Search system, search method, and search program

Abstract

The invention provides a search system, a search method, and a search program. The subject of the invention is to effectively search data related to research or development of materials stored in a plurality of data formats. This retrieval system is provided with: a material database for storing a plurality of document files relating to a plurality of materials; the supplier database is used for storing supplier data related to a plurality of suppliers in the form of a data table; and at least one processor capable of accessing the material database and the vendor database. The at least one processor displays, on the user terminal, a web portal capable of accepting a material search in which a full-text search based on a search condition relating to the material is performed on the plurality of document files, and a supplier search in which a record search based on a search condition relating to the supplier is performed on the data table.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a retrieval system, a retrieval method, and a retrieval program. Background Art

[0002] There is known a computer system that supports research or development using a database. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a research and development support system including: one or more databases that store various data and information related to research and development; and a management system that accesses the one or more databases to perform information processing. The one or more databases store research and development related information, which is information related to the research and development of researchers, device related information, which is information related to the devices used in research and development, and usage history information, which is information on the device usage history of researchers. The management system generates and outputs information that supports research and development based on the usage history information, the device related information, and the research and development related information.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-52602

[0004] There is a need for a structure for effectively retrieving data related to the research or development of materials stored in various data formats. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The retrieval system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a material database that stores a plurality of document files related to various materials and at least a part of the plurality of document files is generated by optical character recognition; a supplier database that stores supplier data related to a plurality of suppliers in the form of a data table; and at least one processor capable of accessing the material database and the supplier database.

[0006] The at least one processor performs the following processing: displaying, on a user terminal, a portal website that can accept both a material search of the material database and a supplier search of the supplier database; in the case of a material search, when receiving a search condition related to a material from the user terminal, performing a full-text search on the plurality of document files based on the search condition, and providing the user terminal with a search result indicating the document files corresponding to the search condition; and in the case of a supplier search, when receiving a search condition related to a supplier from the user terminal, performing a record search on the data table based on the search condition, and providing the user terminal with a search result indicating the suppliers corresponding to the search condition.

[0007] In such an aspect, a common portal site provides retrieval of two databases with different data formats, so that a simple access path to these databases can be provided to users. On the other hand, since retrieval processing corresponding to the data formats of the respective databases is performed in data retrieval, appropriate retrieval results can be provided to users. With this structure, data related to the research or development of materials stored in various data formats can be retrieved effectively.

[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention, data related to the research or development of materials stored in various data formats can be retrieved effectively. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing an example of a retrieval system.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing an example of the data structures of a material database and a subsidiary material database.

[0011] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a supplier database.

[0012] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing an example of a portal site.

[0013] Figure 5 It is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the retrieval system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and repeated description is omitted.

[0015] [Outline of the System]

[0016] The retrieval system according to the present invention is a computer system for retrieving data related to the research or development of materials. The retrieval system accesses a database storing the data and extracts data corresponding to the specified retrieval conditions from the database. A user can use this retrieval system to obtain information for conducting research or development of materials.

[0017] In one example, the retrieval system has at least one retrieval function among material retrieval, supplier retrieval, reagent retrieval, and subsidiary material retrieval. A material is a substance used to make certain products, such as various organic compounds or inorganic compounds. A supplier is a subject that can supply materials to others. Examples of suppliers include material manufacturers and material wholesalers. A reagent is a chemical substance used for detecting or quantifying substances, substance synthesis experiments, or physical property measurements by chemical methods. A subsidiary material is a spare part or consumable required for the maintenance, repair, or operation of equipment.

[0018] In one example, the retrieval system displays on the user terminal a portal website that can accept each of two or more retrieval functions. The portal website includes a user interface for providing the user with access to each of two or more retrieval functions. Therefore, as long as the user accesses the portal website, the user can effectively obtain the required information by using two or more retrieval functions.

