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  Apparatus and method for extracting and sharing informationUSPTO Application #: 20080104523Title: Apparatus and method for extracting and sharing information Abstract: A message exchange unit receives and distributes a message in a community in which a plurality of users participates. A message memory stores the message received by the message exchange unit. An extraction rule memory stores an extraction rule applicable for the message. The extraction rule includes an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format. An information extraction unit extracts information from the message stored in the message memory by referring to the extraction rule. An extraction result memory stores extraction result information by the information extraction unit. An extraction result editing unit edits the extraction result information stored in the extraction result memory. A message generation unit generates another message representing editing of the extraction result information. (end of abstract) Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland Maier & Neustadt, P.C. - Alexandria, VA, US Inventors: Hideo Umeki, Mika Fukui, Kazuyuki Gotoh, Takehiko Yokota, Sougo Tsuboi USPTO Applicaton #: 20080104523 - Class: 715751000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Presentation Processing Of Document, Operator Interface Processing, And Screen Saver Display Processing, Operator Interface (e.g., Graphical User Interface), Computer Supported Collaborative Work Between Plural Users The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080104523. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/384,603, filed Mar. 11, 2003, and is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application P2002-069524, filed on Mar. 14, 2002, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for extracting and sharing information based on message exchange through an electronic bulletin board or a mail on Internet or Intranet. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] As a means for mutually exchanging information by a plurality of users, a mailing list using an electronic mail, an electronic bulletin board using WWW (World Wide Web) and a chat, are widely used. In the mailing list, a plurality of electronic mails are collected and collectively sent as a message to all members. In the electronic bulletin board, a space to jointly own information is set on a network, and a plurality of registered users or anonymous users can freely enter a message. In the chat or online chat room, in the same way of the electronic bulletin board, the space to jointly own information is set and a text message can be exchanged in real time. [0004] In a communication means aiming at message exchange of many users such as the mailing list, the electronic bulletin board and the chat, a message related to a topic in which a majority of participants is interested is often exchanged. In this case, a group of users who exchange an electronic message with common purpose or interest is called "a community". [0005] In an information exchange system on the network, if the number of messages to exchange becomes large, a user often misses important information included in the message or it is difficult for the user to understand the contents appeared or discussed over a plurality of messages. Accordingly, a system for extracting predetermined information included in the plurality of messages and for preserving as information resource different from the plurality of messages is proposed. [0006] For example, as a method for extracting schedule data from information of personally received electronic mail based on a rule to extract daily event and for presenting the schedule data, Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) PH9-269940 "Device for Extracting Date or the like", and "Extraction of Schedules and T0-P0 Items from E-mail Messages by Identifying Messages Structures and Using Language Expressions" (A thesis of Information Processing Society, Vol. 40, No. 10, pp. 3694-3705, 1999), are known. Furthermore, as a method for extracting date information from an information source except for the mail and for displaying the date information in a calendar format, Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) P2000-215213 "Method and System for Preparing Table based on Distributed Type Documents" is known. Furthermore, in the community system, as a method for preserving document information corresponding to a plurality of messages in order to manage information apt to be embedded in the message, Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) P2002-140344 "Method and Device for Document Management" is known. [0007] In such a communication system in which a plurality of users exchange and jointly own the message, it is difficult for the user to remember which message includes important information in case of necessary the important information, and the user must repeatedly read a large number of messages in case of information to be often referred. However, in case of jointly owning a simple retrieval result, reutility is scarce because the presentation format is simple and unnecessary information often mixes. [0008] Furthermore, important information exists in the message, in addition to date information such as a meeting program or a schedule, arranged by collecting other's comment or reply for a topic or a question, and arranged by collecting a predetermined expression or format part (such as URL (Uniform Resource Locator) accessible by WWW and mail address) included in the message. [0009] On the other hand, if each user personally arranges the important part included in information such as the mail exchanged by communication among a plurality of users, operation efficiency is bad. In addition to this, an important event (information or status) cannot be jointly owned among the users communicating each other because important information is different for each user. Furthermore, even if collected information is jointly owned by disclosure, it is necessary for the user to check permission of inspection for the collected information or permission of reference for information (such as the mail from which the important item is extracted). [0010] The above-mentioned problem does not occur when each user simply arranges information from personal mails. However, the above-mentioned problem occurs in the community system in which a plurality of users exchanges and jointly owns the message. Accordingly, a system for easily generating an important information extraction rule and an extraction result, and for jointly owning the extraction rule and the extraction result, is necessary. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for extracting and sharing information able to easily create the information extraction rule and to jointly own the extraction result information in the community. [0012] According to aspects of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for extracting and sharing information, comprising: a message exchange unit configured to receive a first message from a user and distribute the first message in a community in which a plurality of users participates; a message memory configured to store the first message received by said message exchange unit; an extraction rule memory configured to store an extraction rule applicable for the first message, the extraction rule including an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format; an information extraction unit configured to extract information from the message stored in said message memory by referring to the extraction rule; an extraction result memory configured to store extraction result information by said information extraction unit; an extraction result editing unit configured to edit the extraction result information stored in said extraction result memory; and a message generation unit configured to generate a second or editing message representing editing to the extraction result information. [0013] Further in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method for extracting and sharing information, comprising: receiving a first message from a user in a community in which a plurality of users participates; storing the first message received in a message memory; extracting information from the first message stored in the message memory by referring to an extraction rule, the extraction rule including an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format; storing extraction result information in an extraction result memory; editing the extraction result information stored in the extraction result memory; and generating a second or editing message representing editing of the extraction result information. [0014] Further in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a computer program product, comprising: a computer readable program code embodied in said product for causing a computer to extract and share information, said computer readable program code having: a first program code o receive a first message from a user in a community in which a plurality of users participates; a second program code to store the first message received in a message memory; a third program code to extract information from the first message stored in the message memory by referring to an extraction rule, the extraction rule including an extraction pattern, an extraction target and a display format; a fourth program code to store extraction result information in an extraction result memory; a fifth program code to edit the extraction result information stored in the extraction result memory; and a sixth program code to generate a second or editing message representing editing of the extraction result information. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the apparatus for extracting and sharing information according to one embodiment of the present invention. [0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of system concept of the apparatus for extracting and sharing information according to one embodiment of the present invention. [0017] FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D are schematic diagrams of community management information stored in a community management information memory of FIG. 1. [0018] FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of extraction rule management data stored in the community management information memory of FIG. 1. [0019] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of processing of the apparatus for extracting and sharing information according to one embodiment of the present invention. Continue reading... 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