1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for managing a keyword that is set to a file for the purpose of searching files.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional technique that has widely been used to search for a desired file is to search a number of files within a database until the desired file is found. One method that may be used to find a file containing textual information, such as a document file, is to extract a desired file from a plurality of files using a character search. One method that that may be used to find a desired file containing non-textual information is to execute a process for searching a file by specifying one or more preset keywords, wherein the search results include files having a keyword that matches the specified keyword(s). One technique for setting up a keyword is to set a keyword from a directory name (e.g., reference patent document 1).
The conventional technique for setting a keyword, as described above, involves individually setting a keyword for each file. With this technique, as the number of files that are managed in a database increases, so does the number of keywords that need to be set, thereby resulting in an increased workload for setting keywords. Therefore, if a plurality of keywords are set for a certain file, and a user wants to set those same keywords for another file, then the user is required to carry out the same duplicative process for setting the keywords to the subsequent file. Furthermore, since keywords are individually set for each file, the same work must be repeated for each file in order to confirm that the keyword has already been set. If it is desired to systematically set one or more keywords for a plurality of files that are managed in a database, then the workload required for setting the keywords is increased and the user is left with a heavy load.
Patent document 1: Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-28007
The problem addressed by the present invention is how to provide a technique that allows a user to systematically set a keyword for a file and easily manage the set keyword.
In order to solve the problem described above, the present invention provides a keyword management apparatus for managing the relationship(s) among a plurality of keywords used to search a file. This apparatus comprises a storage unit for storing a plurality of keywords and hierarchical relationship information that is used to define hierarchical relationships among the keywords; a creation unit for creating a plurality of keyword trees by utilizing the hierarchical relationship information; a designation unit for designating a first keyword belonging to a first keyword tree by referring to a storage unit; a search unit for searching for a second keyword, corresponding to a first keyword, that belongs to a second keyword tree, and for searching for a keyword on a layer above the second keyword obtained on the basis of the hierarchical relationship information by referring to the storage unit; and a display unit for displaying the search unit's search result.
A plurality of keywords set for the purpose of searching a file comprises a keyword tree based on hierarchical relationship information possessed by each keyword. A search is carried out by a first keyword, which is designated as a search key by the designation unit, or by the first keyword and a keyword on a layer above the first keyword, which is obtained as a search key from the hierarchical relationship information. The search unit searches whether or not overlapping keywords exist in a keyword tree which is different from the first keyword tree the first keyword belongs to. Search results, which include a second keyword obtained via the search and a keyword on a layer above the second keyword obtained from the hierarchical relationship information, are displayed. Alternatively, one or more keywords corresponding to a plurality of keywords, which are correlated via hierarchical relationship information, may be searched from another (i.e., a second) keyword tree.
In addition to the search result, the display unit may be configured to display a search key. When displaying a search key, a preferable configuration may be to display each keyword tree (including the search key and/or search result) and preferably highlight the search key and keyword(s) in the search result. The hierarchical relationship information is preferably comprised of a storage location of a keyword existing on a layer directly above the existing layer e.g., via a pointer.
Another alternative configuration may involve a keyword being set to a certain file when the file is selected from the first and/or second keyword tree and displayed by a display unit. The selected keyword and a keyword on the layer above the selected keyword which is obtained on the basis of hierarchical relationship information are set to the file.
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above described keyword management apparatus. For example, a control program to make a computer execute the above-described keyword management, a keyword management method, and such are also included within the scope of the present invention.
The present invention enables a user to systematically set a keyword by means of a keyword tree. Even if an identical keyword is included in another keyword tree, the identical keyword is searched and the search results are displayed; thereby providing an easy way to validate the works that contain a keyword prior to setting the keyword to a file.
The following is a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention that refers to the accompanying drawings.
The tree creation unit 11 creates a keyword tree having a hierarchical structure composed of a plurality of keywords. Each keyword comprises a pointer for a keyword that exists on a layer directly above the existing layer.
