Document creation and delivery

• US 20020046235A1
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Knowhow Systems Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Knowhow Systems Limited
• Inventors: Bowden, Paul, Foy, Tony
• Application Number:
  US09/798,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046235A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A system and method for creating and delivering a document in a computer system is disclosed comprising a host server and a remote client terminal connected via a data transmission path. The host server transmits to the client terminal in electronic form prompts for guiding a user located at the client terminal through a document creation process. The user enters at the client terminal document creation information identifying the nature of a required document and document data for populating the document. A complete document is then created by an automated document creation process at the host server having a structure defined by the document creation information and populated by said document data. Lastly, the complete document is transmitted in electronic form from the host server to the remote client terminal via the data transmission path.

Claims

1. A method of creating and delivering a document in a computer system comprising a host server and a remote client terminal connected via a data transmission path in which method:

the host server transmits to the client terminal in electronic form prompts for guiding a user located at the client terminal through a document creation process;

the user enters at the client terminal document creation information identifying the nature of a required document and document data for populating the document;

a complete document is created by an automated document creation process at the host server having a structure defined by the document creation information and populated by said document data; and

the complete document is transmitted in electronic form from the host server to the remote client terminal via the data transmission path.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the document creation information is used at the host server to select clauses from a set of clauses to create said document structure.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a copy of the complete document is stored at the host server in association with a user identification.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said copy is stored at the host server in association with a version indicator and time stamp.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of templates indicating the structures of different document types are stored at the host server.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the complete document is displayed to a user at the client terminal, whereby the user can alter at the client terminal text in the document within the document structure.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein two or more related documents are created simultaneously.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the complete document contains a reference to another document stored at the host server, said reference acting as a pointer to the storage location of said other document and being maintained even if the complete document is amended.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the complete document is transmitted to a user in a format selected by the user.

10. (Once Amended) An internet based document creation and delivery system comprising a host server connected to at least one remote user terminal, wherein the host server has:

a) first storage means holding a plurality of document templates and a set of clauses associated with said document templates;

b) a processor arranged to execute a document creation program based on user inputs including document creation information identifying a document template and clauses for inclusion in the template and document data for populating the clauses, said document creation program creating a complete document;

c) second storage means for storing said complete document in association with a user identification; and

d) document delivery means for delivering the complete document in electronic form to the user terminal.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the user terminal includes input means for a user to enter said document creation information and document data responsive to prompts transmitted from the host server to the user terminal.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the first storage means holds said clauses as content objects in association with respective labels which are used to select content objects.

13. A system according to claim 10, wherein the document delivery means comprises a converter for converting the complete document into a format specified by the user.

15. A computer program product comprising program code means stored in a computer readable medium, the program code means being adapted to perform any of steps of claim 14 when the program is run on a computer.

14. A method of operating a computer to create a document according to an automated document creation process, the process comprising:

transmitting in electronic form prompts to a user in accordance with a first set of rules associated with a document type to allow a user to identify clauses for inclusion in the document;

transmitting in electronic form questions to a user in accordance with a second set of rules to obtain personal document data for populating the document; and

compiling a complete document according to a third set of rules governing inclusion of the clauses in the document and population of the clauses by the personal document data.

16. A method of creating and delivering a document in a computer system comprising a host server and a remote client terminal connected via a data transmission path in which method:

the host server and client terminal exchange messages to enable automatic creation of a complete document at the host server; and

the complete document is transmitted from the host server to the remote client terminal via the data transmission path in an electronic format selected by a user at the remote client terminal.