File search system, file search method, and file search program

Abstract

To provide a file retrieval system, a file retrieval method, and a file retrieval program which can improve operability of file retrieval.SOLUTION: A file retrieval system according to the present invention comprises an acquisition processing unit for acquiring a retrieval keyword for use in retrieving a predetermined file in a storage unit for storing a plurality of files, a retrieval processing unit for retrieving the predetermined file based on the retrieval keyword acquired by the acquisition processing unit, and an output processing unit for outputting the retrieval result obtained by the retrieval processing unit and for outputting an association degree representing relevancy between the retrieval keyword and each of the files based on a score value corresponding to an occurrence frequency of the retrieval keyword and corresponding to each of the plurality of files stored in the storage unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a file search system, a file search method, and a file search program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a system is known that searches for a search target that matches a search keyword from multiple search targets stored in a storage unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For example, in a system that searches for a specific document file from multiple document files stored in a storage unit, when the system acquires a search keyword input by a user, it performs a full-text search of the contents (documents) of each of the multiple document files and extracts document files that include the search keyword. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5259876 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional technology, if there are many files to be searched, the number of files retrieved will exceed the expected number, making it difficult for users to find the files they want. Also, users will have to enter search keywords multiple times until they find the files they want.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a file search system, a file search method, and a file search program that can improve the operability of file searches. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A file search system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition processor, a search processor, and an output processor. The acquisition processor acquires search keywords for searching for a specific file in a storage unit that stores multiple files. The search processor searches for the specific file based on the search keywords acquired by the acquisition processor. The output processor outputs a search result by the search processor and also outputs a degree of relevance indicating the relevance between the search keywords and each of the multiple files stored in the storage unit based on a score value corresponding to the frequency of appearance of the search keywords.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is a file search method in which one or more processors perform an acquisition step of acquiring a search keyword for searching for a specified file in a memory unit that stores a plurality of files, a search step of searching for the specified file based on the search keyword acquired in the acquisition step, and an output step of outputting the search results of the search step and outputting a degree of relevance representing the relevance between the search keyword and each of the plurality of files stored in the memory unit based on a score value corresponding to the number of occurrences of the search keyword.

[0008] A file search program according to another aspect of the present invention is a file search program for causing one or more processors to execute the following steps: an acquisition step of acquiring a search keyword for searching for a specified file in a memory unit that stores a plurality of files; a search step of searching for the specified file based on the search keyword acquired in the acquisition step; and an output step of outputting the search results in the search step and outputting a degree of relevance representing the relevance between the search keyword and each of the plurality of files stored in the memory unit based on a score value corresponding to the number of occurrences of the search keyword. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a file search system, a file search method, and a file search program that can improve the operability of file searches. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a file search system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an upload page displayed on a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of file information used in the file search system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of keyword use information used in the file search system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of important keyword information used in the file search system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of file evaluation information used in the file search system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a search page displayed on a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a search result page displayed on a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a search result page displayed on a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure of a file search process executed in the file search system according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0012] [File Search System 10] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a file search system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The file search system 10 includes a management server 1 and a user terminal 2. The management server 1 and the user terminal 2 are connected to each other via a network N1 (e.g., the Internet, a LAN, etc.). The file search system 10 may include multiple user terminals 2.

[0013] In the file search system 10, the management server 1 manages files uploaded from the user terminals 2. The management server 1 also provides users with a file management service that manages files stored in the storage unit 12. For example, the management server 1 manages multiple files stored in the storage unit 12 so that each of the multiple user terminals 2 can access the files via the network N1. The management server 1 also searches for files in response to search requests received from each of the multiple user terminals 2, and outputs the search results to the user terminals 2.

[0014] Each user of the multiple user terminals 2 uploads files, such as document files, created on his or her own user terminal 2 to the management server 1 using a predetermined application (file management application). Each user also uses the file management application to input search criteria (search keywords, etc.) to make a file search request. Each user can also access the management server 1 to view files or download them to their user terminal 2.

[0015] The file search system 10 is an example of the file search system of the present invention. The file search system of the present invention may be configured with the management server 1 alone.

[0016] [Management Server 1] 1, the management server 1 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, an operation display unit 13, and a communication unit 14. The management server 1 may be configured as a personal computer, a NAS (Network Attached Storage), or the like.

[0017] The communication unit 14 is a communication interface that connects the management server 1 to the network N1 by wire or wirelessly and executes data communication with the user terminal 2 via the network N1 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol. The network N1 is configured, for example, by the Internet, a LAN, or the like.

[0018] The operation display unit 13 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations.

[0019] The storage unit 12 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory that stores various types of information. The storage unit 12 stores data such as files managed by the management server 1. The storage unit 12 may be configured as a data server such as a NAS, and may be connected to the management server 1 via a network N1.

[0020] The user launches the file management application on the user terminal 2 and uploads a desired file to the management server 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the user selects a file on an upload page P1 displayed on the user terminal 2 and uploads it. Specifically, the user launches the upload page P1 using the file management application on the user terminal 2. The upload page P1 displays a list of multiple files stored in the user terminal 2 in a hierarchical structure organized by folder. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the user has selected file F1 stored in folder C. The user can select one or multiple files. After selecting file F1, the user presses the upload button B1. This uploads file F1 to the management server 1. Note that file F1 is assigned identification information (such as a user name) of the file creator.

[0021] Each user can upload a desired file to the management server 1 using their own user terminal 2. The memory unit 12 stores the files uploaded from each user terminal 2. The memory unit 12 also stores file information D1 related to the files. FIG. 3 shows an example of the file information D1. The file information D1 includes information such as a "file ID," "file name," "attributes," and "keywords" for each file uploaded from the user terminal 2. The file ID is identification information for the file, and the file name is the name of the file set by the user. The attributes are attribute information assigned to the file, such as the creator, creation date, size, extension, and update date.

[0022] The keywords are predetermined words contained in the files and are index information used in the search process. For example, the keywords are words divided by syntax analysis by the control unit 11. The control unit 11 extracts multiple keywords for each file and registers them in the file information D1.

[0023] The storage unit 12 also stores keyword usage information D2 relating to the number of searches (number of hits) for the keywords. FIG. 4 shows an example of the keyword usage information D2. As shown in FIG. 4, the keyword usage information D2 registers information such as the "number of hits" for each keyword registered in the file information D1. The number of hits is the number of times the keyword is used as a search keyword. For example, when a user inputs "k1" as a search keyword and requests a search, the number of hits "c1" for "k1" is incremented by one. The number of hits for each keyword is incremented each time it is used as a search keyword (each time a search process is performed).

[0024] The storage unit 12 also stores important keyword information D3 related to important keywords. FIG. 5 shows an example of the important keyword information D3. As shown in FIG. 5, predetermined keywords among those registered in the keyword use information D2 are registered as important keywords in the important keyword information D3. For example, among the keywords registered in the keyword use information D2, keywords whose hit count (search count) is equal to or greater than a threshold are registered in the important keyword information D3 as important keywords. In other words, the important keywords represent current trend words. The important keywords are updated appropriately in accordance with the search process.

[0025] The storage unit 12 also stores file evaluation information D4 relating to the evaluation of the file for which the file information D1 is stored. Fig. 6 shows an example of the file evaluation information D4. As shown in Fig. 6, the file evaluation information D4 registers information such as a "score value" for each file registered in the file information D1. The score value is a value corresponding to the frequency of appearance of a search keyword included in the file.

[0026] Specifically, the control unit 11 registers the total number of keywords that match the search keyword entered by the user among all keywords included in file F1 as the score value. For example, if file F1 contains 30 keywords that match the search keyword, the control unit 11 registers "30" as the score value corresponding to the file ID of file F1. In another embodiment, the control unit 11 may register the percentage of keywords that match the search keyword to all keywords included in file F1 as the score value. For example, if file F1 contains 300 keywords, 30 of which match the search keyword, the control unit 11 registers "10%" as the score value corresponding to the file ID of file F1. Each time the user inputs a search keyword and makes a search request, the control unit 11 calculates the score value for each file and registers it in the file evaluation information D4.

[0027] Furthermore, the storage unit 12 stores a file search program for causing the control unit 11 to execute a file search process (see FIG. 10 ) described below. For example, the file search program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or a DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or a DVD drive provided in the management server 1 and stored in the storage unit 12. Note that the file search program may be distributed from another server and stored in the storage unit 12.

[0028] The control unit 11 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various types of arithmetic processing. The ROM stores in advance control programs such as a BIOS and an OS that cause the CPU to execute various types of processing. The RAM stores various types of information and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various types of processing executed by the CPU. The control unit 11 controls the management server 1 by having the CPU execute various control programs that are pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 12.

