Patent Document ID: 20080195568
Application ID: 11674598
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for identifying overlap among a plurality of documents related to a predefined subject matter, the method comprising: performing at least one of a search operation and a query operation among a plurality of databases, which include at least one of documents and information about documents relevant to said subject matter, utilizing at least one search term selected from a value, a pattern, a keyword or said predefined subject matter entered into a structured or a non-structured field; identifying a first set of documents related to said at least one utilized term; constructing snippets from textual material in said first set of documents, each of said snippets including at least one word appearing within a specified text distance of said at least one utilized search term; defining a plurality of categories wherein each of said snippets is assigned to one of said categories, each of said categories designated for receiving similar snippets; creating a respective mathematical model for each of said categories, each of said categories being represented by a centroid of features of said documents in said category, wherein said centroid is an average of said features; determining a measure of cohesion and distinctiveness for each of said categories, wherein said measure of distinctiveness is determined as a distance between two closest centroid neighbors; altering said categories based on said measure of distinctiveness wherein categories having less than a predetermined level of distinctiveness value are merged with another category; assigning each document in a second set of documents to one of said categories based on matching each of said second set of documents to said mathematical model of said categories; determining a measure of cohesion and distinctness for each of said second set of documents with respect to said categories, wherein said categories may be altered in view of said second set of documents; and identifying at least one white space in said second set of documents, said at least one white space being indicated by a level of distinctiveness less than a second predetermined level; and making said indication of white space available to a user.