Systems and Methods for Indexing Information for a Search Engine

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention form an information set from the current set of index information available by the operations of the pre-search and runtime Search components of the search engine. A search request that contains search terms and/or other search criteria (e.g. date or file type) is entered by a user through an input interface. The search terms and the information set are worked through the search engine modules to provide the actual results sought by the user. These results are provided to the user via an output interface. Embodiments involve scanning the repository for documents that comprise at least one information type, and forming a numerical matrix from the scanned documents.

1 . A system for forming an index of an information repository, wherein the system is stored on a computer-readable medium, the system comprises:
 an Acquisitioner module that locates a plurality of documents within the repository;   a Formatter module that refines the documents located by the Acquisitioner module; and   an Indexer module that forms a numerical matrix from the refined documents, wherein the numerical matrix is the index.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the Acquisitioner module scans the repository for documents that comprise at least one information type. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the information type is at least one of a word processing file, a portable document file, a spreadsheet file, a presentation file, a text file, and a markup language file. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the Formatter module operates to remove information that is not relevant for the index. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the information that is not relevant for the index comprises meta-tags. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the Formatter module forms a matrix of term units, wherein each term unit is a set of characters that is separated by a space from another term unit. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein each term unit is one of a functional term unit and a content term unit, whereby a content term unit has a unique meaning, and a function term unit affects a content term unit. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the Integer assigns an integer to at least one term unit to indicate its position within the document. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the Indexer module converts the matrix of term units into at least one numeric matrix that comprises a binary representation of the matrix of term units. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the numeric matrix comprises a binary representation of words of the documents. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the numeric matrix comprises a binary representation of addresses of the documents. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the numeric matrix comprises a binary representation of at least one of formatting, links, and embedded elements of the documents. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the index includes at least one of document characteristics, document type, the term units, and a position of each term unit within the document. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the index is used by a search tool, and wherein the search tool compares the index with a search request. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a Maintainer module that updates the index in response to changes in the repository.   
     
     
         16 . A method for forming an index of an information repository, wherein the method operates on a computer system, and comprises:
 locating a plurality of documents within the repository;   refining the documents; and   forming a numerical matrix from the refined documents, wherein the numerical matrix is the index;   wherein the index is usable by a search tool that compares the index with a search request from a user.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein forming comprising:
 forming a matrix of term units, wherein each term unit is a set of characters that is separated by a space from another term unit.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein forming further comprises:
 assigning an integer to at least one term unit to indicate its position within the document.   
     
     
         19 . A computer program product having a computer-readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for forming an index of an information repository, the computer program product comprising:
 means for scanning the repository for documents that comprise at least one information type; and   means for forming a numerical matrix from the scanned documents, wherein the numerical matrix is the index.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19  wherein the means for forming comprises:
 means for forming a matrix of term units, wherein each term unit is a set of characters that is separated by a space from another term unit; and 
 means for assigning an integer to at least one term unit to indicate its position within the document.