[0029] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 11 includes various processing units such as a reception processing unit 111, a registration processing unit 112, an acquisition processing unit 113, a search processing unit 114, a calculation processing unit 115, and an output processing unit 116. The control unit 11 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes in accordance with the file search program. Some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 11 may be configured with electronic circuits. The file search program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

[0030] The reception processing unit 111 receives various operations from each user terminal 2. Specifically, the reception processing unit 111 receives a file upload operation on an upload page P1 (see FIG. 2) displayed on the user terminal 2.

[0031] For example, the control unit 11 causes the user terminal 2 to display an upload page P1, which displays a list of multiple files stored in the user terminal 2. When the user selects a desired file on the upload page P1 (see FIG. 2), the reception processing unit 111 accepts the selection operation. Furthermore, when the user selects file F1 and presses the upload button B1, the reception processing unit 111 accepts the upload operation. When the reception processing unit 111 accepts the upload operation, the control unit 11 executes upload processing to obtain file F1 from the user terminal 2.

[0032] When the upload process is executed, the registration processing unit 112 acquires the file F1 from the user terminal 2 and stores it in the storage unit 12. The registration processing unit 112 also registers various information related to the file F1 in the file information D1 (see FIG. 3). For example, the registration processing unit 112 registers the file ID, file name, attributes (creator, creation date, size, extension, update date, etc.) of the file F1 in the file information D1.

[0033] Furthermore, the registration processing unit 112 extracts keywords from the acquired file and registers them in the file information D1. Specifically, when the registration processing unit 112 acquires a file from the user terminal 2, it performs syntax analysis on the document of the file, divides it into words, compares each word with words in a dictionary database (not shown), removes noise, corrects fluctuations, and extracts them as keywords. The registration processing unit 112 associates the extracted keywords for each file with the file and registers them in the file information D1.

[0034] In this way, the registration processing unit 112 acquires files based on the upload operations of each of the multiple users, registers information about the files in the file information D1, and further extracts keywords from the files and registers them in the file information D1.

[0035] Furthermore, the registration processing unit 112 updates the keyword use information D2 (see FIG. 4) and the important keyword information D3 (see FIG. 5) each time it executes a search process in accordance with a user's search request. Specifically, the registration processing unit 112 calculates the number of times each of the multiple keywords registered in the file information D1 has been used as a search keyword (number of searches), and registers this in the keyword use information D2. For example, when the user inputs a search keyword and makes a search request once, the registration processing unit 112 updates the number of hits for a keyword that matches the search keyword among the multiple keywords (for example, updates n times to n+1 times). In this way, the registration processing unit 112 updates the number of hits for each keyword used as a search keyword.

[0036] Furthermore, the registration processing unit 112 registers as important keywords those keywords contained in the documents of the files registered in the file information D1 that match a threshold or more of the number of times with search keywords acquired in past search processes. That is, the registration processing unit 112 extracts keywords whose hit count is greater than or equal to the threshold as important keywords and registers them in important keyword information D3 (see FIG. 5). In this way, keywords that are frequently used by users are registered as important keywords in the important keyword information D3.

[0037] Here, when the control unit 11 receives a search request from the user, it executes the following search process and presents the search results to the user.

[0038] Specifically, the acquisition processing unit 113 acquires, from the user terminal 2, a search keyword for searching for a specific file in the storage unit 12 that stores multiple files. For example, when the user inputs a search keyword and presses the search button on the search page P2 shown in Fig. 7, the acquisition processing unit 113 acquires the search keyword. Note that the user can also set other search conditions (tag, update date, extension, creator, etc.) on the search page P2.

[0039] The search processing unit 114 searches for a predetermined file based on the search keyword acquired by the acquisition processing unit 113. For example, the search processing unit 114 determines whether the search keyword matches an important keyword, and if the search keyword matches an important keyword, extracts a file including the search keyword from the multiple files stored in the storage unit 12.

[0040] The calculation processing unit 115 calculates a score value for each of a plurality of files. Specifically, for each of a plurality of files containing the search keyword extracted by the search processing unit 114, the calculation processing unit 115 calculates a value (score value) corresponding to the appearance frequency of the search keyword included in the file. For example, the calculation processing unit 115 calculates the score value of the file based on the appearance frequency of the search keyword appearing in documents of the file. Furthermore, the calculation processing unit 115 registers the score value calculated for each file in file evaluation information D4 (see FIG. 6).

[0041] For example, when the acquisition processing unit 113 acquires the search keywords from the user terminal 2, the calculation processing unit 115 calculates the number of the search keywords among all keywords included in file F1 as the score value. For example, if file F1 contains 30 keywords that match the search keywords, the calculation processing unit 115 calculates "30" as the score value corresponding to the file ID of file F1.

