Unified Interface for Multi-Store Document Search
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in locating and managing documents stored across multiple cloud repositories and email accounts due to the lack of integrated search functionality across different data stores, leading to inefficiencies in finding the correct version of a document.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that group and rank query results from multiple data stores by generating data store-specific queries, receiving file identifiers and metadata, and displaying the most relevant files at a unified interface, allowing users to easily identify the correct document version.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If users separately search each cloud repository to find documents, then the search coverage is comprehensive, but the time required to locate documents increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cloud repository search indexes into a unified search interface. The system automatically queries multiple data stores (OneDrive, Google Drive, AWS, email accounts) simultaneously and presents consolidated results, eliminating the need for users to manually search each repository separately while maintaining comprehensive search coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The search system is designed to work universally across multiple different cloud repository types and data stores. A single search interface can query diverse repositories (file storage services, email accounts, cloud drives) using a unified approach, making the system adaptable to various data storage environments without requiring separate search mechanisms for each.
2Measurement precision
If users access underlying file content to identify duplicates across repositories, then duplicate detection accuracy is improved, but data security restrictions are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary metadata elements (file names, timestamps, sizes, hashes) from the data stores without accessing the actual file content. This extraction approach enables duplicate detection through metadata comparison while respecting data security restrictions that prevent direct content access across repositories.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses metadata as an intermediary to perform duplicate detection without directly comparing file contents. By using metadata (particularly file hashes and timestamps) as a mediator, the system can identify duplicates across repositories while maintaining data security boundaries and avoiding unauthorized content access.
3Measurement precision
If users review all query results to identify relevant documents, then the relevance assessment is thorough, but the complexity of the task increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically ranking and grouping search results before presenting them to users. Results are pre-organized by relevance, data store source, and potential duplicates, so users don't need to manually review and assess all results. This preliminary processing reduces task complexity while maintaining thorough relevance assessment through automated sorting and filtering.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods directed to grouping and displaying query results from multiple data stores are described. More specifically, a plurality of data stores to search utilizing a received keyword may be determined, where each data store includes a different search index. A data store specific query for each data store is generated such that results from each data store are received based on the respective data store specific query, where results from each data store include a plurality of file identifiers identifying files located at the respective data store that are relevant to the keyword. In addition results from each data store are grouped into a plurality of groups based on metadata associated with each file identifier of the plurality of file identifiers. The plurality of groups are ranked based on a relevancy associated with each group and information associated with a ranked group is displayed at a user interface.