Method and system for organizing non-document specifications

• US 20030131317A1
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kallsen, Jill, Budka, Phyllis R.
• Application Number:
  US10/042,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20030131317A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/514
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A method and system for organizing non-document information based on an organization of documents. An information management system provides a hierarchical organization of non-document information relating to web sites and experts using the same hierarchical organization that is used for documents. The information management system stores the non-document specifications in a non-document specifications store, such as a database. The information management system allows users to access the non-document specifications using the hierarchical organization.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for organizing web site and expert information, the method comprising:

providing a hierarchical organization, the hierarchical organization specifying topmost categories, intermediate categories, and bottommost categories;

receiving for a plurality of bottommost categories a specification of a web site and a specification of an expert;

storing in a web site store the received specifications of web sites in association with the bottommost categories;

storing in an expert store the received specifications of experts in association with the bottommost categories;

receiving from a user a bottommost category;

retrieving from the web site store the specification of a web site associated with the received bottommost category;

retrieving from the expert store the specification of an expert associated with the received bottommost category; and

sending to the user the retrieved specification of the web site and the retrieved specification of the expert.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hierarchical organization is used to organize documents.

3. The method of claim 1 including

receiving from the user a non-bottommost category;

retrieving from the web site store the specifications of web sites associated with bottommost categories within the received non-bottommost category;

retrieving from the expert store the specifications of experts associated with bottommost categories within the received non-bottommost category; and

sending to the user the retrieved specifications of the web sites and the retrieved specifications of the experts.

4. The method of claim 1 including

receiving for a plurality of non-bottommost categories a specification of a web site and a specification of an expert;

storing in a web site store the received specifications of web sites in association with the non-bottommost categories; and

storing in an expert store the received specifications of experts in association with the non-bottommost categories.

5. The method of claim 4 including

receiving from the user a non-bottommost category;

retrieving from the web site store the specification of a web site associated with the received non-bottommost category;

retrieving from the expert store the specification of an expert associated with the received non-bottommost category; and

sending to the user the retrieved specification of the web site and the retrieved specification of the expert.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein only the specifications directly associated with the received non-bottommost category are retrieved.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein all specifications indirectly associated with the received non-bottommost category are retrieved.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of a web site includes a URL for the web site.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of an expert includes a name for the expert.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of an expert includes an electronic mail address for the expert.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of an expert includes a telephone number for the expert.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the specification of an expert includes a URL for a web page containing information relating to the expert.

13. A method in a computer system for managing non-document specifications based on a hierarchy of documents, the method comprising:

providing a hierarchical organization of documents;

providing a hierarchical organization of non-document specifications based on the provided hierarchical organization of documents;

receiving a category within the hierarchical organization;

retrieving non-document specifications associated with the received category; and

sending the retrieved non-document specifications associated with the received category

wherein non-document specifications are hierarchically organized using the same hierarchy used to organize documents.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-document specifications include web site specifications.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-document specifications include expert specifications.

16. The method of claim 13 including retrieving documents associated with the received category and sending the retrieved documents along with the retrieved non-document specifications.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein a non-document specification includes an attribute for use in searching for non-document specifications.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the category is received from a user and the retrieved non-document specifications are sent to the user.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the providing of a hierarchy of non-document specifications includes receiving a category and a non-document specification from a user.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the providing of a hierarchy of non-document specifications includes receiving from a user a non-document specification along with multiple categories with which the non-document specification is associated.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein non-document specifications are associated with bottommost categories.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein non-document specifications are associated with bottommost and non-bottommost categories.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein non-document specifications include web site and expert specifications.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein, when the received category is a non-bottommost category, retrieving non-document specifications associated indirectly with the non-bottommost category.

25. The method of claim 13 wherein, when the received category is a non-bottommost category, retrieving only non-document specifications associated directly with the non-bottommost category.

26. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-document specification includes a URL for a web site.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the web site is internal to an entity that provides the hierarchical organization.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the web site is external to an entity that provides the hierarchical organization.

29. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-document specification includes a name of an expert.

30. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-document specification includes an electronic mail address of an expert.

31. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-document specification includes a telephone number of an expert.

32. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-document specification includes a URL for a web page containing information relating to an expert.

33. The method of claim 13 wherein the sending includes sending web site specifications, expert specifications, and documents associated with the received category.

34. A method in a computer system accessing non-document specifications, the method comprising

coordinating browsing by a user through a hierarchical organization of non-document specifications, the hierarchical organization being based on a hierarchical organization of documents;

receiving from the user a selection of a category within the hierarchical organization;

requesting non-document specifications associated with the selected category;

receiving the requested non-document specifications; and

displaying to the user the received non-document specifications.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the non-document specifications include web site specifications.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the non-document specifications include expert specifications.

37. The method of claim 34 including receiving documents associated with the selected category and displaying the received documents along with the received non-document specifications.

38. The method of claim 34 wherein the requesting includes sending a request to a server computer system and the receiving of the requested non-document specifications includes receiving from the server computer system.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein non-document specifications are associated with bottommost categories.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein non-document specifications are associated with bottommost and non-bottommost categories.