[0042] In another embodiment, when the acquisition processing unit 113 acquires the search keyword from the user terminal 2, the calculation processing unit 115 may calculate, as the score value, the proportion of the search keyword to all keywords included in file F1. For example, if file F1 includes 300 keywords, and 30 of those keywords match the search keyword, the calculation processing unit 115 calculates "10%" as the score value corresponding to the file ID of file F1.

[0043] In another embodiment, the calculation processing unit 115 may calculate the score value of the file based on the frequency of appearance of the search keyword appearing in the document of the file and the frequency of appearance of the important keyword appearing in the document of the file. For example, when the acquisition processing unit 113 acquires the search keyword from the user terminal 2, the calculation processing unit 115 may calculate, as the score value, the total number (or percentage) of the total number of keywords that match the search keyword among all keywords included in file F1 and the total number of keywords that match the important keyword (see FIG. 5) among all keywords included in file F1.

[0044] Each time the user inputs a search keyword and makes a search request, the calculation processing unit 115 calculates the score value for each file and registers it in the file evaluation information D4 (see FIG. 6).

[0045] After calculating the score value for each file containing the search keyword, the calculation processing unit 115 further calculates the difference (score difference) between the maximum score value and the minimum score value. Then, the calculation processing unit 115 determines that the search results are appropriate (the search keyword is appropriate) if the score difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and determines that the search results are inappropriate (the search keyword is inappropriate) if the score difference is less than the predetermined value.

[0046] The output processing unit 116 outputs the search results by the search processing unit 114, and also outputs a degree of relevance that indicates the relevance between the search keyword and each of a plurality of files that include the search keyword, based on the score value corresponding to each of the files. The degree of relevance is an index that indicates the appropriateness (validity) of the search keyword, and the higher the degree of relevance, the higher the appropriateness of the search keyword, and the more appropriate (valid) the search result will be.

[0047] Specifically, the calculation processing unit 115 calculates the relevance level according to the difference (score difference) between the maximum score value and the minimum score value among the score values ​​of each of the plurality of files. For example, the calculation processing unit 115 sets the relevance level of the maximum score value among the score values ​​for each file to 100%, and calculates the relevance levels corresponding to the score values ​​of the other files. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the relevance level of file F11 having the maximum score value ("130") is set to "100%, the calculation processing unit 115 calculates the relevance level of file F21 having a score value of "125" as "96%" and the relevance level of file F31 having a score value of "115" as "88%". In this way, the calculation processing unit 115 calculates the relevance level for each of the plurality of files containing the important keyword extracted by the search processing unit 114.

[0048] The output processing unit 116 outputs the search results, in which the plurality of files are sorted in descending order of relevance, to the user terminal 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the output processing unit 116 displays a list of files (search results) that contain keywords that match the important keywords in documents on a search result page P3, and also displays an evaluation result M1 that includes the relevance corresponding to the files. The evaluation result M1 includes the relevance corresponding to the files, the score value of the files, and the minimum score value. FIG. 8 shows the search results when "minutes" is entered as the search keyword.

[0049] Here, if the score difference is less than a predetermined value, the calculation processing unit 115 determines that the search results are inappropriate (the search keywords are inappropriate), and the output processing unit 116 outputs the important keywords in the search results. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the output processing unit 116 displays a list of search results (search files) on a search result page P3, along with suggested information M2 including the important keywords. Furthermore, if the score difference is less than a predetermined value, the output processing unit 116 omits displaying the relevance. By not displaying the relevance, the user can recognize that the search results are inappropriate (the search keywords are inappropriate). Furthermore, by displaying suggested information M2, the user can be encouraged to use important keywords as search keywords. For example, the user can input or add important keywords to the search keywords according to suggested information M2 and search again.

[0050] In this way, when the score difference is less than a predetermined value, the output processing unit presents the important keywords to the user and prompts the user to re-input the search keywords.

[0051] In another embodiment, when the score difference is less than a predetermined value, the output processing unit 116 may omit displaying the search results shown in FIG. 9 and notify the user terminal 2 of a message such as a search error.

[0052] As described above, the management server 1 outputs a relevance value representing the relevance between the search keyword and each file based on a score value corresponding to the number of occurrences of the search keyword in each file obtained from the user terminal 2, and outputs search results according to the relevance value.

[0053] [User device 2] 1, the user terminal 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation display unit 23, and a communication unit 24. The user terminal 2 is an information processing device such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal.