[0019] In one example, the retrieval system has a batch retrieval function in addition to or instead of the above-mentioned retrieval functions. Batch retrieval refers to the process of retrieving each of multiple databases according to a common retrieval condition, that is, the process of performing retrieval across multiple databases simultaneously.

[0020] [Structure of the System]

[0021] The retrieval system is composed of one or more computers. When multiple computers are used, they are connected through a communication network such as the Internet or an intranet, and a logically single retrieval system is constructed.

[0022] The computers constituting the retrieval system generally include a processor, a memory, and a communication interface as hardware devices. The processor is, for example, a CPU. The memory is composed of storage devices such as flash memory and hard disks. Each functional module of the retrieval system is implemented by the processor executing a program stored in the memory.

[0023] The retrieval program for enabling the computer to function as a retrieval system includes program codes for implementing each functional module of the retrieval system. The retrieval program can be provided on the basis of being non-temporarily recorded on a tangible recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a semiconductor memory. Alternatively, the retrieval program can be provided through a communication network as a data signal superimposed on a carrier wave. The provided retrieval program is recorded in the memory, for example.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the retrieval system 1 according to one example. In this example, the retrieval system 1 includes a server 10 that provides a portal website and retrieval functions, and an internal database 20 that stores data related to materials technology. The server 10 is connected to the internal database 20 through a communication network. The server 10 can also be connected to an external database 30 through a communication network. The external database 30 is set up in a computer system different from the retrieval system 1 and stores data related to materials technology. In addition, the server 10 is connected to one or more user terminals 40 through a communication network. The communication network related to the retrieval system 1 can be configured to include at least one of the Internet and an intranet.

[0025] Server 10 includes a processor 101 and a memory 102. The memory 102 stores page data that describes the web pages of the portal website in a markup language. The processor 101 functions as a page management unit 11 and a retrieval unit 12. The page management unit 11 is a functional module that reads page data corresponding to a request from the user terminal 40 from the memory 102 and displays a web page based on the page data on the user terminal 40. The retrieval unit 12 is a functional module that retrieves the internal database 20 or the external database 30 according to the retrieval conditions received from the user terminal 40 and sends the retrieval result to the user terminal 40. Sending the retrieval result to the user terminal 40 is an example of the process of providing the retrieval result to the user terminal.

[0026] The internal database 20 includes a material database 21, a supplier database 22, and a sub-material database 23. The material database 21 is a device that non-temporarily stores material data related to materials. The supplier database 22 is a device that non-temporarily stores supplier data related to suppliers. The sub-material database 23 is a device that non-temporarily stores sub-material data related to sub-materials.

[0027] The external database 30 includes a reagent database 31. The reagent database 31 is a device that non-temporarily stores reagent data related to reagents.

[0028] The user terminal 40 is a computer operated by the user of the retrieval system 1. The user terminal 40 can be various computers such as a personal computer, a workstation, a tablet terminal, a smart phone, and a wearable terminal.

[0029] In one example, the retrieval system 1 provides a retrieval function to the user terminal 40 through a web application. At this time, various request signals sent from the user terminal 40 to the server 10 can be said to be HTTP requests, and various data sent from the server 10 to the user terminal 40 in response to the request signal can be said to be HTTP responses.

[0030] [Data Structure]

[0031] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the material database 21 and the sub-material database 23. In one example, the material database 21 and the sub-material database 23 store multiple document files respectively through a directory structure. Figure 2 The shown directory structure includes a root directory 200 and at least one sub-directory 210 at the next level of the root directory 200. Each sub-directory 210 houses one or more document files 220. Figure 2 The shown directory structure is three-level, but the directory structure can have two-level or four-level hierarchies, or can have a more complex structure such as different hierarchical structures for each sub-directory.

[0032] A document file refers to electronic data of text including more than one sentence. The document file 220 is generated in a manner that enables retrieval of strings within the file. Regarding at least one of the material database 21 and the sub-material database 23, at least a part of the multiple document files 220 can be generated by optical character recognition (OCR). For example, OCR is performed on each of multiple printed materials such as books, catalogs, and in-house materials to generate the document file 220 for each printed material. Alternatively, regarding at least one of the material database 21 and the sub-material database 23, at least a part of the multiple document files 220 can be generated by a text creation application. Regarding the document files generated by this application, the strings within the files can be retrieved from the beginning.

[0033] The material database 21 stores multiple document files 220 related to various materials. Each document file 220 can record one material or two or more materials. The sub-material database 23 stores multiple document files 220 related to various sub-materials. Each document file 220 can record one sub-material or two or more sub-materials. The document files 220 recording one or more materials and one or more sub-materials can be stored in the material database 21 and the sub-material database 23 respectively.

[0034] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the supplier database 22. As shown in this diagram, the supplier database 22 stores supplier data related to multiple suppliers through data tables. A data table refers to a form that represents data through rows and columns. Each row of the data table corresponds to a data record, and each column of the data table corresponds to a data item. Therefore, the supplier data is a collection of one or more data records corresponding to one or more suppliers.

[0035] In Figure 3 this example, each data record of the supplier data includes a supplier ID and a supplier attribute as data items. The supplier ID is an identifier that uniquely determines each supplier. The supplier attribute is information representing the characteristics or properties of the supplier, expressed as a collection of one or more data items.

[0036] In one example, the supplier attribute includes basic information, material function, compound classification, processing method / equipment, and analyzer. The basic information can include the name, address, URL, etc. of the supplier. The material function is material information considered from a functional perspective, represented by one or more data items. The compound classification is compound information considered from a structural perspective, represented by one or more data items. The processing method / equipment is information related to the method or equipment for manufacturing materials, represented by one or more data items. The analyzer is information related to the machine for analyzing materials, represented by one or more data items.

[0037] In one example, in each data item belonging to material functions, compound classifications, processing methods / devices, and analysis machines, flag information indicating whether a supplier deals in the goods or services indicated by the data item is set in binary. For example, for a certain data item, "1" is set when a certain supplier deals in the goods or services indicated by the data item, and "0" is set when the supplier does not deal in the goods or services. In Figure 3 's example, supplier Sa deals in heat-resistant resins and initiators but does not deal in pressure-sensitive adhesives, deals in polymers and oligomers but does not deal in phenols, deals in SUS reactions but does not deal in GL reaction kilns and ultra-high temperature reactions, and deals in AAS and GC / MS but does not deal in ICP / OES.

[0038] [Portal website]

[0039] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a portal website. The portal website 300 in this example is named "Development Procurement Website". The portal website 300 includes a main page 310 that is initially displayed. The main page 310 includes an input field 311 for accepting input of search conditions for batch retrieval of multiple databases and links 321 to 327 to a search page for performing a search on a specific database or an external website.

[0040] Both links 321 and 322 are hyperlinks to a search page for performing a material search on the material database 21. Link 321 guides the user terminal 40 to a search page 331 for performing a search related to the material catalog on the material database 21. The search page 331 includes an input field 331a for accepting search conditions related to the material catalog and a display field 331b for the search results related to the material catalog. Link 322 guides the user terminal 40 to a search page 332 for performing a search related to sustainable materials on the material database 21. The search page 332 includes an input field 332a for accepting search conditions related to sustainable materials and a display field 332b for the search results related to sustainable materials.

[0041] Both links 323 and 324 are hyperlinks to an external website for performing a reagent search on the reagent database 31. Link 323 guides the user terminal 40 to the main page 403 of external website A that can perform a search on the reagent database 31. Link 324 guides the user terminal 40 to the main page 404 of external website B that can perform a search on the reagent database 31. Therefore, links 323 and 324 can be said to be external links.

[0042] Link 325 is a hyperlink to a search page for performing a supplier search on the supplier database 22. Link 325 guides the user terminal 40 to the search page 335 for performing a supplier search. The search page 335 includes an input field 335a for receiving search conditions related to suppliers and a display field 335b for the search results related to suppliers.

