JP2008077579A - Relevant file search system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system easily and accurately searching a file relevant to a designated file (including files stored in other servers). <P>SOLUTION: The system comprises an "automatic associating means" for automatically associating two files regardless of the locations of the files; a "manual associating means" for manually associating arbitrary files; an "associating information holding part" for holding each associating information as associating information between file paths in XML format; and an "associated file display UI part" for displaying the associating information between files in a tree shape on a display, and updating the associating information in tree expansion. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a related file search system that can search a plurality of files that are automatically and manually associated (including files stored in other servers) while expanding them in a tree form.

Conventionally, when searching for a file to be searched from among a plurality of files, it is common to search by specifying a part of the file name or its attribute. However, this method has a problem that a large number of unrelated files are searched, and when the file name and attribute are unknown, it is difficult to search. On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-078512, the relationship between all document pairs is obtained in advance, and the file to be searched for can be searched from the related files by displaying it to the user. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-259450 improves search efficiency by creating a folder with a keyword as a folder name and categorizing it while placing related files under the folder. Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-078512, the contents of the common keywords are investigated among all documents, the association between the documents is performed, and the visual search is facilitated by illustrating the relationship of each file. .
JP 2004-078512 A JP 2002-259450 JP

  However, in the prior art, it is necessary to associate documents in advance by any method (whether automatic or manual). Therefore, if the range is expanded to an arbitrary file server, the association work becomes enormous. In addition, related files such as files on the Internet cannot be displayed without being bound to the storage location.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention scans the contents of a specified file, and when a character string that seems to be a file name or a file path is found, regardless of where these two files are stored. Automatic association means for automatically associating files with each other, manual association means for associating two files specified by the user regardless of where the two files are stored, and at least the two types of associations The association information holding unit that manages and holds the information associated by the means as an XML file including the path information of the file, and the association information held by the association information holding unit are displayed in a tree on the display, and when the user expands the tree Using the automatic association means, the association information holding unit is stored. Providing related file search system characterized in that it has an associated file display UI unit having the association information to the update steps of.

  In this system, by managing association information based on file path information, it is possible to target any file that can be accessed by the user, such as a file on a different file server or a file on the Internet. is there. The related file display UI section makes it easy to search for a file that does not stick to the storage location by centrally displaying the files with different storage locations in a tree view.

  The association information can also be associated manually by the user. The association information accumulates by manual association and tree expansion by the user, and matures. By associating the association information with each other, for example, it is possible to reach a file on another server that commonly refers to a certain Web site.

  In addition, since the association information is managed in XML, it is possible to specify the visible range of association for each user, manage the date and time of association, the last reference date and time of association, etc. Can be reflected in the UI. In addition, data is easily exchanged between systems of different versions by being managed in XML.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the overall system configuration. This system includes an automatic association unit 1, a manual association unit 2, an association information holding unit 3, and a related file display UI unit 4. The association information holding unit 3 holds the association information 31 in the XML format. The tree display 5 is an example of the related information indicated by the related file display UI unit 4.

  FIG. 2 shows a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic association means 1.

  The main task of the automatic association means 1 is to find another file related to the designated file, automatically associate both in a one-to-one relationship, and update the association information 31.

  The automatic association means 1 is activated together with one designated file. First, it is checked whether or not the designated file can be opened by 102. If the specified file cannot be opened, this method is terminated. If the file can be opened, the file is read in one line (103) and scanned for a character string that seems to be a file name. If not, read the next line. If there is a character string that seems to be a file name, if it is not represented by an absolute path, it is converted to an absolute path (105), and an attempt is made to open the file represented by the absolute path (106). . If the file can be opened, the file and the first designated file are stored in the memory as related files (107). This operation is performed on the entire line of the file. When the operation is completed, the association information stored in the memory is added to the association information 31 in FIG. 1 (109). Although a text file is taken as an example here, the same processing is performed for a character string that is also included in a binary file.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the manual association unit 2.

