US 7,117,198 B1 · Method of researching and analyzing information contained in a database

Abstract

A method (100) of researching and analyzing information contained in documents that belong to a first database (200) and are organized according to a first set of fields (210) for an electronic search and retrieval by a computer (850). The method includes the steps of: a) conducting an electronic search (202) of the first database to retrieve at least one document; b) developing user-defined fields (300); c) reading (310) the at least one document to retrieve information pertaining to the user-defined fields; d) entering into a second database (510) the at least one document, values of the first set of fields for the at least one document, the user-defined fields and the retrieved information pertaining to the user-defined fields; and e) analyzing (506) the information contained in the second database.

Claims43

Dependent claims

A method of researching and analyzing information contained in a plurality of documents belonging to a first database, searchable on a plurality of search fields and having a plurality of search field values, the method comprising the steps of:

a) developing a set of search arguments relating to one or more interests of a user;
b) developing a set of user-defined fields relating to said one or more interests, said set of user-defined fields being distinct from said set of search arguments;
c) searching the first database using at least some of said set of search arguments so as to retrieve a plurality of retrieved documents from among the plurality of documents;
d) reading each of said plurality of retrieved documents so as to extract from each of said plurality of retrieved documents a user-defined field value for at least one user-defined field of said set of user-defined fields so as to obtain a plurality of user-defined field values;
e) entering said plurality of user-defined values extracted in step d) into a second database;
f) entering the ones of the plurality of search field values corresponding to said plurality of retrieved documents into said second database;
g) filling out a high level of abstraction (HLA) framework form so as to form a plurality of HLA clusters;
and
h) assigning each of said plurality of retrieved documents to a corresponding respective one of said plurality of HLA clusters.

6 more elements

A computer readable medium containing computer instructions for researching and analyzing information contained in a plurality of documents belonging to a first database, searchable on a plurality of search fields and having a corresponding plurality of search field values, the computer instructions comprising:

a) a first set of instructions for receiving a set of search arguments relating to one or more interests of a user;
b) a second set of instructions for receiving a set of user-defined fields relating to said one or more interests, said set of user-defined fields being distinct from said set of search arguments;
c) a third set of instructions for searching the first database using at least some of said set of search arguments so as to retrieve a plurality of retrieved documents from the plurality of documents;
d) a fourth set of instructions for receiving, for each of said plurality of retrieved documents, a user-defined field value for at least one user-defined field of said set of user-defined fields so as to receive a plurality of user-defined field values, said plurality of user-defined field values having been extracted from said plurality of retrieved documents;
e) a fifth set of instructions for entering said plurality of user-defined values received in step d) into a second database;
f) a sixth set of instructions for entering the plurality of search field values into said second database;
and
g) a seventh set of instructions for presenting a high level of abstraction (HLA) framework form to a user.

5 more elements

A system for researching and analyzing information contained in a plurality of documents belonging to a first database, searchable on a plurality of search fields and having a corresponding plurality of search field values, the system comprising:

a) a computer;
b) a second database;
c) a first set of instructions executable by said computer for receiving a set of search arguments relating to one or more interests of a user;
d) a second set of instructions executable by said computer for receiving a set of user-defined fields relating to said one or more interests, said set of user-defined fields being distinct from said set of search arguments;
e) a third set of instructions executable by said computer for searching the first database using at least some of said set of search arguments so as to retrieve a plurality of retrieved documents from the plurality of documents;
f) a fourth set of instructions executable by said computer for receiving, for each of said plurality of retrieved documents, a user-defined field value for at least one user-defined field of said set of user-defined fields so as to receive a plurality of user-defined field values, said plurality of user-defined field values having been extracted from said plurality of retrieved documents;
g) a fifth set of instructions executable by said computer for entering said plurality of user-defined values received in step f) into said second database;
and
h) a sixth set of instructions executable by said computer for entering the plurality of search field values into said second database;
and
i) a seventh set of instructions for presenting a high level of abstraction (HLA) framework form to a user.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of researching and analyzing information contained in a database

Life of this patent

Method of researching and analyzing information contained in a database

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims43