Abstract: The Facet Navigator permits users to set custom constraints for searching databases by facet, displays facets representing fields in a database, and provides a manipulator for each facet. The manipulator may be a slider bar, or a drop-down menu, or some other interactive device known to persons skilled in the art. When a user sets constraints for a facet with the manipulator, the Facet Navigator searches the database based on the constraints and displays a list of items in the database that satisfy the constraints. The Facet Navigator displays a preview of interim results whenever a cursor is moved over an active region of the manipulator, where the preview includes details of database items meeting a search criteria based on the location of the cursor on the manipulator.

Abstract: A method for seeking a file position of a file first seeks an estimated file position corresponding to a specified time point in the file, and adjusts the estimated file position according to a preset estimation formula. The method further determines the estimated file position is an accurate file position of the specified time point in the file until a difference between the estimated file position and the specified time point is less than a preset value.

Abstract: Computer-readable media, computerized methods, and computer systems for conducting semantic processes to present search results that include highlighted regions which are relevant to a conceptual meaning of a query are provided. Initially, content of document(s) is accessed and semantic representations are derived by distilling linguistic representations from the content. These semantic representations may be stored at a semantic index. Also, a proposition is derived from the query by parsing search terms of the query, and distilling the proposition from the search terms. Typically, the proposition is a logical representation of the conceptual meaning of the query. The proposition is compared against the semantic representations at the semantic index to identify a matching set. Regions of the content within the document, from which the matching set of semantic representations are derived, are targeted.

Abstract: The described systems and methods are directed to ranking web sites or web pages or documents, on internet or intranet, when two or more search words are used to search for web sites or web pages or documents on internet or intranet. Rank of web sites or web pages or documents will be based on the positional correlation matrix created using paired positional correlation of the search words. In order to calculate paired positional correlation; search words will be indexed within a web site or web page or document based on the position of the sentences, in which they occur, and their position within the sentences. It is possible that contents of web sites or web pages or documents are in tabular form instead of textual/descriptive form, in that case, either columns or rows or any other order of table cells can be considered as equivalent to a sentence and can be used to index the search words.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for matching a visual media object to an advertisement are provided. Embodiments of the present invention include receiving un-categorized visual media objects, automatically categorizing received visual media objects into subject-matter categories using image recognition technology, and retrieving advertisements assigned to the same subject-matter category for presentation in association therewith.

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: An information retrieval apparatus for retrieving a web page using a retrieval keyword includes a word extract portion for extracting an objective word from the web page on a display based on the specifying a display position of the web page on the display, wherein the word extract portion further extracts a peripheral word placed around the objective word, and a retrieval portion that performs web page retrieval using the objective and peripheral words.

Abstract: A position and an area of a region to be processed, that is, a region from which image feature parameters are to be extracted, are obtained, and the number of pixels required for obtaining the usable image feature parameters is determined in accordance with types of the image feature parameters to be extracted. Then, a required resolution is calculated in accordance with the determined number of pixels and the area of the region to be processed, an image having a minimum resolution which is equal to or higher than the required resolution and which is usable to extract the usable image feature parameters is selected, and the image feature parameters are extracted from a region to be processed in the selected image.

Abstract: A method of searching at least one report includes extracting at least one of report element instance content, report element instance metadata, report element instance data, and at least one of associated report element instance context content, report element instance context metadata and report element instance context data to define indexed fields. A search query is received. The search query is applied against at least one indexed field. Search query results are compiled to produce a list of relevant report element instances.

Abstract: A system and method for disambiguating references to entities in a document. In one embodiment, an iterative process is used to disambiguate references to entities in documents. An initial model is used to identify documents referring to an entity based on features contained in those documents. The occurrence of various features in these documents is measured. From the number occurrences of features in these documents, a second model is constructed. The second model is used to identify documents referring to the entity based on features contained in the documents. The process can be repeated, iteratively identifying documents referring to the entity and improving subsequent models based on those identifications. Additional features of the entity can be extracted from documents identified as referring to the entity.

Abstract: A document management system applies relevant document analysis, metadata extraction, and business process association algorithms and methodology to automatically and dynamically classify documents for routing, processing, and executing customized business logic. The document management system accepts documents from one or more channels, classifies the document and extracts metadata, executes customized application profiles and triggers business logic associated with the process. The document management system comprises a rules engine to detect and classify unstructured forms as well as structured forms, where the locations of attributes and visual layout are not fixed. The document management system provides automatic linkage between disparate systems that manages documents for the complete execution of a business process.

Abstract: A user search request is received and context information for the user is identified. The user search request and the context information are then combined to generate search criteria corresponding to the user search request, providing for information solicitation based on a computer user's context.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus uses a LUN (logical unit number) data type for storage allocation. The apparatus includes a storage appliance that specifies a LUN data type for a LUN. The storage appliance then allocates data blocks in the LUN based on the LUN data type. The storage appliance allocates data blocks in the LUN as contiguous data blocks or as non-contiguous data blocks, based on the LUN data type. The LUN data type may be, for example, database data type, user data type, or binary data type.

Abstract: A document analyzer receives a collection of text-based terms associated with a document. The document analyzer performs a statistical analysis on the text-based terms to identify a distribution of where the text-based terms appear in the document and relative frequency indicating how often the text-based terms appear in the document. The document analyzer utilizes the distribution and relative frequency information derived from the statistical analysis to rank multiple themes associated with the document. For example, a received listing of multiple themes may not be presented in any useful order, although it can be assumed that the themes in the listing are present in the document. Based on application of distribution and relative frequency information derived from the analysis, the document analyzer can identify which themes are most relevant to the document as a whole and/or which of themes correspond to different portions (e.g., pages or sections) of the document.

Abstract: A method for analyzing predefined subject matter in a patent database being for use with a set of target patents, each target patent related to the predefined subject matter, the method comprising: creating a feature space based on frequently occurring terms found in the set of target patents; creating a partition taxonomy based on a clustered configuration of the feature space; editing the partition taxonomy using domain expertise to produce an edited partition taxonomy; creating a classification taxonomy based on structured features present in the edited partition taxonomy; creating a contingency table by comparing the edited partition taxonomy and the classification taxonomy to provide entries in the contingency table; and identifying all significant relationships in the contingency table to help determine the presence of any white space.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed that locate implicitly defined semantic structures in a document, such as, for example, implicitly defined lists in an HTML document. The semantic structures can be used in the calculation of distance values between terms in the documents. The distance values may be used, for example, in the generation of ranking scores that indicate a relevance level of the document to a search query.

Abstract: An electronic document and associated system, methods and apparatus is described. The electronic document is loaded in a user device configured to communicate with an external device that generates instructions for augmenting content contained in the electronic document with links to contextually relevant information. The content can be augmented with one or more user interface elements, and the augmented content can be displayed with one or more attributes which can be selected by a document author. The document author can mark or otherwise designate one or more portions of the electronic document to be excluded from the augmenting process.

Abstract: Described is a technology by which forum web pages are processed into clusters for classification purposes, including by determining repetitive regions between pages and associating pages that have similar repetitive regions into a common cluster. Patterns corresponding to the regions are determined, and a feature set based at least in part on those patterns (e.g., pattern frequency) is extracted from the page. The feature set of a page is compared against the feature set of another page to determine similarity therewith, e.g., via a feature space distance computation that is evaluated against a threshold distance.

Abstract: Techniques to perform relative ranking for search results are described. An apparatus may include an enhanced search component operative to receive a search query and provide ranked search results responsive to the search query. The enhanced search component may comprise a resource search module operative to search for resources using multiple search terms from the search query, and output a set of resources having some or all of the search terms. The enhanced search component may also comprise a proximity generation module communicatively coupled to the resource search module, the proximity generation module operative to receive the set of resources, retrieve search term position information for each resource, and generate a proximity feature value based on the search term position information.

Abstract: The exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method and computer program products for a snippet based proximal search. A method comprises ranking the documents based on text that is similar to a text snippet. The ranking includes automatically generating proximity queries that include the text snippet, submitting the proximity queries, and collecting the document results. The method comprises selecting a plurality of highest ranked documents to form a subset of documents, extracting snippets from each document in the subset, and creating a vector space model for a set defined by a union of the extracted snippets and the text snippet. The method comprises ranking the extracted snippets according to their vector distances from the input text snippet, and ranking the documents within the subset of documents based on the ranking of the extracted snippets to determine a best matching document in view of the text snippet.

