Search system, program for searching, and program for client

Abstract

In order to achieve a search system in which a user of a client terminal can arrive at unexpected information, in this search system 10, an input screen 21 for search words is displayed on a client terminal 5, when a search word that was inputted to the input screen 21 reaches a server device 11 that is connected to the client terminal 5 via the internet, a search engine that operates in the server device 11 performs a search, and when the result of the search by the search engine reaches the client terminal 5, a search result display screen 22 for displaying the search result is displayed on the client terminal 5. The search engine is configured so as to perform at least a normal search to search for related information that is related to the search word, and a different aspect search to search for different aspect information that is related to a different word, said different word being derived from the search word and having a different meaning from that of the search word, and the result of the normal search and the result of the different aspect search are simultaneously displayed on the search result display screen 22.

Description

Search system, search program, and client program

[0001] The present invention relates to a search system used to search for information on the Internet.

[0002] Search systems are used to help users search for desired information from the vast amount of information on the Internet. In a search system, a search word (search query) entered into a search box in a browser on a client terminal is sent to a server device, and a search using the search word is performed by a search engine running on the server device. The results of the search by the search engine are then sent from the server device to the client terminal and displayed on the browser of the client terminal (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent No. 6790942

[0004] Conventional search systems such as Google (registered trademark) can only reach web pages and information that are highly relevant to a search term. This makes it difficult to gain new insights. While this is not a problem for users who want to look up the meaning of words, it is difficult to say that it is useful in situations where gaining new insights is beneficial (for example, when conducting research for product development or marketing).

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to realize a search system that enables a user of a client terminal to find information that he or she never expected.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first invention is a search system that receives search words from a client terminal, and when the search words received by the client terminal reach a server device connected to the client terminal via the Internet, a search engine operating on the server device performs a search, and when the results of the search by the search engine reach the client terminal, causes the client terminal to display a search result display screen for displaying the search results, wherein the search engine is configured to perform at least a normal search that searches for related information related to the search word, and an alternative-aspect search that searches for alternative-aspect information related to a different word that is derived from the search word and has a different meaning from the search word, and the search result display screen simultaneously displays the results of the normal search and the results of the alternative-aspect search.

[0007] In a second invention, in the first invention, the alternative search is a serendipity search that uses coincidence search words obtained based on related words related to the search word as alternative words to search for serendipity information that the user of the client terminal perceives as coincidental, and the search engine is configured to perform, in addition to the normal search and serendipity search, an objective information search that uses the search word to search at least two or more databases selected from a semantic dictionary database, a paper database, a book database, and a newspaper article database, and the results of the normal search, the serendipity search, and the objective information search are simultaneously displayed on the search result display screen.

[0008] In a third invention, in the first invention, the search result display screen displays information on a plurality of web pages as search results for both the normal search and the alternative search, and when an operation to select one of the plurality of web pages is performed on the client terminal, the selected web page is displayed so that it can be viewed, and when an operation to select a comparison mode is performed on the client terminal, icons of the plurality of web pages viewed on the client terminal are displayed in a predetermined order, and when an operation to select multiple icons as part of the icons of the plurality of web pages is performed, the web pages of the selected icons are displayed so that they can be viewed side by side, either vertically or horizontally.

[0009] The fourth invention is configured in the first invention such that the search result display screen displays information on a plurality of web pages as search results for the normal search and the other-side search, and when an operation to select one of the plurality of web pages is performed on the client terminal, the selected web page is displayed so as to be viewable, and when an operation to select a concrete-abstract mode is performed on the client terminal while the web page is displayed so as to be viewable, the system automatically acquires abstract words that are superordinate concepts of the target words and concrete words that are subordinate concepts of the target words or abstract words, and performs an abstract search using the abstract words and a concrete search using the concrete words, and the client terminal displays the search results of the abstract search and the search results of the concrete search in order of the search results using the search words with the most abstractness.

[0010] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the search result display screen displays identification information for the user of the client terminal to distinguish between the results of a normal search, the results of a serendipity search, and the results of an objective information search.

[0011] In a sixth aspect based on the second aspect, when a scroll operation is performed on the search result display screen, the results of the normal search, the results of the serendipity search, and the results of the objective information search are scrolled simultaneously.

[0012] The seventh invention is the second invention, in which a selection operation is possible on the search result display screen to narrow down and view one type of search result from multiple types of search results, including normal search results, serendipity search results, and objective information search results, and when the selection operation is performed, a narrowed-down viewing screen is displayed on the client terminal, which displays only the one type of search result selected by the selection operation from the multiple types of search results.

[0013] An eighth invention is a search program that realizes a search engine in a server device connected to a client terminal via the Internet, the search program causing the computer of the server device to execute, when a search word is received from a client terminal, at least the following steps as search engine operations: a normal search that searches for related information related to the search word; and an alternative-aspect search that searches for alternative-aspect information related to another word that is derived from the search word and has a different meaning from the search word; and a step of transmitting information including the results of the normal search and the alternative-aspect search to the client terminal to which the search word is sent.

[0014] A ninth invention is a client program that enables viewing of search results by a search engine on a client terminal connected via the Internet to a server device on which the search engine operates, the client program executing the following steps on a computer of the client terminal: sending a search word received from a user of the client terminal to the server device; and, when information including the results of the normal search and the results of the different-side search arrives at the client terminal from the server device on which a search engine operates that performs at least a normal search that searches for related information related to the search word and an alternative-side search that searches for alternative-side information related to another word that is derived from the search word and has a different meaning from the search word, transitioning the monitor display of the client terminal to a search result display screen that simultaneously displays the results of the normal search and the results of the different-side search.