[0043] Links 326 and 327 are both hyperlinks to search pages for performing a sub-material search on the sub-material database 23. Link 326 guides the user terminal 40 to the search page 336 for performing a search related to the sub-material catalog on the sub-material database 23. The search page 336 includes an input field 336a for receiving search conditions related to the sub-material catalog and a display field 336b for the search results related to the sub-material catalog. Link 327 guides the user terminal 40 to the search page 337 for performing a search related to sustainable sub-materials on the sub-material database 23. The search page 337 includes an input field 337a for receiving search conditions related to sustainable sub-materials and a display field 337b for the search results related to sustainable sub-materials.

[0044] In Figure 4 the example, multiple links and search pages are provided for each of the material database 21, the sub-material database 23, and the reagent database 24, and one link and search page are provided for the supplier database 22. However, in at least one of the material database 21, the sub-material database 23, and the reagent database 24, the number of links and search pages can be 1, and multiple links and search pages can be provided for the supplier database 22.

[0045] Figure 4 The input field for search conditions and the display field for search results are simply shown, but the structures of the input field and the display field can be implemented through various user interfaces. For example, the input field corresponding to the supplier attribute represented by the flag information can be implemented through a checkbox.

[0046] [Operation of the system]

[0047] Refer to Figure 5 to explain the operation of the search system 1 and the search method according to the present embodiment. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the search system 1 as a processing flow S1. The server 10 executes the processing flow S1 on the basis of being connected to each of the material database 21, the supplier database 22, the sub-material database 23, and the reagent database 24. In the following description, it is assumed that the portal website 300 shown in Figure 4 is provided to the user terminal 40.

[0048] In step S11, the page management unit 11 displays the main page 310 of the portal website 300 on the user terminal 40. The user performs an operation on the user terminal 40 to access the main page 310. The user terminal 40 sends a request signal for requesting the main page 310 to the server 10 in response to this operation. The page management unit 11 receives this request signal, reads the page data of the main page 310 from the memory 102 according to this signal, and sends this page data as a response to the user terminal 40. The user terminal 40 receives and displays this page data.

[0049] In step S12, the retrieval unit 12 receives operation data representing a user operation on the main page 310 from the user terminal 40. The user can input a retrieval condition in the input field 311 to request a batch retrieval. Alternatively, the user can click or tap on one of the links 321 - 327 to select the database to be used. The user terminal 40 sends a request signal based on the user operation to the server 10, and the retrieval unit 12 receives this request signal.

[0050] As shown in step S13, subsequent processing is determined according to the type of user operation represented by this request signal. When performing a batch retrieval, the processing proceeds to step S14, and when a specific database is selected, the processing proceeds to step S16.

[0051] (Batch retrieval)

[0052] In step S14, the retrieval unit 12 performs a batch retrieval. The retrieval unit 12 retrieves data corresponding to the retrieval condition input in the input field 311 from a set of two or more databases.

[0053] In one example, the retrieval unit 12 respectively accesses the material database 21, the supplier database 22, and the subsidiary material database 23 belonging to the internal database 20, and retrieves data corresponding to the batch retrieval's retrieval condition from these databases. This retrieval condition can be a set of one or more keywords.

[0054] The retrieval unit 12 performs a full - text retrieval based on the retrieval condition on multiple document files in the material database 21 and extracts material data corresponding to this retrieval condition. The retrieval unit 12 also performs a full - text retrieval based on the retrieval condition on multiple document files in the subsidiary material database 23 and extracts subsidiary material data corresponding to this retrieval condition. In one example, the full - text retrieval is a process of extracting document files that describe all of the one or more keywords shown in the retrieval condition. Therefore, the extracted material data and subsidiary material data can both be a set of one or more document files.

