Information processing device, information processing system, information processing method and program

Abstract

To reduce a load of setting retrieval conditions for collecting data.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises: a storage area generation unit which generates one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure; a retrieval condition generation unit which generates retrieval conditions on the basis of a name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area for every storage area; a retrieval unit which retrieves data from a data storage unit on the basis of the retrieval conditions generated for the storage area for every storage area; and a storage unit which stores the data retrieved for the storage area, or replication of the data, or identification information of the data in the storage area for every storage area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] For researchers and those engaged in work inside and outside the office (hereinafter referred to as "users"), there are times when they want to collect and utilize various data such as materials useful for their work, human resources, and knowledge of organizations. In order to efficiently utilize the collected data, it is necessary to organize (classify) the data after collection. Many users spend time and effort on organizing the data.

[0003] For example, when collecting data related to product A and organizing it for easy utilization, relevant data such as "cost", "quality", and "development schedule" may be collected from several perspectives. Furthermore, in order to make it easier to utilize, by dividing and organizing the collected data into folders, the accessibility to each data is improved.

[0004] In this way, after considering the image of organization / classification (hierarchical structure), data may be searched with multiple search conditions. For this purpose, it is necessary to input search conditions for each perspective and classification, such as "cost of A", "quality of A", and "development schedule of A".

[0005] Note that Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration for managing search conditions in association with folders.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to set search conditions for each folder, if there are a plurality of folders, the user needs to set a plurality of search conditions.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to reduce the load of setting search conditions for collecting data.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, an information processing apparatus includes a storage area generation unit that generates one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure, a search condition generation unit that generates search conditions for each of the storage areas based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area, a search unit that searches for data from a data storage unit based on the search conditions generated for each of the storage areas, and a storage unit that stores the data searched for each of the storage areas, or a copy of the data, or identification information of the data in the storage area.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] It is possible to reduce the load of setting search conditions for collecting data.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing system according to a first embodiment. In FIG. 1, the information processing system includes a data management device 20, information processing devices 10, and one or more user terminals 30. The information processing device 10 is connected to the data management device 20 via a network N1. The user terminal 30 is connected to the data management device 20 via a network N2 and is connected to the information processing device 10 via a network N3.

[0012] The user terminal 30 is a terminal used by a user who desires to search for (access) certain data. For example, a PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or the like may be used as the user terminal 30. An example of certain data is document data. Document data refers to electronic data in which a document is recorded. A document is a collection of one or more words or sentences (and of course, alphanumeric characters and other multiple languages may be included). Document data may be any form of data as long as it can represent a sentence. For example, document data may be data that represents a document in text format, or data in a format specialized for a specific application. Alternatively, document data may be data that represents a word or sentence itself, or a concept corresponding to a word or sentence, by an image, voice, or video (moving image), etc. That is, document data may be image data, voice data, or video data. Furthermore, the storage format of document data is not limited to a specific one. For example, document data may be stored in a file, stored as a record in a database, or stored in another format.

[0013] The data management device 20 is one or more computers that function as a data storage unit for storing data to be searched. For example, the data management device 20 may store data using a database, or may store data using a file system or the like.

[0014] The information processing apparatus 10 is one or more computers that classify and store the data retrieved from the data management apparatus 20 in a storage area having a hierarchical structure. In the first embodiment, it is assumed that a folder in the file system is an example of the storage area. Such a function of the information processing apparatus 10 may be provided as a cloud service.

[0015] Note that the data management apparatus 20 and the information processing apparatus 10 may be realized using the same computer. In this case, the network N1 corresponds to a signal line such as a bus in the computer constituting the data management apparatus 20 and the information processing apparatus 10. Alternatively, each user terminal 30 may also serve as the information processing apparatus 10. In this case, the network N3 corresponds to a signal line such as a bus in the user terminal 30.

[0016] The scene (situation) in which the information processing system is used is not limited to a predetermined form. For example, it may be used within a company. That is, each employee in the company (including government offices, various organizations, unions, etc. in addition to the company, and including dispatched employees, part-time workers, temporary workers, etc. in addition to employees) may be a user (in this embodiment, each employee in the company is described as a user, but it is not limited to this, and it can also be applied when this information processing system is used by general users).

[0017] In this case, the data management apparatus 20 is a group of computers that manage various types of information within the company. For example, the data management apparatus 20 manages data related to various documents such as in-house documents created within the company and minutes of in-house meetings. The data management apparatus 20 may also manage data indicating electronic business exchanges (such as e-mails and chats) between employees within the company. In this case, the network N2 corresponds to, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network) or a LAN (Local Area Network) within the company.

[0018] The information processing apparatus 10 may be installed within a company, or may be installed outside the company (such as in a cloud environment (e.g., a data center, etc.) connected to the internal network of the company and the Internet). When the information processing apparatus 10 is installed within a company, the networks N1 and N3 correspond to, for example, a WAN (Wide Area Network) or a LAN (Local Area Network) within the company. When the information processing apparatus 10 is installed within a company, the networks N1 and N3 correspond to, for example, the Internet. Note that the information processing apparatus 10 may search for data from information publicly available outside the company.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 in the first embodiment. The information processing apparatus 10 in FIG. 2 includes a drive device 100, an auxiliary storage device 102, a memory device 103, a processor 104, and an interface device 105, etc., which are mutually connected by a bus B.

[0020] The program for realizing the processing in the information processing apparatus 10 is provided by a recording medium 101 such as a CD-ROM. When the recording medium 101 storing the program is set in the drive device 100, the program is installed from the recording medium 101 via the drive device 100 into the auxiliary storage device 102. However, the installation of the program does not necessarily have to be performed from the recording medium 101, and it may be downloaded from another computer via a network. The auxiliary storage device 102 stores the installed program and also stores necessary files, data, etc.

[0021] When an instruction to start the program is given, the memory device 103 reads out and stores the program from the auxiliary storage device 102. The processor 104 is a CPU or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or both a CPU and a GPU, and executes the functions related to the information processing apparatus 10 according to the program stored in the memory device 103. The interface device 105 is used as an interface for connecting to a network.

[0022] Note that the data management device 20 and the user terminal 30 may also have the same hardware configuration as that in FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of the information processing apparatus 10 in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing apparatus 10 includes a display control unit 11, an instruction reception unit 12, a storage area generation unit 13, a search condition generation unit 14, a search unit 15, a storage unit 16, and the like. Each of these units is realized by processing executed by one or more programs installed in the information processing apparatus 10 by the processor 104. The information processing apparatus 10 also uses a search data storage unit 121 and the like. The search data storage unit 121 can be realized by using, for example, an auxiliary storage device 102 or a storage device that can be connected to the information processing apparatus 10 via a network.

[0024] The search data storage unit 121 classifies and stores the data retrieved from the data management device 20 in a storage area having a hierarchical structure.

[0025] The display control unit 11 executes processing for displaying a screen or the like on the user terminal 30.

[0026] The instruction reception unit 12 receives an instruction from the user terminal 30, which is input via the screen displayed on the user terminal 30. For example, the instruction reception unit 12 receives an instruction to generate a new storage area.

[0027] When the instruction reception unit 12 receives an instruction to generate a storage area, the storage area generation unit 13 generates one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure in the search data storage unit 121.

[0028] The search condition generation unit 14 generates one or more search conditions for each storage area generated by the storage area generation unit 13, based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area. The search condition generation unit 14 generates a search condition that uses the name of the storage area generated by the storage area and the name of the upper-level storage area to which the storage area belongs as positive conditions. A search condition that uses a certain name as a positive condition means a search condition in which, when the name is included or the similarity to the name is higher, the possibility of being included in the search results is higher. The search condition generation unit 14 also generates a search condition that uses the names of other storage areas belonging to the same storage area as the storage area generated by the storage area generation unit 13 as negative conditions. A search condition that uses a certain name as a negative condition means a search condition in which, when the name is included or the similarity to the name is higher, the possibility of being included in the search results is lower. The search condition generation unit 14 further generates a search condition that uses the names of the storage areas subordinate to the storage area generated by the storage area generation unit 13 as negative conditions. The search condition generation unit 14 also generates a search condition related to the storage area corresponding to the name or the hierarchical structure in response to a change in the name or the hierarchical structure of the storage area. The search condition generation unit 14 may automatically generate search conditions in response to the generation of the storage area, or may generate search conditions when no operation is performed by the user for a certain period of time, or at the timing specified by the user.

[0029] The search unit 15 searches for data from the data management device 20 as a data storage unit, based on the search conditions generated for the storage area generated by the storage area generation unit 13, or the search conditions modified by the user for the search conditions. The search unit 15 may automatically perform a search in response to the generation of the storage area, or may search for data when no operation is performed by the user for a certain period of time, or at the timing specified by the user. When the search condition generation unit 14 generates a plurality of search conditions, the search unit 15 searches for data based on the search conditions selected by the user from among the plurality of search conditions.

[0030] The storage unit 16 stores, for each storage area generated by the storage area generation unit 13, the data retrieved for the storage area, a copy of the data, or the identification information of the data in the storage area. The identification information refers to access information such as a path name or URL, or position information. The storage unit 16 may store all the retrieved data in the storage area, or may store the data selected by the user from the retrieved data, a copy of the selected data, or the identification information of the selected data.

[0031] Hereinafter, the processing procedure executed by the information processing apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing procedure executed by the information processing apparatus 10 when generating a storage area in the first embodiment.

[0032] When the instruction reception unit 12 receives a generation instruction for a storage area based on an instruction from the user (Yes in S101), the storage area generation unit 13 generates a storage area according to the generation instruction (S102). The generation instruction for the storage area is input, for example, via a screen displayed on the user terminal 30.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the input of a generation instruction for a storage area in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the screen 510 displays the hierarchical structure of existing folders (already generated in the search data storage unit 121) in a tree format with the icons of each folder as nodes. When the user performs a predetermined operation on any folder (for example, selects a predetermined menu item from the context menu displayed by right-clicking on the folder), an input area for receiving a generation instruction for a folder (subfolder) directly below the folder is displayed. In the example of FIG. 5, a state where the input area 511 is displayed for the folder f21 is shown. The input area 511 includes a folder name input area 512 and an execution button 513. The folder name input area 512 is an area for receiving the input of the folder name, which is the name of the storage area. The execution button 513 is a button for receiving a generation instruction for the storage area.

[0034] When the user inputs the name of the storage area (folder) to be newly created in the folder name input area 512 and presses the execution button 513, the user terminal 30 transmits a generation instruction including the path name of the folder f21, which is the parent folder of the folder to be generated (hereinafter referred to as the "parent path name"), and the name of the folder to be generated to the information processing apparatus 10. When the generation target is the root folder and there is no parent, the parent path name is empty.

[0035] The storage area to be generated in one generation instruction may be one or more. When a plurality of storage areas are generated at once, it may be input that the generation of the storage area has ended by an explicit operation of the user (such as pressing the generation end button). Even if no explicit operation is performed by the user, the end of the generation of a plurality of storage areas may be automatically determined based on the elapsed time since the execution button was pressed.

[0036] The storage area generation unit 13 generates a storage area (folder) with the name specified in the generation instruction in the hierarchy directly below the parent folder specified in such a generation instruction. When the generation of a plurality of storage areas is instructed, generation is performed for each storage area to be generated.

