restaurant can be said to be such information.

The information having a substantially different personality from the above includes documents such as personal opinions and impressions posted at a place where a certain network subscriber exchanges information. Examples of the form of these documents include magazine reviews and personal computer communication forums. Since these documents have little restrictions on traditional formats and writing styles, their contents are mixed and more suitable for the purpose than when searching from a database containing information with relatively fixed format as described above. Finding documents is difficult.

For example, even in the same personal computer communication forum, if the topic or field and the operating personal computer communication company are different, the content and format (whether wording, personal name signature, presence of document, atmosphere of document, etc.) Etc.) will be significantly different.

Therefore, at present, browsing of information having these different properties is performed by different systems. For example, newspaper articles are commercial database software, and personal computer communication forums use different types of information, such as different types of information, such as software in which each statement is viewed hierarchically. It is common that browsing is not shared.

On the other hand, an Internet browser displays a page similar to a newspaper article page or a page of personal opinion in the same manner, but lacks a basic search function and cannot organize data.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the information retrieval system of the present invention. Databases D1, D2,.
・ ・． Dn in this case, as information having different properties,
Information of different properties, such as web page information and personal opinions and impressions posted in a place for information exchange of a certain network subscriber, is stored in each database unit. For example, database D1 contains information on web pages,
In the database D2, information having different properties (referred to as heterogeneous information) is stored in each database unit, such as information such as personal opinions and impressions posted at a place of information exchange of a certain network subscriber. In addition, these databases D1, D2,. Dn enables a two-dimensional search without a hierarchical structure.

[0048] The information search processing means 1 generates databases D1, D2, ... based on the contents of search requests from users.
The information search is performed from Dn. When the information search is performed, the search is performed using the knowledge of the knowledge database 2. The information searched by the information search processing means 1 is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 4 by the display control means 3. Also when performing this display, the display control means 3 performs the display using the knowledge of the knowledge database 2.

The knowledge database 2 has knowledge of which database is to be searched based on the content of the search request from the user and how to display the searched information. These knowledge contents will be described sequentially in the following description.

In this embodiment, as heterogeneous information, information such as unofficial information or reputation (called word-of-mouth information) posted in an information exchange place (referred to as a forum) of personal computer communication, etc. A case in which two types of information (referred to as guide information) provided by tourist associations and inn associations as important information will be described. In addition, a description will be given assuming a case where a user searches for leisure-related information such as an outline of a sightseeing spot or an accommodation facility or gourmet information as described above. Assume that these word-of-mouth information and guide information have already been collected and accumulated in the databases D1, D2,..., Dn.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the contents described in this embodiment are for the description of the information search method and the information search system of the present invention, and the specifics of the information search processing program in a recording medium on which the information search processing program of the present invention is recorded. It also includes a processing procedure.

First, these databases D1, D2,
.., A process for displaying different information (word-of-mouth information and guide information) existing in Dn will be described.

It is necessary to review these word-of-mouth information and guide information from the user's point of view. Therefore, various specific items corresponding to various fields are prepared in advance, and the content of the search request performed by the user to the information search system side is as follows.
Some of the various items are provided to the information retrieval system. The information retrieval system retrieves information corresponding to several items provided by the user into databases D1 and D1.
2,..., Dn, and organize and display them in an easy-to-view format.

The concrete items corresponding to various fields are prepared corresponding to various things. Here, an example in which two large items of “category” and “region” are used. Is shown.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the "category" indicates what kind of field it is. For example, considering one field called "meal", the "meal" is replaced with "noodles". And "donmono", and as a type belonging to each, for example, "noodles"
Hierarchical classification is made such as setting types such as "Ramen", "Soba", and "Udon".

Although not shown here,
Considering the field of "staying", the lodging is divided into hotels, inns, etc., and as a type belonging to each, hotels include "city hotels" and "business hotels".
Make a hierarchical classification such as

The "region" is a region with a wide prefectural unit called "Nagano", which is divided into two regions such as "Suwa (region)" and "Matsumoto (region)". The municipalities belonging to each region are classified hierarchically, for example, "Okaya", "Kamisuwa", and "Shimosuwa".

The user selects an item to be searched from this hierarchy. It is of course possible to newly set various items such as "price" and "taste" other than "category" and "region".

FIG. 3 shows that the user, for example,
This is a display example of search results when “meal” and “Matsumoto” are specified. In this case, “guide information” is specified, and guide information about “meal” and “Matsumoto” is displayed. I have. In practice, when the user specifies an item (in this case, “meal” or “Matsumoto”), some keywords corresponding to the item are selected and a search is performed based on the keyword. explain.

In FIG. 3, on a display screen 40 of the display unit 4, search instruction information 41 input by the user, searched information (search result) 42, and display contents are switched to either guide information or word-of-mouth information. Display information selection instructing section 43
(Here, “forum” and “guide” are displayed), information 44 indicating a category specified by the user, information 45 indicating an area specified by the user,
A map 46 of the area is displayed.

In the example of FIG. 3, since the "guide" of the display information selection instructing section 43 has been selected by the user, the search results 42 are stored in the databases D1, D2,. The guide information corresponding to the item (“meal”, “Matsumoto”) specified by the user is searched from Dn and displayed. In this case, since the information is guide information, the content is information created by the store, and is general guide information such as a store name, a telephone number, and an address. The search result 4 in FIG.
In 2, the name of the store is actually described in the column of the store name, but here, they are represented by A, B, C,. This is the same in other drawings.

As described above, when the user looks at the content displayed on the display screen 40 by the user's designation and clicks on the portion of the display information selection instructing section 43 where "Forum" is displayed, FIG. As described above, word-of-mouth information for the user's instruction items ("meal" and "Matsumoto") is searched from the database in which the word-of-mouth information is accumulated, and the searched information is displayed as a search result 51. .

In FIG. 4, word-of-mouth information corresponding to the items of the category “meal” and the area “Matsumoto” specified by the user when displaying FIG. 3 earlier is displayed as a search result 51. In the example of FIG. It contains information from the point of view of the person who actually used it, such as the name of the person who posted the word-of-mouth information and the recommendation level (represented by the number of stars). If there is no word-of-mouth information, "no date" may be described. Note that the name of the contributor is actually a pseudonym-like name that is commonly used in personal computer communications, etc.
It is represented by “na”, “n, b”, “nc”, etc. This is the same in other drawings.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the search result 42 of guide information and the search result 51 of word-of-mouth information as different types of information are shown.
Is an example in which the search information 42 and 51 are switched and displayed according to the user's instruction. However, the respective search information 42 and 51 can be displayed on another display window on the same screen.
If the information is displayed in the same display window, the guide information search result 4
2 and the search result 51 of word-of-mouth information can be compared at the same time, which is convenient.