[0054] The communication unit 24 is a communication interface for connecting the user terminal 2 to the network N1 by wire or wirelessly, and for executing data communication with an external device such as the management server 1 via the network N1 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol.

[0055] The operation display unit 23 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays information such as various web pages, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations.

[0056] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD, SSD, or flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 22 stores a control program such as a browser program. Specifically, the browser program is a control program that causes the control unit 21 to execute communication processing with an external device such as the management server 1 in accordance with a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). The browser program may also be a dedicated application for executing communication processing with the management server 1 in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol.

[0057] The control unit 21 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various types of arithmetic processing. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit that pre-stores control programs such as a BIOS and an OS that cause the CPU to execute various types of processing. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various types of processing executed by the CPU. The control unit 21 controls the user terminal 2 by having the CPU execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 22.

[0058] Specifically, the control unit 21 functions as a browser processing unit by executing various processes in accordance with the browser program stored in the storage unit 22. The control unit 21 is capable of executing browser processing to display a web page provided from the management server 1 via the network N1 on the operation display unit 23 and input operations for the operation display unit 23 into the management server 1. In other words, the user terminal 2 can function as an operation terminal for the management server 1 by the control unit 21 executing the browser program. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 21 may be configured with electronic circuits.

[0059] In the user terminal 2, when a user performs an operation to request access to a predetermined URL corresponding to a site of the file management service provided by the management server 1, the control unit 21 acquires the web page data of the site from the management server 1 and displays the web page of the site on the operation display unit 23. If a predetermined application (file management application) corresponding to the management server 1 is installed in the user terminal 2, the web page of the site is displayed on the operation display unit 23 when the user of the user terminal 2 performs an operation to launch the file management application.

[0060] In addition, the control unit 21 uploads files stored in the user terminal 2 to the management server 1 in response to a user operation. In addition, the control unit 21 sends a search request to the management server 1 to search for files stored in the management server 1 in response to a user operation. In addition, the control unit 21 displays the results of the search process performed by the management server 1. In addition, in response to a selection operation of a file included in the search results, the control unit 21 displays the contents of the file or downloads the file to the user terminal 2.

[0061] Furthermore, the control unit 21 displays web pages such as an upload page P1 (see FIG. 2), a search page P2 (see FIG. 7), and a search result page P3 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) on the operation display unit 23 of the user terminal 2. The control unit 21 also accepts user operations on each page.

[0062] [File search process] An example of the procedure of the file search process executed in the file search system 10 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0063] The present invention can be understood as a file search method that executes one or more steps included in the file search process. One or more steps included in the file search process described herein may be omitted as appropriate. The steps in the file search process may be executed in a different order as long as the same operational effect is achieved. While the description here uses an example in which the control unit 11 of the management server 1 executes the steps in the file search process, in other embodiments, one or more processors may execute the steps in the file search process in a distributed manner.

[0064] As shown in the above example, it is assumed here that a plurality of files are downloaded from a plurality of user terminals 2 and stored in the management server 1. It is also assumed that the management server 1 stores file information D1 (see FIG. 3) relating to the plurality of files, keyword usage information D2 (see FIG. 4) relating to the number of searches (number of hits) for keywords included in the plurality of files, and important keyword information D3 (see FIG. 5) relating to important keywords.

[0065] The file search process is executed in parallel in response to search requests from a plurality of user terminals 2, respectively.

[0066] First, in step S1, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a search keyword has been acquired from the user terminal 2. When the control unit 11 acquires a search keyword from the user terminal 2 (S1: Yes), the control unit 11 shifts the processing to step S2. The control unit 11 waits until the search keyword is acquired from the user terminal 2 (S1: No).

[0067] In step S2, the control unit 11 determines whether the search keyword matches an important keyword (see FIG. 5). If the search keyword matches any of the important keywords registered in the important keyword information D3 (S2: Yes), the control unit 11 shifts the process to step S3. On the other hand, if the search keyword does not match any of the important keywords registered in the important keyword information D3 (S2: No), the control unit 11 shifts the process to step S21.

[0068] In step S3, the control unit 11 extracts files that include the search keyword from the plurality of files stored in the storage unit 12.

[0069] Next, in step S4, the control unit 11 calculates a score value for each of the extracted files. Specifically, for each of the multiple files containing the search keyword, the control unit 11 calculates a value (score value) corresponding to the frequency of appearance of the search keyword included in the file. For example, the control unit 11 calculates the number of appearances of keywords that match the search keyword that appear in documents of the file as the score value of the file. The control unit 11 registers the score value calculated for each file in file evaluation information D4 (see FIG. 6).

[0070] Next, in step S5, the control unit 11 calculates the difference (score difference) between the maximum score value and the minimum score value among the scores for each file that includes a keyword that matches the search keyword.

[0071] Next, in step S6, the control unit 11 determines whether the score difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the control unit 11 determines that the score difference is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (S6: Yes), it determines that the search results are appropriate (the search keywords are appropriate), and shifts the process to step S7. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that the score difference is less than the predetermined value (S6: No), it determines that the search results are inappropriate (the search keywords are inappropriate), and shifts the process to step S21.

[0072] In step S7, the control unit 11 calculates the relevance level representing the relevance between the search keyword and each of the files based on the score value corresponding to each of the files containing the search keyword. Specifically, the control unit 11 sets the relevance level of the maximum score value among the score values ​​for each file to 100%, and calculates the relevance levels corresponding to the score values ​​of the other files (see FIG. 8).

[0073] In step S8, the control unit 11 outputs the search results to the user terminal 2. Specifically, the control unit 11 outputs the search results in which the multiple files extracted in step S3 are arranged in descending order of the relevance to the user terminal 2. For example, as shown in Fig. 8, the control unit 11 displays a list of search results (search files) in which documents contain the important keywords on a search result page P3, and also displays an evaluation result M1 including the relevance in association with the search file.

[0074] On the other hand, in step S21, the control unit 11 acquires important keywords from the important keyword information D3 (see FIG. 5). Next, in step S22, the control unit 11 outputs the search results to the user terminal 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 11 displays a list of search results on a search result page P3, and also displays suggested information M2 including the acquired important keywords. Here, the relevance is not displayed on the search result page P3. In this way, if the search keyword acquired in step S1 does not match the important keyword (S2: No), or if the score difference in step S6 is less than a predetermined value (S6: No), the control unit 11 presents the user with the important keywords acquired from the important keyword information D3 (see FIG. 5). Note that the control unit 11 may present the user with one or more important keywords from the multiple important keywords registered in the important keyword information D3 whose hit count is equal to or greater than a set value (where the set value is greater than the threshold value).

[0075] Next, in step S23, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the search keyword has been reacquired from the user terminal 2. If the control unit 11 has reacquired the search keyword from the user terminal 2 (S23: Yes), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S2. If the control unit 11 has not reacquired the search keyword from the user terminal 2 (S23: No), the control unit 11 ends the file search process.

[0076] If the reacquired search keyword matches the important keyword (S2: Yes), the control unit 11 executes the processes from step S3 onwards.

[0077] In step S8, the control unit 11 ends the file search process after outputting the search results to the user terminal 2. Thereafter, when the user selects a desired file on the search result page P3 (see FIG. 8), the control unit 11 displays the contents (document) of the file on the user terminal 2, or downloads the file to the user terminal 2.

[0078] In this way, the control unit 11 executes the file search process. The control unit 11 executes the file search process every time the control unit 11 acquires the search keyword from each user terminal 2.

[0079] As described above, the file search system 10 according to this embodiment acquires search keywords for searching for a specific file in the storage unit 12 that stores multiple files, and searches for the specific file based on the acquired search keywords. The file search system 10 also outputs the search results and outputs a degree of relevance indicating the relevance between the search keywords and each file based on a score value corresponding to the number of occurrences of the search keywords for each of the multiple files stored in the storage unit 12.

[0080] Specifically, the file search system 10 uses syntax analysis and a dictionary to identify important keywords for stored files (document files), and registers the keywords used throughout the files in descending order of frequency in an index.

[0081] The file search system 10 also performs a full-text search based on the input search keyword. If the search keyword is included in the important keywords, the file search system 10 outputs it as a top search result. At this time, the file search system 10 calculates a score value for each file based on the hit accuracy, and further calculates the difference between the maximum and minimum score values ​​(score difference).

[0082] Furthermore, the file search system 10 determines that the search is correct when the score difference is large, and determines that the search is not correct when the score difference is small.

[0083] The file search system 10 also displays the score value and the relevance calculated from the score difference on the search result page P3 (see FIG. 8). The file search system 10 may also display the number of hits on the search result page P3.

[0084] Furthermore, if the score difference is less than a predetermined value, the file search system 10 supplements important keywords and suggests them to the user. Furthermore, if the score difference is less than a predetermined value, the file search system 10 may also add and suggest important keywords and an experience thesaurus related to the original search keywords. In addition to the conventional thesaurus, the experience thesaurus stores a group of search keywords specified by the user at the time of search as new associations, and adds them as related keywords when suggested if they are entered frequently.