A designation unit 12 designates a keyword as the subject of a search based on a user's input. Based on the setup condition, a search unit 13 searches for a keyword designated by the designation unit 12. The display unit 14 displays the keyword designated by the designation unit 12 and the search results of the search unit's 13 search as the highlighted information if required, as well as displays the keyword tree.
The keyword setup unit 15 sets a keyword which is selected by the user to a certain file, referring to a keyword tree, and also sets a keyword existing on a layer above the selected keyword, when the user sets a keyword to the certain file.
The keyword database 16 and file database 17 store files such as a keyword managed on a keyword tree and an image file to which a keyword is set respectively.
According to the present invention, the keyword management apparatus 1 (shown in
For example, if a user uses a monitor (or other output unit) to designate a certain piece of keyword data from within the keyword tree, the keyword management apparatus 1 refers to a pointer possessed by the designated keyword and extracts keyword data on a layer directly above the existing layer. If the extracted keyword is set to an even higher layer of the extracted keyword data, then a pointer is also possessed. Therefore a sequential tracing of pointers makes it possible to uniquely trace a keyword back to the root of the present keyword tree.
According to the present embodiment, the keyword management apparatus 1 is configured to set a prescribed keyword to a file for a search, among a plurality of keywords within a keyword tree, by using a keyword tree created by the keyword tree edit program. The setup of a search-use keyword to a file is achieved by the execution of a keyword setup program via a user issued command.
According to the present embodiment, as described in
A keyword, composing a keyword tree, may be changed (i.e., added or deleted) by the keyword tree edit program, after a search-use keyword has been set to the file based on the keyword tree. When making a change, the configuration may re-set the keyword(s) associated with the change to related file(s). An alternative configuration may enable the user to select whether or not to carry out the process for re-setting keyword(s) in related file(s).
The keyword management apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is configured to manage a plurality of keyword trees.
According to the present embodiment,
For example, in
Note that
Described above is an outline of the keyword management apparatus's 1 operations and data structures, in accordance with the present embodiment. Described below is a more detailed description of the process method referenced by
Upon determining a character string, which is to be set as a keyword, and its parent keyword, step S4 judges whether or not a parent keyword has been designated in the preceding process. If there has been a designation, the process proceeds to step S5 where the address of the designated parent keyword's storage area is set as a pointer and the process ends. If there is judged to be no designation in step S4, then the keyword expressed by the input character string is determined to be the root keyword in the keyword tree, and a header mark is stored in the pointer area, and the process ends.
Note that the series of processes described above in step S1 through step S3 are configured to first determine the character string of a keyword to be set, and followed by determining which of the already set keywords the new keyword constituted by the character string is to be set under. The configuration is not limited as described above. An alternative configuration may include determining a parent keyword first, and then determining a character string.
Step S21 obtains one keyword from a file's keyword storage area. The obtained keyword is one designated by the user or a keyword on a layer above the designated keyword and correlated with the designated keyword in a repeat process of the second time or thereafter. A keyword on one layer above is obtained one by one starting from the keyword designated by the user. Step S22 judges whether or not the search processes are completed for all of the existing keywords in the file's keyword storage area. If they are not completed, then step S23 compares one of the extracted keywords to a keyword belonging to another keyword tree. In the embodiment, a search key K1 is compared to a keyword in tree TR1. In this step, for example, upper layer keywords, which are to be compared to the keyword in the file and indicated by the pointers are traced up and extracted to the root keyword one by one. A comparison in the step S23 is performed by employing a hash method or similar function.
In step S24, if the two keywords are identical when compared in the step S23, then step S25 displays and highlights the identical keyword and the upper layer keywords that have been extracted in the step S23. Subsequently, the process returns to the step S23. If an identical keyword can not be obtained by searching in the step S23, then the process proceeds to the next keyword, i.e., to a keyword other than the one that was used in the step S23, from among the keywords contained in tree TR1 of the embodiment. Subsequently, the process returns to the step S23.