[0055] The retrieval unit 12 performs a record retrieval on the supplier database 22 based on the retrieval conditions. In one example, the record retrieval is a process of extracting records having data items that all correspond to one or more keywords shown in the retrieval conditions. Regarding the data items for which flag information is set, the retrieval unit 12 may determine that the data item corresponds to the keyword when the value of the data item corresponding to the keyword is "1", and determine that the data item does not correspond to the keyword when the value is "0".

[0056] In one example, in addition to the internal databases 20 (the material database 21, the supplier database 22, and the sub-material database 23), the retrieval unit 12 extracts reagent data corresponding to the retrieval conditions of the batch retrieval from the reagent database 31 belonging to the external database 30. For example, the retrieval unit 12 sends the retrieval conditions to an external system that manages the reagent database 31 and requests a retrieval process from the external system. The external system retrieves the reagent database 31 in response to the request and sends the retrieval result to the server 10. The retrieval unit 12 receives the retrieval result. Alternatively, the retrieval unit 12 may directly access the reagent database 31 to extract reagent data corresponding to the retrieval conditions. The retrieval method of the reagent database 31 depends on the data structure of the reagent data. For example, it may be a full-text retrieval or a record retrieval.

[0057] The retrieval unit 12 can obtain data corresponding to the retrieval conditions of the batch retrieval from one or more of the material database 21, the supplier database 22, the sub-material database 23, and the reagent database 31. Alternatively, the retrieval unit 12 may not obtain data corresponding to the retrieval conditions from any database.

[0058] In step S15, the retrieval unit 12 sends the retrieval result to the user terminal 40. The retrieval unit 12 can send the results of retrieving the material database 21, the supplier database 22, and the sub-material database 23. Alternatively, in addition to these databases, the retrieval unit 12 can also send the results of retrieving the reagent database 31. The user terminal 40 receives and displays the retrieval result. The portal website 300 can display the retrieval result within the main page 310 or in another window.

[0059] (Retrieval of a specific database)

[0060] As shown in step S16, when a specific database is selected, subsequent processing is determined according to the database. When the internal database 20 is selected, the process proceeds to step S17, and when the external database 30 is selected, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0061] In step S17, the page management unit 11 displays a search page corresponding to the selected database on the user terminal 40. The page management unit 11 reads the page data corresponding to the received request signal from the memory 102 and sends the page data to the user terminal 40. When the link 321 is operated, the page management unit 11 sends the page data of the search page 331. When the link 322 is operated, the page management unit 11 sends the page data of the search page 332. When the link 325 is operated, the page management unit 11 sends the page data of the search page 335. When the link 326 is operated, the page management unit 11 sends the page data of the search page 336. When the link 327 is operated, the page management unit 11 sends the page data of the search page 337. The user terminal 40 receives and displays the sent page data.

[0062] In step S18, the search unit 12 performs a search on the selected database. The user inputs a search condition in the input field of the search page displayed on the user terminal 40 in step S17 to request a search. The search condition can be a set of one or more keywords. The user terminal 40 sends a request signal representing the search condition to the server 10 according to this user operation. The search unit 12 receives the request signal, accesses the corresponding database, and searches for data corresponding to the search condition from the selected database.

[0063] When accepting the search condition input in the input field 331a of the search page 331, the search unit 12 performs a full-text search on multiple document files stored in the material database 21 and belonging to the material catalog based on the search condition. The search unit 12 can extract one or more document files as material data corresponding to the search condition.

[0064] When accepting the search condition input in the input field 332a of the search page 332, the search unit 12 performs a full-text search on multiple document files stored in the material database 21 and belonging to the sustainable materials based on the search condition. The search unit 12 can extract one or more document files as material data corresponding to the search condition.

[0065] When accepting the search condition input in the input field 335a of the search page 335, the search unit 12 performs a record search on the supplier database 22 based on the search condition. The search unit 12 can extract one or more data records as supplier data corresponding to the search condition.

[0066] When accepting the search condition input in the input field 336a of the search page 336, the search unit 12 performs a full-text search on multiple document files stored in the sub-material database 23 and belonging to the sub-material catalog based on the search condition. The search unit 12 can extract one or more document files as sub-material data corresponding to the search condition.

[0067] When the search conditions input in the input field 337a of the search page 337 are received, the search unit 12 performs a full-text search based on the search conditions on a plurality of document files stored in the secondary material database 23 and belonging to sustainable secondary materials. The search unit 12 can extract one or more document files as secondary material data corresponding to the search conditions.

[0068] In step S19, the search unit 12 sends the search result to the user terminal 40. The user terminal 40 receives the search result and displays the search result in the display column of the corresponding search page.

[0069] In step S20, the page management unit 11 guides the user terminal 40 to an external website corresponding to the selected database, that is, an external website capable of performing reagent searches on the reagent database 31. As a result of this guidance, the user terminal 40 displays the main page 403 or 404 of the external website. The user performs an operation for reagent search on this external website, and the external website displays the search result of the reagent data in response to this operation.

[0070] After the main page 310 is displayed on the user terminal 40 in step S11, the user can perform various operations on the main page 310. For example, the user repeatedly performs batch searches, or displays a search page different from the previous one on the user terminal 40 to search other databases, or selectively uses batch searches and searches of specific databases as needed. The search system 1 can repeatedly execute the processing after step S12 according to such user operations.

[0071] In one example, in a certain organization, various printed materials held by members, etc. are collected, OCR is performed on each printed material, and a plurality of document files 220 are obtained. In addition, in this organization, a large number of document files 220 can also be created through a text creation application. Then, these document files 220 are stored in the material database 21 or the secondary material database 23. And in this organization, supplier data is prepared and stored in the supplier database 22. Therefore, various information scattered within the organization is gathered into the search system 1. In addition, access to the reagent database 31 belonging to the external database 30 is set. As a user of the search system 1, a member can access the various databases thus prepared, that is, the gathered information, through the portal website 300 to obtain the information required for his own research or development of materials.

[0072] [Variant Example]

[0073] As described above, the technology related to the present invention has been described in detail according to its various examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the above examples. Regarding the technology related to the present invention, various modifications can be made without departing from its gist.

[0074] The above retrieval system 1 is constructed as a client - server system, but the retrieval system can also be installed on a stand - alone computer.

[0075] The processing order of the method executed by at least one processor is not limited to the above example. For example, a part of the above steps can be omitted, or each step can be executed in another order. Also, any two or more of the above steps can be combined, or a part of the steps can be modified or deleted. Or, in addition to the above steps, other steps can be executed.

[0076] In comparing the magnitude relationship between two numerical values in the present invention, either of the two criteria of "above" and "greater" can be used, or either of the two criteria of "below" and "less than" can be used.

[0077] In the present invention, the expression "at least one processor executes the first process, executes the second process,..., executes the nth process." or its corresponding expression represents the concept including the case where the execution subject, i.e., the processor, changes midway from the first process to the nth process. That is, this expression represents the concept including both the case where all n processes are executed by the same processor and the case where the processor changes arbitrarily in the n processes.

[0078] [Appendix]

[0079] As can be understood from the above examples, the present invention includes the following modes.

[0080] (Appendix 1)

[0081] A retrieval system, comprising:

[0082] A material database that stores a plurality of document files related to various materials and at least a part of the plurality of document files is generated by optical character recognition;

[0083] A supplier database that stores supplier data related to a plurality of suppliers in the form of a data table; and

[0084] At least one processor capable of accessing the material database and the supplier database,

[0085] The at least one processor performs the following processing:

[0086] Display on the user terminal a portal website that can accept both material retrieval from the material database and supplier retrieval from the supplier database;

[0087] In a case where a search condition related to the material is received from the user terminal during the material search, perform a full-text search on the plurality of document files based on the search condition, and provide the user terminal with a search result indicating the document files corresponding to the search condition; and

[0088] In a case where a search condition related to the supplier is received from the user terminal during the supplier search, perform a record search on the data table based on the search condition, and provide the user terminal with a search result indicating the suppliers corresponding to the search condition.

