Method and system for linking real world objects to digital objects
First Claim
1. A document management system for transmitting a code contained in a physical document from a client computer to a server to retrieve an electronic version of the physical document from the server, comprising:
- client software residing on the client computer operative to receive and transmit a code relating to a physical document to a server connected to a client computer by way of a network;
a database accessible by the server for retrieving an electronic address of the electronic version of the physical document by relating the code to the electronic address; and
server software residing on the server operable to receive the code transmitted by the client software via the network and retrieve from the database an electronic address of the electronic version of the physical documents related to the code.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system and method for relating physical documents to electronic documents. A code on a physical document identifying the document is identified and an electronic address, or link (e.g., a hyperlink) is provided that corresponds to the code. The electronic address identifies an electronic file that is an electronic version of the physical document. A graphical user interface (GUI) is also provided, whereby a user may organize and manipulate electronic documents or electronic addresses. A publisher and/or advertiser may publish documents associated with keyword information encoded in the form of meta information. The meta information may be encoded within the document in the form of XML tags. User statistics and other preference information is maintained in a user profile.
167 Citations
84 Claims
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1. A document management system for transmitting a code contained in a physical document from a client computer to a server to retrieve an electronic version of the physical document from the server, comprising:
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client software residing on the client computer operative to receive and transmit a code relating to a physical document to a server connected to a client computer by way of a network;
a database accessible by the server for retrieving an electronic address of the electronic version of the physical document by relating the code to the electronic address; and
server software residing on the server operable to receive the code transmitted by the client software via the network and retrieve from the database an electronic address of the electronic version of the physical documents related to the code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of managing electronic versions of physical documents comprising the steps of:
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mapping a code to an electronic address of an electronic version of a physical document;
acquiring a code relating to a physical document;
finding the electronic address of an electronic version of the physical document relating to the code;
transmitting the electronic address to a user;
maintaining the electronic version of the physical document; and
using the code as a proxy to the electronic version of the physical document. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for creating an electronic document from a physical document for later review by a user by way of an electronic address related to the electronic document, comprising the steps of:
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generating markup language that represents the physical document;
creating an electronic document that is an electronic version of the physical document from the markup language;
generating markup language annotation information regarding the contents of the physical document to be placed in the electronic document;
generating an electronic address related to a network location of the electronic document; and
publishing the electronic document to the network location. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for creating, upon a physical document, a unique code corresponding to information contained in an electronic version of the physical document, comprising the steps of:
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acquiring a unique code corresponding to information contained in an electronic version of a physical document presented as an electronic document;
printing the code on the physical document;
generating annotation information regarding the contents of the physical document to be placed in the electronic document; and
maintaining a correspondence between the code and information contained in the electronic document by storing the annotation information within the electronic document. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of electronically publishing an index to a publication while preserving the structure of the physical document and providing links to a plurality of electronic documents, comprising the steps of:
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receiving an electronic index corresponding to the plurality of electronic documents;
parsing the electronic index;
locating in the electronic index, a plurality of electronic addresses corresponding to the electronic documents; and
using the electronic index to identify a larger unit of publication relating to many smaller units of publication. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method of associating meta information with an electronic document within a document management system, comprising the steps of:
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analyzing the electronic document;
determining keywords associated with the electronic document;
storing the keywords as meta information in an electronic form;
storing the keywords as meta information within the document management system; and
tailoring presentation of the electronic document to a user according to stored meta information relating to the electronic document. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. An electronic document sharing system, comprising:
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a physical document containing a unique code relating the physical document to a corresponding electronic document;
means for reading the unique code from the physical document;
means for retrieving the electronic document related to the physical document;
means for manipulating the electronic document; and
means for tracking usage associated with manipulating the electronic document. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method for relating a physical document to an electronic version of the document via a code printed on the physical document, comprising the steps of:
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selecting a unique code for a physical document;
relating the unique code to an electronic version of the physical document; and
updating the code;
wherein a first entity performs the following steps;
selects the unique code;
prints the physical document;
sends the code to a second entity; and
authorizes the second entity to update information regarding the code; and
wherein the second entity receives the code from the first entity and updates a database entry regarding the code. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75)
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76. An electronic document sharing system, comprising:
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means for sending electronic links to documents to one or more users;
means for identifying the one or more users receiving the electronic links by a unique identifier; and
means for the one or more users to retrieve the documents in electronic format via the electronic links. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79)
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80. A method for transmitting electronic codes relating to electronic documents between computer users, comprising the steps of:
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A first computer user sending an electronic code to one or more recipients;
identifying the recipients by way of a unique identifier;
storing each recipient'"'"'s unique identifier; and
storing each code sent to each of the one or more recipients according to the unique identifier of each corresponding recipient. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82, 83, 84)
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Specification