Abstract: A computer-implemented method of annotating an electronic document may include receiving annotation information corresponding to a first electronic document file and creating annotation metadata that is associated with the annotation information. The method may further include storing the annotation information and associated annotation metadata in an annotation file that is separate from the first electronic document file, and anchoring the annotation information to a target electronic document file at an anchor location corresponding to the annotation metadata. The annotation metadata may be generated by assigning a target offset value to individual neighboring tokens defining an annotation neighborhood, wherein the target offset values correspond to positions of the neighboring tokens with respect to an annotation location within the first electronic document file.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of annotating an electronic document may include receiving annotation information corresponding to a first electronic document file and creating annotation metadata that is associated with the annotation information. The method may further include storing the annotation information and associated annotation metadata in an annotation file that is separate from the first electronic document file, and anchoring the annotation information to a target electronic document file at an anchor location corresponding to the annotation metadata. The annotation metadata may be generated by assigning a target offset value to individual neighboring tokens defining an annotation neighborhood, wherein the target offset values correspond to positions of the neighboring tokens with respect to an annotation location within the first electronic document file.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of annotating an electronic document may include receiving annotation information corresponding to a first electronic document file and creating annotation metadata that is associated with the annotation information. The method may further include storing the annotation information and associated annotation metadata in an annotation file that is separate from the first electronic document file, and anchoring the annotation information to a target electronic document file at an anchor location corresponding to the annotation metadata. The annotation metadata may be generated by assigning a target offset value to individual neighboring tokens defining an annotation neighborhood, wherein the target offset values correspond to positions of the neighboring tokens with respect to an annotation location within the first electronic document file.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for creating an adaptive thesaurus. A term pair including an index term and an expansion term is received. A recall gain, an expansion independence, and a semantic similarity of the term pair are calculated using a processor. Whether to store the term pair is determined based on the recall gain, the expansion independence, and the semantic similarity. The term pair is stored based on the determination. Methods and systems are provided for searching using an adaptive thesaurus. A search query including a query term is received. An expansion term stored in association with an index term matching the query term in the adaptive thesaurus is retrieved. Using a processor, the search query is expanded using the expansion term based on a recall gain, an expansion independence, and a semantic similarity.

Abstract: A computer system is disclosed. The computer system includes one or more processors, and a memory storage storing one or more instructions for implementing a search tool. The instructions, when executed, instruct the computer system to perform a set of steps. The steps include receiving a search query from a user computer, the search query including one or more search terms to use to perform a first search. The steps further include, based on the one or more search terms, performing the first search, and providing for display at the user computer a list of one or more law-related documents responsive to the search query, a list of one or more recommended sources in which to perform a second search for documents, and a list of legal topics associated with the responsive documents.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for ranking documents according to relevancy scoring. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for receiving, from a database over a network, a document resulting from a search on a database, the document containing terms that match the search criteria. The method may calculate a standard deviation of a probability distribution function representing a distribution of the terms in the document that match the search criteria. The method may further determine relative distances between the terms in the document that match the search criteria according to the standard deviation. The method may further calculate a proximity boost value using the relative distances, and apply the proximity boost value to a base relevancy score of the document to determine a relevancy ranking. The document may then be ranked according to the relevancy ranking.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for creating an adaptive thesaurus. A term pair including an index term and an expansion term is received. A recall gain, an expansion independence, and a semantic similarity of the term pair are calculated using a processor. Whether to store the term pair is determined based on the recall gain, the expansion independence, and the semantic similarity. The term pair is stored based on the determination. Methods and systems are provided for searching using an adaptive thesaurus. A search query including a query term is received. An expansion term stored in association with an index term matching the query term in the adaptive thesaurus is retrieved. Using a processor, the search query is expanded using the expansion term based on a recall gain, an expansion independence, and a semantic similarity.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for ranking documents according to relevancy scoring. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for receiving search results identifying a plurality of documents resulting from a search, the plurality of documents containing one or more words. The method generates a first matrix containing a term column and a document column, wherein at least one row of the first matrix correlates one of the plurality of documents with one of the terms. The method selects a sort preference, and sorts the two-column matrix according to the sort preference. The method further generates a second matrix containing values representing a measure of overlap between the plurality of documents and the terms. The method further calculates cumulative confidence scores according to the values of the second matrix and ranks the search results according to the cumulative confidence scores.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for creating an adaptive thesaurus. A term pair including an index term and an expansion term is received. A recall gain, an expansion independence, and a semantic similarity of the term pair are calculated using a processor. Whether to store the term pair is determined based on the recall gain, the expansion independence, and the semantic similarity. The term pair is stored based on the determination. Methods and systems are provided for searching using an adaptive thesaurus. A search query including a query term is received. An expansion term stored in association with an index term matching the query term in the adaptive thesaurus is retrieved. Using a processor, the search query is expanded using the expansion term based on a recall gain, an expansion independence, and a semantic similarity.

Abstract: A computer system is disclosed. The computer system includes one or more processors, and a memory storage storing one or more instructions for implementing a search tool. The instructions, when executed, instruct the computer system to perform a set of steps. The steps include receiving a search query from a user computer, the search query including one or more search terms to use to perform a first search. The steps further include, based on the one or more search terms, performing the first search, and providing for display at the user computer a list of one or more law-related documents responsive to the search query, a list of one or more recommended sources in which to perform a second search for documents, and a list of legal topics associated with the responsive documents.