[0085] In this way, keywords are periodically extracted based on files stored in the storage unit 12 (e.g., NAS). The storage unit 12 also records the number of searches (hits) for each keyword as a periodic task (see FIG. 4). Keywords whose search count exceeds a threshold are registered as important keywords (see FIG. 5). The file search system 10 uses a score value, which indicates the validity of search results, when a full-text search is performed using a search keyword in a system that performs a full-text search on files stored in the storage unit 12 (e.g., NAS). The score value is calculated based on the hit accuracy, with high-ranking search results receiving a high score value and low-ranking search results receiving a low score value. Furthermore, by checking the difference between the maximum and minimum score values ​​(score difference), it is determined that the expected results have been obtained if the score difference is large. On the other hand, if the score difference is small, it is determined that the expected results have not been obtained, and the system suggests important keywords (see FIG. 5) that have been registered in advance as search indexes to the user, encouraging them to search again.

[0086] According to the file search system 10 of this embodiment, for example, the more search keywords a file contains, the higher the score value. Furthermore, the higher the score value of a file, the higher the relevance (relevance) between the file and the search keywords. By presenting the relevance to the user, the user can determine whether the search results are appropriate (the search keywords are appropriate). As a result, for example, if the relevance is high, the user can determine that the search results are appropriate (the search keywords are appropriate) and obtain the desired file. On the other hand, if the relevance is low, the user can determine that the search results are inappropriate (the search keywords are appropriate) and re-enter the search keywords to make a search request. In this case, the user can re-search using the suggested important keywords. As described above, the file search system 10 of this embodiment makes it possible to improve the operability of file searches.

[0087] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but may be embodied as follows.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 11 determines that the search results are appropriate (the search keywords are appropriate) when the difference (score difference) between the maximum score value and the minimum score value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and determines that the search results are inappropriate (the search keywords are inappropriate) when the score difference is less than the predetermined value. In another embodiment, the control unit 11 may determine whether the search results are appropriate based on the score values ​​within a predetermined range. For example, the control unit 11 excludes files with score values ​​less than a predetermined value, and determines that the search results are appropriate when the score difference between the maximum score value and the minimum score value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value among multiple files with score values ​​equal to or greater than the predetermined value. This makes it possible to exclude, for example, files containing an extremely small number of the search keywords (such as files that may contain noise), thereby improving the reliability of the process of determining whether the search results are appropriate.

[0089] In another embodiment of the present invention, when the control unit 11 proposes the important keywords to the user as the proposed information M2, the control unit 11 may propose important keywords to the user according to the attributes of the user. For example, the control unit 11 may extract important keywords related to the user's affiliation (company, department, team, etc.) from multiple important keywords (see FIG. 5) and propose them to the user. The user's attributes can be identified based on user information (not shown) registered in the file search system 10. The control unit 11 may also propose important keywords related to the search keywords entered by the user to the user. This makes it easier for the user to obtain the search results that the user desires.

[0090] It should be noted that the search target of the present invention is not limited to document files, but may be image files, audio files, etc. Furthermore, the search target is not limited to files, but may be data (information) in various formats.

[0091] [Notes on the Invention] The following will provide an outline of the invention extracted from the above-described embodiment. Note that the configurations and processing functions described in the following supplementary notes can be selected and combined as desired.

[0092] <Appendix 1> an acquisition processing unit that acquires a search keyword for searching for a predetermined file in a storage unit that stores a plurality of files; a search processing unit that searches for the predetermined file based on the search keyword acquired by the acquisition processing unit; an output processing unit that outputs the search results of the search processing unit, and outputs a degree of relevance indicating a relevance between the search keyword and each of the plurality of files stored in the storage unit based on a score value according to the frequency of appearance of the search keyword, corresponding to each of the plurality of files; A file search system comprising:

[0093] <Appendix 2> a calculation processing unit that calculates the score value for each of the plurality of files, the calculation processing unit calculates the score value of the file based on the number of occurrences of the search keyword that appear in documents of the file; 10. The file search system of claim 1.

[0094] <Appendix 3> a registration processing unit that registers, as important keywords, keywords that match the search keywords acquired in past search processes more than or equal to a threshold number of times among a plurality of keywords included in each document of the plurality of files stored in the storage unit; 3. A file search system according to claim 1 or 2.

