Document information search apparatus and method and recording medium storing document information search program therein

Abstract

An apparatus for searching document information in response to a search request from a client is disclosed. When a document file is designated as a search condition by a search condition designating unit of the client, the unit causes contents of the designated file to be transmitted via a network. A document search unit of a search machine forms a keyword based on the file contents transmitted from the search condition designating unit, and searches similar documents from an index or selection of important words extracted from search target documents provided in a search database.

1 - 9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . A document information search apparatus comprising: 
 a database in which index information describing a list of important words extracted from search target documents has been stored every document;    a text extraction processing unit which extracts a text document from contents of a file received in response to a search request from a network in which a document file has been designated as a search condition;    a morpheme analyzing unit which extracts nouns by a morpheme analysis of said text document;    a keyword forming unit which extracts important words from said nouns and forms a keyword in which said important words are coupled by OR; and    a search executing unit which searches similar documents by searching said database by said keyword and notifies a requesting source of a search result.    
   
   
       11 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said keyword forming unit counts the number of times of appearance showing in which documents in the index of each of the search documents stored in said document database each of said nouns appears, selects a predetermined number of upper words each having the number of times of appearance in a predetermined range, and forms the keyword.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein property information extracted from the search target documents is stored in said database together with the index information, said keyword forming unit allows said property information extracted from the file received in response to the search request to be included in said keyword, thereby allowing the similar documents to be searched.  
   
   
       13 . A document information search method of searching document information on the basis of a search request transmitted via a network and responding, comprising the steps of: 
 storing index information describing a list of important words extracted from search target documents every document into a database;    in the case where a file is designated as a search condition on a search requesting source, transmitting contents of the designated file to a server together with the search request through the network; and    on a search side, extracting a text document from the file contents received in response to the search request, extracting nouns by a morpheme analysis of said text document, extracting important words from said nouns, forming a keyword in which said important words are coupled by OR, searching similar documents by searching said database by said keyword, and responding a search result.    
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein as a formation of said keyword, the number of times of appearance showing in which documents in the index of each of the documents stored in said database each of said nouns appears is counted, a predetermined number of upper words each having the number of times of appearance in a predetermined range are selected, and the keyword is formed.  
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein property information extracted from the file received in response to the search request is included in said keyword and the similar documents are searched.  
   
   
       16 - 18 . (canceled)