PatentFIZZ™

1. A research system for computerized searching of textual objects, wherein the textual objects are stored in a database, comprising:

a computer processor for processing commands and manipulating the textual objects stored in the database;

a means, coupled to the computer processor, for entering the commands to be processed by the computer processor;

a means for indexing the textual objects using the computer processor and the entered commands comprising:

a means for creating vectors representing the textual objects wherein the vectors are created using non-semantical relationships that exist among or between the textual objects;

a means for searching the indexed textual objects using the vectors to obtain a pool of textual objects comprising a means for vector searching of the indexed textual objects using the vectors;

a graphical user interface means for converting the pool of textual objects into a graphical view comprising:

a means for forming a box to graphically represent one or more of the textual objects in the pool; and

a display, operably coupled to the graphical user interface means, for showing the graphical view including any of the boxes formed.

2. The research system of claim 1 wherein the means for searching the indexed textual objects further comprises:

means for receiving processed commands from the computer processor which identify a pool of textual objects;

means for locating textual objects similar to those textual objects in the pool; and

means for ranking the importance of the textual objects in the pool.

3. The research system of claim 1 wherein the means for searching the indexed textual objects further comprises:

means for creating a vector representing a paradigm textual object.

4. The research system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface means further comprises:

means for selecting one of the boxes;

means for displaying further information on the selected box;

zoom-in means for enlarging the size of a portion of the graphical view; and

zoom-out means for decreasing the size of a portion of the graphical view.

5. The research system of claim 1 wherein the textual objects contain core words, the means for entering commands comprises a keyboard, and wherein the means for indexing further comprises:

a means for generating a boolean word index of the core words found in the textual objects; and

wherein the means for searching uses both pattern vectors and the boolean word index and further comprises:

a means for performing boolean word searches of the textual objects using the boolean word index.

6. The research system of claim 1 wherein a textual object may be selected using the means for entering the commands and wherein the means for searching the indexed textual objects further comprises:

means for receiving the identity of a selected textual object;

cases-after means for identifying textual objects that refer to the selected textual object; and

cases-in means for identifying textual objects to which the selected textual object refers.

7. The research system of claim 1 wherein a pool of textual objects may be selected using the means for entering the commands and wherein the means for searching the indexed textual objects further comprises:

means for receiving the identity of the selected pool of textual objects;

pool-similarity means for identifying a similar pool of textual objects wherein the objects in the similar pool are similar to the objects in the selected pool; and

pool-importance means to identify an important pool of textual objects wherein the objects in the important pool are important in relation to the objects in the selected pool.

8. The research system of claim 1 wherein the means for creating vectors representing the textual objects further comprises:

extractor means for creating an initial numerical representation of each textual object wherein the initial numerical representations are based on direct non-semantical relationships between the textual objects;

patterner means for analyzing the initial numerical representations of each textual object to find relationships that exist between or among the textual objects comprising:

means for calculating a pattern vector representation for each textual object.

9. The research system of claim 8 wherein the means for creating vectors representing the textual objects further comprises:

weaver means for generating proximity vectors based upon the pattern vector representations for each object.

10. The research system of claim 9 wherein the weaver means for generating proximity vectors comprises:

a means for calculating euclidean distances between pattern vectors.

11. The research system of claim 9 wherein the means for creating vectors further comprises:

means for calculating similarity vectors representing the similarity between textual objects using the proximity vectors.

12. A legal research system for computerized searching of textual objects containing core words, wherein the textual objects are stored in a database, comprising:

a computer processor for processing commands and manipulating the textual objects stored in the database;

a keyboard means, coupled to the computer processor, for entering the commands to be processed by the computer processor;

a means for indexing the textual objects using the computer processor and the entered commands comprising;

a means for creating vectors representing the textual objects; and

a means for generating a boolean word index of the core words found in the textual objects;

a means for searching the indexed textual objects using the vectors and the boolean word index to obtain a pool of textual objects comprising;

a means for performing boolean word searches using the boolean word index: and

a means for vector searching of the indexed textual objects using

the vectors, comprising:

means for receiving processed commands from the computer processor which identify a selected textual object;

cases-after means for identifying textual objects that refer to the selected textual object;

cases-in means for identifying textual object to which the selected textual object refers; and

similarity means for identifying textual objects which have similar characteristics to the selected textual object;

a graphical user interface means for converting the pool of textual objects into a graphical view comprising:

a means for forming a box to graphically represent one or more of the textual objects in the pool; and

a display, operably coupled to the graphical user interface means, for showing the graphical view including any of the boxes formed.