[0037] Subsequently, the display control unit 11 executes processing for displaying the generated storage area on the screen 510 (S103). Specifically, the display control unit 11 transmits the name of the storage area and the parent path name to the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 displays an icon of the folder corresponding to the name below the icon of the folder related to the parent path name (at the root position when there is no parent) in the tree structure of the screen 510.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the display of the generated storage area in the first embodiment. The screen 510 in FIG. 6 shows an example of the display of the folder when the generation of a storage area named "Interior" is instructed on the screen 510 in FIG. 5. That is, the folder f31 is added as a child folder of the folder f21.

[0039] Subsequently, for each generated storage area, a loop process L1 including steps S104 to S107 is executed. The storage area to be processed in the loop process L1 is hereinafter referred to as the "target storage area".

[0040] In step S104, the search condition generation unit 14 generates one or more search conditions based on the storage area information of the target storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage areas in the search data storage unit 121. A plurality of search conditions may be generated for one storage area. The search conditions are text data that is generally a set of one or more character strings (words) also called a search query. For example, text data indicating the search conditions may be generated by connecting words with spaces or operators. Details of the search condition generation process will be described later.

[0041] Note that the search condition generation unit 14 may reduce the user's operation burden by automatically generating search conditions for the storage area in response to the generation of the storage area, or at an arbitrary timing of the user, or at a timing when a certain time has elapsed after an operation (generation instruction) by the user (that is, after the storage area is generated). In other words, the execution of step S104 may be waited until these timings. When search conditions are generated every time a storage area is generated, the search conditions will be regenerated when a new storage area is continuously generated. By executing the generation of search conditions at the timing when a series of operations are completed, the load on the information processing apparatus 10 can be reduced.

[0042] The arbitrary timing of the user refers to the timing when a search condition generation instruction is input by the user via the screen.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the input of an instruction to generate a search condition at an arbitrary timing of a user. FIG. 7 shows an example in which an instruction to generate a search condition is input for folder f1. For example, when the user performs a predetermined operation on the icon of folder f1 (for example, selects a predetermined menu item from the context menu displayed by right-clicking on folder f1), an input area 521 for receiving an instruction to generate a search condition is displayed. The input area 521 includes an execution button 522. When the user presses the execution button 522, the user terminal 30 transmits an instruction to generate a search condition, including the path name of folder f1, to the information processing apparatus 10. When the instruction reception unit 12 receives the generation instruction, steps S104 and subsequent steps are executed for folder f1.

[0044] Subsequently, the search condition generation unit 14 accepts, as necessary, modification by the user of the generated search condition, or selection by the user of one search condition when a plurality of search conditions are generated (S105). For example, the search condition generation unit 14 transmits the generated one or more search conditions to the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 displays the search conditions. The user modifies or selects the displayed search conditions. The user terminal 30 transmits a response indicating the modification result or selection result to the information processing apparatus 10. The search condition generation unit 14 modifies the search conditions generated in step S104 or selects one search condition from among the plurality of search conditions based on the response. When modification or selection is performed in step S105, the "search conditions" in subsequent steps are the modified or selected search conditions.

[0045] Subsequently, the search unit 15 searches the data management apparatus 20 for data that matches the search conditions (S106). As for the search technique, a known technique such as a search technique using natural language may be used.

[0046] Note that the search unit 15 may reduce the user's operation burden by automatically executing a search for data based on the search conditions for the storage area in response to the generation of the storage area, or may execute the search at an arbitrary timing of the user or at a timing when a certain period of time has elapsed after an operation (generation instruction) by the user (that is, after the storage area is generated). Also, regarding the search for data, the processing load on the information processing apparatus 10 is high and it takes time, so there may be a case where it is sufficient for the user to be able to "check later or at a later date". Therefore, the timing (execution date and time) of the execution of the search may be specified by a timer or the like, and the search unit 15 may execute the search by that timing. In other words, the execution of step S105 may be waited until these timings. When a search is performed every time a storage area is generated, the search will be performed again when a new storage area is continuously generated. By executing the search at the timing when a series of operations are completed, the load on the information processing apparatus 10 can be reduced.

[0047] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a method of specifying the execution timing of a search. FIG. 8 shows an example in which the execution timing of a search is set for the folder f1. For example, when the user performs a predetermined operation on the icon of the folder f1 (for example, selects a predetermined menu item from the context menu displayed by right-clicking on the folder f1), an input area 531 for receiving the execution timing of the search is displayed. The input area 531 includes an execution button 532 and a date and time input area 533. When the user inputs the execution date and time of the search to the date and time input area 533 and presses the execution button 532, the user terminal 30 transmits an execution instruction for the search, including the path name of the folder f1 and the execution date and time, to the information processing apparatus 10. When the instruction reception unit 12 receives the generation instruction, the search unit 15 does not immediately execute step S106 for the folder f1 following step S105, but executes it by the execution date and time. In this case, for the folder f1, after step S106, it will be executed after the execution of step S105.

[0048] By enabling the specification of the execution timing of the search, the search can be executed at a timing when there is room in the resources of the information processing apparatus 10, and the information processing apparatus 10 can immediately respond to priority instructions from other users. Note that the specification of the execution timing of the search may be inputtable together with the input of the generation instruction of the storage area.

[0049] Subsequently, the storage unit 16 stores (saves) the retrieved data in the target storage area (S107). The storage of data in the target storage area may be performed in any form of storing the data, storing a copy of the data, or storing the identification information (access information such as a path name or URL) of the data. When storing a copy of the data, the data itself can be surely saved, but there are concerns about data duplication and capacity. Therefore, in the present embodiment, an example of storing the identification information of the data will be described. When storing the identification information of the data, the capacity required in the search data storage unit 121 can be reduced, and the latest content can be confirmed even when the original data is updated.

[0050] Subsequently, the details of step S104 will be described.

[0051] For example, when a user wants to comprehensively grasp "the development of product A", it may be necessary to collect information not only about the module for which the user is in charge of development, but also information on the entire development process of specification review, design, and evaluation, and various information such as materials and costs. In the conventional technology, for each piece of information covering a wide range, the user has to consider the search conditions (sentences / queries for search) and execute the search. Often, the information collected in this way is organized and classified using folders or the like. In the present embodiment, a storage area is generated in advance (in step S102), and search conditions are generated based on the name and hierarchical structure of the storage area. By doing so, the burden on the user as described above can be reduced.

[0052] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example of a processing procedure of search condition generation processing in the first embodiment. In the description of the processing procedure of FIG. 9, the "target storage area" refers to the storage area to be processed at the time of step S104 in FIG. 4.

[0053] In step S201, the search condition generation unit 14 adds the name of the target storage area included in the generation instruction of the storage area to the search condition as a positive condition.

[0054] Subsequently, the search condition generation unit 14 determines whether or not the target storage area has a parent (a storage area (folder) one level above that stores the target storage area) based on the parent path name included in the generation instruction (S202). If the parent path name is not empty, since the target storage area has a parent (Yes in S202), the search condition generation unit 14 adds the name of the parent to the search condition as an AND condition (S203). At this time, the search condition generation unit 14 recursively searches for the parent of the parent and further its parent based on the hierarchical structure, and adds all the names of the ancestors of the target storage area to the search condition as AND conditions. That is, the names of the upper-level storage areas to which the target storage area belongs are also added to the search condition as positive conditions.

[0055] Subsequent to step S203 or when the result in step S202 is No, the search condition generation unit 14 determines whether or not the target storage area has sibling storage areas based on the hierarchical structure (S204). The sibling storage areas of the target storage area refer to other storage areas belonging to the same storage area (parent) as the target storage area. If the target storage area has sibling storage areas (Yes in S204), the search condition generation unit 14 adds the names of each of the sibling storage areas to the search condition as exclusion conditions (S205). That is, the names of the other storage areas belonging to the same storage area as the target storage area are added to the search condition as negative conditions.

[0056] Subsequently, when the answer is No in step S205 or step S204, the search condition generation unit 14 determines whether there is a child storage area in the target storage area based on the hierarchical structure (S206). The child storage area of the target storage area refers to a storage area belonging to the target storage area (with the target storage area as the parent). When there is a child storage area in the target storage area (Yes in S206), the search condition generation unit 14 adds the names of each of the child storage areas as exclusion conditions to the search conditions (S207). At this time, the search condition generation unit 14 recursively searches for children's children and further their children based on the hierarchical structure, and adds the names of all descendants of the target storage area as exclusion conditions. That is, the names of the storage areas in the lower hierarchy belonging to the target storage area are added to the search conditions as negative conditions.

[0057] Note that immediately after the generation of the target storage area, basically the target storage area has no children, so step S207 is an effective step when the search conditions are generated at a timing asynchronous to the generation of the storage area.

[0058] By setting the names of sibling storage areas and descendant storage areas as exclusion conditions, it is possible to avoid duplication of data stored in these storage areas and the target storage area.

[0059] Note that multiple sets of search conditions may be generated based on other logics.

[0060] For example, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of search conditions generated in the first embodiment. (1) of FIG. 10 shows the search conditions for the "Cost" folder in FIG. 6. In the search conditions, "Cost" and the parent "Development of Product A" are connected by an AND condition. Also, "Design", which is a sibling of "Cost", and "Material", which is a child of "Cost", are set as exclusion conditions.

[0061] (2) of FIG. 10 shows the search conditions for the "Material" folder in FIG. 6. In the search conditions, the names of the parents are recursively traced back and added as AND conditions.

[0062] As described above, in the first embodiment, the name of the storage area in the upper hierarchy is added to the search condition as an AND condition. This means that the data stored in the target storage area is a subset of the data in the parent storage area. Therefore, in step S106 of FIG. 4, the search unit 15 may search for data that includes the name of the target storage area and does not meet the exclusion condition from the data stored in the hierarchical area of the parent of the target storage area. In this case, steps S202 and S203 in FIG. 9 may not be executed. Further, in order to avoid duplication between the data stored in the target storage area and the data stored by the parent, in step S107 of FIG. 4, if the target storage area has a parent, the storage unit 16 may delete the data stored in the target storage area from the parent storage area.

[0063] Also, in the above description, the search associated with the generation of a new storage area was explained. However, when the name of an existing storage area is changed, or when an existing storage area is moved (when the parent is changed), after the storage unit 16 deletes the data stored in the storage area, the same processing procedure (FIG. 4) as when receiving an instruction to generate the storage area after the name change or the storage area after the move may be executed. By doing so, the user can classify the searched data in a state that conforms to the latest state of the storage area without performing any special operations. When the storage area has descendants, the deletion may be performed in order from the child side first, and the generation may be performed in order from the parent side first. However, as described above, since the data stored in a certain storage area is a subset of the data stored in the parent storage area, before deleting a certain storage area, the storage unit 16 may move the data stored in the storage area to the hierarchical area of the parent. Furthermore, since the change in the data stored in the parent storage area may also affect the siblings of the deleted storage area, steps S106 and S107 may be re-executed for the sibling storage areas (including their descendant storage areas).

[0064] As described above, according to the first embodiment, by generating a storage area, data for the storage area is searched based on a search condition based on the name of the storage area, and data is stored in the storage area. Therefore, the load of setting search conditions for collecting data can be reduced. As a result, for example, when a user collects, organizes, and classifies necessary data from a huge amount of data from various perspectives, the trouble of searching with multiple conditions (multiple times) that occurs to collect appropriate data for each classification can be reduced.

[0065] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be described. Therefore, points not particularly mentioned may be the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0066] In the second embodiment, the search condition generation process (FIG. 9) is different from that in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, an example was shown in which search conditions are generated by combining the names of storage areas. On the other hand, due to the progress of natural language processing, in some cases, it may be possible to find data more accurately by searching with a sentence in natural language as a search condition (query) rather than searching with a search condition that combines words (names). In the second embodiment, considering such a case, instead of directly applying the name (folder name) of the storage area to the conditional expression of the search condition, a sentence in natural language that combines the names (folder names) (a sentence with the name of the target storage area as a noun and the names of other storage areas as modifiers) is generated. Hereinafter, the sentence as a search condition is referred to as a "search sentence".

[0067] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of the processing procedure of the search condition generation process in the second embodiment. In FIG. 11, the same step numbers are assigned to the same steps as in FIG. 9, and the description thereof is omitted. In FIG. 11, steps S201, S203, S205, and S207 in FIG. 9 are replaced with S201a, S203a, S205a, and S207a.

[0068] In step S201a, the search condition generation unit 14 adds the name of the target storage area included in the generation instruction of the storage area to the search sentence so that it becomes a positive condition.

[0069] In step S203a, the search condition generation unit 14 adds the name of the parent as a modifier (a word that limits the name) to the search sentence for the name of the target storage area (S203). At this time, the search condition generation unit 14 recursively searches for the parent of the parent and further its parent based on the hierarchical structure, and adds all the names of the ancestors of the target storage area as modifiers.

[0070] In step S205a, the search condition generation unit 14 adds a modifier that excludes each name of the sibling storage areas from the search target to the search sentence. A modifier that excludes a certain name is, for example, a modifier to which terms such as "other than" or "excluding" are attached to the name.

[0071] In step S207a, the search condition generation unit 14 adds a modifier that excludes each name of the child storage areas from the search target to the search sentence. At this time, the search condition generation unit 14 recursively searches for the child of the child and further its child based on the hierarchical structure, and adds a modifier that excludes all the names of the descendants of the target storage area.

[0072] The search unit 15 executes data search using the search sentence generated in this way.

[0073] Note that although an example in which the search sentence is generated based on rules is shown above, the search sentence may be generated using a sentence generation AI such as ChatGPT.

[0074] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a search sentence generated in the second embodiment. In FIG. 12, (1) is an example of a search sentence generated for the "cost" folder based on the processing procedure of FIG. 11. (2) is an example of a search sentence generated using a sentence generation AI.

[0075] In addition, in S105 of FIG. 4, it may be possible to correct or select the search sentence generated in this way. By doing so, it is possible to expect the execution of data search more in line with the user's intention.

[0076] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the correction of the search sentence in the second embodiment. In FIG. 13, an example of correcting the search sentence generated for the folder f21 is shown. In the screen 540 of FIG. 13, the correction area 541 includes the generated search sentence and the correction button 542, which are transmitted from the search condition generation unit 14 of the information processing apparatus 10 at the timing of step S105 in FIG. 4. When the user corrects the search sentence to the desired content and presses the correction button 542, the user terminal 30 transmits the corrected search sentence to the information processing apparatus 10.

[0077] FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the selection of the search sentence in the second embodiment. In FIG. 14, an example of selecting any one search sentence from a plurality of search sentences generated for the folder f21 is shown. In the screen 550 of FIG. 14, the selection area 551 includes a selection button for each generated search sentence, which is transmitted from the search condition generation unit 14 of the information processing apparatus 10 at the timing of step S105 in FIG. 4. That is, it is assumed that a plurality of search sentences are generated from the set of the same name. When the user presses the selection button of any one search sentence, the user terminal 30 transmits the search sentence for which the selection button has been pressed to the information processing apparatus 10.

[0078] As described above, according to the second embodiment, by using the search sentence in natural language as the search condition, it is possible to expect the execution of a more accurate search result. In addition, since the user can correct or select the search sentence, the automatically generated search sentence can be improved to match the user's intention, and the possibility of performing a search according to the intention can be increased.

[0079] Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, differences from the above-described embodiments will be described. Therefore, points not particularly mentioned may be the same as those in the above-described embodiments.

[0080] In the above-described embodiments, the case where a folder on the file system is an example of a storage area has been described. In the third embodiment, the case where the search data storage unit 121 stores the searched data (such as a copy or identification information thereof) using a database will be described. In this case, the search data storage unit 121 as a database stores records for each virtual storage area constituting the hierarchical structure. Hereinafter, the record will be referred to as a "folder record", and the virtual storage area realized by the folder record will be referred to as a "folder". However, the "folder" in the third embodiment is not a folder on the file system, but a storage area realized by a database record.

[0081] The folder record associates the folder corresponding to the folder record with the data stored in the folder. For example, the folder record includes items for storing the identification information (such as the path name or URL of the file storing the data) of each of one or more data stored in the folder. The folder that is the root in the hierarchical structure is particularly referred to as a "workspace". Note that a plurality of workspaces (the roots of the hierarchical structure) can be generated.

[0082] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the hierarchical structure of folders in the third embodiment. For example, the folder record of each folder includes an item for storing the identification information of the folder (the folder record corresponding thereto) corresponding to the parent (upper hierarchy) of the folder in the hierarchical structure, and an item for storing the identification information of the folder or workspace (the record corresponding thereto) corresponding to the child (upper hierarchy) of the folder. By doing so, a plurality of folders can form a hierarchical structure as shown in FIG. 15. In FIG. 15, each folder is given the same name as in each of the above embodiments, but this is for convenience, and even if the folders have the same name, their entities are different from the folders in each of the above embodiments.

[0083] Note that the user can perform the same operations on each folder as on the folders in the file system. For example, the user can instruct to generate one or more folders in the workspace or each folder.

[0084] For example, FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the input of a generation instruction for a storage area in the third embodiment. In the example of the screen 560 in FIG. 16, a state is shown in which an input area 561 is displayed for the workspace w1. The input area 561 is displayed by a user performing a predetermined operation on the workspace w1 (for example, selecting a predetermined menu item from the context menu displayed by right-clicking on the folder).

