System and method for indexing electronic text

1. An integrated electronic text indexing and search system comprising a concept model defining a set of concept-value pairs modifiable by a domain expert, a query model characterized as a set of queries constructed by the domain expert in terms of a subset of the set of concept-value pairs, and a markup tool for generating a set of allowable concept-value pairs based on the subset and for assigning the allowable concept-value pairs via markup tags to sentences or a piece of electronic text, wherein the improvement comprises:

an updating tool for updating indices of a previously marked-up document that is affected by a change to the sentences or the piece of electronic text, a change to the query model, or both.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the updating tool comprises a document change tool, a query model change tool, and an enhanced markup tool comprising a text analyzer and an indexing interface.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the document change tool comprises:

a document compare tool for comparing the previously marked-up document and an unmarked document containing changes to the sentences or the piece of electronic text to generate a composite file thereof; and

a text change tool for identifying paragraphs and sentences in the composite file, placing corresponding indexing information into the composite file, and modifying an index database according to the indexing information.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the index database comprises a storage means for holding change flags for every instance of indices in the system, the change flags having at least a first value for identifying newly inserted text and a second value for identifying text that has been modified.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the text change tool modifies the index database by marking up suspect index or deleting index and correspondingly setting the first value, setting the second value, or doing nothing.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the document change tool further comprises:

a processing tool for converting the composite file into a format that is compatible with the system; and

an index retrieval tool for retrieving indexing information to place in the composite file.

7. The system of claim 2 , wherein the query model change tool comprises an enhanced query model tool and a log file, the enhanced query model tool logging to the log file actions that are taken as the set-of queries are modified to add or remove new concept-value pairs or to change the scope of a particular concept.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the enhanced markup tool displays the previously marked-up document and highlights the change to the sentences or the piece of electronic text, the change to the query model, or both, thus enabling the domain expert to marking up only indices of the previously marked-up document that are affected thereby.

9. A method for updating indices of previously indexed documents in an integrated electronic text indexing and search system comprising a concept model defining a set of concept-value pairs modifiable by a domain expert, a query model characterized as a set of queries constructed by the domain expert in terms of a subset of the set of concept-value pairs, and a markup tool for generating a set of allowable concept-value pairs based on the subset and for assigning the allowable concept-value pairs via markup tags to sentences or a piece of electronic text, wherein the improvement comprises the step of:

updating indices of a previously marked-up document that is affected by a change to the sentences or the piece of electronic text, a change to the query model, or both.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:

comparing the previously marked-up document and an unmarked document containing changes to the sentences or the piece of electronic text;

generating a composite file containing content of the previously marked-up document with the changes to the sentences or the piece of electronic text identified;

placing into the composite file indexing information that corresponds to the changes to the sentences or the piece of electronic text;

modifying an index database in accordance with the indexing information;

processing and analyzing the composite file to generate a properly indexed file;

displaying the properly indexed file with the changes to the sentences or the piece of electronic text highlighted; and

updating only indices of the highlighted sentences or the highlighted piece of electronic text.

11. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:

logging actions that are taken as the set of queries are modified to add or remove new concept-value pairs or to change the scope of a particular concept;

displaying the sentences or the piece of electronic text, the set of modified queries, and the corresponding actions, wherein the sentences or the piece of electronic text is highlighted according to the log file to identify that a corresponding query description has been changed in the query model; and

updating only indices of the highlighted sentences or the highlighted piece of electronic text.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the displaying step further comprises the step of:

identifying a changed text string, a changed concept, and an inserted concept.

13. A computer readable medium accessible by a processor and carrying instructions executable by the processor for implementing method steps that updates indexed documents in an integrated electronic text indexing and search system comprising a concept model defining a set of concept-value pairs modifiable by a domain expert, a query model characterized as a set of queries constructed by the domain expert in terms of a subset of the set of concept-value pairs, and a markup tool for generating a set of allowable concept-value pairs based on the subset and for assigning the allowable concept-value pairs via markup tags to sentences or a piece of electronic text, the instructions comprising:

computer program means for comparing the previously marked-up document and an unmarked document containing changes to the sentences or the piece of electronic text;

computer program means for generating a composite file containing content of the previously marked-up document with the changes to the sentences or the piece of electronic text identified;

computer program means for placing into the composite file indexing information that corresponds to the changes to the sentences or the piece of electronic text;

computer program means for modifying an index database in accordance with the indexing information;

computer program means for processing and analyzing the composite file to generate a properly indexed file; and

computer program means for displaying in an indexing interface the properly indexed file and highlighting the changes to the sentences or the piece of electronic text.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising:

computer program means for logging actions that are taken as the set of queries are modified to add or remove new concept-value pairs or to change the scope of a particular concept;

computer program means for displaying in an indexing interface the sentences or the piece of electronic text, the set of modified queries, and the corresponding actions; and

computer program means for highlighting the sentences or the piece of electronic text according to the log file.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising:

computer program means for identifying in an indexing interface a changed text string, a changed concept, and an inserted concept.