13. A system for proximity indexing a plurality of data comprising:

storage means, connected to the grouping means, for storing a plurality of data in a database;

a computer processor for manipulating the plurality of data;

means for enabling the computer processor to access the plurality of data stored in the database;

extractor means for creating a numerical representation of each accessed datum;

patterner means for analyzing the numerical representation of the plurality of data for patterns comprising:

means for a calculating a pattern representation for each datum based upon that datums relationship to every other datum; and

means for weighing the significance of the pattern representation;

weaver means for generating an index on the proximity of each datum to every other datum comprising:

a means for determining the Euclidian distance between two pattern representations; and

memory for storing the index on the proximity of each datum to every other datum.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein each of the purality of data is a non-textual object and wherein the extractor means further comprises:

means for numerically representing with a vector the non-textual objects; and

means for clustering non-textual objects having similar characteristics.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the extractor means further comprises:

means for generating a reference number for each of the plurality of data;

means for determining which of the plurality of data refer to any other of the plurality of data; and

means for creating a core word index.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the patterner means further comprises:

means for analyzing the numerical representation against a plurality of empirically defined patterns, wherein certain of the patterns are more important than others; and

wherein the means for weighing further comprises means for heavily weighing certain patterns.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the weaver means further comprises:

means for making a similarity determination based upon the Euclidian distances calculated.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of data are received in a digital signal, the system further comprising:

means for receiving the digital signals;

means, connected to the receiving means, for interpreting the digital signals into data;

means, connected to the interpreting means and storage means, for grouping the plurality of data into a database format;

means, connected to the memory, for converting the index into a transmission signal; and

means, connected to the converting means, for transmitting the transmission signal representing the index.

19. A system for computerized searching of an index which catalogs a database of objects comprising:

key means for entering search commands;

a processor, connected to the key means, for processing the search commands;

means to retrieve the index utilizing the processor;

multiple search means to analyze the index and identify a pool of one or more of the objects based upon a processed search command comprising:

means for interpreting a processed search command as a selection of an object;

means for identifying a pool of objects that have a relation to the selected object;

means for generating a paradigm object; and

means for defining a pool of objects that have non-semantical characteristics similar to the paradigm object; and

a display for viewing the objects in a pool.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

means for creating an alphanumeric list of names of the objects in a pool for display.

21. A graphical user interface to display a pool of identified objects stored in a database comprising:

means for receiving the identity of objects to be displayed;

means for collecting data indicating a first relationship between objects in the pool and data indicating a second relationship between objects in the pool;

means for determining a coordinate X/Y location for each identified object in the pool based upon the data indicating a first and second relationship comprising:

means for comparing the data indicating the first relationship for determining an X coordinate for each object; and

means for comparing the data indicating the second relationship for determining a Y coordinate for each object;

means for generating a first window with an X axis and Y axis;

means for creating a box for each identified object;

means for placing the box for each identified object in the correct X/Y position in the first window;

means for displaying the first window with one or more boxes; and

means to select a displayed box and obtain further information about the object represented by the displayed box.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 21 further comprising:

means for displaying a second window stacked on top of the first window; and

means for moving the second window on the display.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 21, wherein the first relationship is importance and the second relationship is similarity, further comprising:

means to zoom in on a particular portion of the first window; and

means to zoom out to view a greater proportion of the first window.

24. The graphical user interface of claim 21 further comprising:

means for requesting a database search comprising:

an active display box;

a mouse for entry of commands by a user based on the display; and

means for converting the mouse entered commands into a database search request.

25. The graphical user interface of claim 21,

wherein the means for displaying further comprises a color monitor;

wherein the means for creating a box further comprises means to color the box;

wherein the means for generating a first window further comprises a means to generate a light colored background and dark lines representing a coordinate grid.

26. A non-semantical method for numerically representing objects in a computer database and for computerized searching of the numerically represented objects in the database, wherein direct and indirect relationships exist between objects in the database, comprising:

marking objects in the database so that each marked object may be individually identified by a computerized search;

creating a first numerical representation for each identified object in the database based upon the object's direct relationship with other objects in the database;

storing the first numerical representations for use in computerized searching;

analyzing the first numerical representations for indirect relationships existing between or among objects in the database;

generating a second numerical representation of each object based on the analysis of the first numerical representation;

storing the second numerical representation for use in computerized searching; and

searching the objects in the database using a computer and the stored second numerical representations, wherein the search identifies one or more of the objects in the database.

27. The non-semantical method of claim 26, wherein the objects in the database include words, and semantic indexing techniques are used in combination with the non-semantical method, the method further comprising the step of creating and storing a boolean word index for the words of the objects in the database.

28. The non-semantical method of claim 26, wherein

the first and second numerical representations are vectors that are arranged in first and second matrices;

the direct relationships are express references from a one object to another object in the database;

the objects in the database are assigned chronological data; and

wherein the step of searching comprises the steps of

matrix searching of the second matrices; and

examining the chronological data.