41. The method of claim 34 wherein non-document specifications include web site and expert specifications.

42. The method of claim 34 wherein, when the selected category is a non-bottommost category, the received non-document specifications include those associated indirectly with the non-bottommost category.

43. The method of claim 34 wherein, when the received category is a non-bottommost category, the non-document specification includes only those directly associated with the non-bottommost category.

44. The method of claim 34 wherein the non-document specification includes a URL for a web site.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the web site is internal to an entity that provides the hierarchical organization.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein the web site is external to an entity that provides the hierarchical organization.

47. The method of claim 34 wherein the non-document specification includes a name of an expert.

48. The method of claim 34 wherein the non-document specification includes an electronic mail address of an expert.

49. The method of claim 34 wherein the non-document specification includes a telephone number of an expert.

50. The method of claim 34 wherein the non-document specification includes a URL of a web page containing information relating to an expert.

51. The method of claim 34 wherein the displaying includes displaying web site specifications, expert specifications, and documents associated with the selected category on a single web page.

52. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to manage non-document specifications based on a hierarchy of documents, by a method comprising:

receiving a category within the hierarchical organization;

retrieving non-document specifications associated with the received category, the non-document specifications being hierarchically organized into categories based on a hierarchical organization of documents; and

sending the retrieved non-document specifications associated with the received category.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein the non-document specifications include web site specifications.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein the non-document specifications include expert specifications.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 including retrieving documents associated with the received category and sending the retrieved documents along with the retrieved non-document specifications.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein non-document specifications are associated with bottommost categories.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein non-document specifications are associated with bottommost and non-bottommost categories.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein non-document specifications include web site and expert specifications.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein, when the received category is a non-bottommost category, retrieving non-document specifications associated indirectly with the non-bottommost category.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein, when the received category is a non-bottommost category, retrieving only non-document specifications associated directly with the non-bottommost category.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein the non-document specification includes a URL for a web site.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein the non-document specification includes a name of an expert.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein the non-document specification includes a URL of a web page containing information relating to an expert.

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 52 wherein the sending includes sending web site specifications, expert specifications, and documents associated with the received category via a single web page.

74. The computer system of claim 52 wherein the means for sending includes means for sending web site specifications, expert specifications, and documents associated with the received category.

65. A computer system for providing access to non-document specifications based on a hierarchy of documents, comprising:

means for receiving a category within the hierarchical organization;

means for retrieving non-document specifications associated with the received category, the non-document specifications being hierarchically organized into categories based on a hierarchical organization of documents; and

means for sending the retrieved non-document specifications associated with the received category.

66. The computer system of claim 65 wherein the non-document specifications include web site specifications.

67. The computer system of claim 65 wherein the non-document specifications include expert specifications.

68. The computer system of claim 65 wherein non-document specifications are associated with bottommost categories.

69. The computer system of claim 65 wherein non-document specifications are associated with bottommost and non-bottommost categories.

70. The computer system of claim 65 wherein non-document specifications include web site and expert specifications.

71. The computer system of claim 65 wherein the non-document specification includes a URL for a web site.

72. The computer system of claim 65 wherein the non-document specification includes a name of an expert.

73. The computer system of claim 65 wherein the non-document specification includes a URL for a web page containing information relating to an expert.

75. A method for organizing web sites based on an organization of documents, the method comprising:

providing the organization of the documents, the organization having categories;

receiving specifications of a plurality of web sites; and

assigning each web site to a category of the organization of documents so that web sites can be located based on the organization of documents.

76. The method of claim 75 including

receiving a category;

and

in response to the receiving the category, providing a specification of a web site assigned to the received category.

77. The method of claim 75 wherein the organization is hierarchical.

78. The method of claim 77 wherein, when the received category is a non-bottommost category, providing a specification of a web site assigned directly to that received category.

79. The method of claim 77 wherein, when the received category is a non-bottommost category, providing a specification of a web site assigned indirectly to that received category.

80. The method of claim 75 wherein the specification of a web site includes a URL.

81. The method of claim 75 wherein experts are also assigned to categories.

82. A method for organizing experts based on an organization of documents, the method comprising:

providing the organization of the documents, the organization having categories;

receiving specifications of a plurality of experts; and

assigning each expert to a category of the organization of documents so that experts can be located based on the organization of documents.

83. The method of claim 82 including

receiving a category;

and

in response to the receiving of the category, providing a specification of an expert assigned to the received category.

84. The method of claim 82 wherein the organization is hierarchical.

85. The method of claim 84 wherein, when the received category is a non-bottommost category, providing a specification of an expert assigned directly to that received category.

86. The method of claim 84 wherein, when the received category is a non-bottommost category, providing a specification of an expert assigned indirectly to that received category.

87. The method of claim 82 wherein the specification of an expert includes a URL for a web page containing information relating to the expert.

88. The method of claim 82 wherein web sites are also assigned to categories.