[0095] <Appendix 4> the calculation processing unit calculates the score value of the file based on the number of occurrences of the search keyword that appears in the document of the file and the number of occurrences of the important keyword that appears in the document of the file; 3. A file search system as described in Appendix 3.

[0096] <Appendix 5> the calculation processing unit calculates the relevance level according to a difference between a maximum score value and a minimum score value among the score values ​​of each of the plurality of files. A file search system according to any one of appendices 2 to 4.

[0097] <Appendix 6> When the difference is less than a predetermined value, the output processing unit presents the important keywords to the user and prompts the user to re-input the search keywords. 6. A file search system as described in Appendix 5.

[0098] <Appendix 7> the output processing unit displays the search results in descending order of the relevance when the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. A file search system according to any one of appendices 1 to 6.

[0099] <Appendix 8> the output processing unit displays the score value and the degree of relevance corresponding to the file included in the search result in association with file information of the file. A file search system according to any one of appendices 1 to 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1: Management Server 2: User device 10: File search system 11: Control section 12: Storage section 111: Reception processing unit 112: Registration processing unit 113: Acquisition processing unit 114: Search processing unit 115: Calculation processing unit 116: Output processing section D1: File information D2: Keyword usage information D3: Important keyword information D4: File reputation information M1: Evaluation results M2: Proposal information P1: Upload page P2: Search page P3: Search results page

Claims

1. an acquisition processing unit that acquires a search keyword for searching for a predetermined file in a storage unit that stores a plurality of files; a search processing unit that searches for the predetermined file based on the search keyword acquired by the acquisition processing unit; a registration processing unit that registers, as important keywords, keywords that match the search keywords acquired in past search processes more than a threshold number of times among a plurality of keywords included in each document of the plurality of files stored in the storage unit; and a calculation processing unit that calculates a score value corresponding to each of the plurality of files stored in the storage unit based on the number of occurrences of the search keyword that appears in the document of the file and the number of occurrences of the important keyword that appears in the document of the file, and calculates a degree of relevance that represents a relevance between the search keyword and each of the plurality of files based on a difference between a maximum score value and a minimum score value among the score values ​​of each of the plurality of files; an output processing unit that outputs the search results by the search processing unit and the relevance calculated by the calculation processing unit, and when the difference is less than a predetermined value, presents the important keywords to the user to prompt them to re-input the search keywords; A file search system comprising:

2. the output processing unit displays the search results in descending order of the relevance when the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The file search system according to claim 1 .

3. the output processing unit displays the score value and the degree of relevance corresponding to the file included in the search result in association with file information of the file.

3. The file search system according to claim 2.

4. one or more processors, an acquisition step of acquiring a search keyword for searching for a predetermined file in a storage unit that stores a plurality of files; a search step of searching for the predetermined file based on the search keyword acquired in the acquisition step; a registration step of registering, as important keywords, keywords that match the search keywords acquired in past search processes more than a threshold number of times among a plurality of keywords included in each document of the plurality of files stored in the storage unit; a calculation step of calculating a score value corresponding to each of the plurality of files stored in the storage unit based on the number of occurrences of the search keyword appearing in the document of the file and the number of occurrences of the important keyword appearing in the document of the file, and calculating a degree of relevance representing a relevance between the search keyword and each of the plurality of files based on a difference between a maximum score value and a minimum score value among the score values ​​of each of the plurality of files; an output step of outputting the search results in the search step and the relevance calculated in the calculation step, and, if the difference is less than a predetermined value, presenting the important keywords to the user and prompting them to re-input the search keywords; How to perform a file search.

5. an acquisition step of acquiring a search keyword for searching for a predetermined file in a storage unit that stores a plurality of files; a search step of searching for the predetermined file based on the search keyword acquired in the acquisition step; a registration step of registering, as important keywords, keywords that match the search keywords acquired in past search processes more than a threshold number of times among a plurality of keywords included in each document of the plurality of files stored in the storage unit; a calculation step of calculating a score value corresponding to each of the plurality of files stored in the storage unit based on the number of occurrences of the search keyword appearing in the document of the file and the number of occurrences of the important keyword appearing in the document of the file, and calculating a degree of relevance representing a relevance between the search keyword and each of the plurality of files based on a difference between a maximum score value and a minimum score value among the score values ​​of each of the plurality of files; an output step of outputting the search results in the search step and the relevance calculated in the calculation step, and, if the difference is less than a predetermined value, presenting the important keywords to the user and prompting them to re-input the search keywords; A file search program for executing the above on one or more processors.

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