  The main task of the manual association means 2 is to update the association information 31 by associating two files designated by the user in a one-to-one relationship. First, at 202, two files are designated by the user. Only when the designated two files exist (203), the two files are associated and reflected in the association information 31 (204).

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which files stored in various storage locations are associated with each other in a certain environment. This embodiment will be described based on this relationship.

  The left half (514) shows a file group. Reference numerals 501 to 504 denote files on the local hard disk. Reference numerals 505 and 506 denote files on a certain file server. Reference numerals 507 to 513 denote files on a plurality of servers on the Internet.

  The right half (515) shows how the files are associated one to one. For example, “file 1.doc (503)” stored in “folder A (502)” on local “volume C (501)” is “file 2.xls (504)” on the same folder, It is associated with “File 6.xml (513)” on the Internet.

  Although not explicitly shown in the figure, there are associations that are manually associated and those that are automatically associated. By the manual association means 2 described above, it is possible to freely associate all file pairs accessible by the user, whether the file is on the file server or the file on the Internet.

  FIG. 5 shows a part of the association information 31 as an example. The association information is managed by obfuscating each file. For example, files with the file ID “1” are indicated by 301 to 308. Important items include path information indicated by 302 and IDs of related files indicated by 305 and 306. If the related file is related using the automatic association means 1, it is included in <automatic> (304), and if it is related using the manual association means 2, it is included in <manual> (317). .

6 to 8 show scenes where the user searches for a file in the related file display UI section. The user first designates the file that is the source of the related file to be searched. Here is shown at 520
C: \ Folder A \ File 2.xls
Is that. When the user input is confirmed, the related files 521 to 523 are arranged in a tree shape. Each node in the tree is indicated with a + mark, which prompts the user to select a file to search for an associated file. When the user clicks the + mark of 521, the display is as shown in FIG. That is, the + mark in 521 becomes the-mark in 531, and 532 files associated with the file 531 appear as child nodes under the mark. Similarly, by selecting the + mark, the user can search for a file to be obtained by displaying related files one after another (FIG. 8).

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow during the search shown in FIGS. First, when the user inputs a root file (402), the system first checks whether the information of the file exists in the association information 31 (403). If the file association information is held, the update date and time of the designated file is acquired to check whether the information is not old (404). If the actual update date and time and the update date and time held in the association information 31 are the same, the association file held in the association information 31 is expanded in a tree shape because it is considered the latest information (408). If the information of the designated file is not held or is held but is old information, the automatic association means 1 performs automatic association (406). The association information obtained individually is updated to the association information 31 and expanded as a tree (408). When the + mark is pressed again by the user, the flow from 403 is repeated.

As an option of this system ・ Control according to access authority for each user ・ Function to perform full-text search from files on the expanded tree ・ Function to delete data that is not referenced for a long time ・ File attributes at expansion Functions that apply filters • Functions that set weights for individual associations and reflect them in the UI can be considered.

A conceptual diagram showing the elements necessary for this system. The flowchart which showed operation | movement of the automatic correlation means. The flowchart which showed operation | movement of the manual correlation means. The conceptual diagram which showed a mode that the files stored in various places were linked | related. An example of the association information 31. State of related file display UI part 1. State of related file display UI part 2 State of related file display UI part 3 The flowchart when a user operates a related file display UI part.

Claims (1)

An automatic association means that scans the contents of a specified file and automatically associates the two files regardless of where they are stored when a character string that appears to be a file name or file path is found ,
Manual association means for associating two files specified by the user with each other regardless of where the two files are stored;
An association information holding unit that manages and holds information associated with at least the two types of association means as an XML file including file path information;
A related file display UI having the steps of displaying the association information held by the association information holding unit on a display as a tree, and updating the association information held by the association information holding unit using the automatic association means when the user expands the tree Part,
Related file search system having

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