US 7,836,010 B2Granted

Method and system for assessing relevant properties of work contexts for use by information services

AssigneeNorthwestern University

InventorsKristian Hammond, Jerome Budzik, Lawrence Birnbaum

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An information retrieval system for automatically retrieving information related to the context of an active task being manipulated by a user. The system observes the operation of the active task and user interactions, and utilizes predetermined criteria to generate context representation of the active task that are relevant to the context of the active task. The information retrieval system then processes the context representation to generate queries or search terms for conducting an information search. The information retrieval system determines the relevance of a word to the context by utilizing an adaptive weighting system. The information retrieval system assigns varying weights to different attributes of a word and calculates an accumulated weight of the word by accumulating all weights assigned to the word. The attributes may include word size, style, location of the word, etc. The system then ranks the importance of words based on their respective accumulated weight, and chooses words that rank within a predetermined number from the top to form search terms to conduct an information search using various data sources.

Claims49

Dependent claims

An adaptive method for obtaining representative text items from a plurality of text items in an active computer tasks, the method comprising:

receiving first information indicative of a first active computer task, the first information including a first plurality of text items and a stylistic attribute associated with a first text item in the first plurality of text items;
determining a genre associated with the first active computer task;
determining a first representative stylistic attribute value of the first plurality of text items based on a first frequency of occurrence of the stylistic attribute in the first active computer task;
for each of the first plurality of text items, assigning a first weight with a first magnitude, the first magnitude being determined based on the genre and the first representative stylistic attribute;
ranking the first plurality of text items based on the first weight assigned to each of the first plurality of text items to produce a first plurality of ranked text items;
generating and storing first representative text items based on the first plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the first active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information;
receiving second information indicative of a second active computer task, the second active computer task being different than the first active computer task, the second information including a second plurality of text items and a stylistic attribute associated with a second text item in the second plurality of text items, wherein the second plurality of text items is different than the first plurality of text items;
determining a second representative stylistic attribute value of the second plurality of text items based on a second frequency of occurrence of the stylistic attribute in the second active computer task, the second representative stylistic attribute value being different than the first representative stylistic attribute value;
for each of the second plurality of text items, assigning a second weight with a second magnitude being different than the first magnitude;
ranking the second plurality of text items based on the second weight assigned to each of the second plurality of text items to produce a second plurality of ranked text items;
and
generating and storing second representative text items based on the second plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the second active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information.

11 more elements

A data processing system for obtaining representative text items from a plurality of text items in an active computer tasks, the system comprising:

a data processor for processing data;
a data storage device for storing instructions;
and
a data transmission path coupled to the data processor and the data storage device;
wherein the instructions, when executed by the data processor, controls the data processing system to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
receiving first information indicative of a first active computer task, the first information including a first plurality of text items and a stylistic attribute associated with a first text item in the first plurality of text items;
determining a genre associated with the first active computer task;
determining a first representative stylistic attribute value of the first plurality of text items based on a first frequency of occurrence of the stylistic attribute in the first active computer task;
for each of the first plurality of text items, assigning a first weight with a first magnitude, the first magnitude being determined based on the genre and the first representative stylistic attribute;
ranking the first plurality of text items based on the first weight assigned to each of the first plurality of text items to produce a first plurality of ranked text items;
generating and storing first representative text items based on the first plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the first active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information;
receiving second information indicative of a second active computer task, the second active computer task being different than the first active computer task, the second information including a second plurality of text items and a stylistic attribute associated with a second text item in the second plurality of text items, wherein the second plurality of text items is different than the first plurality of text items;
determining a second representative stylistic attribute value of the second plurality of text items based on a second frequency of occurrence of the stylistic attribute in the second active computer task, the second representative stylistic attribute value being different than the first representative stylistic attribute value;
for each of the second plurality of text items, assigning a second weight with a second magnitude that is determined based on the second representative stylistic attribute, the second magnitude being different that the first magnitude;
ranking the second plurality of text items based on the second weight assigned to each of the second plurality of text items to produce a second plurality of ranked text items;
and
generating and storing second representative text items based on the second plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the second active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information.

16 more elements

A tangible machine-readable storage medium bearing instructions for obtaining representative text items from a plurality of text items in an active computer tasks, the instructions upon execution by a data processing system causing the data processing system to perform the steps of:

receiving first information indicative of a first computer task, the first information including a first plurality of text items and a stylistic attribute associated with a first text item in the first plurality of text items;
determining a genre associated with the first active computer task;
determining a first representative stylistic attribute value of the first plurality of text items based on a first frequency of occurrence of the stylistic attribute in the first active computer task;
for each of the first plurality of text items, assigning a first weight with a first magnitude, the first magnitude being determined based on the genre and the first representative stylistic attribute;
ranking the first plurality of text items based on the first weight assigned to each of the first plurality of text items to produce a first plurality of ranked text items;
generating and storing first representative text items based on the first plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the first active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information;
receiving second information indicative of a second active computer task, the second active computer task being different than the first active computer task, the second information including a second plurality of text items and a stylistic attribute associated with a second text item in the second plurality of text items, wherein the second plurality of text items is different than the first plurality of text items;
determining a second representative stylistic attribute value of the second plurality of text items based on a second frequency of occurrence of the stylistic attribute in the second active computer task, the second representative stylistic attribute value being different than the first representative stylistic attribute value;
for each of the second plurality of text items, assigning a second weight with a second magnitude being different than the first magnitude;
ranking the second plurality of text items based on the second weight assigned to each of the second plurality of text items to produce a second plurality of ranked text items;
and
generating and storing second representative text items based on the second plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the second active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information.

