Patent ID: 7293018

Claim:
A method for retrieving structured documents from a structured-documents-database having a hierarchical structure and storing a plurality of structured documents each having a document structure and a plurality of data items, each of the document structures being constructed by a plurality of components, each of the component constructing the hierarchical structure, and each of the data items being stored in the structured-documents-database as a value included in one of the components, the method comprising: inputting at least a retrieval condition including at least one first desired word, and at least one first desired component including a value in which the first desired word is included; detecting a plurality of second desired components each being similar to the first desired component, in the hierarchical structure; detecting a plurality of first components each including a value in which the first desired word is included, from the structured-document-database; detecting a plurality of second components each corresponding to one of the first desired component and the second desired components and including or corresponding to one of the first components, from the structured-document-database; and extracting a plurality of desired structured documents each including one of the second components, from the structured-document-database.