Information managing system, information managing method, and information managing program for managing various items of information of objects to be retrieved

Abstract

An information managing system includes a parameter setting unit for setting a parameter representative of an attribute of a user and information to be retrieved, and an information relevance space generator for generating an information relevance space representative of information indicating a relevance between the user and the information to be retrieved, based on the parameter set by the parameter setting unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information managing system according to a first mode of embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the concept of an information relevance space generated by an information relevance space generator of the information managing system shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an information relevance information correcting process for correcting an information relevance space;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing by way of example a processing sequence that is performed by the information managing system when the user makes an action for information retrieval;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an information managing system according to a second mode of embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a view showing by way of example a display screen based on screen information generated by a display screen generator of the information managing system shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view showing by way of example a display screen based on screen information adjusted by a field-of-vision manipulator of the information managing system shown in FIG. 5;

FIGS. 8( a) and 8(b) are views showing the manner in which a field of vision of a display screen is adjusted;

FIG. 9 is a view showing a display screen displaying highlighted directories and files including keywords;

FIG. 10 is a view showing by way of example a display screen displaying selected users;

FIG. 11 is a view showing by way of example a display screen including an information relevance space;

FIG. 12 is a view showing by way of example a display screen for the user to change an information relevance space by changing time (before the change);

FIG. 13 is a view showing by way of example a display screen for the user to change an information relevance space by changing time (after the change);

FIG. 14 is a view showing by way of example a display screen including a user interface for setting parameters; and

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing by way of example an information relevance space generated by the information relevance space generator.

Claims

1. An information managing system comprising: a parameter setting unit for setting a parameter representative of an attribute of a user and information to be retrieved; andan information relevance space generator for generating an information relevance space representative of information indicating a relevance between said user and said information to be retrieved, based on the parameter set by said parameter setting unit.

2. The information managing system according to claim 1, further comprising: an output controller for generating output information for outputting the information to be retrieved based on the information relevance space generated by said information relevance space generator.

3. The information managing system according to claim 2, wherein said information relevance space generator comprises a weighting unit for generating said information relevance space by weighting nodes which are represented respectively by said user and said information to be retrieved.

4. The information managing system according to claim 3, further comprising: an information relevance space manipulator for instructing said information relevance space generator to change the generated information relevance space;wherein said information relevance space generator changes weights applied to said nodes to regenerate an information relevance space according to an instruction from said information relevance space manipulator.

5. The information managing system according to claim 4, wherein said information relevance space manipulator comprises: an event detector for detecting a predetermined event; anda change instructor for instructing said information relevance space generator to change the information relevance space based on the event detected by said event detector.

6. The information managing system according to claim 4, wherein said output controller generates screen information of a display screen including an weight adjuster for changing weights applied to said nodes; and said information relevance space manipulator instructs said information relevance space generator to change the information relevance space in response to an instruction to change the weights applied to said nodes which is input from said weight adjuster by the user.

7. An information managing system comprising: an information relevance space generator for generating an information relevance space representative of information indicating a relevance between a user and information to be retrieved;a point-of-view selector for selecting a point of view in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved; andan output controller for generating screen information of a display screen for displaying information included in a predetermined distance from the point of view selected by said point-of-view selector, among information included in said information relevance space generated by said information relevance space generator.

8. The information managing system according to claim 7, wherein said output controller generates screen information of a display screen including identifying information representative of nodes; and when the user selects and inputs identifying information from said display screen, said point-of-view selector selects a node corresponding to the selected and input identifying information as a point of view in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved.

9. The information managing system according to claim 8, further comprising: a point-of-view adder for adding, to an ACL parameter, point-of-view information representative of a point of view in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved;wherein said point-of-view selector selects a point of view in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved, based on the point-of-view information added to said ACL parameter.

10. The information managing system according to claim 9, further comprising: a charge information storage unit for storing charge information; anda point-of-view changer for changing the point-of-view information added to said ACL parameter based on the charge information stored in said charge information storage unit.

11. An information managing system comprising: an information relevance space generator for generating an information relevance space representative of information indicating a relevance between a user and information to be retrieved;a field-of-vision setting unit for setting a field of vision in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved; andan output controller for generating screen information of a display screen for displaying information included in the field of vision set by said field-of-vision setting unit, among information included in said information relevance space generated by said information relevance space generator.

12. The information managing system according to claim 11, wherein said output controller generates screen information of a display screen including a field-of-vision adjuster for changing the field of vision in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved; and said field-of-vision setting unit changes the field of vision in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved in response to an instruction to change the field of vision which is input from said field-of-vision adjuster by the user.

13. The information managing system according to claim 1, wherein said information relevance space generator uses said user and said information to be retrieved as nodes, further comprising: a parameter copying unit for copying a parameter of a node other than a particular node to said particular node;wherein said information relevance space generator generates said information relevance space based on the parameter copied by said parameter copying unit.

14. The information managing system according to claim 13, further comprising: a setting information specifying unit for specifying a predetermined node with predetermined setting information;wherein said parameter copying unit copies a parameter of the node specified by said setting information to said particular node when said information relevance space is newly generated.

15. The information managing system according to claim 1, wherein said information relevance space generator generates an information relevance space including elements representative of said information to be retrieved and placed in a virtual space of plural dimensions as information representative of the relevance between said user and said information to be retrieved.

16. The information managing system according to claim 15, wherein said information relevance space generator generates an information relevance space including elements representative of users and placed in a virtual space of plural dimensions.

17. The information managing system according to claim 15, wherein said information relevance space generator updates said information relevance space by moving elements placed in a virtual space of plural dimensions.

18. A method of managing information, comprising the steps of: setting a parameter representative of an attribute of a user and information to be retrieved; andgenerating an information relevance space representative of information indicating a relevance between said user and said information to be retrieved, based on the set parameter.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of: generating screen information of a display screen including an weight adjuster for changing weights applied to nodes which are represented respectively by said user and said information to be retrieved; andchanging the information relevance space in response to an instruction to change the weights applied to said nodes which is input from said weight adjuster by the user.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of: generating screen information of a display screen including a field-of-vision adjuster for changing a field of vision in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved; andchanging the field of vision in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved in response to an instruction to change the field of vision which is input from said field-of-vision adjuster by the user.

21. An information managing program for enabling a computer to perform a process comprising the steps of: setting a parameter representative of an attribute of a user and information to be retrieved; andgenerating an information relevance space representative of information indicating a relevance between said user and said information to be retrieved, based on the set parameter.

22. The information managing program according to claim 21, wherein said process further comprises the steps of: generating screen information of a display screen including an weight adjuster for changing weights applied to nodes which are represented respectively by said user and said information to be retrieved; andchanging the information relevance space in response to an instruction to change the weights applied to said nodes which is input from said weight adjuster by the user.

23. The information managing program according to claim 21, wherein said process further comprises the steps of: generating screen information of a display screen including a field-of-vision adjuster for changing a field of vision in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved; andchanging the field of vision in said information relevance space for displaying the information to be retrieved in response to an instruction to change the field of vision which is input from said field-of-vision adjuster by the user.