JPH06332961A - Information retrieval device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of information retrieval in a data base and to enable an operator to easily discriminate a classification item selected at present. CONSTITUTION:The instruction from an instruction input device 1 is sent to a request processing part 3 through an instruction input device control part 2 and is discriminated. When this instruction indicates selection of a classification item, the classification item dependent upon management of a classification display management part 4 and the number of elements of information belonging to the lower order of the classification item dependent upon management of an element number management part 6 are displayed on a display device 9 through a display device control part 8 in the display form determined by a classification display form determining part 5. When the instruction indicates retrieval of a classification item, all of elements of information belonging to the lower order of the classification item dependent upon management of an information list display part 7 are displayed on the display device 9 through the display device control part 8.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information retrieval device for retrieving information from a database.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when searching for arbitrary information from a database, which is a collection of a large number of information in a system such as a computer, a keyword for the above information is listed or a classification item of the above information. Is used to display the information in the database and select any information from the displayed information.

For example, in the case of a system that uses a method of hierarchically classifying and displaying information in a database, classification items belonging to the lower level of the hierarchy are displayed as a menu in the highest level or arbitrary level classification. To do. Next, if an arbitrary classification item is selected from the presented classification items, the system displays the information elements belonging to the lower order than the selected arbitrary classification item.

[0004]

By the way, in the system using the method for hierarchically classifying information in the database as described above, when an arbitrary classification item is selected, the selected arbitrary classification item is selected. If there are many (for example, thousands) of information elements subordinate to,
A number of informational elements are all displayed on the system. Since the display of the above information elements cannot be interrupted in the middle, the information elements are all checked. That is, it takes time to display the information elements, and the search efficiency becomes low. Further, even when searching for information in the upper hierarchy, every time the search is performed, all the search result information, that is, the classification items are displayed, and the search efficiency is lowered.

Further, when there is no information element belonging to the lower order in the selected arbitrary classification item, it is confirmed that the information element is not displayed, so that the information element belonging to the lower order is included in the classification item. It will be confirmed that there is no such thing, which reduces the efficiency of information retrieval.

In addition, when a search is performed by tracing an arbitrary classification item, the classification item currently being searched is not visually distinguished from other classification items, so that the classification currently being searched is performed. It is difficult to grasp the items easily.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention provides an information retrieval device capable of efficiently and easily retrieving information in a database.

[0008]

An information retrieval apparatus according to the present invention is for presenting the element content of information lower than the designated classification or the number of elements of information according to the input information retrieval processing. Request processing means for performing processing, classification display means for presenting the classification instructed by the processing of the request processing means, and the number of elements for displaying the total number of elements of information belonging to a lower rank than the classification presented by the classification display means Management means and information list display means for displaying all elements of information belonging to a lower rank than the classification presented by the processing of the request processing means, and the information belonging to a lower rank than the classification presented by the classification display means. The above-mentioned problem is solved by displaying the total number of elements.

Further, the classification presented by the classification display means is displayed in a display form different from other classifications.

Further, in the classification presented by the classification display means, all the elements subordinate to the classification are searched and displayed only when all the elements of the information subordinate to the classification are desired to be displayed. To do.

[0011]

In the present invention, the efficiency of information retrieval in the database can be improved, and the currently selected classification item can be easily identified.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an information search device according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the instruction input device control unit 2
By detecting the coordinate position on the display device 9 and the state of the instruction input device 1, the instruction by the operation of the instruction input device 1 such as a mouse is detected. This detected instruction is sent to the request processing unit 3 to determine what kind of request, that is, information processing operation.

After that, in the request processing section 3, the number of information elements is calculated from a large number of information stored in the external storage device 11 by the database management section 10 which manages information according to the content of the determined request. Alternatively, the information element is searched. The number of elements of the retrieved information is sent to the classification display management unit 4, and the element of the information is sent to the information list display unit 7.

