String matching method and system using phonetic symbols and computer-readable recording medium storing computer program for executing the string matching method

A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for executing a string matching method of outputting a representative string that matches an input string, the string matching method comprising:

• converting the input string into one or more phonetic symbol strings with reference to a phonetic symbol mapping table corresponding to a language of the input string, and generating a conversion list including the phonetic symbol strings, the phonetic symbol mapping table storing mapping information for mapping a string written in the language to a phonetic symbol string;
• searching a representative list database (DB) for records including the one or more phonetic symbol strings as the phonetic symbol strings included in the conversion list and generating a candidate list including the identified records, the representative list DB storing the records, each of the records comprising a representative string and a representative phonetic symbol string corresponding to the representative string;
• and
• determining a representative string in one of the records of the candidate list as an output representative string,
• wherein the converting the input string comprises allocating the one or more phonetic symbol sub-strings to each sub-string of the input string with reference to the phonetic symbol mapping table for each sub-string of the input string, and generating the one or more phonetic symbol strings according to one or more combinations of the allocated one or more phonetic symbol sub-strings.

A string matching system for outputting a representative string that matches an input string, the string matching system comprising:

• a representative list database (DB) which stores a plurality of representative strings and a plurality of representative phonetic symbol strings that respectively correspond to the representative strings;
• one or more phonetic symbol mapping tables which respectively correspond to one or more languages and each comprises mapping information for mapping a string to one or more phonetic symbol sub-strings;
• a phonetic symbol string generation unit which converts an input string into one or more phonetic symbol strings with reference to one of the phonetic symbol mapping tables corresponding to a language in which the input string is written and generates a conversion list including the phonetic symbol strings into which the input string is converted;
• a representative list searching unit which searches the representative list database (DB) for records including the same phonetic symbol strings as the phonetic symbol strings included in the conversion list and generates a candidate list including the identified records;
• and
• a representative string determination unit which determines a representative string included in one of the records included in the candidate list as an output representative string,
• wherein the phonetic symbol string generation unit converts the input string by allocating the one or more phonetic symbol sub-strings to each sub-string of the input string with reference to the phonetic symbol mapping table for each sub-string of the input string, and generating the one or more phonetic symbol strings according to one or more combinations of the allocated one or more phonetic symbol sub-strings.