That is, the database to be searched is
Even if the databases have different properties, if the same instruction item (category and region) is used, information for the instruction item can be retrieved from the database having different properties, and the retrieved results are the same. They can be displayed side by side on the screen, which makes it possible to compare the two. Furthermore, if you decide which items to search,
Even if the information is stored in databases having different properties, the corresponding information can be viewed one after another.

The display contents shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are each limited to information that roughly grasps the contents. This is because displaying a large amount of information at one time makes it difficult to grasp the status of the retrieved information. If you want detailed information, you can look at it individually.

For example, when the user designates a column of a certain store in the search result 42 on the display screen 40 of FIG. 3, detailed guide information of the store is displayed as shown in FIG. . Also, in the case of FIG. 4, when a column of a certain store that appears in the search result 51 is indicated on the display screen 40, a comment as a personal posted article to the store as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. You.

As described above, when searching for information that the user wants to know, the user specifies items indicating a category, a region, and the like as the contents of the search request. 3 or FIG. 4 corresponding to the item designated by the user, and if the user wants to see the details of the respective items from such a display screen, If you indicate a part, details like FIGS. 5 and 6 are displayed,
If the user looks at the details of a store in the guide information and wants to know the reputation of the store, a display method such as displaying word-of-mouth information of the store is possible by designating a “forum”.

A method of searching for enabling display of such heterogeneous information and a method of organizing the searched information will be described below.

First, the search will be described. First, the collection and accumulation of information used for search will be described. The collected information must be stored in advance in the respective databases D1, D2,..., Dn so that the information can be searched. The input of information may be indexed for each appropriate item to some extent, but may be simple text. Basically, any format can be used as long as the character strings in the document can be read.

Next, the information retrieval system of the present invention has a knowledge database 2 as shown in FIG. 1, and has knowledge for each item to be retrieved. For example, in the item "Region", a certain region (Suwa region)
When thinking about, the knowledge of where is generally called "Suwa" and the habits of people living in that region, such as what region is included when local people say Suwa, etc. Prepare a knowledge system that takes into account. In addition, a place name classified on a postal code is used as knowledge.

By giving such knowledge, it is possible to determine which item area the character string existing in the information is. For example, if a person living in the Suwa area speaks of Suwa,
If the knowledge database indicates that "Okaya", "Kami-Suwa", "Shimo-Suwa", etc. tend to be called "Suwa", the user can select "Suwa district" or "Suwa"
If the area is set as “Okaya”, “Kami-Suwa”, “Shimo-Suwa”, and even “Lake Suwa”, a place name is also set as one keyword group, and the terms belonging to this keyword group exist in the information. Information can be extracted depending on whether or not to do so.

On the other hand, in the case of the category, when considering the item “meal”, “eat, eat, have,
A word like "good food, food culture" is also called "meal"
If the user sets a category of "meal" in the knowledge database 2, the words such as "eat" and "food" are one keyword. The information is set as a group, and information can be extracted based on whether or not a term belonging to the keyword group exists in the information.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a case where a user inputs a user instruction item (eg, “meal” for a category or “Suwa” for a local area) for instructing a search. 3 shows an example of a keyword group. In this case, when "Suwa" is input as a user instruction item, "Okaya", "Shimosuwa", "Kamisuwa",
"Lake Suwa" is set as one keyword,
When "meal" is input as a user instruction item, it indicates that "eat", "food", "delicious" and the like are set as one keyword.

Although the designation of this area is called "Suwa" here, the designation is not limited to this, and an input method such as "Suwa district" may be used. A municipal or prefecture name such as "Suwa City" or "Nagano Prefecture" may be used. This can be dealt with by giving, as knowledge, what terms can be specified as keywords for a certain item.

As described above, when the information indicating which field in the category and the information indicating the area are input as the user instruction items, the knowledge database 2 uses the keyword corresponding to the user instruction items. Groups are automatically selected. Using this selected keyword group
The target document may be searched by performing an AND search. Of course, it is possible to search based not only on the presence or absence of these keywords, but also on the frequency, word density in the document, etc.
Here, in order to simplify the explanation, a case where simple keyword matching is assumed will be described.

As described above, by searching for information corresponding to a user's instruction item from a document and setting it as a keyword group, information search in any field can be performed. Therefore, if the text-based information is basically freely stored, it is possible to search for related information at any time regardless of the type of information. In the case of adding an index to each piece of information, which has been generally performed in the past, if there is an addition or change in the database, there is a trouble such as re-indexing. In principle, it is possible to add or modify information in the database even during a search.

The search can be performed not only by the hierarchical items such as the category and the region as described above, but also by a free keyword directly. In this case, it is not necessary to specify a category or region at all like a general search engine, and it is possible to search not only all stored databases, but also to temporarily specify a category or region. The search result may be used to further narrow down information with a free keyword.

For example, if a lot of shop information "Iroha-an" comes out when searching for "Soba" as the category and "Matsumoto" as the area, if "Iroha-an" is designated by the free keyword, You can get information narrowed down to only "Iroha-an". As described above, effective narrowing can be performed by combining the conventional search using the free keyword with the keyword specified by the item.

Next, the information searched in this way is displayed in, for example, a table format (the search result 4 in FIGS. 3 and 4).
2 and search results 51). When such a display is performed, the content and the format are different depending on the individual databases of the databases D1, D2,..., Dn, so that the optimal arrangement is performed for each database.

In this case, the knowledge database 2 has knowledge for organizing each database, and organizes based on the knowledge. For example, for guide information,
If it is determined that the store name, telephone number, address, and the like are to be extracted and displayed in a tabular format, the information is picked up, organized, and reconstructed, and is tabulated as in the search result 42 of FIG. Display with. Further, as for the detailed information, as shown in FIG. 5, the detailed information of the shop is arranged, reconstructed, and displayed in a table format or the like.

On the other hand, in the case of word-of-mouth information, if it is determined in the knowledge database 2 that not only general information of the shop but also the recommendation level is displayed, the information is extracted from the word-of-mouth information. Then, the information is arranged and reconfigured, and displayed in a table format like the search information 51 in FIG. Further, as for the detailed information, as shown in FIG. 6, a detailed evaluation of the shop is extracted from word-of-mouth information, arranged, reconstructed, and displayed in a table format or the like.

In order to do this, the corresponding information is picked up by retrieval, or the database D1, D2,.
.., Dn is set according to the knowledge of the knowledge database 2. Further, processing such as extracting a portion related to the set item from the picked up information, reconstructing the extracted information as a table, a bullet, or a document is performed.

At this time, the data bases D1, D2,.
If there are some indexes in Dn, it is easy to create a table by extracting titles, telephone numbers, etc., based on them. However, without indexes, titles and telephone numbers are extracted from documents. It is possible. This is a general method used for document understanding and the like, and can be dealt with by using it.

In the information retrieval system according to the present invention, since the information to be inputted is predetermined, it is possible to check a portion to be extracted by utilizing the property of the information. For example, in the case of a posted article such as a comment on a store, the article has some rules and format depending on information, such as writing the name of the store, rating of the store, and the signature of the poster of the article, By having such rules and formats as knowledge, it is possible to determine the parts to be extracted.

Even if a certain format for clarifying a portion to be extracted in a document when inputting information is specified (for example, a telephone number is input in a specified form or in a frame), it is rough. The format is sufficient (at best, the appearance of the final display is improved), and the search itself can be sufficiently searched with keywords, so that the burden on the user can be minimized.

FIG. 8 shows information corresponding to the contents of a user's search request (items designated by the user) stored in databases D1, D2.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information search system that performs a process of searching from 2,.
The configuration of FIG. 1 is further subdivided and shown.
In FIG. 8, the information search processing means 1 includes a knowledge analyzer 1
1, a keyword setting unit 12, a search unit 13, a keyword group storage unit 14, and the like. Further, the display control means 3 has a display information extracting unit 31, a display information organizing / reconstructing unit 32, and the like.

The knowledge database 2 has a knowledge database (called a search knowledge database) 21 for performing a search and a knowledge database (called a display knowledge database) 22 for performing a display.

As described above, the search knowledge database 21 determines what keyword is to be set for the user-specified item, and thereby determines what information is to be selected from the degree database. Knowledge about is stored. On the other hand, as described above, the display knowledge database 22 shows how to pick up necessary information from the searched information,
The knowledge necessary to decide what format to display it in is stored.

In such a configuration, the knowledge analysis unit 11 is operated based on a user instruction item input by the user.
Analyzes the contents of the search knowledge database 21, the keyword setting unit 12 receives the analysis result, and sets an appropriate keyword group as described with reference to FIG. Then, based on the set of keywords set by the search unit 13,
Databases D1, D2,. Retrieve information from Dn.

When the information is retrieved in this way, the display information extracting unit 31 picks up a necessary part from the retrieved information according to the knowledge of the display knowledge database 22 and arranges it into the display information. The information is passed to the reconstruction unit 32. In the display information organizing / reconstructing unit 32, the display information extracting unit 3 is used in accordance with the contents of the display knowledge database 22.
The information picked up in step 1 is arranged and reconfigured (see search information 42 and search information 51 in FIGS. 3 and 4), and displayed on the display unit 4.

The above is the basic concept and functions of the present invention. Based on such a basic concept and functions, various cases in which information is further arranged will be described below.

First, automatic generation of word-of-mouth information will be described. The word-of-mouth information used in the present invention is different from the information posted in a forum (forum) for exchanging information between network subscribers. , Are dynamically created according to the content desired by the user, such as keywords, based on the latest information gathered at that time. That is,
In the past, a forum was set up according to the field and content, and users simply decided where the article they posted corresponded and simply posted the article there.

[0094] For this reason, the posted article may not match the item or purpose of each forum, and there may be an inappropriate article. As a result, you may not be able to find the information you want, and you will have to look into every post that might contain that information.

According to the present invention, even if articles and word-of-mouth information to be posted are posted one after another without being conscious of which field, only necessary information can be selected, arranged and displayed each time. Problems do not occur.

For example, if a person named na posts about a certain store, or a person named nb posts about a cat's hand, it is said that this article is for food, and that this article is an animal, so it should be posted in any field. This means that you can post freely and completely without being conscious.
And even if you post freely without being aware of the field in this way, if a user-designated item called "meal" is made, the keywords "eat" and "food" are set as keywords, and a person named na There is a good chance that articles written by will be searched.

That is, since there is no need to consider or search for the information that the user wants to see, the frequency of unnecessary information that the user does not want to see in the forum decreases. In this way, it is possible to perform flexible searches that were not possible with conventional forums, such as seeing articles only on a certain topic.

Further, in a conventional forum, the name of a certain field already set may be changed due to a change in the content of a posted article, but the procedure and management thereof are difficult. For example, suppose you have a forum in some area and then split the forum in that area into several. In such a case, the user must first make the names and contents of the divided forums known to the user. However, inappropriate articles are often posted at the time of change. It also makes it unclear where to post posts related to each newly created forum. The problem of division and change of such a field is attached to the traditional forum.

On the other hand, since the information search system of the present invention does not originally have the concept of the field of a forum,
There is no such management inconvenience. It is possible to view freely posted articles from various viewpoints.

By the way, in the above description of the information search / organization, the present invention is an example in which a search is performed by item (category and region). be able to.

FIG. 9 shows the contents of the forums searched for "beer" as a category and "Matsumoto" as a region.
Further, this is an example in which “Azumino” is added as a keyword and narrowed down. Note that FIG. 9 is a display example when the user selects “forum” in the display information selection instructing unit 43, and the search result 61 includes the name of a store that can provide local beer, a title indicating its special color, An example is shown in which a name, a recommendation degree, and the like are displayed in a table format, and detailed information 62 about a store designated by the user is displayed on the same screen.

In this case, detailed information on restaurant A is shown. Also, on the display screen 40, the items designated by the user (in this case, "beer" and "Matsumoto") and "Azumino" as a keyword for narrowing down the information are the same as in FIG. 3 and FIG. , And a map of the designated area is displayed. Note that the keyword given to narrow down the information is displayed in the keyword search field 63.

