Case-based system and method for generating a custom document

• US 20040019855A1
• Filed: 07/23/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 6, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Purvis, Lisa S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,401 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/530
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

What is disclosed is a case-based method which specifies previously created documents as cases in a case base, and provides a generalized method for using these previous documents to create a new desired document. The new problem (i.e., the document you are trying to create) is expressed, using any/all case features (e.g., new problem constraints, creator intent, document-genre, etc.). A matching process is performed in order to retrieve documents similar to the desired document from the case base. A selection process chooses one or several of the best matching cases as starting points for creating the new document. The retrieved document(s) are then adapted to create the new desired document. This new document is optionally stored back into the case base as a new case.

Claims

1. A method of case-based document composition comprising the steps of:

a. making case representation of a plurality of previously generated documents collected together into a case base;

b. representation of a newly desired document;

c. matching said newly desired document to similar existing documents in said collected case base; and

d. selecting at least one of the best matching cases as a starting point for creating the new document.

2. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the case representation includes required layout and content constraints.

3. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the case representation includes desired aesthetic constraints.

4. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the case representation includes both required and desired layout, content, and aesthetic constraints.

5. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the case includes a specification of document parameters that can be adjusted.

6. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the newly desired document is represented as a combination of value/property pairs and constraints.

7. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of adapting similar cases to better match the desired document.

8. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 7 wherein a constraint optimization algorithm is used as the adaptation method.

9. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 7 wherein a document creator changes some of the layout/content/aesthetic constraints associated with the similar document(s) before beginning the adaptation process.

10. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 7 wherein a constraint satisfaction algorithm is used as the adaptation method.

11. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 1 wherein a case represents a style sheet for the document.

12. A method of case-based document composition as defined in claim 7 further comprising the step of storing the newly created desired document back into the case base as a new case.