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US6772141B1
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Method and apparatus for organizing and using indexes utilizing a search decision table
Assignee: Oracle International Corp
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Filing: 1999-12-14
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Granted: 2004-08-03
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Expires: 2019-12-14
Abstract
Abstract A search decision table comprises a plurality of references to indexes, such as full text indexes, where each index corresponds to one or more informational resources. The search decision table has a plurality of references to ranges of text, wherein each range of text is bound by a lower text limit and an upper text limit. Preferably, the references to ranges of text are arranged in the matrix sequentially in alphanumeric order, and each reference to a range of text comprises the lower text limit. A plurality of cross-referencing data in the matrix correlate the references to the ranges of text and the references to the indexes, wherein each of the cross-referencing data correspond to a reference to a range of text and to a reference to an index. Preferably, the matrix includes attribute data and/or index data for each reference to range of text. Other embodiments of search decision tables are also disclosed, as well different uses for the search decision table.
Inventors
- 👤 John P. Pratt
- 👤 Russell Clark Johnson
- 👤 Ronald P. Millett
- 👤 Bruce R. Tietjen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:43
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/30; G06F16/33; G06F16/3331; G06F16/334; G06F16/31; G06F16/316; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934; Y10S707/99937; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of searching indexes on a computer system, the method comprising the steps of: a) preparing a query comprising one or more text strings; b) accessing a search decision table which includes cross-referencing data having at least one bit which cross-references ranges of text to a plurality of full text indexes, each of said indexes cataloging information within one or more informational resources; c) identifying the ranges of text in the search decision table corresponding to each text string in the query; d) determining from the search decision table which of the plurality of the full text indexes correlate to the identified ranges of text in accordance with any boolean qualifiers in the query; and e) searching the identified full text indexes in accordance with the query.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of searching indexes on a computer system, the method comprising the steps of: a) preparing a query comprising one or more text strings; b) accessing a search decision table which includes cross-referencing data having at least one bit which cross-references ranges of text to a plurality of full text indexes, each of said indexes cataloging information within one or more informational resources; c) identifying the ranges of text in the search decision table corresponding to each text string in the query; d) determining from the search decision table which of the plurality of the full text indexes correlate to the identified ranges of text in accordance with any boolean qualifiers in the query; and e) searching the identified full text indexes in accordance with the query.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining comprises reading cross-referencing data corresponding to the identified ranges of text.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
211 words
A computer system, comprising: a) a plurality of indexes, each of said indexes cataloging one or more informational resources; b) a search decision table having relevance values for correlating the plurality of indexes with searchable criteria, wherein each of said relevance values corresponds to a reference to at least one of the searchable criteria and to a reference to an index of said plurality of indexes, wherein each relevance value represents the probability of an index containing the at least one searchable criteria; c) means for receiving a query and indexing the search decision table to determine which of the plurality of indexes are responsive to the query by identifying searchable criteria in the search decision table corresponding to searchable criteria in the query and by using the relevance values to determine from the search decision table which of the plurality of indexes correlate to the identified searchable criteria; and d) means for searching the responsive indexes in accordance with the query; wherein each of the plurality of indexes are configured to be updated at a time prior to the updating of the search decision table, and the search decision table is configured to be updated during available times following the updating of one or more of the plurality of indexes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
211 words
A computer system, comprising: a) a plurality of indexes, each of said indexes cataloging one or more informational resources; b) a search decision table having relevance values for correlating the plurality of indexes with searchable criteria, wherein each of said relevance values corresponds to a reference to at least one of the searchable criteria and to a reference to an index of said plurality of indexes, wherein each relevance value represents the probability of an index containing the at least one searchable criteria; c) means for receiving a query and indexing the search decision table to determine which of the plurality of indexes are responsive to the query by identifying searchable criteria in the search decision table corresponding to searchable criteria in the query and by using the relevance values to determine from the search decision table which of the plurality of indexes correlate to the identified searchable criteria; and d) means for searching the responsive indexes in accordance with the query; wherein each of the plurality of indexes are configured to be updated at a time prior to the updating of the search decision table, and the search decision table is configured to be updated during available times following the updating of one or more of the plurality of indexes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The computer system of claim 3 , further comprising a hierarchical directory within which the plurality of indexes are organized.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the hierarchical directory is a distributed directory.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the searchable criteria are selected from the group consisting of ranges of words, categories, phrases, and topics.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The computer system of claim 3 , further comprising means for using the search decision table.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the search decision table is a matrix cross-referencing the searchable criteria to the indexes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
200 words
A search decision table on a computer readable medium, the search decision table comprising: a) a plurality of references to indexes, each index corresponding to a plurality of informational resources and each index providing cataloging information about the respective informational resources; b) a plurality of references to ranges of text, wherein each range of text is bound by a lower text limit and an upper text limit; c) a matrix within which the references to the indexes and ranges of text are arranged; d) a plurality of cross-referencing data in the matrix correlating the references to the ranges of text and the references to the indexes, each of said cross-referencing data corresponding to a reference to a range of text and to a reference to an index; e) index data in the matrix corresponding to each reference to a range of text, the index data comprising one or more of the following: number of unique words which have been identified in the various indexes for each range of text, total word references in the indexes for the each range of text, and number of queries for each range of text; and f) means for grouping documents among the various indexes.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
200 words
A search decision table on a computer readable medium, the search decision table comprising: a) a plurality of references to indexes, each index corresponding to a plurality of informational resources and each index providing cataloging information about the respective informational resources; b) a plurality of references to ranges of text, wherein each range of text is bound by a lower text limit and an upper text limit; c) a matrix within which the references to the indexes and ranges of text are arranged; d) a plurality of cross-referencing data in the matrix correlating the references to the ranges of text and the references to the indexes, each of said cross-referencing data corresponding to a reference to a range of text and to a reference to an index; e) index data in the matrix corresponding to each reference to a range of text, the index data comprising one or more of the following: number of unique words which have been identified in the various indexes for each range of text, total word references in the indexes for the each range of text, and number of queries for each range of text; and f) means for grouping documents among the various indexes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The search decision table of claim 9 , wherein the indexes are full text indexes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The search decision table of claim 9 , wherein the references to ranges of text are arranged in the matrix sequentially in alphanumeric order.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The search decision table of claim 11 , wherein each reference to a range of text comprises the lower text limit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The search decision table of claim 12 , wherein the upper text limit for each reference to a range of text is less than the next sequentially arranged lower text limit.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The search decision table of claim 9 , wherein the cross-referencing data is one bit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
The search decision table of claim 14 , wherein a cross-referencing data equal to 1 indicates that the corresponding index contains a word in the corresponding range of text, and a cross-referencing data equal to 0 indicates that the corresponding index does not contain a word in the corresponding range of text.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The search decision table of claim 9 , wherein the cross-referencing data is a value indicating the relevance of the corresponding text range to the corresponding index.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The search decision table of claim 9 , further comprising means for calculating the relevance value.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The search decision table of claim 9 , further comprising attribute data for each reference to range of text.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
The search decision table of claim 9 , further comprising means for using the matrix.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
The search decision table of claim 9 , further comprising means for creating the matrix.
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