Indexing and searching documents with restricted portions

Abstract

One or more computer devices may receive a document from private content that is accessible by a set of users, and may extract metadata from the document. The metadata may provide information relating to one or more aspects of the document. The one or more computer devices may determine, based on the metadata, whether a portion of the document includes information that is only to be accessible by a particular user from the set of users, and may append a restrict indicator to the metadata when the portion of the document includes information that is only to be accessible by the particular user. The restrict indicator may identify the particular user and the portion of the document. The one or more computer devices may store the metadata and the restrict indicator in a personal search index.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more computer devices, a document from private content,
 the private content being accessible by a set of users; 
   extracting, by the one or more computer devices, metadata from the document,
 the metadata providing information relating to one or more aspects of the document; 
   determining, by one or more computer devices and based on the metadata, whether a portion of the document includes information that is only to be accessible by a particular user from the set of users;   appending, by the one or more computer devices, a restrict indicator to the metadata when the portion of the document includes information that is only to be accessible by the particular user,
 the restrict indicator identifying the particular user and the portion of the document; and 
   storing, by the one or more computer devices, the metadata and the restrict indicator in a personal search index.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing only metadata in the personal search index for a second document that is accessible to the set of users.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a search query from the particular user,   adding a restriction to the search query based on information associated with the particular user; and   identifying search results, based on the search query and the restriction, from the personal search index,
 the search results including information identifying the document. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 comparing the restriction and the restrict indicator; and   identifying, from the personal search index, the document in the search results based on the comparing.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 scoring the search results; and   providing the scored search results to the particular user.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of a particular scored search result of the scored search results,
 the particular scored search result being associated with the document; and 
   providing the document and the portion of the document to the particular user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of a particular scored search result of the scored search results,
 the particular scored search result being associated with a second document that includes a restricted portion that is not accessible by the particular user, and 
   providing the second document, without the restricted portion, to the particular user.   
     
     
         8 . A device comprising:
 one or more processors to:
 receive a document from private content,
 the private content being accessible by a set of users, 
 
 extract metadata from the document,
 the metadata providing information relating to one or more aspects of the document, 
 
 determine, based on the metadata, whether a portion of the document includes information that is only to be accessible by a particular user from the set of users, 
 append a restrict indicator to the metadata when the portion of the document includes information that is only to be accessible by the particular user,
 the restrict indicator identifying the particular user and the portion of the document, and 
 
 store the metadata and the restrict indicator in a personal search index. 
   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 store only metadata in the personal search index for a second document that is accessible to the set of users.   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 receive a search query from the particular user,   add a restriction to the search query based on information associated with the particular user, and   identify search results, based on the search query and the restriction, from the personal search index,
 the search results including information identifying the document. 
   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 compare the restriction and the restrict indicator, and   identify, from the personal search index, the document in the search results based on the comparing.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 score the search results, and   provide the scored search results to the particular user.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 receive a selection of a particular scored search result of the scored search results,
 the particular scored search result being associated with the document, and 
   provide the document and the portion of the document to the particular user.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 receive a selection of a particular scored search result of the scored search results,
 the particular scored search result being associated with a second document that includes a restricted portion that is not accessible by the particular user, and 
   provide the second document, without the restricted portion, to the particular user.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the processor to:
 receive a document from private content,
 the private content being accessible by a set of users, 
 
 extract metadata from the document,
 the metadata providing information relating to one or more aspects of the document, 
 
 determine, based on the metadata, whether a portion of the document includes information that is only to be accessible by a particular user from the set of users, 
 append a restrict indicator to the metadata when the portion of the document includes information that is only to be accessible by the particular user,
 the restrict indicator identifying the particular user and the portion of the document, and 
 
 store the metadata and the restrict indicator in a personal search index. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 store only metadata in the personal search index for a second document that is accessible to the set of users. 
   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a search query from the particular user, 
 add a restriction to the search query based on information associated with the particular user, and 
 identify search results, based on the search query and the restriction, from the personal search index,
 the search results including information identifying the document. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 compare the restriction and the restrict indicator, and 
 identify, from the personal search index, the document in the search results based on the comparing. 
   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 score the search results, and 
 provide the scored search results to the particular user. 
   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a selection of a particular scored search result of the scored search results,
 the particular scored search result being associated with the document, and 
 
 provide the document and the portion of the document to the particular user.