Method and apparatus for improved document searching

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein each iteration of the rules is identified by enclosure within parentheses.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of structuring the query according to the set of rules.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing data-bases of nominal, connector, descriptor and logical-connector items, the words of the abstract being selected from the databases.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein the words of the user query are also selected from the databases.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 wherein the logical-connector database comprises the entries and, or.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein the documents comprise viewable and non-viewable portions, the abstracts being contained in the non-viewable portions.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of facilitating user retrieval of the identified documents.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 wherein the nominal items name a person, place, thing, activity or idea.

Claim 11

The method of claim 9 wherein the nominal items include the terms set forth in Appendix 1.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1 wherein the connector items show action, being or state of being.

Claim 13

The method of claim 11 wherein the connector items include the terms set forth in Appendix 2.

Claim 14

The method of claim 1 wherein the descriptor items describe a quality, quantity, state or type of a nominal entry.

Claim 15

The method of claim 13 wherein the descriptor items include the entries set forth in Appendix 3.

Claim 16

Apparatus for facilitating searches of electronically stored documents, the apparatus comprising: a. a database of electronically stored documents, the database comprising, with respect to each document, at least one text-searchable abstract descriptive of a document subject, the abstract comprising a series of words generated by selecting a nominal item and expanding the abstract by iteratively applying at least one of a set of rules comprising: i. to a nominal item, add a descriptor describing the nominal item; ii. to a nominal item, add a connector item and another nominal item, connector items specifying relationships between at least two nominal items; iii. to a nominal item, add a logical connector and another nominal item, logical connectors establishing sets of nominal items; and iv. to a descriptor item, add a logical connector and another descriptor item; b. means for receiving a user query comprising a series of words; c. means for applying the query to the document abstracts to identify word matches therebetween; d. means for (i) identifying stored documents having abstracts with words matching at least some of the words of the query, and (ii) based on the word matches, ranking the identified documents in an order relevance, the order favoring documents having abstracts with terms literally matching the query.

Claim 17

Apparatus for facilitating searches of electronically stored documents, the apparatus comprising: a. a database of electronically stored documents, the database comprising, with respect to each document, at least one text-searchable abstract descriptive of a document subject, the abstract comprising a series of words generated by selecting a nominal item and expanding the abstract by iteratively applying at least one of a set of rules comprising: i. to a nominal item, add a descriptor describing the nominal item; ii. to a nominal item, add a connector item and another nominal item, connector items specifying relationships between at least two nominal items; iii. to a nominal item, add a logical connector and another nominal item, logical connectors establishing sets of nominal items; and iv. to a descriptor item, add a logical connector and another descriptor item; b. means for receiving a user query comprising a series of words; c. means for applying the query to the document abstracts to identify word matches therebetween; d. means for (i) identifying stored documents having abstracts with words matching at least some of the words of the query, and (ii) based on the word matches, ranking the identified documents in an order relevance, the order favoring documents having abstracts with terms literally matching the query.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising databases of nominal, connector, descriptor and logical-connector items, the words of the abstract being selected from the databases.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the words of the user query are also selected from the databases.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the logical-connector database comprises the entries and, or.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the documents comprise viewable and non-viewable portions, the abstracts being contained in the non-viewable portions.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising means for facilitating user retrieval of the identified documents.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the nominal items name a person, place, thing, activity or idea.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the nominal items include the terms set forth in Appendix 1.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the connector items show action, being or state of being.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the connector items include the terms set forth in Appendix 2.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the descriptor items describe a quality, quantity, state or type of a nominal entry.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the descriptor items include the entries set forth in Appendix 3.