Apparatus and method for finding records in a database by formulating a query using equivalent terms which correspond to terms in the input query

摘要

An apparatus and method for searching for records of database items with incomplete or incorrectly provided input data. Database queries are automatically created and executed in a manner that has a high probability of selecting the correct record indicative of a desired item from a retrieved set of candidates. The queries comprise search expressions which are generated for supplementing each one of a series of input words comprising the input data. These search expressions include terms and phrases that are equivalent to each input word and also include expanded acronyms and abbreviations. When required, the search expressions further include words that are close to an input word when it appears to be misspelled.