When the request is to select an arbitrary classification item, the display form of the selected arbitrary classification item is
It is changed by the classification display management unit 4 which manages the hierarchical structure of the classification items. After that, the selected arbitrary classification item is presented on the display device 9 via the display device control unit 8 using the display form determined in advance by the classification display form determination unit 5. Further, the number of elements of information belonging to the lower order of the selected arbitrary classification item sent to the classification display management unit 4 is managed by the element number management unit 6, and the display device control unit 8
It is displayed on the display device 9 via.

Further, the above request is a search for an arbitrary classification item,
That is, in the case of the content display of the elements of the information belonging to the subordinate of an arbitrary classification item, all the elements of the information sent to the information list display unit 7 are displayed on the display device via the display device control unit 8. 9 is displayed.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a procedure of information retrieval by the information retrieval apparatus according to the present invention.

When searching for information, a hierarchical structure of information as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display device of the information searching device according to the present invention. That is, on the display screen 31 on the display device, the classification items 32 belonging to the highest rank or the lower rank of an arbitrary classification item regarding the information to be searched are displayed. In FIG. 3, the above classification item 3
In 2, the classification name of each classification item is specified by a combination of letters and numbers.

Further, in the upper right of the display screen 31, there is displayed a corresponding information element number display window 33 for displaying the number of elements of information belonging to the subordinate of the arbitrary classification item. An information element display window 34 that displays the contents of the information elements belonging to the subordinates of the item is displayed.

On the display screen 31, it is possible to perform information classification selection, information search, and information search end processing. The classification selection process of the information is executed by designating any classification item displayed on the display screen 31 with the designation input device 1. The information search processing is executed by pointing the search button 35 with the instruction input device 1. The ending process of the information search is executed by pointing the end button 36 with the instruction input device 1.

First, in step S1 of FIG. 2, it is detected whether or not an instruction is input from the instruction input device 1. If no instruction is input, the process waits until an instruction is input in step S1. If the instruction is input, the process proceeds to step S2, and the input instruction is analyzed.

In step S3, as a result of the analysis of the input instruction, it is determined whether or not the end button 36 is instructed to end the information retrieval. When the end button 36 is instructed, the search for the information displayed on the display screen 31 ends. If the end button 36 is not instructed, the process proceeds to step S4, and it is determined whether the input instruction is information retrieval or information classification selection. That is, as a result of the analysis of the input instruction, it is determined whether the search button 35 is instructed or an arbitrary classification item on the display screen 31 is instructed.

When an arbitrary classification item on the display screen 31 is designated in step S4, the process proceeds to step S5, in which the display form determined in advance by the classification display form determining unit 5, that is, the designation has been made. An arbitrary classification item instructed above is presented using a color or a shape different from the color or shape of a non-existing classification item.

Further, in step S6, the database management unit 10 retrieves all the element numbers of the information belonging to the lower order of the designated arbitrary classification item. The number of elements is sent to the element number management unit 6 in step S7, and the display device 9 controlled by the display device control unit 8 is displayed.
It is displayed in the corresponding information element number display window 33 above. After that, the process returns to step S1 and waits until the next input instruction is detected.

Here, in the case where the inputted instruction is classification selection, the information display state when the classification item b1 in which the element of the information belonging to the lower order exists as the arbitrary classification item is indicated in FIG. FIG. 5 shows the display state of information when the category item d1 in which the element of the information belonging to the lower order does not exist as the arbitrary category item is indicated. In this embodiment, the arbitrarily selected classification items are indicated by diagonal lines.

The corresponding information element number display window 33 of FIG.
The value displayed inside is 300, and the value displayed in the corresponding information element number display window 33 in FIG. 5 is 0. Therefore, in FIG. 4, 300 information elements are subordinate to the classification item b1. It is possible to visually discriminate that there is an element of information that exists in the lower order of the classification item d1 in FIG.

Further, in FIGS. 4 and 5, the hatched lines are used in the classification items as the display form of the designated classification items to distinguish the designated classification items from the non-designated classification items. However, as another display form, the character representation of the classification name of the designated classification item is set to a different character representation from the classification name of the non-designated classification item, or the designated classification item has a symbol, an icon, or the like. It is conceivable to add an identifier.