[0015] In the present invention, the search engine not only performs a normal search to search for information related to a search word, but also a different-view search to search for information from a different perspective using a different word derived from the search word and having a different meaning from the search word.The search result display screen displayed on the client terminal simultaneously displays the results of the normal search and the different-view search.This allows the user of the client terminal to view not only the results of the normal search but also the results of the different-view search, allowing the user to arrive at information that he or she never expected.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a search system according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an input screen. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow of a search unit. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow of a browsing processing unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a search result display screen. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a method for arranging search results. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating forward scrolling on the search result display screen. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating backward scrolling on the search result display screen. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a screen for narrowed browsing. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a positioning map. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a search system according to a first modification of this embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow of a search unit according to the first modification. FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams illustrating an latest information display screen according to a second modification, and FIG. 13(c) is a diagram illustrating a resource display screen. FIG. 14(a) is a diagram illustrating a search word input screen, and FIG. 14(b) is a diagram illustrating a search result display screen. Figures 15(a)-(d) are diagrams showing the transition of the comparison browsing preparation screen, and Figures 15(e) and (f) are diagrams showing a state in which multiple resource display screens 52 are displayed simultaneously. Figures 16(a)-(d) are diagrams showing the transition from the resource display screen to the second search result display screen. Figures 17(a)-(d) are diagrams showing the transition from the resource display screen to the third search result display screen. Figures 18(a)-(c) are diagrams showing the transition from the resource display screen to the site information display screen.

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0018] [Overview of Search System] The search system 10 is a web search system used to search for information (resources) such as web pages, documents (papers, articles, etc.), images, and videos that are assigned URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) on the Internet 6. The search system 10 has a server device 11 connected to a client terminal 5 via the Internet 6 (see FIG. 1 ).

[0019] A search program that realizes a search engine is installed on the server device 11. In the server device 11, a CPU (processor) executes and interprets the search program to operate the search engine, and a database creation unit 11a and a search unit 11b are realized as functional blocks. In the database creation unit 11a, a crawler traverses the Internet 6 to collect resource information, and an indexer creates an index (database) 11c from the resource information. When a search word (search query) is received from a client terminal 5, the search unit 11b searches the index 11c and outputs the search results to the client terminal 5 to which the search word was sent. The search results (transmission information) include list information (resource list information) of web pages or the like for each of the three types of search results described below.

[0020] A client program that enables input of search terms and viewing of search results by a search engine is installed on the client terminal 5. In the client terminal 5, a CPU (processor) executes and interprets the client program, thereby realizing a search word processing unit 5a and a browsing processing unit 5b as functional blocks. The search word processing unit 5a displays a search word input screen 21 (see FIG. 2) on the client terminal 5, and upon receiving a search execution operation from a user of the client terminal 5, transmits the search term entered in the search box 21a of the input screen 21 to the server device 11. Upon receiving the above-mentioned transmission information from the server device 11, the browsing processing unit 5b displays a search result display screen 22 (see FIG. 5) on the monitor of the client terminal 5 to display the search results. The client program may run on the client terminal 5 or on the cloud.

[0021] [Regarding the Search Engine] In this embodiment, the processing of the search unit 11b (processing of the search engine) enables searching for things from multiple perspectives. The search unit 11b is configured to execute three types of searches when a search word arrives from the client terminal 5. The search unit 11b provides unbiased search results in all three types of searches. The three types of searches are a normal search, a serendipity search (a first different aspect search), and an inverse search (a second different aspect search).

[0022] 3 shows an example of a processing flow of the search unit 11b. When the search unit 11b receives a search word from the client terminal 5, the search unit 11b starts the processing flow and performs a normal search process P1, a serendipity search process P2, and an inverse search process P3 in parallel.

[0023] The normal search searches for related information (related resources) related to a search word from the information stored in the index 11c. In the normal search process P1, an index search S11 is performed in which the search word is used as a search word in the index 11c.

[0024] The serendipity search uses coincidence search words (different words) obtained based on related words related to the search word to search for serendipity information (different aspect resources) that the user of the client terminal 5 perceives as having a sense of coincidence from the information stored in the index 11c. In the serendipity search process P2, the following steps are performed in this order: acquisition of coincidence search words S21, in which coincidence search words are obtained from the search word; and index search S22, in which the coincidence search words are used as search words for the index 11c.

[0025] Regarding the method of acquiring coincidental search words, in step S21, the search unit 11b acquires related words (primary related words) of the search word, and then performs a process of acquiring secondary related words related to the primary related words as coincidental search words. For example, if the search word is "war," candidates for primary related words include "dispute," "politics," "history," "lifestyle," and "history / journalism." If "history / journalism" is acquired from these candidates as the primary related word, the secondary related word "photo" related to "history / journalism" is acquired as the coincidental search word. Furthermore, if "dispute" is acquired as the primary related word, the secondary related word "family court" related to "dispute" is acquired as the coincidental search word. Note that in acquiring coincidental search words S21, coincidental search words may be acquired through another process, such as directly acquiring related words (primary related words) of the search word as coincidental search words.

[0026] Regarding the method of acquiring related words in step S21, for example, a semantic dictionary database (language dictionary database) 31 is provided in advance in the server device 11, and the search unit 11b searches for the meaning of the search word in the semantic dictionary database 31 to acquire primary related words associated with the search word in the semantic dictionary database 31. Then, the search unit 11b searches for the meaning of the primary related words in the semantic dictionary database 31 to acquire secondary related words associated with the primary related words in the semantic dictionary database 31.

