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US5568640A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Document retrieving method in a document managing system

Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1994-09-20
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Granted: 1996-10-22
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Expires: 2014-09-20
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Abstract

Abstract A document retrieving method in a document management system which manages documents, using a computer. The classification of documents is managed in accordance with a plurality of node trees constructed in a hierarchical structure. Each document is related to at least one node among a plurality of nodes in the node trees. In retrieval, an OR merge operation is performed on documents related to all the nodes ranging from the target node and extending through all lower nodes linked directly and indirectly to the target mode of a designated node tree to form a collection of documents. When a different node tree is designated, a similar OR operation is performed on documents related to all the nodes ranging from the target node to lower nodes linked directly and indirectly to the target node to create another collection of documents. These steps are repeated and an AND-marge operation is performed on the obtained collections of documents to create and output a final collection of documents.

Inventors

  • 👤 Tatsuya Nishiyama
  • 👤 Satoshi Wakayama
  • 👤 Yoshiki Matsuda
  • 👤 Tetsuya Hashimoto
  • 👤 Keiji Kojima
  • 👤 Kiyoshi Yamamoto

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 20:36
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/93; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 178 words
A document retrieving method in a document management system which manages documents, using a computer, comprising the steps of: (a) managing classifications of documents in accordance with a plurality of node trees having nodes linked in a hierarchical structure; (b) obtaining target nodes inputted by an operator; (c) when a particular one of the plurality of node trees is designated, OR-merging documents related to all the nodes ranging from documents linked to the target node to documents linked to lower nodes in the node tree which are linked to the target node directly or indirectly to create a collection of documents; (d) when a new different node tree is designated, OR-merging documents related to all the nodes ranging from documents linked to the target node to documents linked to lower nodes in the new node tree which are linked to the target node directly and indirectly to create another collection of documents; and (e) repeating the steps (b) and (d) and performing an AND-merge operation on the created collections to create and output a final collection of documents.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 178 words
A document retrieving method in a document management system which manages documents, using a computer, comprising the steps of: (a) managing classifications of documents in accordance with a plurality of node trees having nodes linked in a hierarchical structure; (b) obtaining target nodes inputted by an operator; (c) when a particular one of the plurality of node trees is designated, OR-merging documents related to all the nodes ranging from documents linked to the target node to documents linked to lower nodes in the node tree which are linked to the target node directly or indirectly to create a collection of documents; (d) when a new different node tree is designated, OR-merging documents related to all the nodes ranging from documents linked to the target node to documents linked to lower nodes in the new node tree which are linked to the target node directly and indirectly to create another collection of documents; and (e) repeating the steps (b) and (d) and performing an AND-merge operation on the created collections to create and output a final collection of documents.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein a document is related to at least one node among a plurality of nodes of any node tree.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 73 words
A method according to claim 1, the step (c) comprising the step of (f) when other node in the same node tree is newly designated, OR merging the documents related to all the nodes ranging from the designated node to the target node to create a collection of documents, and OR merging the now created collection of documents and the just preceding collection of the documents to create a final collection of documents.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 206 words
A document retrieving method in a document management system which manages documents, using a computer, comprising the steps of: (a) managing classifications of documents in accordance with a plurality of node trees having nodes linked in a hierarchical structure; (b) managing each of the documents in relation to at least one node among a plurality of nodes in the node trees; (c) when a particular one of the plurality of node trees is designated, searching a target node, starting from that target node and extending through lower nodes in the node tree which are linked to the target node directly or indirectly, and OR merging documents related to the reached node to create a collection of documents; (d) when another node tree is newly designated, searching a target node in the newly designated node tree, starting from that target node and extending through lower nodes in the node tree which are linked to the target node directly or indirectly, and OR merging the documents related to the reached node to create a collection of documents; and (e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) to obtain collections of documents and performing an AND-image operation on the obtained collections to create and output a final collection of documents.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 206 words
A document retrieving method in a document management system which manages documents, using a computer, comprising the steps of: (a) managing classifications of documents in accordance with a plurality of node trees having nodes linked in a hierarchical structure; (b) managing each of the documents in relation to at least one node among a plurality of nodes in the node trees; (c) when a particular one of the plurality of node trees is designated, searching a target node, starting from that target node and extending through lower nodes in the node tree which are linked to the target node directly or indirectly, and OR merging documents related to the reached node to create a collection of documents; (d) when another node tree is newly designated, searching a target node in the newly designated node tree, starting from that target node and extending through lower nodes in the node tree which are linked to the target node directly or indirectly, and OR merging the documents related to the reached node to create a collection of documents; and (e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) to obtain collections of documents and performing an AND-image operation on the obtained collections to create and output a final collection of documents.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4868733A Cited
US4868743A Cited
US4823306A Cited
US5317507A Cited
US5418946A Cited
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US5442778A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1999-10-22 2000-04-22 2000-10-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2003-10-22 2004-04-22 2004-10-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2007-10-22 2008-04-22 2008-10-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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