Method and system for annotating documents using an independent annotation repository

• US 20040163042A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ITM Associates, Inc. (SecurLinx Holding Corp.)
• Original Assignee: ITM Associates, Inc. (SecurLinx Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Altman, Ian K.
• Application Number:
  US10/778,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20040163042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/512
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A method and system for generating workflow messages based on adding annotations to a file repository or database independent of an original document that they annotate. By separately storing the annotations in a searchable annotation repository, original documents can be preserved unchanged while still providing the ability to comment on the original document. By generating workflow messages, a system can track who has reviewed a document, whose proposed changes and/or comments require action by another person, and if everyone has reviewed the documents within the time constraints established.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to separately manage an original document and annotations for the original document, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to receive an original document stored in a first file repository;

a second computer code device configured to create at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation for the original document;

a third computer code device configured to overlay the original document and the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation without changing a contents of the original document; and

a fourth computer code device configured to send the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to a second file repository containing a workflow message trigger activated by adding the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to a second file repository.

2. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second file repository comprises a fifth computer code device configured to add the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to a database.

3. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first through fourth computer code devices comprise a plug-in to a markup language browser.

4. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the original document comprises an Adobe Acrobat document.

5. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fifth computer code device configured to authenticate a user to at least one of the first and second file repositories.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to receive a form document illustrating at least one form field;

and

wherein the second computer code device comprises a sixth computer code device configured to create a text annotation by extracting a contents of the at least one form field.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a fifth computer code device configured to specify a corresponding category for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a sixth computer code device configured to select a trigger type for execution based on the category specified for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(a) receiving an original document stored in a first file repository;

(b) creating at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation for the original document;

(c) overlaying the original document and the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation without changing a contents of the original document; and

(d) sending the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to a second file repository containing a workflow message trigger activated by adding the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to a second file repository.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second file repository comprises a database.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the steps (a)-(d) are performed by a plug-in to a markup language browser.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the original document comprises an Adobe Acrobat document.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising authenticating a user to at least one of the first and second file repositories.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step (a) comprises receiving a form document illustrating at least one form field;

and

wherein the step (b) comprises creating a text annotation by extracting a contents of the at least one form field.

15. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step (b) comprises specifying a corresponding category for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising selecting a trigger type for execution based on the category specified for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising triggering a category-specific trigger based on the category specified for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

18. A system for separately managing an original document and annotations for the original document, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an original document stored in a first file repository;

an input device configured to create at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation for the original document;

an overlay circuit configured to overlay the original document and the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation without changing a contents of the original document; and

a transmitter configured to send the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to a second file repository containing a workflow message trigger activated by adding the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to a second file repository.