[0089] (Appendix 2)

[0090] According to the retrieval system described in Appendix 1, wherein,

[0091] The at least one processor performs the following processing:

[0092] Display on the user terminal the portal website that can also accept batch searches of both the material database and the supplier database; and

[0093] In a case where a search condition for the batch search is received from the user terminal, perform both the material search and the record search according to the search condition, and provide the user terminal with a search result indicating at least one of the document files corresponding to the search condition and the suppliers corresponding to the search condition.

[0094] (Appendix 3)

[0095] According to the retrieval system described in Appendix 2, wherein,

[0096] The portal website includes a main page, a first search page for accepting search conditions related to the material, and a second search page for accepting search conditions related to the supplier,

[0097] The main page includes a first link to the first search page, a second link to the second search page, and an input field for accepting search conditions for the batch search,

[0098] The at least one processor performs the following processing:

[0099] In response to an operation on the first link on the user terminal, display the first search page on the user terminal;

[0100] In response to an operation on the second link on the user terminal, display the second search page on the user terminal; and

[0101] In response to receiving, from the user terminal, the search conditions for the batch search input in the input field, both the material search and the record search are retrieved according to the search conditions.

[0102] (Appendix 4)

[0103] A search method, which is executed by a search system having at least one processor, the search method comprising the following steps:

[0104] Connect to a material database storing a plurality of document files related to a variety of materials, and at least a part of the plurality of document files is generated by optical character recognition;

[0105] Connect to a supplier database storing supplier data related to a plurality of suppliers in the form of a data table;

[0106] Display, on the user terminal, a portal that can accept both the material search of the material database and the supplier search of the supplier database;

[0107] In the material search, in response to receiving, from the user terminal, search conditions related to the material, perform a full-text search on the plurality of document files based on the search conditions, and provide the user terminal with a search result indicating the document files corresponding to the search conditions; and

[0108] In the supplier search, in response to receiving, from the user terminal, search conditions related to the supplier, perform a record search on the data table based on the search conditions, and provide the user terminal with a search result indicating the suppliers corresponding to the search conditions.

[0109] (Appendix 5)

[0110] A search program, which causes a computer to execute the following steps:

[0111] Connect to a material database storing a plurality of document files related to a variety of materials, and at least a part of the plurality of document files is generated by optical character recognition;

[0112] Connect to a supplier database storing supplier data related to a plurality of suppliers in the form of a data table;

[0113] Display, on the user terminal, a portal that can accept both the material search of the material database and the supplier search of the supplier database;

[0114] In the case of receiving a search condition related to the material from the user terminal during the material search, perform a full-text search on the multiple document files based on the search condition, and provide the user terminal with a search result indicating the document files corresponding to the search condition; and

[0115] In the case of receiving a search condition related to the supplier from the user terminal during the supplier search, perform a record search on the data table based on the search condition, and provide the user terminal with a search result indicating the suppliers corresponding to the search condition.

[0116] According to Appendices 1, 4, and 5, provide searches for two databases with different data formats through a common portal website, so that a simple access path to these databases can be provided to users. On the other hand, since search processing corresponding to the data formats of each database is performed during data search, appropriate search results can be provided to users. With this structure, data related to the research or development of materials stored in multiple data formats can be effectively retrieved. In addition, in one example, the collection information used for the retrieval system can be stored in the database in the form of document files or data tables without being limited to one data format, so that the efficiency of information collection and recording can be achieved.

[0117] According to Appendix 2, a batch search that aggregates two databases with different search data formats is also provided. By using this batch search, data related to the research or development of materials can be comprehensively searched with a simple operation.

