Patent ID: 6098066
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for searching a document directory hierarchy for documents, the document directory hierarchy comprising a plurality of document directories stored in a tree data structure within a memory, each of the plurality of document directories corresponding to a category within a class hierarchy and storing at least one document, the method comprising:accepting a user query at least one search term from an input device;performing a directed search in response to said user query when said user query includes a user-selected category, said directed search confined to one of the plurality of document directories corresponding to said user-selected category and returning relevant documents within said user-selected category, said performing a directed search further comprising:comparing the search terms to each of a set of document vectors created by indexing the document directory hierarchy using Fulcrum, the set of document vectors corresponding to the index of the user-selected category, said comparing producing a list of matching document directory paths, each of the document directory paths having a matching document name and a directory path corresponding to a matching document;obtaining category names corresponding to the matching document directory paths;grouping the matching document directory paths within the category names; anddisplaying information corresponding to each of the matching document directory paths; andperforming an undirected search in response to said user query when said user query does not include a user-selected category, said undirected search performed within each of the plurality of document directories within the document directory hierarchy and returning relevant categories corresponding to document directories within the document directory hierarchy.