Document search system which reflects the situation of using documents in the search results

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9298710-B2
Application number	US-201414258301-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2014
Priority date	Dec 30, 2008
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

A document search system includes a plurality of computers in a network having a router, and an email software program on each of the computers. A database stores attachment files and email documents. A search program on at least one of the computers initiating storage of email documents and attachment files. A mail journal database stores email data extracted by the search program from the email. A message identification (ID) identifying the email document, and the ID being generated by the search program and associating an email document with corresponding email data, and the ID associating the email document with an attachment file when an attachment file is sent. A file loader replacing an attachment file with a file link and storing the attachment file in the database. The file link provides access to the attachment file in the database.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A document search system, comprising:
a computer network including a plurality of computers;
an email software program stored on computer readable medium on each of the computers and being executed by a processor in the computer;
a router communicating with the computer network for routing email from the email software program in the computer network;
a database for storing attachment files and email documents;
a search program being stored on computer readable medium on at least one of the computers and being executed by a processor in the computer, the search program initiating storage of email documents and attachment files,
a mail journal database for storing email data extracted by the search program from the email;
a message identification (ID) identifying the email document, the ID being generated by the search program and associating an email document with corresponding email data, and the ID associating the email document with an attachment file when an attachment file is sent; and
a file loader being part of the search program, the file loader replacing an attachment file with a file link and storing the attachment file in the database, the file link providing access to the attachment file in the database,
wherein said search program provides a user with search request entry fields including: a document search field having two search fields for searching the email documents and e-mail data therein and the attachment files in the database, and a background field of search for searching in a background of the stored email documents and the attachment files in the database using the search request,
wherein responsive to user entries in said document search field, said search program configured to search the email data, the emails associated with the document search being viewable by a user, and
responsive to user entries in said background search field, said search program configured to search the email data in the background of the stored email documents and the attachment files in the database and in the database mail journal, the emails associated with the background field of search being hidden from the user.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first database for email documents, a second database for file attachments, and the mail journal database being a third database.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein message IDs are stored in the first and second databases, and the third database stores email data.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein email data includes email header information.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein email data further includes a time the email was sent and a time the email was received in the database.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein an email document and/or attachment file is designated as confidential.

7. A method of searching documents, comprising:
sending emails using an email software program stored on computer readable medium on each of the computers and being executed by a processor in the computer, the emails being sent using a computer network including a plurality of computers;
routing emails for delivery being sent over the computer network using the email software program;
initiating storage of email documents and attachment files using a search program being stored on computer readable medium on at least one of the computers and being executed by a processor in the computer;
storing attachment files in a database and email documents;
storing email data extracted by the search program from the email to a mail journal database;
generating a message identification (ID) for each email using the search program;
identifying the email document using the message identification;
associating an email document with corresponding email data using the ID, and associating the email document with an attachment file when an attachment file is sent using the ID;
replacing an attachment file with a file link and storing the attachment file in the database using a file loader being part of the search program; and
providing access to the attachment file in the database using the file link,
wherein said search program provides a user with search request entry fields including: a document search field having two search fields for searching the email documents and e-mail data therein, and the attachment files in the database, and a background field of search for searching in a background of the stored email documents and the attachment files in the database using the search request,
wherein responsive to user entries in said document search field, said search program configured to search the email data, the emails associated with the document search being viewable by a user, and responsive to user entries in said background search field, said search program configured to search the email data in the background of the stored email documents and the attachment files in the database and in the database mail journal, the emails associated with the background field of search being hidden from the user.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
storing the message IDs in a first and second databases, and storing the email data in a third database.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
designating an email document and/or attachment file as confidential.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein email data includes email header information.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein email data further includes a time the email was sent and a time the email was received in the database.

12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program being executed by a processor for searching documents, the computer program performing the steps of:
sending emails using an email software program stored on computer readable medium on each of the computers and being executed by a processor in the computer, the emails being sent using a computer network including a plurality of computers;
routing emails for delivery being sent over the computer network using the email software program;
initiating storage of email documents and attachment files using a search program being stored on computer readable medium on at least one of the computers and being executed by a processor in the computer;
storing attachment files in a database and email documents;
storing email data extracted by the search program from the email to a mail journal database;
generating a message identification (ID) for each email using the search program;
identifying the email document using the message identification;
associating an email document with corresponding email data using the ID, and associating the email document with an attachment file when an attachment file is sent using the ID;
replacing an attachment file with a file link and storing the attachment file in the database using a file loader being part of the search program; and
providing access to the attachment file in the database using the file link,
wherein said search program provides a user with search request entry fields including: a document search field having two search fields for searching the email documents and e-mail data therein, and the attachment files in the database, and a background field of search for searching in a background of the stored email documents and the attachment files in the database using the search request,
wherein responsive to user entries in said document search field, said search program configured to search the email data, the emails associated with the document search being viewable by a user, and responsive to user entries in said background search

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kanamori Masaoki

Classifications

• G06Q10/107 Primary

  Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] · CPC title

• G06F16/93 Primary

  Document management systems · CPC title

• G06F17/30011 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic