US6574632B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multiple engine information retrieval and visualization system
Assignee: Technology Licensing Corp
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Filing: 1998-11-18
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Granted: 2003-06-03
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Expires: 2018-11-18
Abstract
Abstract An information retrieval and visualization system utilizes multiple search engines for retrieving documents from a document database based upon user input queries. Search engines include an n-gram search engine and a vector space model search engine using a neural network training algorithm. Each search engine produces a common mathematical representation of each retrieved document. The retrieved documents are then combined and ranked. Mathematical representations for each respective document is mapped onto a display. Information displayed includes a three-dimensional display of keywords from the user input query. The three-dimensional visualization capability based upon the mathematical representation of information within the information retrieval and visualization system provides users with an intuitive understanding, with relevance feedback/query refinement techniques that can be better utilized, resulting in higher retrieval accuracy (precision).
Inventors
- 👤 Kevin L. Fox
- 👤 Ophir Frieder
- 👤 Margaret M. Knepper
- 👤 Robert A. Killam
- 👤 Joseph M. Nemethy
- 👤 Gregory J. Cusick
- 👤 Eric J. Snowberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 01:27
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/30; G06F16/33; G06F16/338; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/951; G06F16/953; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/912; Y10S707/917; Y10S707/953; Y10S707/959; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99935; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
110 words
An information retrieval system for selectively retrieving documents from a document database, the system comprising: an input interface for accepting at least one user search query; a plurality of search engines for retrieving documents from the document database based upon the at least one user search query, each of said search engines producing a common mathematical representation of each retrieved document; a display; and visualization display means for mapping respective mathematical representations of the retrieved documents onto said display, and comprising keyword display means for displaying keywords from the at least one user search query, and cluster display means for displaying retrieved documents in clusters surrounding respective user search queries.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
110 words
An information retrieval system for selectively retrieving documents from a document database, the system comprising: an input interface for accepting at least one user search query; a plurality of search engines for retrieving documents from the document database based upon the at least one user search query, each of said search engines producing a common mathematical representation of each retrieved document; a display; and visualization display means for mapping respective mathematical representations of the retrieved documents onto said display, and comprising keyword display means for displaying keywords from the at least one user search query, and cluster display means for displaying retrieved documents in clusters surrounding respective user search queries.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein said keyword display means provides a three-dimensional display of the keywords.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein the retrieved documents are displayed in a color different from a color used for displaying the keywords from the at least one user search query.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein said visualization display means further comprises means for viewing different aspects of the retrieved documents on the three-dimensional display.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein said visualization display means provides a list of retrieved documents, and wherein each retrieved document has an assigned score indicating relevance to the search query with respect to the other retrieved documents.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein a retrieved document mapped onto said display is selectable via said input interface, with the text of the selected document being displayed on said display.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , further comprising fusing means for combining and ranking retrieved documents from all of said search engines.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein said means for viewing is interactively guided and selected by a user.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein each said search engine comprises a plurality of user selectable dictionaries for determining mathematical representations of documents.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein said input interface comprises relevance feedback means for accepting relevance feedback from the user.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 10 , wherein said relevance feedback means comprises means for selecting one or more retrieved documents as a next search query.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein said input interface comprises means for permitting a user to assign a weighting percentage to each search engine.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one user search query comprises at least one document.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
An information retrieval system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one user search query comprises at least one document cluster.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for selectively retrieving documents from a document database using an information retrieval system comprising a plurality of search engines, the method comprising: generating at least one user search query; retrieving documents from the document database based upon the user search query, with each search engine searching the document database; producing a common mathematical representation of each document retrieved by the respective search engines; and mapping respective mathematical representations of the retrieved documents onto a display, the mapping comprising displaying keywords from the at least one user input query, and displaying retrieved documents in clusters surrounding respective user search queries.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
101 words
A method for selectively retrieving documents from a document database using an information retrieval system comprising a plurality of search engines, the method comprising: generating at least one user search query; retrieving documents from the document database based upon the user search query, with each search engine searching the document database; producing a common mathematical representation of each document retrieved by the respective search engines; and mapping respective mathematical representations of the retrieved documents onto a display, the mapping comprising displaying keywords from the at least one user input query, and displaying retrieved documents in clusters surrounding respective user search queries.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 15 , wherein the mapping comprises mapping the mathematical representations onto a three dimensional display.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 15 , wherein the displaying comprises displaying retrieved documents in a color different from a color used for displaying the keywords from the at least one user search query.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 15 , wherein the displaying comprises displaying different aspects of the retrieved documents on the three-dimensional display.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 15 , further comprising providing a list of retrieved documents, and wherein each retrieved document has an assigned score indicating relevance to the search query with respect to the other retrieved documents.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 15 , further comprising: receiving an input for selecting a retrieved document mapped onto the display; and displaying the text of the selected document on the display.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 15 , further comprising combining and ranking retrieved documents from all of the search engines.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 15 , further comprising providing relevance feedback means for accepting relevance feedback from a user.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 22 , wherein providing the relevance feedback means comprises selecting one or more retrieved documents as a next search query.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 15 , further comprising assigning a weighting percentage to each search engine.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one user search query comprises at least one document.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one user search query comprises at least one document cluster.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 18 , wherein displaying the different aspects of the retrieved documents are interactively guided and selected by a user.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-06-02 | 2006-12-02 | 2007-06-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-06-02 | 2010-12-02 | 2011-06-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-06-02 | 2014-12-02 | 2015-06-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |