Methods for processing a text search query in a collection of documents

• Main Authors: MATSCHKE MONIKA, TSCHAFFLER MATTHIAS, SEIFFERT ROLAND, DOERRE JOCHEN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.05.2008
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; PHYSICS

A method, system, and computer program product are provided for processing a text search query in a collection of documents. A full posting index is generated. The full posting index comprises one or more first index terms and a full posting list for each first index term, enumerating occurrences of the first index term in the documents of the collection. A text search query comprises search conditions on search terms. These search conditions are translated into conditions on the search terms to provide translated conditions. At least one short posting index is generated. The short posting index comprises one or more second index terms and a short posting list for each second index term, enumerating the documents in which the second index term occurs. Filter conditions and complementary conditions to represent the full content of the translated conditions are generated, wherein the filter conditions approximate the translated conditions. The filter conditions are processed using the short posting index and the complementary conditions are processed using the full posting index to provide a query result.