[0027] The semantic dictionary database 31 is a database that collects the meanings of numerous words (e.g., words), sets of synonymous words (e.g., word concept groups), definitions, and example sentences. In each set of synonymous words, the words are linked by various relationships, such as superordinate-subordinate relationships, synonymous relationships, synonymous relationships, and antonymous relationships. The semantic dictionary database 31 can be, for example, a database called "WordNet." Japanese WordNet was created by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and "WordNets" have been created for various languages ​​around the world. The semantic dictionary database 31 may be composed of thesaurus data. Furthermore, when a search for meanings in the semantic dictionary database 31 results in multiple related word (secondary related word) candidates, one candidate can be randomly selected as the related word using random numbers or the like. However, when multiple related word candidates exist, one candidate can also be selected as the related word using a predetermined algorithm.

[0028] In the semantic dictionary database 31, words obtained by abstracting, superordinately conceptualizing, concretizing, decomposing, etc. the search target word, the meaning of which is searched for in the semantic dictionary database 31, are associated with the search target word (search word, primary related word), and are recorded as related words. For example, if the search target word is "apple," "fruit" and "nutrition" are related words. If the search target word is "fruit," "fertilizer" is one of the related words. If the search target word is "nutrition," "vitamin" is one of the related words. If the search target word is "war," "part of history" is one of the related words. If the search target word is "part of history," "photo" is one of the related words. Note that these are merely examples of related words.

[0029] The reverse search is a search for opposite information (resources from another aspect) from the information stored in the index 11c using an opposite search word (another word) that has the opposite (opposite) meaning to the search word. In the reverse search process P3, an opposite search word acquisition S31 that acquires an opposite search word from the search word, and an index search S32 that uses the opposite search word as a search word in the index 11c are performed in this order. Note that, as a method of acquiring the opposite search word, in step S31, the search unit 11b searches the semantic dictionary database 31 described above and performs a process of acquiring an opposite search word corresponding to the search word. However, the method of acquiring the opposite search word is not limited to this process. Note that if an opposite search word does not exist for the search word, an opposite search is not performed.

[0030] [Regarding the Client Terminal] The monitor display of the client terminal 5 transitions through the processing of a program dedicated to the client or a program running on a web browser. Specifically, the monitor display of the client terminal 5 begins with the input screen 21 shown in Figure 2. Then, when the user of the client terminal 5 inputs a search term and performs a search, transmitted information including the results of the search by the search engine is received from the server device 11. The browsing processing unit 5b then performs processing according to the flowchart shown in Figure 4.

[0031] When the results of a search by the search engine arrive, the browsing processing unit 5b displays S41 the search result display screen 22 shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, when a predetermined operation (a selection operation, which will be described later) is performed on the search result display screen 22, the browsing processing unit 5b displays S42 the narrowed-down browsing screen 23 shown in Fig. 9, or when another predetermined operation is performed on the search result display screen 22, the browsing processing unit 5b displays S43 the positioning map 24 shown in Fig. 10. When a predetermined operation (a map transition operation, which will be described later) is also performed on the narrowed-down browsing screen 23, the browsing processing unit 5b displays S43 the positioning map 24 shown in Fig. 10. Furthermore, when the user clicks on a link to a web page on the search result display screen 22, the narrowed-down browsing screen 23, or the positioning map 24, the browsing processing unit 5b transitions to the web page.

[0032] The search result display screen 22 simultaneously displays search results from the three types of searches described above (normal search results, serendipity search results, and reverse search results). Each type of search result is made up of information (list information) of a large number of web pages (resources). Of the three types of search results, at least the normal search results and the reverse search results each have the list information described above that includes information on ranking by search.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5 , information on each web page (resource) is displayed within a display frame 25n, 25s, or 25r of a predetermined shape (e.g., a circle). Here, reference numeral 25n represents the display frame for the web page included in the results of the normal search, reference numeral 25s represents the display frame for the web page included in the results of the serendipity search, and reference numeral 25r represents the display frame for the web page included in the results of the reverse search. Each display frame 25n, 25s, or 25r is also provided with identification information 26 indicating which of the three types of search results it represents. In this embodiment, the results of the normal search are provided with identification information 26 marked "(normal)," the results of the serendipity search are provided with identification information 26 marked "(even)," and the results of the reverse search are provided with identification information 26 marked "(anti-)." For example, title information of the web page and a portion of the information posted on the web page are displayed within the display frames 25n, 25s, or 25r. The display frames 25n, 25s, and 25r each have link information (for example, a URL) to a web page, etc. The user can access the web page, etc. by clicking inside the display frame 25n, 25s, or 25r.

[0034] Next, scrolling on the search result display screen 22 will be described. The search result display screen 22 allows three types of search results to be scrolled simultaneously. In the virtual area shown in FIG. 6 , display frames (virtual display frames) 25n, 25s, and 25r of web pages or the like constituting the three types of search results transmitted from the server device 11 are arranged on lines L1, L2, and L3 extending in three directions from a center S. When transitioning to the search result display screen 22, the area R on the center S side in FIG. 6 is displayed on the monitor of the client terminal 5. The three lines L1, L2, and L3 are provided for the purpose of creating a screen design. Three types of search results are arranged on each of the lines L1, L2, and L3. In other words, each line L1, L2, and L3 does not correspond to a single type of search result. The number of these lines may be other than three, or no lines may be provided.

[0035] In the virtual area shown in FIG. 6 , the results of the normal search (virtual display frames 25 n) and the results of the reverse search (virtual display frames 25 r) are arranged in the scrolling direction in order according to the search ranking based on the list information described above. For the results of the normal search and the results of the reverse search, the virtual display frames 25 n and 25 r are arranged in order of higher ranking toward the center S. For the results of the serendipity search, the multiple web pages (virtual display frames 25 s) included in the list information described above are arranged in a random order in the scrolling direction using random numbers or the like, regardless of the search ranking. Furthermore, because the results of the reverse search and the serendipity search do not correspond to the content the user is searching for, it is preferable that the proportion of the virtual display frames 25 r for the reverse search and the virtual display frames 25 s for the serendipity search be small relative to the total number of the virtual display frames 25 n, 25 s, and 25 r, and each proportion can be arranged so that it is, for example, 20% or less. This also applies to the second modified example described below. In this embodiment, the screen scrolls in the direction toward or away from the monitor of the client terminal 5 (vertical direction of the screen) as shown by arrow A in Fig. 5. Note that in Figs. 6 to 8, the search ranking is written in parentheses next to the symbols in the display frames 25n and 25r for the results of the normal search and the reverse search.