By the way, the forum is mainly composed of articles by individuals. Therefore, there is a strong demand for seeing the opinion of a specific person because the tendency of opinions by individuals is remarkable. In a conventional forum, for example, information about the contents shown in FIG. 9 may be traced to a certain extent from a similar forum field (region, history, etc.) in the case of "Azumino", and may be managed by searching the entire posted article. However, it is very difficult to look up information provided by an individual by personal name.

According to the present invention, the database D1, D2,..., Dn (substantially without a hierarchical structure) exists in the posted information regardless of the content of the post or the field. Even so, you can easily pick up only the articles of a specific individual. In addition, you can pick up personal articles in various fields. For example, FIG. 10 picks up only articles written by a contributor with a personal name of na from a forum obtained by instructing “Soba” from a hierarchical category and instructing “Suwa” as a region. This is the case. This is because the user specifies the category and region, and enters the name of the contributor as a keyword, the corresponding information is searched, and the user specifies "forum", and the user named na A list of soba restaurants in the Suwa district where the posted article exists is displayed as a search result 71, and when the user designates a certain store from the search results, detailed information 72 is displayed. At this time, the name of the designated poster is displayed in the keyword search field 63.

This can be done for other items such as "curry" and "Suwa", and also for all stored data without specifying items. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to extract a dynamic forum based on a personal name.

In recent years, word-of-mouth information has attracted much attention as specialized information. This is because there is an expectation that the user can hear the voice from the standpoint of the user, unlike the information from the standpoint of the interest group issued by the so-called interest group (the guide information in this embodiment). However, word-of-mouth information alone is often inadequate, and guide information may be desired. Therefore, it is ideal that the meaning of the information can be determined while comparing the two.

Therefore, the present invention links information in a database storing information of “forums” with information in a database containing guide information having information related to the information, and has different characteristics. Between databases
When information of one database is displayed, information of the other database related thereto can be extracted. For example, if the user is currently viewing word-of-mouth information and clicks on a predetermined portion of the displayed content, the guide information of the shop can be viewed. FIG. 11 shows an example. In other words, when the search result 73 for “forum” is currently displayed on the display screen 40, clicking on a certain shop in the search result 73 for that “forum” causes the guide information 74 of that shop to be displayed. Is displayed.

As described above, when looking at word-of-mouth information displayed on the display screen 40, it is possible to refer to the content of information having another character such as guide information at any time. This is a major feature not found in the conventional information system using only word-of-mouth information.

As shown in FIG. 11, the names of shops (E shop, F shop, G shop,...) That appear when “forum” in the display information selection instructing section 43 has been designated, etc. Is displayed, the tendency of the central topic of the forum can be known. In the example of FIG. 11, a list 75 of shop names is provided in a space between the search result 73 by “forum” and the guide information 74 linked thereto.
Is displayed.

Further, if the user wants to obtain more detailed information about a certain store by grasping the approximate information in FIG. 11, a page having a size corresponding to A4 size paper as shown in FIG. 12 is provided. As shown in FIG. 12, this page contains a wealth of information such as the appearance video of the store, business hours, and other detailed explanations. If you print out this page when you actually go to the store, it will be useful as a guide. In addition, if a number of printouts printed out in this way are bundled, a so-called guidebook is created and becomes convenient. Further, if a map or the like is added to the page of FIG. 12, the convenience is further improved.

As described above, by preparing a link from an appropriate item of word-of-mouth information (such as a shop name) to a database containing information of a different kind (guide information), the search results of the "forum" can be obtained. It is possible to easily browse completely different information (guide information) while watching. That is, simultaneous access between a plurality of databases having different characteristics is enabled. This is an important feature not found in traditional forums.

Further, as described above, the information search that effectively utilizes the articles posted to the forum enables a richer collection of information than ever before, and the utility value for the user may be extremely high. However, there may be articles posted to the forum that are offensive to public order and morals or that are slanderous to individuals.

In particular, when a post is made for a personal store or the like as in this embodiment, it is highly likely that the content is intentionally slanderous to the individual. In conventional forums, the person in charge of the forum (system operator) deletes or eliminates inappropriate documents from a personal point of view.

The present invention has a function of automatically determining the content of information posted on a forum.
This is because, as described above, necessary information can be picked up from various databases, and the picked-up articles can be arranged, integrated, and reconstructed. When performing this processing, words that are contrary to public order and morals are used. It is possible to search for documents with expressions that are slanderous or slanderous. And
It is easy to filter out such documents. In other words, expressions that are contrary to public order and morals and expressions related to slander are prepared in advance as keywords, and an OR search for each keyword is performed to find a document that has a small or fixed number of them. .

[0115] Therefore, compared to the system operator who has deleted or eliminated an inappropriate document due to his personal subjectiveness, it takes less time and effort, and this document is good and this exclusion is not good. Standards can be kept constant.
In the case of human beings, the exclusion criteria differ depending on the mood and fatigue at that time, and in general, if the person in charge differs for each forum, the exclusion criteria of the forum will differ due to individual differences, and uniformity will be lost. As the number of forums increases, there is a possibility that human resources may become insufficient. Points can be eliminated.

Also, if such a censoring function of a posted article in a forum is used, for example, if there is a person who posts a number of problematic documents, the document is searched by that person's name, You can add a feature such as checking how many times a post has been posted and issuing a warning if the number is high. Further, if the electronic mail address of the person is known, a warning mail or the like can be automatically transmitted to the person. This is because all of the forum contents are prepared as two-dimensional information without a hierarchical structure and can be grasped electronically.

As described above, the present invention relates to a database having a plurality of different properties (in this embodiment, FIG.
, Dn), the searched information can be arranged and displayed in an easy-to-view manner, but an advertisement directly related to the information (for example, a certain soba shop) If the page is an advertisement for the soba shop itself)
Not only can you advertise related or associated matters.

Conventionally, in the case of a page accessed by a user, for example, a page related to economics, it is usual to place an advertisement related to the economy such as a securities company or a bank. Furthermore, when a user searches for something, there is an example in which something similar to the searched word is simply put in an advertisement. Some systems provide a system for continuously and continuously flowing various advertisements, and further, settings such as focusing on advertisements according to personal preferences and the like have been conventionally made.

However, in each case, the content corresponding to the accessed keyword or page is only temporarily output. Therefore, when browsing information continuously, the user often sees the same contents, and the user tends to be less novel and less interested in advertisements.

