Patent ID: 6298344
Filing Date: 2001-10-02
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A document searching apparatus comprising:storing means for storing a plurality of documents;searching request receiving means for receiving a searching request including key word data;matching degree calculation means responsive to said searching request for calculating matching degrees between said key word data and said documents in said storing means;a buffer;arranging means responsive to said matching degree calculation means for storing a portion of documents arranged in order of the calculated matching degrees, the number of said documents of said portion being equal to or less than a reference number;searching result outputting means for outputting said portion of documents from said buffer;lowest matching degree detecting and storing means responsive to said matching degree calculation means for detecting and storing the lowest matching degree of said documents of said portion;lower rank document searching request receiving means for receiving a lower rank document searching request; andlower rank document searching means responsive to said lower rank document searching request for operating said matching degree calculation means and said arranging means to arrange, in said buffer, from said storing means, neighbor portion of said documents having the calculated matching degrees regarding said key word data less than the lowest matching degree from said lowest matching degree detecting and storing means as an upper limit value in order of the calculated matching degrees of said neighbour portion and operating said searching result outputting means to output said neighbour portion of documents from said buffer, the number of said documents of said neighbour portion being equal to or less than said reference number.