[0036] For example, when an operation is performed to scroll forward (in the direction of arrow A1 in FIG. 7 ), in each of lines L1, L2, and L3, the display frame 25 that was already on the monitor at the start of the operation (hereinafter referred to as the "appeared display frame") gradually becomes larger as it moves away from the center S, and finally moves to the outside of the monitor, while in FIG. 6 , a display frame 25 that is one frame outside the appeared display frame 25 newly appears from the center S of the monitor. Then, like the appeared display frame 25, the newly appeared display frame 25 gradually becomes larger as it moves away from the center S. On the other hand, when an operation is performed to scroll backward (in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. 8 ), in each of lines L1, L2, and L3, the appeared display frame 25 gradually becomes smaller as it moves toward the center S, and disappears when it falls below a predetermined size, while in FIG. 6 , a display frame 25 that is one frame inside the appeared display frame 25 newly appears from the outside of the monitor. In this embodiment, the display frames 25 displayed on the monitor of the client terminal 5 are switched by scrolling, so that the three types of search results move through a tunnel arranged in order. The user can simultaneously view the three types of search results from a bird's-eye view. In this scrolling, for the results of the normal search and the reverse search, the display frame 25 with the lowest search ranking is arranged immediately behind the display frame 25 with the highest search ranking, so scrolling backward from the display frame 25 with the highest search ranking displays the lowest-ranked display frame 25.

[0037] Furthermore, the user can narrow down the three types of search results to one for viewing by operating the search result display screen 22. Performing this operation transitions to the narrowed-down browsing screen 23 shown in FIG. 9 . Specifically, this operation involves dragging and dropping display frames 25n, 25s, and 25r displayed on the search result display screen 22 from lines L1, L2, and L3 to outside the lines. If the display frame where the drag and drop is performed is the normal search display frame 25n, the screen transitions to the narrowed-down browsing screen 23 where only the results of the normal search are displayed. If the display frame where the drag and drop is performed is the serendipity search display frame 25s, the screen transitions to the narrowed-down browsing screen 23 where only the results of the serendipity search are displayed. If the display frame where the drag and drop is performed is the reverse search display frame 25r, the screen transitions to the narrowed-down browsing screen 23 where only the results of the reverse search are displayed.

[0038] The narrowed-down browsing screen 23 displays only the search results for one of the three search types selected by the user (hereinafter referred to as the "narrowed-down search results"). The narrowed-down browsing screen 23 displays information on numerous web pages (resources) that constitute the narrowed-down search results in a horizontally scrolling format. The narrowed-down browsing screen 23 displays some or all of the information posted on each web page within a display frame 28. A portion of the information posted on a web page is displayed, for example, when the amount of information posted on the web page exceeds the amount that can be displayed in the display frame 28. Similarly to the display frame 25, the display frame 28 also contains link information to web pages. The user can access the web page by clicking within the display frame 28. In the horizontal scrolling described above, the display frame 28 with the lowest search ranking is located immediately behind the display frame 28 with the highest search ranking. Therefore, scrolling backward from the display frame 28 with the highest search ranking displays the lowest-ranked display frame 28.

[0039] Comparing the display frame 28 of the narrowed browsing screen 23 with the display frame 25 of the search result display screen 22, the display frame 28 has a larger area and displays more information. Therefore, compared to the search result display screen 22, the user can select the web page they want to access while understanding the content of each web page in more detail.

[0040] In this embodiment, when the user performs a map transition operation, a positioning map 24 (see FIG. 10 ) that visualizes the nature of information about the web page (resource) that the user was viewing is generated and displayed on the monitor of the client terminal 5. The map transition operation is an operation of clicking on an area outside the display frame 28 on the monitor or on a blank area of ​​the display frame 28.

[0041] Here, the positioning map 24 arranges web pages and the like (resources) in a predetermined order (such as the order of search ranking) or randomly for a plurality (approximately 10 to 20) of preset information categories C (for example, finance, construction, food, etc.). The positioning map 24 has reference lines 29 for arranging web pages that extend radially from the center, and each reference line 29 is assigned one of the plurality of information categories C.

[0042] The contents of the web pages, etc. included in the three search results are analyzed to determine which of the multiple information categories C they belong to based on meta-information (such as the web page owner, the article's topic and text, and the article's author). Based on the determination result, an icon 30 representing each web page, etc. is positioned on the reference line 29 of the corresponding information category C. Note that the icon 30A representing the web page, etc. being viewed during the map transition operation is displayed so as to be distinguishable from the other icons 30. In this embodiment, only the icon 30A is colored. Note that the positioning map 24 may be any type that separates and arranges web pages, etc., by information category C. For example, the positioning map 24 may be vertically divided into multiple areas, and an information category C may be assigned to each divided area. A portion of the positioning map 24 is displayed on the monitor of the client terminal 5, and the area displayed on the screen (information category C) can be switched by scrolling horizontally.

[0043] Furthermore, when the user selects a specific web page (icon) 30 or information category C (clicks on the display portion) on the positioning map 24, the screen transitions to the search result display screen 22 (see FIG. 4). However, the search result display screen 22 displayed by this transition only displays the display frame 25 of the web pages, etc. 30 narrowed down to the information category C selected by the user (if the web page 30 is selected, the information category C corresponding to the web page 30).