29. The non-semantical method of claim 26 wherein the step of analyzing the first numerical representation further comprises:

examining the first numerical representation for patterns which indicate the indirect relationships.

30. The non-semantical method of claim 29, given that object A occurs before object B and object c occurs before object A, and wherein the step of creating a first numerical representation comprises examining for the direct relationship B cites A and wherein the step of examining for patterns further comprises the step of examining for the following pattern:

A cites c, and B cites c.

31. The non-semantical method of claim 29, wherein a, b, c, A, d, e, f, B, g, h, and i are objects in the database and given that;

a, b, and c occur before A;

A occurs before d, e, and f, which occur before B; and

B occurs before g, h, and i;

and wherein the step of examining for patterns further comprises the step of examining for one or more of the following patterns:

(i) g cites A, and g cites B;

(ii) B cites f, and f cites A;

(iii) B cites f, f cites e, and e cites A;

(iv) B cites f, f cites e, e cites d, and d cites A;

(v) g cites A, h cites B, g cites a, and h cites a;

(vi) i cites B, i cites f (or g), and f (or g) cites A;

(vii) i cites g, i cites A, and g cites B;

(viii) i cites g (or d), i cites h, g (or d) cites A, and h cites B;

(ix) i cites a, i cites B, and A cites a;

(x) i cites A, i cites e, B cites e;

(xi) g cites A, g cites a, A cites a, h cites B, and h cites a;

(xii) A cites a, B cites d, i cites a, and i cites d;

(xiii) i cites B, i cites d, A cites a, and d cites a;

(xiv) A cites b, B cites d (or c), and d (or c) cites b;

(xv) A cites b, B cites d, b cites a, and d cites a;

(xvi) A cites a, B cites b, d (or c) cites a, and d (or c) cites b.

32. The non-semantical method of claim 26, wherein the step of analyzing further comprises the step of weighing, wherein some indirect relationships are weighed more heavily than other indirect relationships.

33. The non-semantical method of claim 26, wherein the step of analyzing the first numerical representations for indirect relationships further comprises:

creating an interim vector representing each object; and wherein the step of generating a second numerical representation uses coefficients of similarity and further comprises:

calculating euclidean distances between interim vector representations of each object;

creating proximity vectors representing the objects using the calculated euclidean distances; and

using the proximity vectors and using coefficients of similarity to calculate the second numerical representations.

34. The non-semantical method of claim 26, wherein objects in the database may be divided into subsets and wherein the marking step includes the step of marking subsets of objects in the database and wherein relationships exist between or among subsets of objects in the database.

35. The non-semantical method of claim 34 wherein the objects are textual objects with paragraphs and the subsets are the paragraphs of the textual objects, the method further comprising the steps of:

creating a subset numerical representation for each subset based upon the relationships between or among subsets;

analyzing the subset numerical representations;

clustering the subsets into sections based upon the subset analysis; and

generating a section numerical representation for each section,

wherein the section numerical representations are available for searching.

36. The non-semantical method of claim 26, wherein the step of searching the objects comprises the steps of:

selecting an object;

using the second numerical representation to search for objects similar to the selected object.

37. The non-semantical method of claim 26, wherein the step of searching includes the step of graphically displaying one or more of the identified objects.

38. The non-semantical method of claim 26, wherein the step of searching comprises the step of identifying a paradigm object.

39. The non-semantical method of claim 26, wherein the step of searching the objects comprises the steps of:

selecting a pool of objects;

pool-similarity searching to identify a similar pool of textual objects, similar in relation to the objects in marked pool; and

pool-importance searching to identify an important pool of textual objects, important in relation to the objects in the selected pool.

40. The non-semantical method of claim 26, the step of searching comprising the steps of:

identifying a paradigm pool of objects; and

searching for relationships between the objects and the paradigm pool of objects;

wherein the searched for relationship is pool importance or pool similarity.

41. A method for the non-semantical indexing of objects stored in a computer database, the method for use in searching the database for the objects, comprising the steps of:

extracting, comprising the steps of:

labeling objects with a first numerical representation; and

generating a second numerical representation for each object based on each object's references to other objects;

patterning, comprising the step of creating a third numerical representation for each object using the second numerical representations, wherein the third numerical representation for each object is determined from an examination of the second numerical representations for occurrences of patterns that define indirect relations between or among objects;

weaving, comprising the steps of:

calculating a fourth numerical representation for each object based on the euclidean distances between the third numerical representations; and

determining a fifth numerical representation for each object by processing the fourth numerical representations through similarity processing; and

storing the fifth numerical representations in the computer database as the index for use in searching for objects in the database.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the first through fifth numerical representations are vector representations and further comprises the step of clustering objects having similar characteristics.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the objects are paragraphs and the step of clustering objects comprises the step of clustering adjacent paragraphs that have similar characteristics.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of creating the third numerical representations further comprises the steps of:

analyzing the second numerical representation against a plurality of empirically defined patterns, wherein certain patterns are more important than others; and

weighing the analyzed second numerical representations according to the importance of the patterns.