[0118] According to Appendix 3, the input field for batch search is displayed on the main page of the portal website. On the other hand, the search pages for separately searching each database are separately displayed from the main page via a link on the main page. In this way, by constructing the portal website, users can intuitively grasp the correspondence between the search objects and the web pages. In one example, users can be reminded that the input field on the main page is a user interface for batch searching multiple databases.

[0119] Symbol Explanation

[0120] 1 - Retrieval system, 10 - Server, 11 - Page management department, 12 - Retrieval department, 20 - Internal database, 21 - Material database, 22 - Supplier database, 23 - Sub - material database, 30 - External database, 31 - Reagent database, 40 - User terminal, 220 - Document file, 300 - Portal website.

Claims

1. A retrieval system, characterized in that: have: A material database storing a plurality of document files related to a plurality of materials and at least a part of the plurality of document files is generated by optical character recognition; a supplier database storing supplier data related to a plurality of suppliers in the form of data tables; and at least one processor capable of accessing the material database and the supplier database, The at least one processor performs the following processing: Displaying, on a user terminal, a portal site capable of accepting both material searches on the material database and supplier searches on the supplier database; In response to receiving a search condition related to the material from the user terminal during the material search, performing a full-text search on the plurality of document files based on the search condition, and providing a search result representing the document files corresponding to the search condition to the user terminal; and In the supplier search, in response to receiving a search condition related to the supplier from the user terminal, a record search based on the search condition is performed on the data table, and a search result representing the supplier corresponding to the search condition is provided to the user terminal.

2. The retrieval system according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one processor performs the following processing: displaying, on the user terminal, the portal site that can also accept batch searches of both the material database and the supplier database; and In response to receiving the search conditions of the batch search from the user terminal, both the material search and the record search are searched according to the search conditions, and search results representing the document file corresponding to the search conditions and at least one of the suppliers corresponding to the search conditions are provided on the user terminal.

3. The retrieval system according to claim 2, wherein: The portal website includes a main page, a first search page for accepting search conditions related to the material, and a second search page for accepting search conditions related to the supplier. The main page includes a first link to the first search page, a second link to the second search page, and an input field for accepting search conditions for the batch search. The at least one processor performs the following processing: In response to an operation of the first link on the user terminal, displaying the first search page on the user terminal; In response to an operation of the second link on the user terminal, displaying the second search page on the user terminal; and In response to receiving the search condition of the batch search input into the input field from the user terminal, both the material search and the record search are searched according to the search condition.

4. A search method, which is executed by a search system having at least one processor, characterized in that: The retrieval method comprises the following steps: connected to a material database storing a plurality of document files related to a plurality of materials and at least a portion of the plurality of document files being generated by optical character recognition; Connecting to a supplier database storing supplier data related to a plurality of suppliers in the form of data tables; Displaying, on a user terminal, a portal site capable of accepting both material searches on the material database and supplier searches on the supplier database; In response to receiving a search condition related to the material from the user terminal during the material search, performing a full-text search on the plurality of document files based on the search condition, and providing a search result representing the document files corresponding to the search condition to the user terminal; and In the supplier search, in response to receiving a search condition related to the supplier from the user terminal, a record search based on the search condition is performed on the data table, and a search result representing the supplier corresponding to the search condition is provided to the user terminal.

5. A search program, characterized in that: Instruct the computer to perform the following steps: connected to a material database storing a plurality of document files related to a plurality of materials and at least a portion of the plurality of document files being generated by optical character recognition; Connecting to a supplier database storing supplier data related to a plurality of suppliers in the form of data tables; Displaying, on a user terminal, a portal site capable of accepting both material searches on the material database and supplier searches on the supplier database; In response to receiving a search condition related to the material from the user terminal during the material search, performing a full-text search on the plurality of document files based on the search condition, and providing a search result representing the document files corresponding to the search condition to the user terminal; and In the supplier search, in response to receiving a search condition related to the supplier from the user terminal, a record search based on the search condition is performed on the data table, and a search result representing the supplier corresponding to the search condition is provided to the user terminal.

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