[0044] [Effects of the embodiment] In this embodiment, the search engine performs two types of searches: a normal search that searches for related information related to a search word, and an alternative search that searches for information from another perspective using a different word derived from the search word and having a different meaning from the search word. The search result display screen 22 displayed on the client terminal 5 simultaneously displays the results of the normal search and the two types of alternative search. This allows the user of the client terminal to view not only the results of the normal search but also the results of the two types of alternative search, thereby enabling the user to arrive at information that the user never expected.

[0045] [First Modification of the Embodiment] In the above embodiment, the search unit 11b performs a normal search, a serendipity search, and an inverse search, but may also perform a normal search, a serendipity search, and a reflection search (objective information search). In other words, a reflection search may be performed instead of an inverse search.

[0046] Reflection search is a search that encourages users to think introspectively and deliberately about information, and provides users with highly objective information for search words. Reflection search uses multiple types of databases 31 to 34 that collect highly objective information. Two or more types of databases may be used for reflection search.

[0047] The multiple types of databases 31 to 34 may include the semantic dictionary database 31, the paper database 32 containing a large number of papers, the book database 33 containing a large number of books, and the newspaper article database 34 containing a large number of newspaper articles (see FIG. 11). These databases 31 to 34 may be prepared by a business that provides search services using the search system 10, or may be publicly available databases or databases available only to subscribers.

[0048] 12 shows an example of a processing flow of the search unit 11b. When the search unit 11b receives a search word from the client terminal 5, the search unit 11b starts the processing flow and performs a normal search process P1, a serendipity search process P2, and a reflection search process P4 in parallel.

[0049] In the reflection search process P4, a search S41 is performed in at least two databases 31-34 out of the semantic dictionary database 31, thesis database 32, book database 33, and newspaper article database 34 using the search word. The collection of search results obtained from at least two databases 31-34 constitutes the result of the reflection search. In this modified example, a search S41 is performed in each database 31-34 using the search word. The collection of search results obtained from multiple databases 31-34 constitutes the result of the reflection search. The search result display screen 22 then simultaneously displays the results of the normal search, the results of the serendipity search, and the results of the reflection search. In FIGS. 5 to 8, reference numeral 25r corresponds to the result of the reflection search.

[0050] Note that the reverse search corresponds to a second alternative aspect search because it uses a different word having a different meaning from the search word, but the reflection search, which uses the search word as is in the search, does not correspond to a second alternative aspect search. However, in the reflection search, instead of using the search word as is, two or more databases 31 to 34 may be searched using a different word derived from the search word and having a different meaning from the search word. In this case, as an example of a different word, if the search word is "Tesla," the semantic dictionary database 31 can be used to derive the different word "automobile" or "EV."

[0051] The search unit 11b is configured to perform three types of searches: a normal search, a serendipity search, and an inverse search, and may perform a reflection search if no results are obtained from the inverse search.

[0052] [Second Modification of the Embodiment] This modification differs from the above-described embodiment in the monitor display of the client terminal 5. The monitor display of the client terminal 5 transitions according to the processing of a program dedicated to the client or a program running on a web browser.

[0053] Specifically, when a client-specific program is started on the client terminal 5, an opening screen is displayed, followed by the latest information display screen 51 shown in Fig. 13. The latest information display screen 51 is a screen that displays information on resources such as web pages collected by a crawler (search robot) in the most recent crawl. On the latest information display screen 51, information on each resource is displayed in a tiled display section 50 surrounded by a frame of a predetermined shape.

[0054] On the latest information display screen 51, the tiled display sections 50 are arranged at least vertically. The number of columns of the tiled display sections 50 displayed on the monitor can be adjusted by zooming in or out, such as by pinching in or out. FIG. 13( a) shows a latest information display screen 51a with a single column display, and FIG. 13( b) shows a latest information display screen 51b with a two-column display. In the case of a multi-column display, the tiled display sections 50 are arranged vertically and horizontally. On the latest information display screen 51, the tiled display sections 50 on the monitor automatically scroll from top to bottom unless the user stops the scrolling (for example, by continuously clicking anywhere on the monitor). Resource information collected during the most recent crawl appears on the latest information display screen 51 in a predetermined order.

[0055] When one tiled display section 50 (the tiled display section 50 indicated by the arrow) is selected by clicking on the latest information display screen 51, the selected tiled display section 50 gradually expands as shown in Fig. 13(c) and switches to a resource display screen (such as a web page) 52 for viewing the resource corresponding to the tiled display section 50. On the resource display screen 52, the web page or the like can be viewed or listened to.

[0056] At the bottom of the latest information display screen 51, there are provided, as standby menu selection sections, a home button 70 for switching to a search word input screen 53, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) input section, etc. In addition, there are provided, as common menu selection sections, a process view button (a button for transitioning to the previous or next viewed screen), an output button for sharing or printing, etc. The standby menu selection section and common menu selection section are also provided on the search word input screen 53 shown in FIG.

[0057] When the home button 70 is operated on the latest information display screen 51, the search word processing unit 5a displays the search word input screen 53 shown in Fig. 14(a). On the input screen 53, a keyboard is displayed in a lower area 53a, and the search word input using the keyboard is displayed in an upper area 53b. When the user of the client terminal 5 inputs a search word and performs a search, the search word processing unit 5a accepts the user's operation to execute a search and transmits the search word input on the input screen 53 to the server device 11.

[0058] When the server device 11 receives a search word (search query), the search unit 11b executes processing (search engine processing). The search unit 11b starts the processing flow of the same flowchart as that of the first modified example (the flowchart in FIG. 12), performs normal search processing P1, serendipity search processing P2, and reflection search processing P4 in parallel, and obtains search results for each search. The search results are then output to the client terminal 5 to which the search word was sent. Each search result includes list information (resource list information) of web pages or the like for each of the three types of search results. Note that the search unit 11b may also execute reverse search processing P3 (see the flowchart in FIG. 3) instead of reflection search processing P4.

[0059] The client terminal 5 receives transmission information including each search result from the server device 11. The browsing processing unit 5b then displays the search result display screen 54 shown in FIG. 14(b). The search result display screen 54 simultaneously displays the above-mentioned three types of search results (normal search results, serendipity search results, and reflection search results). Of the three types of search results, for at least the normal search results and the reflection search results, the list information described above includes search ranking information.

[0060] On the search result display screen 54, as shown in FIG. 14(b), information on each search result resource is displayed in a tiled display section 50 surrounded by a frame of a predetermined shape, similar to the latest information display screen 51. The search result display screen 54 allows the number of displayed columns of tiled display sections 50 on the monitor to be adjusted by pinching in or out to zoom in or out. When one of the multiple tiled display sections 50 displayed on the monitor is clicked, the selected tiled display section 50 gradually expands and switches to the resource display screen 52 described above (see FIG. 13(c)). When an operation to select one of the multiple web pages is performed on the client terminal 5, the content of the selected web page is displayed on the resource display screen 52 so that it can be viewed.

[0061] On the search result display screen 54, the three types of search results sent from the server device 11 are arranged, for example, randomly. When only the results of the normal search are viewed, the tiled display units 50 corresponding to the results of the normal search are arranged in the order of the search ranking in the scrolling direction, for example, based on the list information. When only the results of the reflection search are viewed, the tiled display units 50 corresponding to the results of the reflection search are arranged in the order of the search ranking in the scrolling direction, for example, based on the list information. On the other hand, when only the results of the serendipity search are viewed, the tiled display units 50 corresponding to the results of the serendipity search are arranged in a random order in the scrolling direction, using random numbers or the like, regardless of the search ranking. Furthermore, since the search result display screen 54 displays the results of the three types of search in tiled display units 50 of the same size and shape, the above-mentioned identification information 26 may be added so that the user can identify which test the results correspond to, or the display method, such as the color or font of the tiled display units 50, may be different for each of the three types of search.

[0062] The search result display screen 54 also has a home button 70, a comparison mode selection button 71, a resource classification button, and a search type classification button as list menu selection sections. The resource classification button allows the user to narrow down the search results to be displayed on the search result display screen 54 from among text, image, video, period, language, file, and news. The search type classification button allows the user to narrow down the search results to be displayed on the search result display screen 54 from among normal search, serendipity search, and reflection search.

[0063] In this modified example, the following modes (menus) are available for selection by the user: comparison mode, horizontal expansion mode, concrete-abstract mode, and site information display mode. The resource display screen 52 is provided with a home button 70, a comparison mode selection button 71, a horizontal expansion mode selection button 72, a concrete-abstract mode selection button 73, and a site information display mode selection button 74 as content menu selection sections (see FIG. 13(c)). The comparison mode can be entered from the search result display screen 54 and the resource display screen 52. The horizontal expansion mode, concrete-abstract mode, and site information display mode can be entered from the resource display screen 52.

[0064] When the comparison mode selection button 71 is selected on the search result display screen 54 or the resource display screen 52, the screen switches to the comparative browsing preparation screen 56 shown in FIG. 15( a). The comparative browsing preparation screen 56 displays comparison tiles (icons) 56 a of multiple web pages viewed on the client terminal 5, arranged in a predetermined order. For example, at the bottom of the comparative browsing preparation screen 56, the comparison tiles 56 a, each displaying a description (such as a title) for understanding the contents of the resources (such as web pages) viewed based on the user's browsing history information, are arranged horizontally (from left to right in this modified example) in order of the elapsed time since viewing. The tile rows 56 a, 56 a, in which multiple comparison tiles 56 a are arranged, can be scrolled horizontally. For example, when scrolling leftward, the comparison tile 56 a on the left side moves off the monitor, and a new comparison tile 56 a appears on the right side.

[0065] When an operation to select multiple comparison tiles 56a as part of the comparison tiles 56a of multiple web pages is performed, the web pages of the selected multiple comparison tiles 56a are displayed side by side, vertically or horizontally, so that they can be viewed. For example, an upper portion 56b of the comparative viewing preparation screen 56 provides a drag space 56b for selecting the comparison tile 56a for comparative viewing. As shown in Figures 15(b) and (c), when a user selects one comparison tile 56a from the tile rows 56a, 56a, and moves the comparison tile 56a to the drag space 56b by a moving operation (drag, swipe, flick, etc.) of the comparison tile 56a, the comparison tile 56a remains in the drag space 56b.

[0066] When the number of comparison tiles 56a in the drag space 56b increases to two or more as a result of this movement operation (see FIG. 15(d)), performing a predetermined comparison operation causes each comparison tile 56a in the drag space 56b to expand and switch to a resource display screen 52, as shown in FIG. 15(e), and multiple resource display screens 52 are displayed simultaneously on the monitor. The multiple resource display screens 52 are displayed at approximately the same size without overlapping. When the client terminal 5 is displayed in portrait orientation, the resource display screens 52 are arranged vertically as shown in FIG. 15(e). When the client terminal 5 is displayed in landscape orientation, the resource display screens 52 are arranged horizontally as shown in FIG. 15(f). Viewing each resource display screen 52 makes it possible to compare the contents.

[0067] Next, when the horizontal expansion mode selection button 72 is pressed on the resource display screen 52 shown in Fig. 16(a), a search is executed to obtain categorized Internet information, and the resource display screen 52 is switched to a second search result display screen 58 shown in Fig. 16(d) via presentation screens (Figs. 16(b) and 16(c)) in which the resource display screen 52 gradually shrinks, etc. In the second search result display screen 58, the search results are arranged by category.

[0068] Specifically, the multiple categories displayed on the second search result display screen 58 are divided into a first group and a second group. The first group includes multiple (eight in this modified example) categories (e.g., clothing, food, housing, health, play, work, learning, and feeling). The second group includes multiple (four in this modified example) categories (e.g., lifestyle, economy, society, and nature). The categories belonging to the first group are arranged horizontally, including areas outside the monitor, relative to the display orientation of the monitor. The categories belonging to the second group are arranged vertically, including areas outside the monitor, relative to the display orientation of the monitor. Note that, in order to display the second search result display screen 58, each resource collected during crawling is tagged with one category from the first group and one category from the second group.

[0069] The second search result display screen 58 includes a category switching section 59 for switching between categories to be viewed within the first group. The category switching section 59 includes horizontally arranged buttons 59a, each displaying the title of a category belonging to the first group. Operating one of the buttons 59a allows a user to select a category from the first group to be displayed on the monitor. In the second group, a predetermined number of resources are arranged vertically for each of four categories, with resource groups consisting of a predetermined number of resources arranged in the order of lifestyle, economy, society, and nature. For example, if the predetermined number is 10, a group of 10 "lifestyle" resources, a group of 10 "economy" resources, a group of 10 "society" resources, and a group of 10 "nature" resources are arranged vertically. The user can scroll vertically to switch between categories to be displayed within the second group.

[0070] When transitioning to the second search result display screen 58, the tiled display sections 50 are arranged around the first and second groups of categories tagged with the resources on the resource display screen 52 (hereinafter referred to as the "operation screen") when the horizontal expansion mode selection button 72 is pressed. At this time, the tiled display section 50 representing the operation screen 52 is positioned near the center of the monitor. For example, if the resources on the operation screen 52 are tagged with the "clothing" category in the first group and the "nature" category in the second group, the tiled display sections 50 of the resources tagged with the "clothing" category are arranged on the monitor. Vertically, the tiled display sections 50 of the resource group tagged with "nature" are arranged around the operation screen 52. If the operation screen 52 is located at the edge of the resource group tagged with "nature," the tiled display sections 50 of the adjacent resource groups are also displayed.

[0071] Next, when the abstract-concrete mode selection button 73 is pressed on the resource display screen 52 shown in FIG. 17( a) (when the concrete-abstract mode is selected on the client terminal 5 while the web page is displayed in a viewable state on the client terminal 5), an abstract-concrete search is performed to obtain concrete information and small- to medium-sized information. The abstract-concrete search is configured to automatically acquire abstract words that are higher-level concepts of the target word and specific words that are lower-level concepts of the target word or abstract word, using a word related to the web page displayed in a viewable state as the target word, and to perform an abstract search using the abstract word and a specific search using the specific word. For example, in addition to a normal search using the input search word (the search word most recently entered by the user) used to arrive at the resource display screen 52 when the abstract-concrete mode selection button 73 is pressed, a normal search is performed using automatically acquired search words (abstract words, specific words) that are higher-level or lower-level concepts of the search word in the abstract-concrete direction. The automatically acquired search word may be one or more. If there are multiple words, a regular search is performed for each automatically acquired search word (abstract word, concrete word).

[0072] For example, a normal search is performed using the input search word, a first automatically acquired search word (two or more levels possible) as an abstract word that is a higher-level conceptualization of the input search word, and a second automatically acquired search word as a specific word that is a lower-level conceptualization of the higher-level conceptualization, thereby obtaining abstract search results and specific search results in stages. Note that in a search using each of multiple search words (hereinafter referred to as "used search words") consisting of the input search word and the automatically acquired search word, a serendipity search and a reflection search (or a reverse search) may be performed in addition to the normal search.

[0073] Furthermore, when the abstract-concrete mode selection button 73 is pressed, the resource display screen 52 may be analyzed from the context using artificial intelligence to generate a superordinate (or subordinate) conceptual word for the content, which may then be used as the automatically acquired search word. For example, if an article about automobiles is displayed on the resource display screen 52, "means of transportation" may be acquired as the automatically acquired search word.

[0074] In an abstract-specific search, the client terminal 5 displays the results of both the abstract search and the specific search in order of the search results using the most abstract search words (or the most specific search words). For example, in an abstract-specific search, search results using multiple used search words are collected and sorted in order according to the abstract-specific level of the used search words. Pressing the abstract-specific mode selection button 73 switches the display screen (FIGS. 17(b) and 17(c)) to the third search result display screen 60 shown in FIG. 17(d). The third search result display screen 60 displays search results using used search words with a high level of abstraction to search results using used search words with a high level of specificity in stages. The third search result display screen 60 displays a collection 61 of tiled display sections 50 displaying information on resources that are search results using multiple used search words. In the collection 61, the multiple tiled display sections 50 are sorted in order according to the abstract-specific level of the used search words. For example, in the collection 61, search results using search words with a higher degree of abstraction are arranged toward the back, and search results using search words with a higher degree of specificity are arranged toward the front.

[0075] When the user selects one tiled display section 50, the tiled display section 50 switches to a resource display screen 52. By scrolling the screen vertically, the contents of the resource display screen 52 can be viewed, and by scrolling the screen horizontally, the tiled display section 50 located next to the abstract-concrete section in the collection 61 switches to the resource display screen 52. The user can browse the abstract or concrete search results by navigating the information in the collection 61.

[0076] Next, when the site information display mode selection button 74 is pressed on the resource display screen 52 shown in Fig. 18(a), the display switches via the presentation screen shown in Fig. 18(b) to the site information display screen 62 shown in Fig. 18(c). The site information display screen 62 displays site information about the resource display screen 52 when the site information display mode selection button 74 is pressed, such as the URL, SSL certificate, domain classification (public site or private site, etc.), page title, page summary, publication date, and viewing warning level (whether the site is dangerous, etc.).

[0077] This variant provides a comparison mode, a horizontal expansion mode, and a concrete-abstract mode as modes useful for scrutinizing information. The comparison mode allows users to identify similarities and differences in search results and scrutinize the information. The horizontal expansion mode allows users to understand the search target from multiple perspectives and broaden their horizons of application. The concrete-abstract mode allows users to understand the structure and relationships of things and discover their essence. Furthermore, by conducting an as unbiased search, users can obtain flat information that avoids filter bubbles and personalization. Furthermore, reflection search allows users to obtain objective information that promotes introspective and deliberate thinking about information. Furthermore, serendipity search allows users to obtain information derived from randomness and analogy, which reproduces surprising and unexpected information.

[0078] Other Embodiments In the above-described embodiment, two types of different aspect searches (serendipity search and inverse search) are performed, but either one of the searches may be performed together with the normal search.

[0079] In the above-described embodiment, the search result display screen 22 may be configured such that the screen area is divided horizontally or vertically into three divided areas, and three types of search results are displayed in the three divided areas. In this case, the three types of search results may be scrolled simultaneously or individually.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the results of the serendipity search may also be arranged in the virtual area shown in FIG. 6 in the order according to the ranking determined by the search in the scroll direction based on the list information described above.

[0081] In the above-described embodiment, in the process of accepting search words from the client terminal 5, search words entered into the input screen 21 are accepted, but the search system and the client program may also be configured to accept search words issued by the user of the client terminal 5.

[0082] The present invention is applicable to search systems and the like used to search for information on the Internet.

[0083] 5 Client terminal 6 Internet 10 Search system 11 Server device 21 Input screen 22 Search result display screen 23 Narrowed view screen 24 Positioning map

Claims

1. A search system which receives search words from a client terminal, and when the search words received by the client terminal reach a server device connected to the client terminal via the Internet, a search engine operating on the server device performs a search, and when the results of the search by the search engine reach the client terminal, causes the client terminal to display a search result display screen for displaying the results of the search, wherein the search engine is configured to perform at least a normal search which searches for related information related to the search word, and a different-aspect search which searches for different-aspect information related to a different word derived from the search word and having a different meaning from the search word, and wherein the search result display screen simultaneously displays the results of the normal search and the results of the different-aspect search.

2. The search system of claim 1, wherein the other-side search is a serendipity search that uses coincidence search words obtained based on related words related to the search word as the other words to search for serendipity information that the user of the client terminal perceives as coincidence, and the search engine is configured to, in addition to the normal search and the serendipity search, perform an objective information search that uses the search word to search at least two or more databases selected from a semantic dictionary database, a thesis database, a book database, and a newspaper article database, and the search result display screen simultaneously displays the results of the normal search, the results of the serendipity search, and the results of the objective information search.

3. The search result display screen displays information on a plurality of web pages as each of the search results of the normal search and the separate aspect search, and when an operation is performed on the client terminal to select one of the plurality of web pages, the selected web page is displayed so as to be viewable, when an operation is performed on the client terminal to select a comparison mode, icons of the plurality of web pages viewed on the client terminal are displayed arranged in a predetermined order, and when an operation is performed to select the plurality of icons as part of the icons of the plurality of web pages, the web pages of the selected plurality of icons are displayed arranged vertically or horizontally so as to be viewable. The search system described in claim 1.

4. The search result display screen displays information on a plurality of web pages as each of the search results of the normal search and the separate-side search, and when an operation to select one of the plurality of web pages is performed on the client terminal, the selected web page is displayed in a viewable manner, and when an operation to select a concrete-abstract mode is performed on the client terminal while the web page is displayed in a viewable manner on the client terminal, the search system is configured to automatically obtain abstract words that are superordinate concepts of the target words and concrete words that are subordinate concepts of the target words or the abstract words, using words related to the web page displayed in a viewable manner as target words, and to perform an abstract search using the abstract words and a concrete search using the concrete words, and the search results of the abstract search and the search results of the concrete search are displayed on the client terminal in order of search results using search words with the most abstract level.

5. A search system as described in claim 2, wherein the search result display screen displays identification information that allows the user of the client terminal to distinguish between the results of the normal search, the results of the serendipity search, and the results of the objective information search.

6. A search system as described in claim 2, wherein, when a scroll operation is performed on the search result display screen, the results of the normal search, the results of the serendipity search, and the results of the objective information search are scrolled simultaneously.

7. The search result display screen allows a selection operation to narrow down and view one type of search result from multiple types of search results including the results of the normal search, the results of the serendipity search, and the results of the objective information search, and when the selection operation is performed, a narrowed-down viewing screen that displays only the one type of search result selected by the selection operation from among the multiple types of search results is displayed on the client terminal. The search system described in claim 2.

8. A search program that realizes a search engine in a server device connected to a client terminal via the Internet, the search program causing a computer of the server device to execute, when a search word is received from the client terminal, at least the following steps as the operation of the search engine: a normal search that searches for related information related to the search word, and an alternative aspect search that searches for alternative aspect information related to another word that is derived from the search word and has a different meaning from the search word; and a step of transmitting information including the results of the normal search and the alternative aspect search to the client terminal to which the search word was sent.

9. A client program that enables a client terminal connected via the Internet to a server device on which a search engine is operating to view the results of a search made by the search engine, the client program executing the following steps on a computer of the client terminal: sending a search word received from a user of the client terminal to the server device; and, when information including the results of the normal search and the results of the different-side search arrives at the client terminal from a server device on which a search engine is operating that performs at least a normal search to search for related information related to the search word and an alternative-side search to search for alternative information related to another word derived from the search word and having a different meaning from the search word, transitioning the monitor display of the client terminal to a search result display screen that simultaneously displays the results of the normal search and the results of the different-side search.

Images