Abstract: A computer system is disclosed. The computer system includes one or more processors, and a memory storage storing one or more instructions for implementing a search tool. The instructions, when executed, instruct the computer system to perform a set of steps. The steps include receiving a search query from a user computer, the search query including one or more search terms to use to perform a first search. The steps further include, based on the one or more search terms, performing the first search, and providing for display at the user computer a list of one or more law-related documents responsive to the search query, a list of one or more recommended sources in which to perform a second search for documents, and a list of legal topics associated with the responsive documents.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for ranking documents according to relevancy scoring. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for receiving, from a database over a network, a document resulting from a search on a database, the document containing terms that match the search criteria. The method may calculate a standard deviation of a probability distribution function representing a distribution of the terms in the document that match the search criteria. The method may further determine relative distances between the terms in the document that match the search criteria according to the standard deviation. The method may further calculate a proximity boost value using the relative distances, and apply the proximity boost value to a base relevancy score of the document to determine a relevancy ranking. The document may then be ranked according to the relevancy ranking.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for ranking documents according to relevancy scoring. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for receiving, from a database over a network, a document resulting from a search on a database, the document containing terms that match the search criteria. The method may calculate a standard deviation of a probability distribution function representing a distribution of the terms in the document that match the search criteria. The method may further determine relative distances between the terms in the document that match the search criteria according to the standard deviation. The method may further calculate a proximity boost value using the relative distances, and apply the proximity boost value to a base relevancy score of the document to determine a relevancy ranking. The document may then be ranked according to the relevancy ranking.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of annotating an electronic document may include receiving annotation information corresponding to a first electronic document file and creating annotation metadata that is associated with the annotation information. The method may further include storing the annotation information and associated annotation metadata in an annotation file that is separate from the first electronic document file, and anchoring the annotation information to a target electronic document file at an anchor location corresponding to the annotation metadata. The annotation metadata may be generated by assigning a target offset value to individual neighboring tokens defining an annotation neighborhood, wherein the target offset values correspond to positions of the neighboring tokens with respect to an annotation location within the first electronic document file.

Abstract: A fact extraction tool set (“FEX”) finds and extracts targeted pieces of information from text using linguistic and pattern matching technologies, and in particular, text annotation and fact extraction. Text annotation tools break a text, such as a document, into its base tokens and annotate those tokens or patterns of tokens with orthographic, syntactic, semantic, pragmatic and other attributes. A user-defined “Annotation Configuration” controls which annotation tools are used in a given application. XML is used as the basis for representing the annotated text. A tag uncrossing tool resolves conflicting (crossed) annotation boundaries in an annotated text to produce well-formed XML from the results of the individual annotators. The fact extraction tool is a pattern matching language which is used to write scripts that find and match patterns of attributes that correspond to targeted pieces of information in the text, and extract that information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for ranking documents according to relevancy scoring. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for receiving, from a database over a network, a document resulting from a search on a database, the document containing terms that match the search criteria. The method may calculate a standard deviation of a probability distribution function representing a distribution of the terms in the document that match the search criteria. The method may further determine relative distances between the terms in the document that match the search criteria according to the standard deviation. The method may further calculate a proximity boost value using the relative distances, and apply the proximity boost value to a base relevancy score of the document to determine a relevancy ranking. The document may then be ranked according to the relevancy ranking.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for ranking documents according to relevancy scoring. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided for receiving search results identifying a plurality of documents resulting from a search, the plurality of documents containing one or more words. The method generates a first matrix containing a term column and a document column, wherein at least one row of the first matrix correlates one of the plurality of documents with one of the terms. The method selects a sort preference, and sorts the two-column matrix according to the sort preference. The method further generates a second matrix containing values representing a measure of overlap between the plurality of documents and the terms. The method further calculates cumulative confidence scores according to the values of the second matrix and ranks the search results according to the cumulative confidence scores.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for creating an adaptive thesaurus. A term pair including an index term and an expansion term is received. A recall gain, an expansion independence, and a semantic similarity of the term pair are calculated using a processor. Whether to store the term pair is determined based on the recall gain, the expansion independence, and the semantic similarity. The term pair is stored based on the determination. Methods and systems are provided for searching using an adaptive thesaurus. A search query including a query term is received. An expansion term stored in association with an index term matching the query term in the adaptive thesaurus is retrieved. Using a processor, the search query is expanded using the expansion term based on a recall gain, an expansion independence, and a semantic similarity.

Abstract: A fact extraction tool set (“FEX”) finds and extracts targeted pieces of information from text using linguistic and pattern matching technologies, and in particular, text annotation and fact extraction. Text annotation tools break a text, such as a document, into its base tokens and annotate those tokens or patterns of tokens with orthographic, syntactic, semantic, pragmatic and other attributes. A user-defined “Annotation Configuration” controls which annotation tools are used in a given application. XML is used as the basis for representing the annotated text. A tag uncrossing tool resolves conflicting (crossed) annotation boundaries in an annotated text to produce well-formed XML from the results of the individual annotators. The fact extraction tool is a pattern matching language which is used to write scripts that find and match patterns of attributes that correspond to targeted pieces of information in the text, and extract that information.

Abstract: A computer system is disclosed. The computer system includes one or more processors, and a memory storage storing one or more instructions for implementing a search tool. The instructions, when executed, instruct the computer system to perform a set of steps. The steps include receiving a search query from a user computer, the search query including one or more search terms to use to perform a first search. The steps further include, based on the one or more search terms, performing the first search, and providing for display at the user computer a list of one or more law-related documents responsive to the search query, a list of one or more recommended sources in which to perform a second search for documents, and a list of legal topics associated with the responsive documents.