Knowledge Archival and Recollection Systems and Methods

Abstract

A method of extracting knowledge comprising: initiating a search application; displaying a user search interface; receiving input parameters via the search interface; identifying a query type based on received input parameters; formulating a database query based on the received input parameters; transmitting the database query to a database, the database being in communication with a file archive indexer for indexing a file archive for storing files and data regarding the files; obtaining database query results from the database, the database storing the user activity data and actual content accessed by the user; providing database query results to a result analyzer module; and displaying search result analyzer module results to a user.

1 . A computer implemented knowledge archival and recollection system accessible by at least one user for gathering, saving and presenting user activity data, said system comprising:
 a computer being used by said at least one user;   a database server in communication with said computer;   a file archive in communication with said database server for storing files and data regarding said files;   a file archive indexer in communication with said database server for indexing said file archive, said file archive indexer includes a front-end indexer and a background indexer;   a reporting means in communication with said computer for preparing reports regarding user activity;   a searching means in communication with said computer for conducting a search of data available on at least one of said computer, said database server and said file archive;   a data acquisition means in communication with said database server and said file archive, wherein said data acquisition means gathers said user activity data and stores said user activity data on said database server and gathers actual content accessed by said at least one user and transmits said files to said file archive for retrieval by each said at least one user;   wherein said file archive is in communication with said database server, said file archive indexer, and said data acquisition means; and   a data presentation means in communication with said report means and said search means;   wherein said data presentation means displays at least one of file modifications, report results and search results to said at least one user;   wherein said reporting means is in communication with at least one of said database server, said data presentation means, said searching means and said file archive,   wherein said searching means is in communication with at least one of said database server, said file archive indexer, said data presentation means, said reporting means and said file archive,   wherein said file archive indexer is in communication with said file archive, said database server, said reporting means and said searching means,   wherein said data presentation means presents at least one of said user activity data and said at least one file enhancement associated with a network address and a file received from said database server and said file archive to said at least one user,   wherein said user activity data includes data of activity of said user on said computer including said user is accessing online data, being provided to said computer from a network, and offline data, being locally available on said computer,   wherein said offline data includes files stored locally on said computer, and   wherein said user activity data includes operations performed on said offline data;   wherein said searching means searches the file archive for any said file enhancement associated with a network address and a file and displays the file enhancements transparently over the at least one file in a network browser window;   wherein said reporting means receives at least one input parameter including at least one of keyword, date range, said user activity, said file enhancement associated with a network address and a file, criteria and graph options from said at least one user at an input interface of said computer, and generates a customizable user activity report based on at least one of said input parameter and said user activity data; and   presents said report to said at least one user on said computer.   
     
     
         2 . The system as in  claims 1 , wherein said network browser may be an intranet browser, internet browser. 
     
     
         3 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said data acquisition means includes a toolbar plug-in embedded in a network browser of said computer;
 wherein said toolbar plug-in collects at least one file enhancement, associates said file enhancement with a file being currently accessed by said at least one user in said network browser and transmits said at least one file enhancement to said database server, wherein said at least one file enhancement includes at least one of an annotation and a file insertion;   wherein said toolbar plug-in is selected from the group consisting of visible plug-in and invisible plug-in.   
     
     
         4 . The system as in  claims 1 , wherein said system has a configuration and said configuration is selected from the group consisting of standalone, distributed over a network, and distributed over the world-wide-web. 
     
     
         5 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said data presentation means is selected from the group consisting of standalone application, embedded in said network browser window. 
     
     
         6 . The system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a timing means, wherein said timing means records the start time and stop time for an activity within an application. 
     
     
         7 . The system as in  claim 1 , further comprising an automatic billing means in communication with said reporting means, and database server. 
     
     
         8 . The system as in  claim 7 , further comprising a timing means, wherein said billing means is in communication with said database server, and creates bills according to information stored on said database server from said timing means. 
     
     
         8 . The system as in  claim 7 , wherein said billing means is in communication with said database server via a database connectivity means. 
     
     
         9 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said data acquisition means is a standalone module residing on said at least one user's computer. 
     
     
         10 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said network browser plug-in is selected from the group consisting of visible plug-in, invisible plug-in and in built plug-in. 
     
     
         11 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said network browser plug-in transmits files accessed by said at least one users network browser to said file archive using a file transfer connection and said file transfer connection is selected from the group consisting of network drive map, secure FTP, HTTP and IP-based connection. 
     
     
         12 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said network browser plug-in transmits user activity data gathered from said at least one users network browser to said database server using a database connection protocol, and said database connection protocol is selected from the group consisting of ODBC, JDBC, HTTP/PHP. 
     
     
         13 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said network browser plug-in transmits data gathered from said at least one users network browser to said database server via a database connectivity means using a database connection protocol, wherein said database connection protocol is selected from the group consisting of ODBC, JDBC and HTTP/PHP. 
     
     
         14 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said user activity data is selected from the group consisting of user activity information, system information and environment information. 
     
     
         15 . The system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a messenger monitoring means in communication with said database server using a database connection protocol, and said file archive, wherein said messenger monitoring means tracks user activity in a messenger application. 
     
     
         16 . The system as in  claim 1 , further comprising a database connectivity means in communication with said data acquisition means, said file archive, said database server, said reporting means, and said searching means, wherein said database connectivity means acts as communication gateway to the database server, wherein said database connectivity means is in communication with at least one of a timing means, a billing means and a messenger monitor means. 
     
     
         17 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said front-end indexer is in communication with said searching means and said reporting means, and said background indexer is in communication with said file archive and said front-end indexer. 
     
     
         18 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said searching means module is comprised of a user search interface, a search engine, a result analyzer and a click-stream visualization means. 
     
     
         19 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said front-end indexer processes queries and said background indexer generates and updates indexes. 
     
     
         20 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein said reporting means is a reporting module, said searching means is a search module, said data acquisition means is a data acquisition module, said data presentation means is a data presentation module, said messenger monitoring means is a messenger monitor module, said timing means is a timing module and said click-stream visualization means is a click-stream visualization module.