[0120] The information retrieval system of the present invention not only simply issues an advertisement relating to the retrieved information, but also provides various and continuous information related to or related to the information provided. In this way, it is possible to provide detailed advertisements. To achieve this, the content of the advertisement is dynamically changed according to the information to be provided. As a result, it is possible to increase the user's interest in the advertisement and not to bore the user. The details will be described below.

According to the present invention, various kinds of information can be classified by items. So, it keeps with the knowledge that or not interested users to decline Once out in advance how the ad by the each item.

For example, if information about a soba shop is searched and arranged, then not only advertisements for the soba shop and nearby soba shops, but also a taxi company at the location of the soba shop, or other soja restaurants where you eat soba. -Have knowledge of places related to buckwheat noodles (eating buckwheat and other activities), such as advertisements for facilities such as hot springs. Then, for example, an advertisement for a nearby taxi company, hot spring, or the like is selected from the area of the corresponding soba shop, and is displayed as an advertisement.

As another example, when an airport is checked, for example, the airline that is operating at the airport,
Advertise on new routes and other information. Further, when the user searches for an airline, an advertisement associated with the search is issued one after another according to the content being searched, for example, an advertisement for a product near the airport on the airline or a tourist guide is issued.

In this way, the advertisements touching the user's eyes are continuous and follow the user's search path, so that the contents can be interesting and the chances of seeing the advertisements can be increased. . Please note that such ads are
An advertisement column is provided at an appropriate part on the display screen 40 and displayed there.

In order to display such advertisements, an advertisement knowledge database is provided. In the advertising knowledge database, for a category, a region, or the like as shown in FIG. 2, an advertisement target suitable for the category and a knowledge of how to display the advertisement target are registered. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the advertisement target is a hot spring, a sightseeing spot, a taxi company, etc. in the vicinity of the category of “meal” and “soba”.
For the categories "Accommodation" and "Business hotel", nearby supermarkets, convenience stores,
Restaurants and taverns.

[0126] Appropriate items to be advertised as described above are determined in advance in accordance with the contents of the search results displayed on the display screen. Whether an advertisement is appropriate for a search result displayed on a display screen is created by assuming how the advertisement is actually used. For example, if the search result displayed on the display screen is information about a business hotel, when you stay there, you often go shopping or go out for meals, so information on nearby stores is useful. . Therefore,
Advertising for such stores will be very effective.

Next, the data structure of the advertisement target will be described. For example, when a supermarket is taken as an example of an advertisement, there are various supermarkets in each region even if it is a supermarket advertisement, so that a supermarket SA, a supermarket SB,... Data is needed.

That is, the same type of advertising target is composed of different data depending on the region. FIG. 14 illustrates this example, in which a supermarket (abbreviated as a supermarket) and a restaurant are targeted as advertisements, and Nagano, Matsumoto, Suwa and the like are taken as regions. As can be seen from FIG. 14, even if the advertisement target is the same field of supermarket, the supermarket of the advertisement target differs in each region, such as Super SA in Nagano, Super SB in Matsumoto and Super SC in Suwa. . Similarly, in Nagano, restaurant R
A, Restaurant RB in Matsumoto, Restaurant R in Suwa
As shown in C, the restaurant targeted for advertisement differs depending on each region.

In FIG. 14, one supermarket and one restaurant correspond to one region.
This is not limited to one, and each may be plural. In addition, not only supermarkets and convenience stores, but also various types of advertisement targets are set for each category as shown in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining a procedure for displaying such an advertisement target, which will be described with reference to FIG.

The advertisement knowledge base includes an advertisement target knowledge base 23 having knowledge of what advertisement target is associated with each of the various categories, and an advertisement target knowledge base 23 for displaying an advertisement on a display screen. Advertisement display knowledge database 24 having knowledge of how to perform display
have. Each of these knowledge databases 23, 24
Is provided together with the search knowledge database 21 and the display knowledge database 22 shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 8 as one of the components constituting the information search system of the present invention.

When a certain category or a certain area is designated by the user (step s1), first, an advertisement target corresponding to the category is selected from the advertisement target knowledge database 23 (step s2). The example of FIG. 15 shows a case where a business hotel is designated as a category. In this case, a plurality of supermarkets and a plurality of restaurants are selected as advertisement targets. Further, corresponding to the region designated by the user, some supermarkets and restaurants most suitable for the region designated by the user are narrowed down from the plurality of supermarkets and restaurants selected in step s2 (step S2). s3). Next, how to display the advertisement objects thus narrowed down is obtained from the advertisement display knowledge database 24, and the display is performed according to the obtained information (step s4).

As a result, the search results (guide information, word-of-mouth information, etc.) of the business hotel in a certain area as a search request item specified by the user are displayed in an organized state as described above, and , On the display screen 40, relating to the business hotel,
When using a business hotel such as a restaurant or a supermarket in the area, useful information is displayed as advertisement information.

As described above, according to the present invention, information is arranged and displayed for each item (category or region) specified by the user. First, an advertisement target corresponding to the item is determined from the advertisement target knowledge database. Next, from the selected advertisement targets, an appropriate one is further narrowed down from the area where the information is arranged. In the above example, the information is classified into two categories, "category" and "region", but other classifications are also possible.

By the way, the above-described advertisement display method (order and display method) is specifically performed as follows.

For example, when several advertisements such as a supermarket, a convenience store, and a restaurant are put out at a business hotel, it is impossible to put them on the screen at once (the contents are difficult to understand due to the limitation of the screen area). Therefore, a mechanism for sequentially presenting these is necessary. In the present invention, advertisements related to the arranged items are displayed in a chain in the following manner.

First, as one of them, information having display contents and regions assumed in advance is displayed sequentially. For example, a store with a category of "Soba" that was searched, organized, and displayed.
If there is a soba shop in a tourist spot, first advertise the nearby tourist spots and hot springs, then show the transportation (taxi) and souvenirs.

Further, as another example, it is completely appropriately (random). This is because if the category is “Soba” as described above, and the store searched, arranged, and displayed there is a certain soba shop located in a sightseeing spot, “Soba”
It goes out at random, such as nearby sightseeing spots, hot springs, taxis, and souvenirs, and has the effect of aiming for unexpectedness.

Further, as another example, each advertisement is indexed, and when the user clicks an index, the clicked advertisement content is displayed in detail. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, first, a list 91 of advertisements that are likely to be related is displayed as an index, and when the user clicks an arbitrary index, the detailed content 92 is displayed.

