System, method and computer program product for maintaining group hits tables and document index tables for the purpose of searching through individual documents and groups of documents

A system, comprising:

• a group hits table having a plurality of group hits table entries, each of said group hits table entries identifying a first term, one of a plurality of documents, and the number of occurrences of said first term in said one document;
• a document index table for each of said plurality of documents, said document index table including a document index table entry for each term that appears in said each of said documents, said document index table entry identifying a second term and having location information that specifies a location in said each of said documents where an occurrence of said second term exists;
• means for locating one or more group hits table entries from said group hits table associated with at least one keyword in a search request, each of said located group hits table entries corresponding to a different one of said documents in which said at least one keyword appears;
• and
• means for locating at least one document index table entry in a document index table associated with one of said documents associated with said located group hits table entries, said at least one located document index table entry associated with said at least one keyword, each said at least one located document index table entry having location information specifying a location in said one of said documents of an occurrence of said at least one keyword in said one of said documents.

A method, comprising:

• maintaining a group hits table having a plurality of group hits table entries, each of said group hits table entries identifying a first term, one of a plurality of documents, and the number of occurrences of said first term in said one document;
• maintaining a document index table for each of said plurality of documents, said document index table including a document index table entry for each term that appears in said each of said documents, said document index table entry identifying a second term and having location information that specifies a location in said each of said documents where an occurrence of said second term exists;
• locating one or more group hits table entries from said group hits table associated with at least one keyword in a search request, each of said located group hits table entries corresponding to a different one of said documents in which said at least one keyword appears;
• and
• locating at least one document index table entry in a document index table associated with one of said documents associated with said located group hits table entries, said at least one located document index table entry associated with said at least one keyword, each said at least one located document index table entry having location information specifying a location in said one of said documents of an occurrence of said at least one keyword in said one of said documents.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein, said computer program logic comprising:

• means for enabling a computer to maintain a group hits table having a plurality of group hits table entries, each of said group hits table entries identifying a first term, one of a plurality of documents, and the number of occurrences of said first term in said one document;
• means for enabling the computer to maintain a document index table for each of said plurality of documents, said document index table including a document index table entry for each term that appears in said each of said documents, said document index table entry identifying a second term and having location information that specifies a location in said each of said documents where an occurrence of said second term exists;
• means for enabling the computer to locate one or more group hits table entries from said group hits table associated with at least one keyword in a search request, each of said located group hits table entries corresponding to a different one of said documents in which said at least one keyword appears;
• and
• means for enabling the computer to locate at least one document index table entry in a document index table associated with one of said documents associated with said located group hits table entries, said at least one located document index table entry associated with said at least one keyword, each said at least one located document index table entry having location information specifying a location in said one of said documents of an occurrence of said at least one keyword in said one of said documents.