Abstract: Techniques for extracting information from a database are provided. A database such as the Web is searched for occurrences of tuples of information. The occurrences of the tuples of information that were found in the database are analyzed to identify a pattern in which the tuples of information were stored. Additional tuples of information can then be extracted from the database utilizing the pattern. This process can be repeated with the additional tuples of information, if desired.

Abstract: A relative document representing system includes: a first storage; a receiving unit; a specifying unit; a calculating unit; and a representing unit.

Abstract: A system and related techniques accept user-inputted search terms, for example to perform a search for files or other data or objects. Corresponding matches to those terms may be presented to the user in a “word-wheel”-type breakout list generated on the fly for groupings of hits by attributes or other criteria, as the system searches through the file system at the current level or point in the file system hierarchy. According to embodiments, when the search logic fails to locate a hit on the inputted search term at the current level or point in the file system hierarchy, an extension of the search to different levels or points in the file system hierarchy may be automatically generated, and for instance presented to the user as a selectable search box. That box may for example be highlighted to the user for easy selection. When the user does select the selectable search box, the user's search, for instance for files of type or extension “.doc” or “.

Abstract: Personal portal pages for individual users are integrated with web content syndication. For example, when a search query is received from the user, a list of hits is generated. For each hit, it is determined whether there is an associated syndication feed, such as an RSS feed. The list of hits is displayed for the user, and a syndication option is included for each hit that has an associated syndication feed. The user can select the syndication option and thereby subscribe their personal portal page to that syndication feed. In some embodiments, the user may also be able to select syndication feeds for subscription via an alternative interface.

Abstract: A computer program, method and computer apparatus for calculating the total importance of an electronic document on the basis of (i) a plurality of electronic documents chained to each other in a relation of referencing and being referenced, from a start electronic document which is not referenced by other electronic documents to a terminal electronic document which does not reference other documents, (ii) the information on relation of referencing and being referenced, (iii) an important phrase, and (iv) a response coefficient determining phrase such as an agreeing phrase, a disagreeing phrase, and a topic change phrase, (i) through (iv) being stored in a storage device.

Abstract: A search engine for retrieving documents from a database including a semantic document editor that allows a user to edit an existing document by creating searchable compound words that contains information contextually relevant to the contents of the document. The editor associates the created compound words with the document to produce an enhanced document having the compounds words associated therewith. A database is provided for storing enhanced documents and a semantic query editor is provided that enables a searcher to address the database of enhanced documents with a query. The query editor receives the query and converts it into one or more compound search words that contain contextually relevant information. A search module is provided that receives the searchable compound words and locates the relevant enhanced documents that have compound words associated with the document matching the searchable compound words. An output module presents any located documents to the searcher.

Abstract: Apparatus and associated systems, methods, and computer program products relate to identifying types of search query terms based on the location of information that matches the search query terms. The query terms may be assigned weights according to the query type. The assigned weights may be used, in conjunction with a scoring rule, to determine a score that indicates how relevant blocks of information in the selected document are to the search query terms. In one example, query terms that are located in the title or the URL information associated with a document are classified as a query type that is assigned little or no weight. In this way, relevance scoring within a document may be improved by discounting the influence of query terms that are likely to be primarily meaningful for locating (i.e., navigating to) a relevant document, but less meaningful for locating relevant information within a document.

Abstract: Various aspects can be implemented for providing parallel resources in search results. In general, one aspect can be a method that includes receiving a search query in a first language. The method also includes generating a search result based on the search query, the search result including a location reference to an identified resource in the first language. The method further includes identifying a parallel resource in a second language, the parallel resource including one or both of a high-quality translation of the identified resource, and an original resource originating in the second language on a similar topic as the identified resource. Other implementations of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.

Abstract: In a single-signature duplicate document system, a secondary set of attributes is used in addition to a primary set of attributes so as to improve the precision of the system. When the projection of a document onto the primary set of attributes is below a threshold, then a secondary set of attributes is used to supplement the primary lexicon so that the projection is above the threshold.

Abstract: Systems and corresponding methodologies are disclosed that employ ‘context’ of a document upon searching for relevant or desired references/results. The innovation establishes ‘context’ of a document thereby increasing relevance upon returning results to search queries. Context-based searching establishes relationships between terms of a document in order to focus more upon an interpretation of a document rather than merely considering a topic of a document based upon word occurrences, as used by traditional searching mechanisms.

Abstract: Techniques to perform relative ranking for search results are described. An apparatus may include an enhanced search component operative to receive a search query and provide ranked search results responsive to the search query. The enhanced search component may comprise a resource search module operative to search for resources using multiple search terms from the search query, and output a set of resources having some or all of the search terms. The enhanced search component may also comprise a proximity generation module communicatively coupled to the resource search module, the proximity generation module operative to receive the set of resources, retrieve search term position information for each resource, and generate a proximity feature value based on the search term position information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for assigning topical tags to content on a page stored within a searchable digital document environment is provided. An activity log is created for a document including data indicating search queries resulting in the location of the document by a search engine. Keywords are determined from the activity log, and the document is tagged with a tag associated with the keywords.

Abstract: Provided are techniques for data deduplication. A chunk of data and a mapping of boundaries between file data and meta data in the chunk of data are received. The mapping is used to split the chunk of data into a file data stream and a meta data stream and to store file data from the file data stream in a first file and to store meta data from the meta data stream in a second file, wherein the first file and the second file are separate files. The file data in the first file is deduplicated.

Abstract: The relevance of documents is automatically determined based upon a weighted tree. Terms considered to be relevant are assigned to the leaf nodes of a tree data structure. A location can also be specified in a leaf node, indicating where in a document the term must appear to be considered relevant. Internal nodes of the tree are assigned operators (e.g., add, maximum or minimum). The connections between nodes are assigned weights. A relevance value for a given document is calculated as a function of occurrence in the document of terms assigned to leaves, operators assigned to internal nodes, and weights assigned to the associated node connections. Weighted trees can be used to process search queries. Documents with high relevance scores calculated against the tree can be returned to a user as the results to a query.

Abstract: Meeting information is collected in an automatic or automated manner utilizing user devices among other devices likely to be present at meetings. Devices can detect the occurrence of a meeting and initiate data capture. Subsequently, aggregated data can be processed to facilitate access and/or dissemination of the data. For instance, data can be contextualized and/or indexed. Further, data can be generated in or converted to forms more suitable for information distribution (e.g., summary, points of interest . . . ).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for presenting search results with indication of relative position of search terms. According to one aspect of the invention, search results are displayed for a search query comprising a plurality of search terms. A search query is received, for example, from a user and at least one document satisfying the search query is obtained. The disclosed method determines a relative position of at least two of the search terms in the document and at least a portion of the document is presented with an indication of the relative position of the at least two search terms in the document. The relative position is indicated using a predefined character to indicate one or more intervening elements between the at least two search terms. A relevance ranking can optionally be presented that is based on the relative position of the at least two search terms.

Abstract: Generally, a method and apparatus provides for rating user generated content (UGC) with respect to search engine results. The method and apparatus includes recognizing a UGC data field collected from a web document located at a web location. The method and apparatus calculates: a document goodness factor for the web document; an author rank for an author of the UGC data field; and a location rank for web location. The method and apparatus thereby generates a rating factor for the UGC field based on the document goodness factor, the author rank and the location rank. The method and apparatus also outputs a search result that includes the UGC data field positioned in the search results based on the rating factor.

Abstract: Document relevance is determined with respect to a region of interest (ROI). A set of location references may be associated with a set of documents. The system selects location references associated with an ROI and then selects documents corresponding to the selected location references. The selected documents can be reported or processed further. A document-location reference index can be accessed when the present system is ‘online’ and processing a request for documents relevant to an ROI. The document-location reference index may be generated and updated while the present system is ‘offline’ and not processing a request for documents. The resulting relevant documents may be provided to a user in response to a document search associated with the ROI or along with an advertisement associated with the ROI.

Abstract: This invention concerns a web-based system comprising a server, computer storage and web-portal to provide an integrated management feedback system for the assessment of educational services. The system particularly comprises an interface to input definitions of graduate attributes related to levels of complexity; and input definitions of learning outcomes related to teaching theory which defines levels for outcomes. A database to map relationships between graduate attributes at particular levels of complexity and their related teaching methods and assessment items; and learning outcomes at particular levels and their related teaching methods and assessment items. A processor to automatically respond to the assessment results for a particular student and determine and record both the graduate attribute levels of complexity, and learning outcomes levels, achieved by that student.