The order of the indexes may be determined in consideration of relevance or may be completely random.

Next, a description will be given of a process of printing out a search result displayed in an organized state in response to a user's search request.

As described above, according to the present invention, various information can be arranged and presented to the user. However, since the amount of information to be presented is large, the summary should be summarized in a table or the like. Is clicked, and when the user clicks on an item to be particularly viewed from the contents displayed in the table format, detailed information can be obtained.

However, there are many cases, for example, where one often wants to actually go to the store or read the shit of a certain matter. Therefore, the present invention has a function of simply collecting desired information from among the searched and organized information as a separate page on a sheet of A4 size, and printing out the information.

For example, when displaying an outline of a shop as shown in FIG. 5 in a table format, a printer mark M is put on the screen, and when the user wants to know detailed information, the printer mark M is clicked. Then, the complete guide of the shop as shown in FIG. 12 can be printed on about one sheet of A4 size paper.

A page of about one A4 sheet may be prepared for each information of a shop or the like. In addition, an appropriate information may be extracted from the information searched for, organized, and accumulated in the forum, and may be reduced and combined into a content equivalent to about one A4 sheet. So you can simply reduce what you see in the scroll and put it together.)

[0146] The pages corresponding to about one A4 sheet are not directly touched by the user when the user usually searches for information, so that even a large amount of information may become complicated. No (Magazines and the like are a series of guide pages of about one A4 sheet, so retrieval is difficult).

According to the present invention, printing can be designated only when the user is particularly interested in seeing the search result, whereby detailed information can be printed out. In other words, since the search operation can be performed smoothly and only the necessary information can be printed, it is possible to see the necessary information for the user in detail when necessary. There is no mechanism to provide information in two stages, most of them only provide an overview of the store or links to web pages owned by the store.)

FIG. 17 shows a processing procedure for performing such an information search and printing out necessary information from the search results. First, an information search process is performed (step s11), necessary information is extracted from the contents of the search results (store guide information and word-of-mouth information), and the information is collected (step s12) and re-printed as a print page. One page for printing is created by composition (step s13).
When the print button is pressed, the page reconstructed for printing is displayed, and the contents of the page are printed (step s14).

In a normal personal computer or the like, reconstructed contents equivalent to about one A4 sheet may be displayed and printed as it is. However, in a portable terminal or the like, the display area is small, so that a full layout is required. It is also possible to display an item page with only the essential points once and print it out, so that a result of about one A4 sheet can be obtained.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, when the user makes a search request, the items specified by the user are the category and the region, but the present invention is not limited to this. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the description has been given of the case where the information search system is assumed to be a system including a server such as the web and a client terminal. It can also be used for organizing information that is being used.

The processing program for performing the information search processing of the present invention described above includes a floppy disk,
The information can be recorded on a recording medium such as an optical disk or a hard disk, and the present invention includes the recording medium. Further, the processing program may be obtained from a network.

[0152]

As described above, according to the present invention, each database storing information having different properties is provided so that a two-dimensional search without a hierarchical structure can be performed. Information corresponding to the input search request contents is searched, and the respective search results searched from the respective databases are arranged and displayed. This makes it possible to provide the user with the desired information from a desired point of view simply by appropriately accumulating a plurality of pieces of information having different properties and tendencies of the contents in the corresponding databases. That is,
It is possible to extract a plurality of pieces of information having different characteristics of information and tendencies of the contents in a fused form. In addition, when registering information in the database, there is no need to use a special format (there is no need for the user to perform special operations such as adding an index or specifying a keyword for later search), and the user creates the information. Since it is only necessary to store the information as it is, it is possible to greatly reduce the burden on the user when registering the information.

The information having different properties is, for example, information posted in an information exchange place between network subscribers and information for a web page. The information posted on the information exchange place between the network subscribers includes word-of-mouth information, while the information for the web page is, for example, guide-like information created by shops and tourist facilities. According to the present invention, such information having different properties can be extracted and viewed on the same screen.

Each of the retrieval results retrieved from the databases having different properties can be displayed on a different display screen for each piece of information having the different properties, and can be displayed on the same screen. Display is also possible,
Since it is possible to arbitrarily switch and display the information, the user can see the information desired by the user in a manner suited to the situation.

The information in the database storing the information posted at the information exchange place by the network subscriber is searched by the item designated by the user, and the search result can be dynamically reconfigured. As a result, it is possible to efficiently and appropriately retrieve a posted article desired by the user.

[0156] Further, when retrieving this posted article,
Since it is possible to search using the author's personal name as an axis,
You can retrieve only the posts about a certain author, which is useful if you are interested in that author's article.

Further, information in a database storing information posted in a place where information is exchanged by a network subscriber is linked to a database containing information of a web page having information related to the information. So
For example, when looking at word-of-mouth information about a store or the like, and trying to view the guide information of the store, the corresponding guide information can be immediately retrieved and displayed, so that both can be easily viewed at the same time. It is very convenient for.

[0158] For posted articles that are offensive to public order and morals or that are slanderous, keywords for detecting them are prepared, and the presence of the keywords is determined. Since articles are automatically excluded, it is possible to automatically exclude posted articles that intentionally attack individuals. Conventionally, such processing has been performed by a system operator, and there has been a problem in that it takes a long time to make a determination criterion and trouble. However, the present invention can deal with these points.

Further, according to the present invention, a plurality of advertisements relating to the search result can be displayed in a chain in response to the search result for the item designated by the user. Not only can you see the search results, you can also see the information (ads) associated with it, and you can get a wide range of information related to it, not just the search results.

When the advertisements are displayed in a chain, the advertisement targets to be displayed, the display contents thereof, and the display order are prepared in advance for each item corresponding to the various fields. Since the display contents and the display order can be appropriately changed according to the contents of the advertisement knowledge database, appropriate advertisement contents can be obtained, and the contents can be obtained without being tired of the viewer.

Further, with respect to the information searched, arranged and displayed in response to the user's search request, necessary information is extracted from the information and reconstructed as a print page, and the print page is reconfigured. When it is created and a print instruction is issued, it is possible to print the reconstructed page contents, so not only guide information but also necessary information such as word-of-mouth information are collected in a suitable form on one sheet of paper. If the information is printed in a printed state, and the information of each printed sheet is put together, it can be said that the information is like a guidebook.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information search system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a category and a region as a user's instruction item used in the embodiment of the present invention in a hierarchical structure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of guide information as a search result for an item designated by a user.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which word-of-mouth information is displayed by designating “forum” in the display example of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a search result (guide information) in the display example of FIG. 3;
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example of the details of the specified content by designating a certain part of the image.