[0085] The input area 561 includes a folder name input area 562 and an execution button 563. The folder name input area 562 is an area for receiving the input of the folder name of the storage area. The execution button 563 is a button for receiving a generation instruction for the folder.

[0086] When the user inputs the name of the folder to be newly created in the folder name input area 562 and presses the execute button 563, the user terminal 30 transmits a generation instruction including the name of the workspace w1 (workspace name), which is the parent folder of the folder to be generated, and the name of the folder to be generated, to the information processing apparatus 10.

[0087] Upon receiving the generation instruction, the information processing apparatus 10 executes the processing procedure described in FIG. 4. However, in step S102, the storage area generation unit 13 generates a folder record corresponding to the folder to be generated (hereinafter referred to as the "target folder") in the search data storage unit 121. At this time, the name of the target folder is recorded in the folder record, and the name of the workspace w1 is recorded in the item for storing the parent in the folder record.

[0088] Also, in step S107, the storage unit 16 records the identification information of the searched data in the item for storing the identification information of the data stored in the target folder in the folder record of the target folder. As a result, it means that the data has been stored in the target folder.

[0089] In the above, an example of generating a folder under the workspace has been described, but the same processing is executed when generating a folder under a folder.

[0090] The user can also change the names of the workspace and each folder, delete the workspace and each folder, or change the position of a certain folder. In these cases, the same processing as in the first embodiment may be performed.

[0091] Also, comments and notes may be recordable in the record of the workspace. By doing so, the user can easily confirm what purpose a certain workspace stores what set of data (what category of data it belongs to), etc.

[0092] In this way, the workspace can also be used as a unit for categorizing data. Therefore, when generating the search conditions, the search condition generation unit 14 may handle the workspace name differently from the folder name. That is, when generating the search conditions for a certain folder, the workspace name of the workspace that is the root in the hierarchical structure to which the folder belongs is not added to the search conditions as an AND condition, but may be used as a condition for distinguishing the search target category.

[0093] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the search conditions generated in the third embodiment. FIG. 17 shows the search conditions generated for the "Cost" folder in the hierarchical structure shown in FIG. 15. In the search conditions, the workspace name "Development of Product A" is added to the search conditions as a search target category rather than an AND condition. The search condition category is a condition for narrowing down the search range. The search range is a range corresponding to the classification of the data management unit in the data management system of the data management device 20. For example, assume that the data management device 20 manages data groups divided into a plurality of categories such as "Category A", "Category B",..., "Category X". The databases may be divided by category, or the management methods may be different for each category. The search conditions in FIG. 17 mean that among these multiple categories, the data groups belonging to the category whose category name contains "Development of Product A" (or the category whose category name matches "Development of Product A") are the search targets. By narrowing down the search targets by category in this way, it is possible to expect an improvement in search accuracy and an efficiency improvement in the search process.

[0094] Also, in step S107, the storage unit 16 may query the user for the data to be stored in the target folder from among the retrieved data. Specifically, the storage unit 16 transmits a list of the file names of the data retrieved by the search unit 15 to the user terminal 30. The user terminal 30 displays the list of the file names.

[0095] FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the selection of data to be stored in the third embodiment. In the screen 570 shown in FIG. 18, an example is shown in which a list of data retrieved for the folder f22 is displayed in the selection area 571. The selection area 571 includes a selection button for each retrieved data. When the user presses the selection button for the data to be stored in the folder f22, the user terminal 30 transmits a list of the file names of the selected data to the information processing apparatus 10. The storage unit 16 stores only the data corresponding to the file names included in the list in the target folder.

[0096] By doing so, it is possible to avoid excessive data storage compared to the case where the data retrieved for the target folder is automatically stored, and it is possible to reduce the work load for the user to organize the target folder later.

[0097] On the other hand, it may be troublesome for the user to check the search results themselves. Therefore, when performing a search that utilizes high-precision natural language processing using a large language model or the like (for example, when searching for data similar to the search sentence in the second embodiment using a large language model or the like), instead of all the data in the search results, the storage unit 16 determines relatively useful data from the search results, narrows down the data, and then may propose to the user to add specific data to the target folder. Useful data refers to data with a relatively high (or equal to or higher than a threshold) similarity quantified by comparing the semantic vector of the search sentence and the semantic vector of the data in a search using natural language processing. In this case, since the data is narrowed down, all the selection buttons in the selection area 571 of FIG. 18 may be displayed in a selected state. The user can permit the storage of data by a simple operation such as pressing the execution button 752. Also in this case, it is possible to avoid excessive data storage and reduce the work load for the user to organize the target folder later.

[0098] Alternatively, when performing a search that utilizes high-precision natural language processing using a large language model or the like, the storage unit 16 may store all of the retrieved data, and as shown in the notification area 573 of FIG. 19, it may simply notify the user that the data has been automatically added (stored).

[0099] Note that whether to only provide the notification as shown in FIG. 19 or to require user selection as shown in FIG. 18 may be made changeable according to user settings.

[0100] Also, the content described in FIGS. 18 and 19 may also be implemented in the first and second embodiments.

[0101] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, differences from the above-described embodiments will be explained. Therefore, for points not particularly mentioned, they may be the same as in the first embodiment.

[0102] After storing the data retrieved from the database managed by the data management device 20 in the search data storage unit 121, it is conceivable that new data is added to the database managed by the data management device 20 or the already retrieved data is changed.

[0103] In the fourth embodiment, even in such a case, an example will be described in which the storage status of the data in each storage area of the search data storage unit 121 can follow the update of the database of the data management device 20.

[0104] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of the information processing apparatus 10 in the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 20, the same parts as in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted. In FIG. 20, the information processing apparatus 10 further includes an update detection unit 17, a search condition acquisition unit 18, and a storage destination determination unit 19. Each of these units is realized by processing executed by the processor 104 by one or more programs installed in the information processing apparatus 10.

[0105] The update detection unit 17 detects an update to the database in the data management device 20.

[0106] When the update detection unit 17 detects an update to the database, the search condition acquisition unit 18 acquires the search conditions for each storage area in the search data storage unit 121.

[0107] Based on the search conditions acquired by the search condition acquisition unit 18, the storage destination determination unit 19 determines the storage area of the storage destination for the data related to the update.

[0108] In the fourth embodiment, when the database as the data storage unit is updated, the storage unit 16 stores the data in the storage area related to the search conditions that match the data related to the update (the storage destination determined by the storage destination determination unit 19).

[0109] FIG. 21 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the processing procedure executed by the information processing device 10 when updating the data of the data management device 20.

[0110] The update detection unit 17 waits for an update to the database (S301). The update of the database targets all the data in the database and refers to the addition, deletion, or change of data, etc. For example, when the database is updated, the update detection unit 17 may receive a notification from the data management device 20. The frequency of such a notification may be every time the database is updated. Or, every period set by the user, the update to the database during that period may be notified to reduce the load on the information processing device 10. Or, the update detection unit 17 may monitor the database by polling or the like. Polling may also be performed every period set by the user. Also, when the information processing device 10 also serves as the data management device 20 (that is, when the database is inside the information processing device 10), the update detection unit 17 may detect the update of the database by monitoring the update operation of the database.

[0111] When the update detection unit 17 detects an update to the database (Yes in S301), the search condition acquisition unit 18 acquires the search conditions for all the storage areas generated in the search data storage unit 121 (S302). Note that the search condition for a certain storage area may be saved in the storage area when the search condition is generated.

[0112] Note that the storage areas for which search conditions are to be acquired (that is, the storage areas whose data storage status is automatically updated in response to an update to the database) may be limited to some folders according to the user's settings. When the fourth embodiment is applied to the first or second embodiment, only the search conditions for the folders below a specific root folder preset by the user may be acquired. Also, when the fourth embodiment is applied to the third embodiment, only the search conditions for the folders below a specific workspace preset by the user may be acquired. By doing so, the processing load on the information processing apparatus 10 can be reduced.

[0113] Subsequently, for each updated data, a loop process L2 including steps S303 to S305 is executed. The data to be processed in the loop process L2 is referred to as "target data".

[0114] In step S303, the storage destination determination unit 19 determines whether the target data matches the search condition for each search condition acquired in step S302.

[0115] When there is a search condition that the target data matches (Yes in S304), the storage unit 16 stores the target data in the storage area corresponding to the search condition (hereinafter referred to as the "target storage area") (S305). However, when the target data is existing data and the target data is already stored in the target storage area, the execution of step S305 is unnecessary. Also, when the target data is existing data and the target data is stored in a storage area different from the target storage area, the storage unit 16 deletes the target data from the different storage area.

[0116] When the loop process L2 ends for all the updated data, the process returns to step S301.

[0117] Note that the storage of the target data in the target storage area in step S305 may be performed automatically, or the user may be allowed to select whether to store the data via a screen as shown in FIG. 22.

[0118] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of allowing the user to select whether to store data in the fourth embodiment. The screen 580 in FIG. 22 includes a notification area 581 indicating that data to be added to the folder f21 has been found and the file name of the data. When the button 582 is pressed in the notification area 581, the user terminal 30 transmits a storage request including the file name to the information processing apparatus 10. When the storage unit 16 receives the storage request, it stores the target data in the target folder.

[0119] However, the update of the database may be executed even while the user is not logged in to the information processing apparatus 10 via the user terminal 30. In such a case, the execution of step S305 may be waited for, and the screen 580 may be displayed on the user terminal 30 when the user logs in to the information processing apparatus 10 or the like.

[0120] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the storage state of the data in the storage area can be made to follow the update of the database that is the target of data search.

[0121] Each function of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the "processing circuit" in this specification includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) designed to execute each function described above, a DSP (digital signal processor), an FPGA (field programmable gate array), and devices such as conventional circuit modules.

[0122] Also, the device groups described in each of the above embodiments merely represent one of a plurality of computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed in this specification.

[0123] In one embodiment, the information processing apparatus 10 includes a plurality of computing devices such as a server cluster. The plurality of computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via an arbitrary type of communication link including a network, a shared memory, etc., and perform the processing disclosed in this specification.

