Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-30
2002-06-11
Breene, John (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C345S215000, C345S960000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06405206
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for searching information desired by a user from a database, and performing editing and display as needed, and to a recording medium on which an information search processing program is recorded.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, when searching any type of information from a database in which a tremendous amount of information is saved, it is common to perform processing, wherein a user inputs a keyword, and information which includes the keyword is extracted.
In this type of searching method, the user thinks about the keyword with respect to the information which is going to be searched, and extracts and outputs the information which includes the keyword with a search engine by inputting the keyword.
However, the above-described conventional information searching method only searches by the keyword that is input, regardless of the size of the database being searched or the type of saved information. Therefore, depending on the condition, the amount of information searched may be tremendously large, or alternatively, there may be no information searched.
These conditions can be changed by the keyword setting. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the input keyword(s) appropriately.
In general, it is necessary for the user to consider what type of keyword should be input. For example, if the user cannot obtain the desired information by inputting a certain keyword, it is necessary to perform trial-and-error type searching, such as by inputting a different keyword and re-searching.
Moreover, in order to narrow down the information searched by a certain degree, a plurality of keywords can be input. However, if the user does not know which word to use for certain, it is difficult to set a plurality of keywords. Moreover, often times the context of the information which is extracted by a plurality of keywords is too narrow d-down, which makes obtaining the desired information difficult.
Accordingly, the conventional information searching method cannot easily extract information which the user desires. In particular, a user who is not accustomed with this type of operation cannot perform it smoothly, since the user is not familiar with the operation of extracting desired information by entering only a keyword.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to dramatically decrease the burden of the searching operation which is performed by the user, make information searching possible by a searching method which the user desires, and make it possible to output a search result by categorizing and coordinating into a format the user desires.
In order to achieve these objects, an information search processing method comprises the steps of presetting multiple types of searching strategies which show ways of information searching, displaying the multiple types of searching strategies on a display means in order to allow a user to select an arbitrary searching strategy among the multiple types of searching strategies, and searching information in response to a searching request that is input by the user.
In accordance with another aspect of the method, multiple personified processing managers are prepared to enable the user to select an arbitrary searching strategy among the multiple types of searching strategies, the processing managers being displayed by multiple icons, respectively, each of the multiple types of searching strategies being set corresponding to an individual icon of the multiple icons, and the corresponding searching strategy being selected by selecting one of the multiple icons.
In accordance with another aspect of the method, at least one processing manager of the multiple personified processing managers is a personified processing manager that learns an individual user's taste in information processing based on the user's past operating conditions, and performs searching based on the learned result when the at least one processing manager is selected by a user.
Another aspect of the method includes presetting multiple types of editing strategies that show ways of editing searched information, displaying the multiple types of editing strategies on a display means so that a user can select an arbitrary editing strategy among the multiple types of editing strategies, and performing editing of said searched information with respect to a search result of a search request which is input by the user, in accordance with an editing strategy which is selected by the user.
In accordance with another aspect of the method, multiple personified processing managers are prepared to enable the user to select an arbitrary editing strategy of the multiple types of editing strategies, the processing managers being displayed by icons, respectively, each of the multiple types of editing strategies being set corresponding to an individual icon of the multiple icons, and a corresponding editing strategy being selected by selecting one of the multiple icons.
In accordance with another aspect of the method, at least one processing manager of the multiple personified processing managers is a personified processing manager that learns an individual user's taste in information processing based on the user's past operating conditions, and performs editing processing based on the learned result when the at least one processing manager is selected by the user.
In accordance with another aspect of the method, in addition to said editing strategy, information is also preset for every icon indicating the type of layout the display is to be performed. in when performing the display of the editing result which is edited in accordance with the editing strategy.
Another aspect of the method includes presetting multiple types of searching strategies that show ways of searching, and multiple types of editing strategies that show ways of editing searched information, displaying the multiple types of searching strategies and editing strategies on display means so that a user can select an arbitrary searching strategy and editing strategy among the multiple types of searching strategies and editing strategies, and searching information and editing the searched information in accordance with the searching strategy and editing strategy which were selected by the user in response to the searching request input by the user.
In accordance with another aspect of the method, to enable the user to select an arbitrary searching strategy and editing strategy among the multiple types of searching strategies and the multiple types of editing strategies that show ways of editing searched information, a plurality of personified processing managers are prepared, the processing managers being displayed as multiple icons, the multiple types of searching strategies and the multiple types of editing strategies being set corresponding to respective individual icons of the multiple icons, and a corresponding searching strategy and editing strategy being selected by selecting one of the icons.
In accordance with another aspect of the method, at least one processing manager of the multiple personified processing managers is a personified processing manager that learns an individual user's taste in information processing based on the past operating conditions of the user, and searching and editing processing are performed based on the learned result when the at least one processing manager is selected by the user.
In accordance with another aspect of the method, in addition to said searching strategy and said editing strategy, information is preset for each icon indicating what kind of layout the display is to be performed in when performing a display of the editing result which is edited in accordance with the editing strategy.
An information search processing device in accordance with the invention comprises memory means that stores multiple types of searching strategies that show ways of information searching, user input controlling means that accepts a searching request of a u
Breene John
Le Debbie M
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Seiko Epson Corporation
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