Patent ID: 6598040
Filing Date: 2003-07-22
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of processing a search expression for finding electronic documents, said method comprising:receiving an initial search expression that includes at least one metaword; in response to receiving said initial search expression, determining that said at least one metaword corresponds to a boolean expression, wherein said step of determining that said at least one metaword corresponds to a boolean expression comprises determining that said at least one metaword corresponds to one or more terms and a count qualifier; and in response to determining that said at least one metaword corresponds to a boolean expression, generating an expanded search expression that includes said boolean expression in lieu of said at least one metaword, such that said expanded search expression is utilized in lieu of said initial search expression to find said electronic documents, wherein said step of generating an expanded search expression comprises including said one or more terms and said count qualifier in said expanded search expression in lieu of said metaword, wherein said count qualifier specifies a threshold number of occurrences of said one or more terms within a respective electronic document, each respective electronic document satisfying a condition of said expanded search expression only if said one or more terms occur in the respective electronic document no fewer than said threshold number of occurrences.