Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
An information retrieval method for employing computer processing to navigate users through a database containing keyword-attachable information and comprising a plurality of individually identifiable data elements, said method comprising the steps of: (a) in a given set of said data elements, employing a counting means (212) to count the frequencies for each keyword attached to said set of said data elements; and (b) employing a sorting means (212) to sort said keywords based on the count values and employing display means (210) to display the sorted list of said keywords to the user.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of: (c) searching for further data elements by using the keyword having the highest count value among said keywords.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising the initial step of extracting keywords from the individual data elements in said set.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
113 words
A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the steps of: displaying the contents of the given set of said data elements or part of the contents or titles thereof; in response to the user selection of at least one data element out of said given data elements, selecting a keyword having the highest count value among those which do NOT meet any of the following conditions: (i) the keyword is not attached to any documents other than the selected one; and (ii) the keyword is attached to all the documents in the given set of documents; and searching for further data elements by using the selected keyword.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
24 words
A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said given set of said data elements are obtained by the user's keyword retrieval processing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
An information retrieval system for employing computer processing to navigate users through a database containing keyword-attachable information and comprising a plurality of individually identifiable data elements, said system comprising: for a given set of said data elements, counting means (212) for counting the frequencies for each keyword attached to said set of said data elements; sorting means (212) for sorting said keywords based on the count values; and display means (210) for displaying the sorted list of said keywords to the user.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
115 words
An information retrieval system as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: means (210) for displaying the contents of the given set of said data elements or part of the contents of titles thereof; means (214), responsive to the user selection of at least one data element out of said given data elements, for selecting a keyword having the highest count value among those which do NOT meet any of the following conditions: (i) the keyword is not attached to any documents other than the selected one; and (ii) the keyword is attached to all the documents in the given set of documents; and means for searching for further data elements by using the selected keyword.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
An information retrieval system as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the sorting means (212) is arranged to sort said keywords in decreasing order of the count values.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
An information retrieval system as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, wherein said given set of said data elements are obtained by the keyword retrieval processing.