45. A method for searching indexed objects, wherein the index is stored, comprising the steps of:

entering search commands;

processing the search commands with a processor;

retrieving the stored index using the processor;

analyzing the index to identify a pool of objects, comprising the steps of:

interpreting the processed searched commands as a selection of an object;

identifying a group of objects that have a relationship to the selected object, wherein the step of identifying comprises the steps of:

identifying objects that are referred to by the selected object; and

identifying objects that refer to the selected object

quantifying the relationship of the selected object to each object in the group of objects; and

ranking the objects in the group of objects in accordance to the quantified relationship to the selected object; and

presenting one or more objects from the group of objects in ranked order.

46. A method for searching indexed objects, wherein the index is stored, chronological information is associated with each object in the group, and a paradigm object may be identified, comprising the steps of:

entering search commands;

processing the search commands with a processor;

retrieving the stored index using the processor;

analyzing the index to identify a pool of objects, comprising the steps of:

interpreting the processed searched commands as a selection of an object;

identifying a group of objects that have a relationship to the selected object;

quantifying the relationship of the selected object to each object in the group of objects;

ranking the objects in the group of objects in accordance to the quantified relationship to the selected object;

chronologically ordering the objects in the group to form a pool of objects;

ordering the objects in the pool by rank based upon their relationship to a paradigm object; and

presenting one or more objects from the pool of objects in ranked order.

47. A method for graphically displaying and interfacing with a pool of identified objects stored in a database using information indicating relationships, comprising the steps of:

receiving the identity of objects in the pool;

collecting information indicating a first relationship among objects in the pool;

gathering information indicating a second relationship among objects in the pool;

determining a coordinate X/Y position for each identified object in the pool based upon the information indicating a first and second relationship comprising the steps of:

comparing the information indicating the first relationship for determining an X coordinate for each identified object; and

comparing the information indicating the second relationship for determining a Y coordinate for each identified object;

generating a first window with an X axis and Y axis, wherein the X and Y axis are able to accommodate the X and Y coordinate for each object;

creating a graphical box for each identified object, the box having sides and a bottom;

placing a side and the bottom of the graphical box for each identified object in the correct X/Y axis position in the first window;

labeling the placed box;

displaying the first window with one or more labeled boxes; and

selecting a displayed box to obtain further information about the identified object represented by the displayed box.

48. The method of claim 47 further comprising further comprising the steps of:

generating a second window stacked on top of the first window; and

moving the second window on the display.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the first relationship is importance and the second relationship is similarity, and wherein the step of displaying comprises the steps of:

zooming in on a particular portion of the displayed first window; and

zooming out to view a different proportion of the displayed first window.

50. The method of claim 47 wherein an active display box is used, further comprising the steps of:

requesting a database search, comprising the steps of:

displaying the active display box;

entering commands from a user by operation of a mouse on the active display box; and

converting the entered commands into a database search request.

51. A system for computerized searching of an index which catalogs a database of objects comprising:

key means for entering search commands;

a processor, connected to the key means, for processing the search commands;

means to retrieve the index utilizing the processor;

multiple search means to analyze the index and identify a pool of one or more of the objects based upon a processed search command comprising:

means for interpreting a processed search command as a selection of an object;

means for identifying a pool of objects that have a relation to the selected object, wherein the means for identifying a pool of objects further comprises:

means for identifying objects that are referred to by the selected object;

means for identifying objects that refer to the selected object; and

means for identifying objects that have a similar characteristic to the selected object;

means for generating a paradigm object; and

means for defining a pool of objects that have characteristics similar to the paradigm object; and

a display for viewing the objects in a pool.

52. A system for computerized searching of an index which catalogs a database of objects comprising:

key means for entering search commands;

a processor, connected to the key means, for processing the search commands;

means to retrieve the index utilizing the processor;

multiple search means to analyze the index and identify a pool of one or more of the objects based upon a processed search command comprising:

means for interpreting a processed search command as a selection of an object;

means for identifying a pool of objects that have a relation to the selected object;

means for generating a paradigm object; and

means for defining a pool of objects that have characteristics similar to the paradigm object;

means for chronologically ordering the objects in a pool;

means for rank ordering the objects in a pool based upon their relationship to the selected object;

means for rank ordering the objects in a pool based upon their relationship to the paradigm object; and

a display for viewing the objects in a pool.