Process and system for matching products and markets

A computer-based search method for information retrieval to provide pattern-oriented matching of a commodity to one or more unanticipated applications for using the commodity, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) identifying one or more properties associated with the commodity;
• b) defining a collection of documents for searching for the property or the combination of the properties;
• c) searching the defined collection of documents for the property or combination of the properties by computer, using information retrieval methods and algorithms in conjunction with search terms and patterns of search terms and phrases used to describe said property or combination of properties;
• d) retrieving hits from the collection of documents in which the one or more patterns of terms and phrases matching the search terms are identified;
• e) mapping the hits to one or more subclasses of a pre-existing taxonomic-type classification scheme;
• f) creating a classification node file comprising statistical information regarding mapping the hits with each node in the taxonomic-type classification scheme;
• g) identifying from the classification node file, mapping table(s) associated with the one or more identified properties that are associated with the commodity, wherein the subclasses associated with such mapping tables(s) are matched as unanticipated applications of the commodity, wherein said hits need not expressly identify the commodity;
• and
• h) reporting the identified match of the commodity to one or more unanticipated applications for using the commodity.