Integrated retrieval scheme for retrieving semi-structured documents

An apparatus for retrieving data through search engines over open networks, comprising:

• (aa) a unit for storing location data about the location of each search engine, essential input item data specifying essential input items required by an input form of each search engine, document structure data about the structure of each HTML document, used to delimit document into items to be extracted, item attribute data indicating whether each item is obtainable and conditionally designable in each search engine, data attribute data about the data attributes of the items to be extracted, used to conditionally retrieve the items, and style conversion data that contains item presentation styles of user and each HTML document and conversion function used to convert item presentation styles of the search item described in query from user and item presentation styles of the search item described in query for the HTML documents from one into another;
• (bb) a unit for finding, according to the location data, the location of a search engine that contains all search items specified in an entered query from user that consists of the search items and search conditions;
• (cc) a unit for selecting, according to the essential input item data, search engine to be searched from among the location found search engines, the search engine of which the essential input item satisfy the specified search item, by comparing the essential input item in each search engine with designated item in the inputted query;
• (dd) a unit for determining an optimum retrieval pattern for each of the selected search engines according to a matrix table and converting the entered query into queries for the selected search engines accordingly, the matrix table defining combination between the inputted search items and search conditions and the item attribute data;
• (ee) a unit for converting, if necessary, item presentation styles of the queries provided by the unit (dd) into item presentation styles of the search item in selected search engines according to the style conversion data;
• (ff) a unit for transmitting the queries provided by the unit (ee) to the found locations and acquiring HTML documents;
• (gg) a unit for extracting item data from the acquired HTML document serving as a first search result according to the structure data, selecting item data that agrees with the search condition from the extracted item data according to the search condition and the data attribute data on the basis of corresponding retrieval pattern at least with respect to an item for which conditional search is not carried out in search engine, and preparing a second search result;
• (hh) a unit for converting, if necessary, item presentation styles of the second search result into item presentation styles of each user according to the style conversion data;
• and
• (ii) a unit for outputting converted second search result in prescribed format for each user that inputs query.

A method of retrieving data contained in a plurality of semi-structured documents over open networks, comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing meta data referred for describing item information of each semi-structured document containing location data about the location of each of the semi-structured documents, document structure data about the structure of each of the semi-structured documents, used to delimit document into items to be extracted, data attribute data about the data attributes of each of the items to be extracted, used to conditionally retrieve the items, and style conversion data that contains item presentation styles of user and each semi-structured document and conversion function used to convert item presentation styles of the search item described in query from user and item presentation styles of the search item described in query for the semi-structured documents from one into another;
• (b) finding, according to the location data, the location of a semi-structured document that contains all search items specified in an entered query that consists of the search items and search conditions;
• (c) converting item presentation styles of the entered query into item presentation styles of the search item in location found semi-structured documents according to the style conversion data, and forming queries for the location found semi-structured documents by referring the function, if needed;
• (d) transmitting the queries provided by the unit (c) to the found locations and acquiring the semi-structured documents;
• (e) extracting item data from the acquired semi-structured documents according to the document structure data, selecting the extracted item data, if necessary, according to the attribute data for the search condition, and preparing a search result;
• (f) converting item presentation styles of the search result into the item presentation styles of each user according to the style conversion data by referring the function, if needed, and
• (g) outputting converted search result in prescribed format for each user that inputs query.

A method of retrieving data through search engines over open net works, comprising the steps of:

• (aa) storing location data about the location of each search engine, essential input item data specify essential in-put items required by an input form of each search engine, document structure data about the structure of each HTML document, used to delimit document into items to be extracted, item-attribute data indicating whether each item is obtainable and conditionally designable in each search engine, data attribute data about the data attributes of the items to be extracted, used to conditionally retrieve the items, and style conversion data that contains item presentation styles of user and each HTML document and conversion function used to convert item presentation styles of the search item described in query from user and item presentation styles of the search item described in query for the HTML documents from one into another;
• (bb) finding, according to the location data, the location of a search engine that contains all search items specified in an entered query from user that consists of the search items and search conditions;
• (cc) selecting, according to the essential input item data, search engine to be searched from among the location found search engines, the search engine of which the essential input item satisfy the specified search item, by comparing the essential input item in each search engine with designated item in the inputted query;
• (dd) determining an optimum retrieval pattern for each of the selected search engines according to a matrix table and converting the entered query into queries for the selected search engines accordingly, the matrix table defining combination between the inputted search items and search conditions and the item attribute data;
• (ee) converting, if necessary, item presentation styles of the queries provided by the step (dd) into item presentation styles of the search item in selected search engines according to the style conversion data;
• (ff) transmitting the queries provided by the step (ee) to the found locations and acquiring HTML documents;
• (gg) extracting item data from the acquired HTML document serving as a first search result according to the structure data, selecting item data that agrees with the search condition from the extracted item data according to the search condition and the data attribute data on the basis of corresponding retrieval pattern at least with respect to any item for which conditional search is not carried out in search engine, and preparing a second search result;
• (hh) converting, if necessary, item presentation styles of the second search result into item presentation styles of each user according to the style conversion data;
• and
• (ii) outputting converted second search result in prescribed format for each user that inputs query.

A computer readable recording medium recording a program for causing the computer to execute processing for retrieving data involved in a plurality of semi-structured documents over open networks, the processing including:

• (a) a process for storing meta data referred for describing item information of each semi-structured document containing location data about the location of each of the semi-structured documents, document structure data about the structure of each of the semi-structured documents, used to delimit document into items to be extracted, data attribute data about the data attributes of each of the items to be extracted, used to conditionally retrieve the items, and style conversion data that contains item presentation styles of user and each semi-structured document and conversion function used to convert item presentation styles of the search item described in query from user and item presentation styles of the search item described in query for the semi-structured documents from one into another;
• (b) a process for finding, according to the location data, the location of a semi-structured document that contains all search items specified in an entered query that consists of the search items and search conditions;
• (c) a process for converting item presentation styles of the entered query into item presentation styles of the search item in location found semi-structured documents according to the style conversion data, and forming queries for the location found semi-structured documents by referring the function, if needed;
• (d) a process for transmitting the queries provided by the unit (c) to the found locations and acquiring the semi-structured documents;
• (e) a process for extracting item data from the acquired semi-structured documents according to the document structure data, selecting the extracted item data, if necessary, according to the attribute data for the search condition, and preparing a search result;
• (f) a process for converting item presentation styles of the search result into the item presentation styles of each user according to the style conversion data by referring the function, if needed, and
• (g) a process for outputting converted search result in prescribed format for each user that inputs query.

A computer readable recording medium recording a program for causing the computer to execute processing for retrieve data through search engines over open networks, the processing including:

• (aa) a process for storing location data about the location of each search engine, essential input item data specifying essential input items required by an input form of each search engine, document structure data about the structure of each HTML document, used to delimit document into items to be extracted, item attribute data indicating whether each item is obtainable and conditionally designable in each search engine, data attribute data about the data attributes of the items to be extracted, used to conditionally retrieve the items, and style conversion data that contains item presentation styles of user and each HTML document and conversion function used to convert item presentation styles of the search item described in query from user and item presentation styles of the search item described in query for the HTML documents from one into another;
• (bb) a process for finding, according to the location data, the location of a search engine that contains all search items specified in an entered query from user that consists of the search items and search conditions;
• (cc) a process for selecting, according to the essential input item data, search engine to be searched from among the location found search engines, the search engine of which the essential input item satisfy the specified search item, by comparing the essential input item in each search engine with designated item in the inputted query;
• (dd) a process for determining an optimum retrieval pattern for each of the selected search engines according to a matrix table and converting the entered query into queries for the selected search engines accordingly, the matrix table defining combination between the inputted search items and search conditions and the item attribute data;
• (ee) a process for converting, if necessary, item presentation styles of the queries provided by the process (ee) into item presentation styles of the search item in selected search engines according to the style conversion data;
• (ff) a process for transmitting the queries provided by the process (ee) to the found locations and acquiring HTML documents;
• (gg) a process for extracting item data from the acquired HTML document serving as a first search result according to the structure data, selecting item data that agrees with the search condition from the extracted item data according to the search condition and the data attribute data on the basis of corresponding retrieval pattern at least with respect to item for which conditional search is not carried out in search engine, and preparing a second search result;
• (hh) a process for converting, if necessary, item presentation styles of the second search result into item presentation styles of each user according to the style conversion data;
• and
• (ii) a process for outputting converted second search result in prescribed format for each user that inputs query.