6 is a search result (word-of-mouth information) in the display example of FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example of the details of the specified content by designating a certain part of the image.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a keyword group set for an item designated by a user.

8 is a configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of the information search system shown in FIG. 1 in further detail.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a search result obtained by further narrowing down a search result based on an item designated by a user with a predetermined keyword.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which, for a search result based on an item designated by a user, an individual poster is further input as a keyword, and an article of the poster is extracted and displayed.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example in which guide information linked to the word-of-mouth information is read out from a search result (word-of-mouth information) searched by an item designated by the user, arranged and displayed.

FIG. 12 is an example in which more detailed information on a shop having the search result of FIG. 11 is displayed collectively in a content that can be inserted into about one sheet of A4 size paper.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an advertisement target registered in advance for a certain category.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the same advertisement target differs depending on a region.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a processing procedure for displaying an advertisement.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the content of an advertisement.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a processing procedure for printing a search result.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 information search processing means 2 knowledge database 3 display control means 4 display unit 11 knowledge analysis unit 12 keyword setting unit 13 search unit 14 keyword group storage unit 21 search knowledge database 22 display knowledge database 23 advertising target knowledge database 24 advertisement display knowledge Database 31 Display information extracting unit 32 Display information organizing / reconstructing unit D1, D2, ..., Dn Database

Claims (39)

