# US 2014/0156670 A1 · Numeric range search device, numeric range search method, and numeric range search program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156670 A1 - Document ID: US20140156670A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/124,778 - Filed: 2012-05-21 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-06-21 - Assignees: NEC Corporation - Inventors: Itaru Hosomi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156670A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/245: Query processing - G06F 16/2228: {Indexing structures} - G06F 16/313: {Selection or weighting of terms for indexing} - G06F 16/3332: Query translation - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A numeric range search device includes: interval index storage means for storing, for numeric ranges to be searched, an interval index that is made up of records each including at least an interval filter and reference information and in which the records are organized in units of records whose interval filters are at least partially common, the interval filter being data indicating a correspondence relationship between an input numeric value or numeric range and subintervals obtained by dividing a range including all of the numeric ranges by a predetermined boundary value, and the reference information being information for referring to a numeric range to be searched; interval query generation means for generating an interval query which is data indicating a correspondence relationship between the input numeric value or numeric range and the subintervals; and candidate selection means for selecting, from the records, a record for which an AND of an interval filter included in the record and the interval query is equal to the interval query. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A numeric range search device for searching for data including a numeric range that satisfies a predetermined conformance condition for an input numeric value or numeric range, each numeric range being a range of numeric values that is defined using at least one of a minimum value and a maximum value, the numeric range search device comprising: an interval index storage unit which stores, for numeric ranges to be searched, an interval index that is made up of records each including at least an interval filter and reference information and in which the records are organized in units of records whose interval filters are at least partially common, the interval filter being data indicating a correspondence relationship between the input numeric value or numeric range and subintervals obtained by dividing a range including all of the numeric ranges by a predetermined boundary value, and the reference information being information for referring to a numeric range to be searched; an interval query generation unit which generates an interval query which is data indicating a correspondence relationship between the input numeric value or numeric range and the subintervals; and a candidate selection unit which selects, from the records, a record for which an AND of an interval filter included in the record and the interval query is equal to the interval query. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The numeric range search device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined conformance condition is that the input numeric value or numeric range is contained in the numeric range to be searched. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The numeric range search device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined boundary value is determined by repeatedly performing, until a predetermined end condition is satisfied, a process of: selecting, in an interval containing all of the numeric ranges to be searched, a value that separates a largest number of numeric ranges not overlapping each other as a boundary value to generate subintervals; and selecting, in each of the generated subintervals, a value that separates a largest number of numeric ranges not overlapping each other as a boundary value to further generate subintervals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The numeric range search device according to claim 1, wherein the interval index storage unit stores the interval index in which pieces of reference information corresponding to a same interval filter value are included in one record and, from among two or more pieces of reference information included in one record, pieces of reference information for referring to numeric ranges between which a containment relationship holds are included in a form indicating the containment relationship. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The numeric range search device according to claim 1, further comprising a conformance determination unit which compares the input numeric value or numeric range and a numeric range included in a document specified by reference information included in the selected record, and outputting the document satisfying the predetermined conformance condition as a search result. ### Claim 6 A numeric range search method for searching for data including a numeric range that satisfies a predetermined conformance condition for an input numeric value or numeric range, each numeric range being a range of numeric values that is defined using at least one of a minimum value and a maximum value, the numeric range search method comprising: storing, for numeric ranges to be searched, an interval index that is made up of records each including at least an interval filter and reference information and in which the records are organized in units of records whose interval filters are at least partially common, the interval filter being data indicating a correspondence relationship between the input numeric value or numeric range and subintervals obtained by dividing a range including all of the numeric ranges by a predetermined value, and the reference information being information for referring to a numeric range to be searched; generating an interval query which is data indicating a correspondence relationship between the input numeric value or numeric range and the subintervals; and selecting, from the records, a record for which an AND of an interval filter included in the record and the interval query is equal to the interval query. ### Claim 7 A non-transitory computer readable information recording medium storing a numeric range search program for searching for data including a numeric range that satisfies a predetermined conformance condition for an input numeric value or numeric range, each numeric range being a range of numeric values that is defined using at least one of a minimum value and a maximum value, when executed by a processor that stores in an interval index storage unit, for numeric ranges to be searched, an interval index that is made up of records each including at least an interval filter and reference information and in which the records are organized in units of records whose interval filters are at least partially common, the interval filter being data indicating a correspondence relationship between the input numeric value or numeric range and subintervals obtained by dividing a range including all of the numeric ranges by a predetermined value, and the reference information being information for referring to a numeric range to be searched, performs a method comprising: generating an interval query which is data indicating a correspondence relationship between the input numeric value or numeric range and the subintervals; and selecting, from the records, a record for which an AND of an interval filter included in the record and the interval query is equal to the interval query. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The numeric range search device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined boundary value is determined by repeatedly performing, until a predetermined end condition is satisfied, a process of: selecting, in an interval containing all of the numeric ranges to be searched, a value that separates a largest number of numeric ranges not overlapping each other as a boundary value to generate subintervals; and selecting, in each of the generated subintervals, a value that separates a largest number of numeric ranges not overlapping each other as a boundary value to further generate subintervals. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The numeric range search device according to claim 2, wherein the interval index storage unit stores the interval index in which pieces of reference information corresponding to a same interval filter value are included in one record and, from among two or more pieces of reference information included in one record, pieces of reference information for referring to numeric ranges between which a containment relationship holds are included in a form indicating the containment relationship. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The numeric range search device according to claim 3, wherein the interval index storage unit stores the interval index in which pieces of reference information corresponding to a same interval filter value are included in one record and, from among two or more pieces of reference information included in one record, pieces of reference information for referring to numeric ranges between which a containment relationship holds are included in a form indicating the containment relationship. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The numeric range search device according to claim 2, further comprising a conformance determination unit which compares the input numeric value or numeric range and a numeric range included in a document specified by reference information included in the selected record, and outputting the document satisfying the predetermined conformance condition as a search result. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The numeric range search device according to claim 3, further comprising a conformance determination unit which compares the input numeric value or numeric range and a numeric range included in a document specified by reference information included in the selected record, and outputting the document satisfying the predetermined conformance condition as a search result. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The numeric range search device according to claim 4, further comprising a conformance determination unit which compares the input numeric value or numeric range and a numeric range included in a document specified by reference information included in the selected record, and outputting the document satisfying the predetermined conformance condition as a search result.