Apparatus and method for extracting and sharing information

Abstract

A message exchange unit receives and distributes a message in a community in which a plurality of users participates. A message memory stores the message received by the message exchange unit. An extraction rule memory stores an extraction rule applicable for the message. The extraction rule includes an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format. An information extraction unit extracts information from the message stored in the message memory by referring to the extraction rule. An extraction result memory stores extraction result information by the information extraction unit. An extraction result editing unit edits the extraction result information stored in the extraction result memory. A message generation unit generates another message representing editing of the extraction result information.

1 . An apparatus for extracting and sharing information, comprising: 
 a message exchange unit configured to receive a first message from one of a plurality of users and distribute the first message to a community in which the plurality of users participate;    a message memory configured to store the first message received by said message exchange unit;    an extraction rule memory configured to store an extraction rule including an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format, the extraction pattern being used for extracting an information from the first message, the display format being used for displaying an extraction result of each extraction pattern;    an information extraction unit configured to extract an information from the first message stored in the message memory by restricting a range of the first message with the extraction target and by matching the first message with the extraction pattern;    an extraction result memory configured to store an extraction result information by the information extraction unit;    an extraction result editing unit configured to display the extraction result information by applying the display format, and to edit the extraction result information; and    a message generation unit configured to generate a second message representing editing of the extraction result information;    wherein, when the message generation unit generates the second message, the message memory stores the second message as a reply of the first message, and    the message exchange unit sends the second message to the one of the plurality of users.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , 
 further comprising an extraction rule editing unit configured to edit the extraction rule stored in the extraction rule memory.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , 
 when the extraction rule editing unit creates a new extraction rule,    wherein the extraction rule editing unit selects one of a plurality of extraction rules each corresponding to a predetermined set value.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  or  3 , 
 wherein the extraction rule editing unit transfers or copies the extraction rule managed by a first community to a second community.    
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 2  or  3 , 
 wherein the extraction rule editing unit generates a new extraction rule by unifying a plurality of extraction rules.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to any of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3 , 
 further comprising a community information display configured to present an information of the community to the plurality of users;    when the community information display presents a third message as an applicable object of the extraction rule in the community,    wherein the community information display presents a list of extraction rules applied to the third message.    
   
   
       7 . A method for extracting and sharing information, comprising: 
 receiving a first message from one of a plurality of users in a community in which the plurality of users participate;    storing the first message received in a message memory;    extracting an information from the first message stored in the message memory by referring to an extraction rule, the extraction rule including an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format, the extraction pattern being used for matching with the first message, the extraction target being used for restricting a range of the first message, the display format being used for displaying an extraction result of each extraction pattern;    storing an extraction result information from the first message in an extraction result memory;    displaying the extraction result information by applying the display format;    editing the extraction result information;    generating a second message representing editing of the extraction result information;    storing the second message as a reply of the first message in the message memory; and    sending the second message to the one of the plurality of users.    
   
   
       8 . A computer program product, comprising: 
 a computer readable program code embodied in the product for causing a computer to extract and share information, the computer readable program code having:    a first program code to receive a first message from one of a plurality of users in a community in which the plurality of users participate;    a second program code to store the first message received in a message memory;    a third program code to extract an information from the first message stored in the message memory by referring to an extraction rule, the extraction rule including an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format, the extraction pattern being used for matching with the first message, the extraction target being used for restricting a range of the first message, the display format being used for displaying an extraction result of each extraction pattern;    a fourth program code to store an extraction result information from the first message in an extraction result memory;    a fifth program code to display the extraction result information by applying the display format;    a sixth program code to edit the extraction result information;    a seventh program code to generate a second message representing editing of the extraction result information;    an eighth program code to store the second message as a reply of the first message in the message memory; and    a ninth program code to send the second message to the one of the plurality of users.