[0124] As described above in detail, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to such specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0125] Aspects of the present invention are as follows, for example. <1> A storage area generation unit that generates one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure, For each of the storage areas, a search condition generation unit that generates a search condition based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area, For each of the storage areas, a search unit that searches for data from a data storage unit based on the search condition generated for the storage area, For each of the storage areas, a storage unit that stores data retrieved for the storage area, a copy of the data, or identification information of the data in the storage area; An information processing apparatus characterized by having . <2> The search condition generation unit generates a search condition for the storage area related to the name or hierarchical structure of the storage area in response to a change in the name or hierarchical structure of the storage area. The information processing apparatus according to <1>, characterized by the above. <3> The search condition generation unit generates the search condition when an operation by the user has not been performed for a certain period of time or at a timing specified by the user. The information processing apparatus according to <1> or <2>, characterized by the above. <4> The search unit searches for the data when an operation by the user has not been performed for a certain period of time or at a timing specified by the user. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <3>, characterized by the above. <5> The search condition generation unit generates the search condition that makes the name of the storage area and the name of the upper-level storage area to which the storage area belongs a positive condition. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <4>, characterized by the above. <6> The search condition generation unit generates the search condition that makes the name of another storage area belonging to the same storage area as the storage area a negative condition. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <5>, characterized by the above. <7> The search condition generation unit generates the search condition that makes the name of the storage area subordinate to the storage area a negative condition. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <6>, characterized by the above. <8> The search condition generation unit generates a sentence based on the name of the storage area as the search condition. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <7>, characterized in that... <9> The search unit searches for data based on the search condition modified by the user with respect to the search condition generated for the storage area. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <8>, characterized in that... <10> The search condition generation unit generates a plurality of search conditions. The search unit searches for data based on the search condition selected by the user from among the plurality of search conditions generated for the storage area. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <9>, characterized in that... <11> The storage unit stores in the storage area the data selected by the user from among the data searched for the storage area, or a copy of the selected data, or the identification information of the selected data. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <10>, characterized in that... <12> The storage unit stores in the storage area the data searched for the storage area, or the data, or all of the data. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <11>, characterized in that... <13> When the data storage unit is updated, the storage unit stores the data in the storage area related to the search condition that matches the data related to the update. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <12>, characterized in that... <14> The storage unit stores, for each period set by the user, the data related to the update to the data storage unit during the period, in the storage area related to the search condition that matches the data. The information processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <13>, characterized in that... <15> A storage area generation unit that generates one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure. For each of the storage areas, a search condition generation unit that generates a search condition based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area; For each of the storage areas, a search unit that searches for data from the data storage unit based on the search condition generated for the storage area; For each of the storage areas, a storage unit that stores the data searched for the storage area, or a copy of the data, or identification information of the data in the storage area; An information processing system characterized by comprising the above. <16> A storage area generation procedure for generating one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure; For each of the storage areas, a search condition generation procedure for generating a search condition based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area; For each of the storage areas, a search procedure for searching for data from the data storage unit based on the search condition generated for the storage area; For each of the storage areas, a storage procedure for storing the data searched for the storage area, or a copy of the data, or identification information of the data in the storage area; An information processing method characterized by the computer executing the above. <17> A storage area generation procedure for generating one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure; For each of the storage areas, a search condition generation procedure for generating a search condition based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area; For each of the storage areas, a search procedure for searching for data from the data storage unit based on the search condition generated for the storage area; For each of the storage areas, a storage procedure for storing the data searched for the storage area, or a copy of the data, or identification information of the data in the storage area; A program characterized by causing the computer to execute the above.

Explanation of Signs

[0126] 10 Information processing device 20 Data Management Device 30 User Terminal 11 Display Control Unit 12 Instruction Reception Unit 13 Storage Area Generation Unit 14 Search Condition Generation Unit 15 Search Unit 16 Storage Unit 17 Update Detection Unit 18 Search Condition Acquisition Unit 19 Storage Destination Determination Unit 100 Drive Device 101 Recording Medium 102 Auxiliary Storage Device 103 Memory Device 104 Processor 105 Interface Device 121 Search Data Storage Unit B Bus

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0127]

Patent Document 1

Claims

1. A storage area generation unit that generates one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure; For each of the storage areas, a search condition generation unit that generates a search condition based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area; For each of the storage areas, a search unit that searches for data from the data storage unit based on the search condition generated for the storage area; For each of the storage areas, a storage unit that stores the data searched for the storage area, or a copy of the data, or identification information of the data in the storage area; An information processing apparatus comprising the above.

2. The search condition generation unit generates a search condition for the storage area related to the name or the hierarchical structure in response to a change in the name or the hierarchical structure of the storage area. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The search condition generation unit generates the search condition when an operation by the user is not performed for a certain period of time, or at a timing specified by the user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

4. The search unit searches for the data when an operation by the user is not performed for a certain period of time, or at a timing specified by the user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

5. The search condition generation unit generates the search condition that makes the name of the storage area and the name of the upper-level storage area to which the storage area belongs as positive conditions. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

6. The search condition generation unit generates the search condition that makes the name of another storage area belonging to the same storage area as the storage area as a negative condition. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

7. The search condition generation unit generates the search condition that makes the name of the storage area belonging to the lower level of the storage area as a negative condition. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

8. The search condition generation unit generates a sentence based on the name of the storage area as the search condition. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

9. The search unit searches for data based on a search condition modified by the user for the search condition generated for the storage area. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

10. The search condition generation unit generates a plurality of search conditions. The search unit searches for data based on a search condition selected by a user from among a plurality of search conditions generated for the storage area. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

11. The storage unit stores, in the storage area, data selected by a user from among the data searched for the storage area, or a copy of the selected data, or identification information of the selected data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

12. The storage unit stores, in the storage area, the data searched for the storage area, or the data, or all of the data. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

13. When the data storage unit is updated, the storage unit stores the data in the storage area related to the search condition that matches the data related to the update. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

14. The storage unit stores, in the storage area related to the search condition that matches the data, for each period set by the user, the data related to the update to the data storage unit in the period. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

15. A storage area generation unit that generates one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure; A search condition generation unit that generates a search condition for each storage area based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area; A search unit that searches for data from a data storage unit based on a search condition generated for each storage area; A storage unit that stores, in each storage area, the data searched for the storage area, or a copy of the data, or identification information of the data; An information processing system, characterized by comprising.

16. A storage area generation procedure for generating one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure; A search condition generation procedure for generating a search condition for each storage area based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area; A search procedure for searching for data from a data storage unit based on a search condition generated for each storage area; A storage procedure for storing, in each storage area, the data searched for the storage area, or a copy of the data, or identification information of the data; An information processing method, characterized in that a computer executes.

17. A storage area generation procedure for generating one or more storage areas constituting a hierarchical structure, For each of the storage areas, a search condition generation procedure for generating a search condition based on the name of the storage area and the hierarchical structure of the storage area, For each of the storage areas, a search procedure for searching for data from a data storage unit based on the search condition generated for the storage area, For each of the storage areas, a storage procedure for storing the data searched for the storage area, or a copy of the data, or identification information of the data in the storage area, A program characterized by causing a computer to execute the above.

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