Abstract: A position of a viewing point within a plurality of layers of a composition is received. Of the plurality of layers, at least a layer that is immediately adjacent to the viewing point is displayed. Those layers, if any, that are on the opposite side of the viewing point as the displayed layer(s) are not displayed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for generating search results including receiving a search request including at least one search term and accessing a corpus of data to determine relevant content for inclusion in a search result set on the basis of the search request. The method and system includes determining a plurality of applications associated with the search request and generating a search result output display for the presentation of at least a portion of the search result set and at least a portion of the applications.

Abstract: A user interface through which multiple application programs can be operated in common. An information processing apparatus provides a common input/output interface to multiple application programs. The apparatus includes a section which converts an application-specific document generated by each of the plurality of application programs and represented in a data structure specific to the application program to a common document represented in a common data structure; a section which presents the common document to a user; a section which inputs an operation performed by the user on the common document; an interface adapter which converts an object contained in the common document to an object used in the output section; a section which modifies the common document in accordance with an operation by the user; and a section which reflects modifications to the common document in the application-specific document.

Abstract: A method, system and software for efficient transmission of information having dynamic information and static information are disclosed herein. The method includes dividing at a server location into dynamic and static information. The method further includes receiving a first request and a second request from a user location. The method also includes sending the dynamic information to the user location in response to the first location, and sending the static information to the user location in response to the second request.

Abstract: A system for visibly processing observed information may include a configuration for systematizing information; a knowledge accumulation housing unit for storing knowledge accumulations from knowledge information belonging to each such configuration; an observed information receiving unit for receiving, from a user, information observed by the user; a fixed quantity processing unit for assigning a fixed quantity to a relationship between the observed information and the knowledge information belonging to each configuration for the knowledge accumulations; and a fixed quantity value display processing unit for displaying a numerical value of the fixed quantity, in accordance with the fixed quantity processing unit, together with its relationship with each configuration of the knowledge accumulations.

Abstract: A technique is provided for the classification of a document based on a lexicon structured into categories. Terms in the document may be matched with terms in the lexicon along with the relative position of the term in the document. A weight function may be used to compute a score for each category. The normalized category scores may be used to classify the content of the document.

Abstract: A document management apparatus for managing stored documents together with document properties that are attribute information attached to the documents includes a document property continuous setting unit that continuously changes the document properties of each document of a plurality of documents when changing the document properties of the plurality of the documents. The document management apparatus may also include a candidate value attachment unit, a candidate value cancellation unit, and a document list display unit. The candidate value attachment unit automatically displays a candidate value for a document of the plurality of the documents, the properties of which are input based on a previously input value. The candidate value cancellation unit cancels a function of the candidate value attachment unit in accordance with a setting. The document list display unit is configured to display a list of selected documents subjected to property editing.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, an apparatus uses a LUN (logical unit number) data type for storage allocation. The apparatus includes a storage appliance that specifies a LUN data type for a LUN. The storage appliance then allocates data blocks in the LUN based on the LUN data type. The storage appliance allocates data blocks in the LUN as contiguous data blocks or as non-contiguous data blocks, based on the LUN data type. The LUN data type may be, for example, database data type, user data type, or binary data type.

Abstract: A method which makes it possible to select a predefined maximum number N of documents from a set of electronic documents. A graph G is constructed on the basis of the set of electronic documents, each vertex of the graph G corresponding to one of the documents of said set and each edge between two vertices of the graph indicating the presence of at least one hypertext link between the two documents, corresponding to the two vertices considered. The method uses the topological properties of this graph to select a subset of N documents. A minor MG of the graph G is generated comprising a predefined maximum number N of vertices by deletion of at least one vertex of the graph G, this deletion being aimed at minimizing for the predefined number N of vertices a predefined distance between the graph G and the minor MG, this distance measuring the perturbation of the neighborhood of the vertices of the graph G that is engendered by the generation of the minor MG.

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 technique for facilitating identification of a matching search term in one or more images includes selecting at least a portion of an image and creating search enriched metadata for a document that includes the image. The search enriched metadata includes a text portion that provides one or more search terms that are associated with the selected portion of the image and a location portion that provides a location of the selected portion of the image.