Upon completing the comparison of all of the keywords in the other keyword trees, the process returns from the step S24 to the step S21, and a keyword on a layer directly above the keyword, which is used in the step S23, is extracted by referring to the pointer. Thereafter, processes similar to those in steps S23 through S25 are repeated until the processes are completed up to the root keyword of the tree having keywords set to the file as keyword. Upon completing the process for all of keywords in the file, the process proceeds from the step S22 to the step S26.
Step S26 refers to individual keywords (i.e., keyword tree elements) contained in each keyword tree in all of the keyword trees. Step S27 judges whether or not the process is completed for all of the keyword elements. If it is not completed, the process proceeds to step S28 and the step S28 determines whether or not the keyword referred to in the step S26 is displayed and highlighted by the previous process (i.e., S25). If it is not displayed and highlighted, then the process returns to the step S26. If it is displayed and highlighted, then step S29 judges whether or not a parent keyword, i.e., a keyword on a layer directly above the existing layer, is displayed and highlighted. If the parent keyword is not displayed and highlighted, then the process returns to the step S26. If the parent keyword is displayed and highlighted, then the process proceeds to step S30. Then, a combination line between the keyword referred to in the step S26 and the parent keyword is displayed and highlighted. Subsequently the process returns to the step S26.
Keyword tree elements are referred to one after another. If the keyword tree element and the parent keyword are both displayed and highlighted, then the combination line between these keywords is displayed and highlighted one by one. The processes for all keyword tree elements have been completed, then the process ends. In the embodiment, keywords are extracted from a file by processes from the step S26 through the step S30, and a combination line between keywords is displayed and highlighted when the character string of a certain keyword, and it's parent keyword, are identical to those included in another tree. As for the keyword search hit, the combination line between the hit keyword and a correlated keyword on a layer above the keyword is displayed and highlighted. As a result of carrying out the processes in
Note that when searching a plurality of keyword trees via processes the step S21 through the step S25 in accordance with the flow chart of
As described above, the present embodiment of the keyword management apparatus 1 is configured to set a keyword to each file. This keyword is set as attribute information for an image file or such after it is systematically preset in the form of a keyword tree. A plurality of keyword trees can be comprised, and there may be keywords that overlap in another keyword tree. Even if an overlap occurs, an overlapping keyword can be searched in a plurality of keyword trees, and the search result can be displayed in a method desired by the user. By using the displayed search result, the user is able to confirm whether or not a keyword that is just about to be input is set in an appropriate position in the tree and whether it is an appropriate word to be set as a keyword, or an appropriate keyword to be selected when a keyword is set to a file. This configuration makes it easy to manage what keywords are set to a file.
As shown in
The memory 102 may include read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), or a similar form of memory that is capable of storing a program for a process and data such as a keyword and an image file, etc. The CPU 101 executes the program by utilizing the memory 102, thereby performing the necessary process.
As shown in
The input apparatus 103 may include a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, or similar device that can be used to input information and instructions from the user. The output apparatus 104 may include a display, a printer, a speaker, or similar device that can be used to output the inputted content of a keyword tree as designated by the user, a correlation between a file and a key word, a search result of an overlapping keyword, or similar information.
The external storage apparatus 105 may include a magnetic disk apparatus, an optical disk apparatus, a magneto optical disk apparatus, a tape apparatus, or similar storage means. The information processing apparatus pre-stores the above described program and data on an external storage apparatus 105, and use the program and data by loading them onto the memory 102 as required.
The media drive apparatus 106 drives a portable recording medium 109 and accesses the recording contents thereof. The portable recording medium 109 is a discretionary computer readable recording medium such as a memory card, flexible disk, CD-ROM (compact disk-read only memory), optical disk, or magneto optical disk. The user pre-stores the program and data on a portable recording medium 109 and uses them by loading them onto memory 102 as required.
This application is a continuation of international PCT application No. PCT/JP2005/004795 filed on Mar. 17, 2005.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2005/004795 | Mar 2005 | US |
Child | 11856464 | Sep 2007 | US |