11 more elements

An adaptive method for obtaining representative text items from a plurality of text items in active computer tasks, the method comprising:

receiving first information indicative of a first active computer task, the first information including a first plurality of text items and a field attribute associated with a first text item in the first plurality of text items;
determining a genre associated with the first active computer task;
determining a first representative field attribute value of the first plurality of text items based on a first frequency of occurrence of the field attribute in the first active computer task;
for each of the first plurality of text items, assigning a first weight with a first magnitude, the first magnitude being determined based on the genre and the first representative field attribute;
ranking the first plurality of text items based on the first weight assigned to each of the first plurality of text items to produce a first plurality of ranked text items;
and
generating and storing first representative text items based on the first plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the first active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information;
receiving second information indicative of a second active computer task, the second active computer task being different than the first active computer task, the second information including a second plurality of text items and the field attribute associated with a second text item in the second plurality of text items, wherein the second plurality of text items is different than the first plurality of text items;
determining a second representative field attribute value of the second plurality of text items based on a second frequency of occurrence of the field attribute in the second active computer task, the second representative field attribute value being different than the first representative field attribute value;
for each of the second plurality of text items, assigning a second weight with a second magnitude that is determined based on the second representative field attribute, the second magnitude being different than the first magnitude;
ranking the second plurality of text items based on the second weight assigned to each of the second plurality of text items to produce a second plurality of ranked text items;
and
generating and storing second representative text items based on the second plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the second active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information.

12 more elements

A data processing system for obtaining representative text items from a plurality of text items in active computer tasks, the system comprising:

a data processor for processing data;
a data storage device for storing instructions;
and
a data transmission path coupled to the data processor and the data storage device;
wherein the instructions, when executed by the data processor, controls the data processing system to perform the machine-implemented steps of:
receiving first information indicative of a first active computer task, the first information including a first plurality of text items and a field attribute associated with a first text item in the first plurality of text items;
determining a genre associated with the first active computer task;
determining a first representative field attribute value of the first plurality of text items based on a first frequency of occurrence of the field attribute in the first active computer task;
for each of the first plurality of text items, assigning a first weight with a first magnitude, the first magnitude being determined based on the genre and the first representative field attribute;
ranking the first plurality of text items based on the first weight assigned to each of the first plurality of text items to produce a first plurality of ranked text items;
generating and storing first representative text items based on the first plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the first active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information;
receiving second information indicative of a second active computer task, the second active computer task being different than the first active computer task, the second information including a second plurality of text items and the field attribute associated with a second text item in the second plurality of text items, wherein the second plurality of text items is different than the first plurality of text items;
determining a second representative field attribute value of the second plurality of text items based on a second frequency of occurrence of the field attribute in the second active computer task, the second representative field attribute value being different than the first representative field attribute value;
for each of the second plurality of text items, assigning a second weight with a second magnitude that is determined based on the second representative field attribute, the second magnitude being different than the first magnitude;
ranking the second plurality of text items based on the second weight assigned to each of the second plurality of text items to produce a second plurality of ranked text items;
and
generating and storing second representative text items based on the second plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the second active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information.

16 more elements

A machine-readable storage device bearing instructions for obtaining representative text items from a plurality of text items in active computer tasks, the instructions upon execution by a data processing system causing the data processing system to perform the steps of:

receiving first information indicative of a first active computer task, the first information including a first plurality of text items and a field attribute associated with a first text item in the first plurality of text items;
determining a genre associated with the first active computer task;
determining a first representative field attribute value of the first plurality of text items based on a first frequency of occurrence of the field attribute in the first active computer task;
for each of the first plurality of text items, assigning a first weight with a first magnitude, the first magnitude being determined based on the genre and the first representative field attribute;
ranking the first plurality of text items based on the first weight assigned to each of the first plurality of text items to produce a first plurality of ranked text items;
generating and storing first representative text items based on the first plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the first active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information;
receiving second information indicative of a second active computer task, the second active computer task being different than the first active computer task, the second information including a second plurality of text items and the field attribute associated with a second text item in the second plurality of text items, wherein the second plurality of text items is different than the first plurality of text items;
determining a second representative field attribute value of the second plurality of text items based on a second frequency of occurrence of the field attribute in the second active computer task, the second representative field attribute value being different than the first representative field attribute value;
for each of the second plurality of text items, assigning a second weight with a second magnitude that is determined based on the second representative field attribute, the second magnitude being different than the first magnitude;
ranking the second plurality of text items based on the second weight assigned to each of the second plurality of text items to produce a second plurality of ranked text items;
and
generating and storing second representative text items based on the second plurality of ranked text items;
wherein the second active computer task is a task other than entering search terms for the purpose of retrieving information.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.