User-specific search over protected contextual data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9330166-B2
Application number	US-201314077931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2013
Priority date	Nov 12, 2013
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for facilitating a display of search results. A search query is received from a user having a predetermined access level. A search is executed based on the search query and, based on the executed search, initial search results are produced. Sensitive information is redacted from the initial search results, based on the predetermined access level. The redacted search results are filtered and re-ordered to forestall an inference of the redacted sensitive information. The filtered and re-ordered search results are displayed to a user. Other variants and embodiments are broadly contemplated herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of facilitating a display of search results, said method comprising:
utilizing at least one processor to execute computer code configured to perform the steps of:
receiving a search query from a user having a predetermined access level;
executing a search based on the search query;
producing initial search results based on the executed search;
redacting sensitive information from the initial search results based on the predetermined access level;
filtering and re-ordering the redacted search results to forestall an inference of the redacted sensitive information; and
displaying to a user the filtered and re-ordered search results.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises re-ranking the redacted search results relative to a base search algorithm associated with said executing.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises constructing a binary logic formula corresponding to the search query.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein:
the search query comprises at least one search term;
said constructing comprising representing each of the least one search term as a boolean literal.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:
the initial search results comprise at least one document; and
the redacted search results comprise at least one redacted document corresponding to at least one document from the initial search results.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said redacting comprises identifying at least one keyword for redaction from the search query, and redacting the at least one keyword from at least one document of the initial search results.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises setting a boolean literal of a search term to true if the search term is present in at least one document of the initial search results, else setting the boolean literal to false.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises setting a boolean literal of a search term from the search query to false if the search term is redacted from the initial search results.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises:
evaluating the binary logic formula; and
adding a redacted document to the redacted search results if the binary logic formula evaluates to true.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises hiding the redacted document from the redacted search results if the binary logic formula evaluates to false.

11. An apparatus for facilitating a display of search results, said apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith and executable by the at least one processor, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code configured to receive a search query from a user having a predetermined access level;
computer readable program code configured to execute a search based on the search query;
computer readable program code configured to produce initial search results based on the executed search;
computer readable program code configured to redact sensitive information from the initial search results based on the predetermined access level;
computer readable program code configured to filter and re-order the redacted search results to forestall an inference of the redacted sensitive information; and
computer readable program code configured to display to a user the filtered and re-ordered search results.

12. A computer program product for facilitating a display of search results, said computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code configured to receive a search query from a user having a predetermined access level;
computer readable program code configured to execute a search based on the search query;
computer readable program code configured to produce initial search results based on the executed search;
computer readable program code configured to redact sensitive information from the initial search results based on the predetermined access level;
computer readable program code configured to filter and re-order the redacted search results to forestall an inference of the redacted sensitive information; and
computer readable program code configured to display to a user the filtered and re-ordered search results.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises re-ranking the redacted search results relative to a base search algorithm associated with said executing.

14. The computer program product according to claim 12 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises constructing a binary logic formula corresponding to the search query.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14 , wherein:
the search query comprises at least one search term;
said constructing comprising representing each of the least one search term as a boolean literal.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein:
the initial search results comprise at least one document; and
the redacted search results comprise at least one redacted document, corresponding to at least one document from the initial search results.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16 , wherein said redacting comprises identifying at least one keyword for redaction from the search query, and redacting the at least one keyword from at least one document of the initial search results.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises setting a boolean literal of a search term to true if the search term is present in at least one document of the initial search results, else setting the boolean literal to false.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18 , wherein said filtering and re-ordering comprises setting a boolean literal of a search term from the search query to false if the search term is redacted from the initial search results.

20. A method comprising:
receiving a search query from a user with a given access level;
executing a search based on the search query;
producing search results which omit information relative to the user's access level and which re-order the search results to forestall inference of missing information;
said producing comprising:
identifying at least one keyword for redaction from the search query, and redacting the at least one keyword from at least one document of the search results; and
setting a boolean literal of a search term to true if the search term is present in at least one document of the search results, else setting the boolean literal to false.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Deshpande Prasad M
• Joshi Salil R
• Mohania Mukesh Kumar

Classifications

• G06F21/6245

  Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes · CPC title

• G06F21/6218

  to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database · CPC title

• G06F17/30699 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F21/6209

  to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself · CPC title

• G06F17/30554

  Physics · mapped topic