Patent ID: 6363378
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A computer system comprising:storage medium for storing a knowledge base, comprising a plurality of nodes that represent concepts, to define conceptual relationships among said nodes; a user input device for receiving user queries; processor unit for processing said user queries to identify a plurality of query topics related to said query, to identify nodes in said knowledge base with concepts that correspond to said query topics, to select at least one focal node from said knowledge base, wherein a focal node represents a concept, as defined by said relationships in said knowledge base, conceptually most representative of said query topics, to determine conceptual proximity between said focal node and said nodes identifying said query topics, and to rank said query topics from a first topic closest in conceptual proximity to said focal node to a last topic furthest in conceptual proximity to said focal node; and an output display for displaying said topics, as query feedback, in said information retrieval system ranging from said first topic to said last topic.