System and methods for content-based financial database indexing, searching, analysis, and processing

A method for performing content-based indexing of a financial database, said method comprising:

• causing at least one memory device to store a plurality of keywords, each keyword indicating the presence of a financial object feature;
• causing the at least one memory device to store a user preference, said user preference including at least one of:
• a user past decision about a financial object and a user preferred feature of a financial object;
• causing at least one processor to retrieve textual data about a financial object from the financial database;
• causing the at least one processor to operate with the at least one memory device to create an indexed database wherein any of the plurality of keywords and quantifying modifiers are usable as a query to enable location of the feature represented thereby in different sets of textual data by, for each of the plurality of keywords:
• (i) causing the at least one processor to parse the textual data for the keyword and a quantifying modifier based on the user preference, wherein the presence of the keyword and the quantifying modifier indicate that a feature associated with the keyword and the quantifying modifier is present in the textual data;
• and
• (ii) if the keyword and the quantifying modifier are present in the textual data, causing the at least one memory device to store, in said indexed database, an indication of the association between the feature associated with that keyword in association with said textual data, the quantifying modifier representing a non-numerical modifier to the keyword indicating an assessment of the keyword in the context of the textual data.

A method of searching a financial database, said method comprising:

• causing at least one memory device to store a user preference, said user preference including at least one of:
• a user past decision about a financial object and a user preferred feature of a financial object;
• causing the at least one memory device to store a similarity measure, the similarity measure indicating a characteristic by which to determine similarity of a first financial object and a second financial object;
• enabling a user to specify a query item using at least one input device, wherein the query item is a representation of an example financial object;
• causing at least one processor to determine a feature of the query item, the feature representing a complex set of characteristics of the example financial object useful to a financial professional;
• causing the at least one processor to compare the feature of the query item with a feature of an indexed financial object stored in an indexed database, the indexed database having been created by searching for each of a plurality of potential features in each a plurality of data sets, and for each feature found in each data set, said found feature having been stored in said indexed database in association with said data set to be usable as a query to search for said data set in said indexed database;
• causing the at least one processor to generate a first similarity score for the indexed financial object based on at least one of the similarity measure and the user preference;
• causing at least one display device to display the indexed financial object and the first similarity score;
• enabling the user, using the at least one input device, to provide feedback about the first similarity score;
• causing the at least one processor to compare the feature of the query item with the feature of the indexed financial object;
• and
• causing the at least one processor to generate a second similarity score for the indexed financial object based on:
• (1) the user feedback and (2) at least one of:
• the similarity measure and the user preference.

A method for analyzing data in an indexed financial database, said method comprising:

• causing at least one memory device to store a user preference, said user preference including at least one of:
• a user past decision about a financial object and a user preferred feature of a financial object;
• enabling a user to define a feature which is of interest to the user using at least one input device, the feature representing a complex set of characteristics of the financial object useful to the user;
• causing at least one processor to apply a mathematical transform to a feature of a financial object stored in said indexed financial database of financial objects, the indexed database having been created by searching for each of a plurality of potential features in each a plurality of data sets, and for each feature found in each data set, said found feature having been stored in said indexed database in association with said data set to be usable as a query to search for said data set in said indexed database, said application of the mathematical transform generating a transformed financial object feature;
• causing the at least one processor to compare the feature of interest with the transformed financial object feature;
• causing the at least one processor to generate a similarity score based on at least one of the user preference and a predetermined similarity score associated with the user, said similarity score indicating a similarity between the feature of interest and the transformed financial object feature;
• and
• causing at least one display device to display the transformed financial object feature and the similarity score.

A method of processing an indexed financial database, said method comprising:

• causing at least one memory device to store a user preference including at least one of a past decision about a financial object and a preferred feature of a financial object;
• causing at least one processor to determine a processing algorithm based on at least one of the user preference and a user input;
• causing the at least one processor to apply the processing algorithm to a feature contained in the indexed financial database to result in a processed feature, the indexed financial database having been created by searching for each of a plurality of potential features in each a plurality of data sets, and for each feature found in each data set, said found feature having been stored in said indexed financial database in association with said data set to be usable as a query to search for said data set in said indexed financial database;
• causing at least one display device to display the processed feature to a user;
• enabling the user to provide feedback, via at least one input device, about the processed feature;
• causing the at least one memory device to store the user provided feedback;
• causing the at least one processor to modify the processing algorithm based on the user provided feedback;
• and
• causing the at least one processor to apply the modified processing algorithm to the feature contained in the indexed financial database.