[Claims] 1. A database in which information having different properties is stored so that a two-dimensional search without a hierarchical structure can be performed. A knowledge database with knowledge of how to search for relevant information and how to display search results,
Based on the knowledge of the knowledge database, information corresponding to the content of the search request input by the user is searched, and the respective search results searched from the respective databases can be arranged and displayed. Information retrieval method. 2. A plurality of databases storing information having different properties include a database storing information posted in a place for information exchange between network subscribers, and a web
2. The information retrieval method according to claim 1, further comprising a database storing page information. 3. A process for searching for information corresponding to a search request content input by the user based on knowledge of the knowledge database includes a plurality of items selected by the user from among items corresponding to various things. Is instructed,
3. The information search method according to claim 1, wherein information on the item specified by the user is searched from the plurality of databases according to the knowledge of the knowledge database for the specified items. 4. A search result obtained by searching for information on an item designated by the user can be displayed on a separate display screen for each database having the different characteristics. A display on a common display screen irrespective of a difference in the nature of each database, and a switchable display between the two on the basis of a user's instruction. Item 3. The information retrieval method according to Item 3. 5. A keyword group including a term related to the item or a term associated with the item is set in advance for each item corresponding to the various fields, and the user designates an item. Then, with respect to the information in the plurality of databases, it is checked whether or not the term included in the keyword group for the item exists in each information in the database, and the information is searched based on the result. The information retrieval method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein 6. A process for checking whether or not the keyword group exists in the information in the database, and performing a search for information based on the result, to assign a free keyword to the search result obtained by the process. 6. The information search method according to claim 5, wherein the search result already obtained can be further narrowed down by the free keyword. 7. Searching for information in a database storing information posted at a place for information exchange by the network subscriber by an item designated by the user, and dynamically reconfiguring the search result 7. The information retrieval method according to claim 3, wherein: 8. Searching for information in a database storing information posted at a place for information exchange by the network subscriber by an item designated by the user, and dynamically reconfiguring the search result 8. The information search method according to claim 7, wherein in the processing, the search using the personal name of the poster is enabled. 9. An information in a database storing information posted in a place where information is exchanged by the network subscriber, and a corresponding information in a database containing information of a web page having information related to the information. Link to the information you want to
9. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein when information of one database is displayed between databases having different properties, information of the other database related thereto is also extracted. Information search method described in section. 10. A keyword for detecting information posted in the information exchange place by the network subscriber in order to exclude public order and morals and slanderous content is prepared, and the presence of the keyword is determined. 10. The information search method according to claim 2, wherein a post that is inappropriate is automatically excluded based on the result. 11. The method according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of advertisements relating to the searched result can be displayed in a chain with respect to the searched result for the item designated by the user. 11. The information search method according to any one of items 10 to 10. 12. When a plurality of advertisements related to the searched result are displayed in a chain, an advertisement target to be displayed, display contents thereof, and a display order thereof are determined for each item corresponding to the various fields. The information retrieval method according to claim 11, wherein the information retrieval method is prepared in advance. 13. With respect to information searched, arranged, and displayed for an item designated by a user, necessary information is extracted from the information and reconstructed as a page for printing, and is reconfigured as a page for printing. 13. The information search method according to claim 3, wherein a page is created, and when a print instruction is issued, the reconstructed page content is printed. 14. A plurality of databases provided to store information having different properties and to enable a two-dimensional search without forming a hierarchical structure between each other, and receiving a search request from a user. Information retrieval processing means for retrieving information from a plurality of databases in which the information having different properties is stored, based on the user's retrieval request, And a knowledge database giving knowledge such as how to display the search results, and a display control means for organizing and displaying the searched results using the knowledge of the knowledge database, An information retrieval system characterized by having: 15. The plurality of databases storing information having different properties include a database storing information posted in a place where information is exchanged by network subscribers, and a database storing information for web pages. The information retrieval system according to claim 14, comprising: 16. A process of performing a search for information corresponding to a search request content input by the user based on knowledge of the knowledge database includes a plurality of items selected by the user from among items corresponding to various things. 16. The information retrieval system according to claim 14, wherein the information retrieval means receives the instruction, and retrieves information on the instruction item from the plurality of databases according to the knowledge of the knowledge database. . 17. The knowledge database includes a search knowledge database and a display knowledge database. The display means receives the knowledge of the display knowledge database and searches for information on items designated by the user. The obtained search results can be displayed on different display screens for each database having the different properties, and a common database can be displayed regardless of the difference in the properties of each database. It is also possible to display on the display screen,
17. The information retrieval system according to claim 16, wherein switching display between the two is also possible according to a user's instruction. 18. A keyword group storage unit for storing, for each item designated by a search user, a keyword group including a term related to the item or a term associated with the term, a keyword group storage unit, A keyword setting unit for selecting and setting a keyword for the selected item from the keyword group storage unit; and a search unit for performing a search in the plurality of databases. A setting unit selects a predetermined keyword from the keyword group storage unit and sets a keyword, and determines whether the keyword exists in the information in the database based on the set keyword with respect to the information in the plurality of databases. Check
The information retrieval system according to any one of claims 16 to 17, wherein information retrieval is performed based on the result. 19. A process for checking whether or not the keyword group exists in information in a database, and performing a search for information based on the result, wherein a free keyword is given to a search result obtained by the process. 19. The information search system according to claim 18, wherein the search results already obtained can be further narrowed down by the free keywords. 20. Searching for information in a database storing information posted at a place of information exchange by the network subscriber by an item designated by the user, and dynamically reconfiguring the search result The information retrieval system according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein: 21. A search in information stored in a database storing information posted at a place for information exchange by the network subscriber by an item designated by the user, and the search result can be dynamically reconfigured. 21. The information search system according to claim 20, wherein in the processing, the search can be performed using the personal name of the contributor as an axis. 22. Information in a database storing information posted in a place where information is exchanged by the network subscriber, and a corresponding information in a database containing information of a web page having information related to the information. Link to the information you want to
22. The method according to claim 15, wherein when information of one database is displayed between databases having different properties, information of the other database related thereto is also extracted. Information retrieval system described in section. 23. A keyword for detecting information posted to the information exchange place by the network subscriber in order to exclude public order and morals and slanderous content is prepared, and the existence of the keyword is determined. The information retrieval system according to any one of claims 15 to 22, wherein an inappropriate post is automatically excluded based on the result. 24. The knowledge database includes an advertisement target knowledge database having knowledge of an advertisement target to be selected for an item designated by a user and a knowledge of how to display an advertisement target to be displayed. 2. An advertisement display knowledge database comprising: a plurality of advertisements relating to a result searched for an item designated by a user, which can be displayed in a chain.
24. The information search system according to any one of 6 to 23. 25. When a plurality of advertisements related to the searched result are displayed in a chain, an advertisement target to be displayed, display contents thereof, and a display order thereof are determined for each item corresponding to the various fields. 25. The information retrieval system according to claim 24, wherein the information is prepared in advance in the advertisement display knowledge database. 26. With respect to information searched, arranged, and displayed for an item designated by a user, necessary information is extracted from the information, reconstructed as a print page, and reconstructed as a print page. And when a print instruction is issued,
26. The information retrieval system according to claim 16, wherein the reconstructed page contents are printed. 27. A plurality of databases which store information having different properties and are provided so as to enable a two-dimensional search without forming a hierarchical structure between them, and receive a search request from a user. Information retrieval processing means for retrieving information from a plurality of databases in which the information having different properties is stored; and, based on the user's retrieval request, the information retrieval processing means And a knowledge database that gives knowledge such as how to display search results and a display control unit that organizes and displays searched results using the knowledge of the knowledge database. A recording medium storing an information search processing program in the information search system, the information search processing program receiving a search request content from a user. Then, based on the knowledge of the knowledge database, a search for information corresponding to the search request content input by the user is performed, and the respective search results searched from the respective databases are arranged and displayed. Recording medium on which an information search processing program is recorded. 28. The plurality of databases storing information having different properties include a database storing information posted in a place for information exchange between network subscribers,
The recording medium according to claim 27, further comprising: a database storing information for page b. 29. A process for searching for information corresponding to a search request content input by the user based on knowledge of the knowledge database includes a plurality of items selected by the user from among items corresponding to various things. 29. The method according to claim 27, wherein when the user designates, for the designated plurality of items, information on the item designated by the user is searched from the plurality of databases according to the knowledge of the knowledge database. A recording medium on which an information search processing program is recorded. 30. A search result obtained by searching for information on an item designated by the user can be displayed on another display screen for each database having the different characteristics. A display on a common display screen irrespective of a difference in the nature of each database, and a switchable display between the two on the basis of a user's instruction. Item 30. A recording medium on which the information search processing program according to item 29 is recorded. 31. For each item corresponding to the various fields, a keyword group including a term related to the item or a term associated with the term is set in advance, and a certain item is designated by the user. Then, with respect to the information in the plurality of databases, it is checked whether or not the term included in the keyword group for the item exists in each information in the database, and the information is searched based on the result. Claim 29 or 3
0. A recording medium on which an information search processing program described in No. 0 is recorded. 32. In a process of checking whether or not the keyword group exists in information in a database and performing an information search based on the result, a free keyword is given to a search result obtained by the process. 35. The recording medium according to claim 34, wherein the search result obtained already can be further narrowed down by the free keyword. 33. Searching for information in a database storing information posted at a place for information exchange by the network subscriber by an item designated by the user, and dynamically reconstructing the search result 33. A recording medium on which the information search processing program according to claim 29 is recorded. 34. Searching for information in a database storing information posted at a place of information exchange by the network subscriber by an item designated by the user, and dynamically reconstructing the search result 34. The recording medium according to claim 33, wherein in the processing, the search using the personal name of the contributor is enabled. 35. Information in a database storing information posted in a place where information is exchanged by the network subscriber, and a corresponding information in a database containing information of a web page having information related to the information. Link to the information you want to
35. The method according to claim 28, wherein, when information of one database is displayed between databases having different properties, information of the other database related thereto is also extracted. Recording medium on which the information search processing program described in the item is recorded. 36. A keyword for detecting information posted in an information exchange place of the network subscriber in order to exclude public order and morals and slanderous content is prepared, and the existence of the keyword is determined. 36. A recording medium in which the information search processing program according to any one of claims 28 to 35, wherein a post that is inappropriate is automatically excluded based on the result. 37. A system according to claim 29, wherein a plurality of advertisements relating to the searched result can be displayed in a chain with respect to the searched result for the item designated by the user. 36. A recording medium on which the information search processing program according to any one of 36 is recorded. 38. When a plurality of advertisements related to the searched result are displayed in a chain, an advertisement target to be displayed, display contents thereof, and a display order thereof are determined for each item corresponding to the various fields. 38. A recording medium recording the information search processing program according to claim 37, which is prepared in advance. 39. With respect to information searched, arranged, and displayed for an item designated by a user, necessary information is extracted from the information and reconstructed as a page for printing, and is reconfigured as a page for printing. 39. The recording medium according to claim 29, wherein a page is created, and when a print instruction is issued, the reconstructed page content is printed.