Further, if the search button 35 on the display screen 31 is designated in step S4, the process proceeds to step S8, and the request processing unit 3 causes the classification display management unit 4 to operate.
Get any category currently indicated from. Based on the obtained classification items, the database management unit 10 extracts all the elements of information belonging to the lower order of the classification items in the external storage device 11, and sends all the elements of this information to the information list display unit 7. To be The information list display unit 7 displays all the elements of the information transmitted via the display device control unit 8 in the information element display window 34 on the display device 9.

In the case of performing the information retrieval processing as described above, first, an arbitrary classification item is classified and selected, and the retrieval processing is performed on the classification selected item. FIG. 6 shows a display state of information when the classification item d3 is selected and classified. Since the value in the corresponding information element number display window 33 in FIG. 6 is 5, it can be seen that the number of elements of information belonging to the lower order of the classification item d3 is 5. In order to search the information belonging to the subordinate of the classification item d3, the search button 35 is instructed by an instruction input device that displays an instruction as shown by the mouse cursor 37. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the contents of the information elements belonging to the lower order of the classification item d3 are displayed in the information element display window 34.

The above-mentioned embodiment is an example of the present invention.
It goes without saying that various other configurations can be adopted without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0031]

As is apparent from the above description, in the information retrieval apparatus according to the present invention, the element content of information lower than the designated classification or the element of information according to the input information retrieval processing. Request processing means for performing a process for presenting a number, classification display means for presenting the classification instructed by the processing of the request processing means, and all elements of information belonging to a lower rank than the classification presented by the classification display means The classification is presented by the classification display means, which comprises an element number management means for displaying the number and an information list display means for displaying all elements of information belonging to a lower rank than the classification presented by the processing of the request processing means. By displaying the total number of elements of information belonging to lower ranks, it is possible to easily grasp the degree of narrowing down of information, and the number of elements of information belonging to lower ranks of the currently designated classification is displayed. Because are in the case, which can be carried out quickly determines to instruct a lower layer further
Search efficiency can be improved.

Further, since the classification presented by the classification display means is displayed in a display form different from other classifications, the classification item currently instructed can be visually confirmed and the information space is displayed. The current search position in can be easily grasped.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an information search device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure for searching information by the information search device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display state of information by the information search device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display state of information when an arbitrary classification item is classified and selected.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display state of second information when an arbitrary classification item is classified and selected.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display state of third information when an arbitrary classification item is classified and selected.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display state of information when an arbitrary classification item is searched.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Instruction input device 2 ... Instruction input device control unit 3 ... Request processing unit 4 ... ...... Classification display management unit 5 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Classification display form determination unit 6 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Element number management unit 7 ・ ・ ・ ・・ Information list display unit 8 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Display device control unit 9 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Display device 10 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Database management unit 11 ・ ・ ・・ ・ ・ ・ External storage 31 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Display screen 32 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Classification item 33 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Display window 34 ······························································ s ················

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An information retrieval device for a database of hierarchically categorized information, which graphically displays the relationship between the categorizations of the information, in accordance with the input information retrieval processing, the instructed categorization. The request processing means for performing processing for presenting the element contents of the lower information or the number of elements of information, the classification display means for presenting the classification instructed by the processing of the request processing means, and the classification display means An element number management means for displaying the total number of elements of information belonging to a lower rank than the presented classification, and an information list display means for displaying all elements of information belonging to a lower rank than the presented classification by the processing of the request processing means. An information retrieving apparatus, comprising: displaying the total number of elements of information belonging to a lower rank than the classification presented by the classification display means. 2. The information retrieval apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the classification presented by the classification display means is displayed in a display form different from other classifications. 3. In the classification presented by the classification display means, all the elements belonging to the lower rank of the classification are searched and displayed only when all the elements of the information belonging to the lower rank of the classification are desired to be displayed. The information search device according to claim 1.