Methods and systems for providing technology-assisted content development

• US 20020174144A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Multiworks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Multiworks Incorporated
• Inventors: Wolpe, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,350,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/512
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/237 Lexical tools

Abstract

A computerized system and method for personalizing a document. In one embodiment, a user at a computer retrieves a first message comprising at least one change point from memory. A change point is a word or phrase which may be substituted for other words/phrases by a user to slightly alter a message or enhance its meaning. Once the message is retrieved, the user substitutes an alternate phrase for the change point to personalize the message. The present invention also includes a method for populating a database with personalized words and phrases. In operation, the system monitors a user'"'"'s deletion and subsequent addition of text into a document. The system compares the deleted text with a change point stored in a database, and then associates the added text (if any) with a change point in the database if there is a change point entry in the database corresponding to the deleted text.

Claims

1. A computerized method for personalizing a document comprising:

retrieving a document from memory, said document comprising at least one change point, wherein said change point may be substituted for an alternate word or phrase to personalize the document;

determining a position for a cursor; and

displaying at least one alternate word or phrase for the change point, provided the cursor is adjacent to the change point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of substituting said at least one alternate word or phrase for the change point to personalize the message.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of incrementing a counter associating with said at least one alternate word or phrase, if said at least one word or phrase is substituted for said change point.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the displaying step further comprises displaying the counter associated with at least one alternate word or phrase, adjacent to the at least one alternate word or phrase.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying step further comprises the step of displaying said at least one alternate word or phrase in a pop-up window.

6. A computerized method for personalizing a document comprising:

retrieving a document from memory, said document comprising at least one change point, wherein said change point may be substituted for an alternate word or phrase to personalize the document;

determining a position for a cursor;

receiving input from a user at a keyboard; and

displaying a plurality of words and phrases from a change point database that are consistent with the user input.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving and displaying steps are repeated until the user inputs a carriage return.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the input is a letter.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the input is a word.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the input is a phrase.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the change point database is associated with the user.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the change point database is located on a computer network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the associating step further comprises the step of adding a new entry to the database that corresponds to said portion if there is no entry in the database that corresponds to the portion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the associating step further comprises the step of adding a new entry to the database that corresponds to said deleted portion if there is no entry in the database that corresponds to the deleted portion.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said portion of said document is adjacent to a cursor.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising adding said at least one portion of said document to the database if said at least one portion is not located in the database.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said portion of said document is adjacent to a cursor.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the converting step is further comprised of the step of altering the appearance of said at least one portion of said document to indicate that it is a change point.

13. A method for populating a database with personalized words and phrases, comprising:

monitoring a user'"'"'s addition of text into a document;

comparing at least one portion of said addition to at least one entry in a database, wherein said at least one entry corresponds to a plurality of words and phrases that may be substituted for said portion to personalize the document; and

associating said portion with an entry in said database, if said portion is related to said entry.

15. A method for populating a database with personalized words and phrases, comprising:

monitoring a user'"'"'s deletion of text from a document;

comparing at least one portion of said deletion to at least one entry in a database, wherein said at least one entry corresponds to a plurality of words and phrases that may be substituted for said deleted portion to personalize the document; and

associating said deleted portion with an entry in said database, if said deleted portion is related to said entry.

18. A method for placing change points into a document, comprising:

retrieving a document from memory;

comparing at least a portion of said document to entries in a database, wherein said entries may be substituted for said at least one portion of said document to personalize the document; and

converting said at least one portion of said document into a change point, if said portion is identical to an entry in said database.

22. A computerized method for creating a document, comprising:

presenting at least one question to a user, wherein said at least one question elicits a subject matter for a personalized message;

receiving at least one answer from the user, wherein the at least one answer identifies a desired subject matter for the message; and

selecting at least one of a plurality of text messages in response to the user'"'"'s answer, wherein the at least one text message is a personalized message in the desired subject matter.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of displaying the at least one selected text message.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the presenting step further comprises presenting a plurality of questions to a user, wherein each question elicits more specific subject matter information.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the selecting step ensures each of said plurality of text messages creates a coherent personalized message.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

deleting the previously selected at least one of a plurality of text messages; and

selecting a new text message in response to a user request to rewrite a message, wherein said new text message is a second personalized message in the desired subject matter.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving step further includes:

selecting a portion of the word or phrase by the user, wherein the selected portion is to be converted into a change point; and

highlighting the selected portion.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the converting step further includes storing the selected portion in a database.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising associating the selected portion with a pre-existing database entry.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising associating one or more restrictions with the selected portion, wherein said one or more restrictions prevent said selected portion from being placed into a document when at least one pre-existing segment of said document is incompatible with the selected portion.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising assigning at least one weight to the newly stored database entry, wherein said weight indicates a strength of association between the database entry and at least one of a plurality of genres.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the receiving and converting steps are repeated until a user-specified time.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising converting the appearance of the at least one portion of the document to indicate that it is a change point.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of substituting said at least one alternate scene element for the selected scene element to alter the story.

27. A method for creating change points, comprising:

receiving input from a user to convert at least a portion of a word or phrase into a change point; and

converting the at least one portion of the word or phrase into a change point.

35. A method for advertising an item to a recipient, comprising:

sending a message, by a user, to a recipient, wherein;

the message includes an item specially selected for the recipient by the user;

the item is a hyperlink in the message; and

the content of the message expressly relates to the item; and

selecting the hyperlink, by the recipient, wherein the hyperlink reveals a depiction of the item.

36. A method for natural language composition, comprising:

creating multiple change points in a document; and

creating a restricted choice set of elements for each change point, wherein selection of a first change point with a restricted choice set prevents selection of subsequent change points for placement in the document unless they are within the restricted choice set.

37. A computerized method for altering a story comprising:

retrieving a scene, said scene comprising at least one change point, wherein said change point may be substituted for an alternate scene element to modify the story;

selecting a scene element; and

displaying at least one alternate scene element for the selected scene element.