Common annotation framework

• US 20040205545A1
• Filed: 04/10/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gupta, Anoop, Bargeron, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,301 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/512
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A Common Annotation Framework includes, in an embodiment, an annotation having a context anchor that identifies a resource and a position in the resource that the annotation pertains to, and a content anchor that identifies data that is annotating the resource. The annotation can also be extended with client application-defined data and/or functionality, and the framework can be extended with one or more of application-defined objects, methods, and annotation stores.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a client application layer including one or more client applications;

a storage layer including an annotation store;

a common annotation layer, situated between the client application layer and the storage layer, including an annotation manager; and

wherein the annotation manager operates to allow the one or more client applications to store annotations to and retrieve annotations from the annotation store, and wherein the annotation manager further operates to add new types of properties, identified by the one or more client applications, to annotations to be stored in the annotation store.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the client application layer and the common annotation layer are implemented on two different computing devices.

3. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the annotation manager further operates to allow the one or more client applications to create annotations for storage in the annotation store and remove annotations from the annotation store.

4. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the new types of properties include new data types.

5. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the new types of properties include new methods.

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein each new type of property has an associated codebase identified in the annotation, wherein the codebase identifies a location where information can be obtained that describes how to process the new type of property.

7. A system as recited in claim 6, wherein the information comprises a software code module.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, from a client application, a request to create an annotation;

generating the annotation; and

allowing the client application to,

add context anchor data to the annotation, wherein the context anchor data identifies a resource and a position in the resource that the annotation pertains to,

add content anchor data to the annotation, wherein the content anchor data identifies data that is annotating the resource, and

extend the types of data that can be stored in the annotation by adding one or more additional properties to the annotation.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising allowing the client application to add an additional property that describes an additional method that can be performed on the data stored in the annotation.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein allowing the client application to extend the types of data comprises allowing the client application to extend the types of data that can be stored in the annotation by adding one or more additional properties to the context anchor of the annotation.

11. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein allowing the client application to extend the types of data comprises allowing the client application to extend the types of data that can be stored in the annotation by adding one or more additional properties to the content anchor of the annotation.

12. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising allowing the client application to add a plurality of context anchors to the annotation, each including different context anchor data.

13. A method as recited in claim 8, farther comprising allowing the client application to add a plurality of content anchors to the annotation, each including different content anchor data.

14. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein each of the one or more additional properties includes a codebase that identifies a location where instructions can be obtained that describe how to process the data type in the additional property.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions comprise a software code module.

16. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

;

receive, from a client application, a request to create an annotation;

generate the annotation; and

allow the client application to,

add context anchor data to the annotation, wherein the context anchor data identifies a first resource and a position in the first resource that the annotation pertains to,

add content anchor data to the annotation, wherein the content anchor data identifies a second resource, wherein the second resource annotates the first resource, and

extend the types of data that can be stored in the annotation by adding one or more additional properties to the annotation.

17. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

receive a request to retrieve an annotation;

identify an extended property in the annotation;

identify a codebase corresponding to the extended property, wherein the codebase identifies a location where information can be obtained that describes how to process the contents of the extended property; and

process the contents of the extended property in accordance with the information.

18. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the information comprises a software code module.

19. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the contents of the extended property comprise data.

20. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the contents of the extended property comprise a method.

21. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions to receive the request comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive, by a client application, a request from a user to retrieve an annotation.

22. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions to receive the request comprise instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive, by an annotation manager, a request from a client application to retrieve an annotation.

23. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions comprise a client application.

24. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the plurality of instructions comprise an annotation manager.

25. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 17, wherein the codebase comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) of the location.

26. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

an id field that contains data identifying an annotation;

a context anchor element that contains data identifying a location of a resource to which the annotation pertains;

a content anchor element that contains data which annotates the resource;

a property element that contains client application-defined data; and

a field functioning to identify the end of the data structure.

27. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the data structure further comprises:

an author field that contains data identifying the user that created the annotation; and

a creation date field that contains data identifying when the annotation was created.

28. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the data structure further comprises one or more additional context anchor elements that each contain data identifying a different location of the resource to which the annotation pertains.

29. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the data structure further comprises one or more additional context anchor elements that each contain data identifying a location of a different resource to which the annotation pertains.

30. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the data structure further comprises one or more additional content anchor elements that each contain different data which annotates the resource.

31. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the property element comprises:

a name field that contains data identifying the client application-defined data;

a format field that contains data identifying a format in which the client application-defined data is stored;

a property data field that contains the client application-defined data; and

a codebase field that contains data identifying a location where instructions for processing the client application-defined data can be obtained.

32. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the context anchor element comprises:

an id field t hat contains data identifying the context anchor element;

a label field that contains data identifying the context anchor element as a context anchor;

a position field that contains data identifying the location of the resource; and

a content field that contains data identifying the resource.

33. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the position field includes:

a position data field that contains data identifying the location;

a format field that contains data identifying a format in which the data in the position data field is stored; and

a codebase field that contains data identifying a location where instructions for processing the data in the position data field can be obtained.

34. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the content field includes:

a content data field that contains data identifying the resource;

a format field that contains data identifying a format in which the data in the content data field is stored; and

a codebase field that contains data identifying a location where instructions for processing the data in the content data field can be obtained.

35. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the context anchor element further comprises an additional property element that contains additional client application-defined data that corresponds to the context anchor element, wherein the additional property elements includes:

a name field that contains data identifying the additional client application-defined data;

a format field that contains data identifying a format in which the additional client application-defined data is stored;

a property data field that contains the additional client application-defined data; and

a codebase field that contains data identifying a location where instructions for processing the additional client application-defined data can be obtained.

36. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 26, wherein the content anchor element comprises:

an id field that contains data identifying the content anchor element;

a label field that contains data identifying the content anchor element as a content anchor;

a content field that contains data identifying the data which annotates the resource.

37. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 36, wherein the content field includes the literal data which annotates the resource.

38. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 36, wherein the content field includes a reference to the literal data which annotates the resource.

39. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 36, wherein the content field includes:

a content data field that contains data identifying the data which annotates the resource;

a format field that contains data identifying a format in which the data in the content data field is stored; and

a codebase field that contains data identifying a location where instructions for processing the data in the content data field can be obtained.

40. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 36, wherein the content anchor element further comprises an additional property element that contains additional client application-defined data that corresponds to the content anchor element, wherein the additional property elements includes:

a name field that contains data identifying the additional client application-defined data;

a format field that contains data identifying a format in which the additional client application-defined data is stored;

a property data field that contains the additional client application-defined data; and

a codebase field that contains data identifying a location where instructions for processing the additional client application-defined data can be obtained.

41. A method for populating at least a portion of the data structure of claim 26.

42. A method for retrieving a data structure of claim 26.

43. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

an order field that includes data specifying how anchor elements identified in the data structure are to be used;

an anchor id field that includes data specifying one or more annotation structures; and

a field functioning to identify the end of the data structure.

44. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 43, wherein the data structure further comprises:

a composite id field that includes data identifying one or more additional data structures, each additional data structure including,

an order field that includes data specifying how anchor elements identified in the data structure are to be used,

an anchor id field that includes data specifying one or more annotation structures, and

a field functioning to identify the end of the additional data structure.

45. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 43, wherein each annotation structure comprises:

an id field that contains data identifying an annotation;

a context anchor element that contains data identifying a location of a resource to which the annotation pertains;

a content anchor element that contains data which annotates the resource;

a property element that contains client application-defined data; and

a field functioning to identify the end of the annotation structure.

46. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 43, wherein the data structure further comprises:

a role field that includes data describing why the anchor elements are identified in the data structure.

47. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

an id field that contains data identifying a set of annotations;

a children field that contains data identifying a plurality of annotations that are part of the set;

a property field that contains client application-defined data regarding the set of annotations; and

a field functioning to identify the end of the data structure.

48. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 47, further comprising a parent field that contains data identifying an additional set of annotations that the set of annotations is part of.

49. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 47, wherein each of the plurality of annotations comprises:

an id field that contains data identifying an annotation;

a context anchor element that contains data identifying a location of a resource to which the annotation pertains;

a content anchor element that contains data which annotates the resource;

a property element that contains client application-defined data; and

a field functioning to identify the end of the annotation structure.

50. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 47, wherein the property element comprises:

a name field that contains data identifying the client application-defined data;

a format field that contains data identifying a format in which the client application-defined data is stored;

a property data field that contains the client application-defined data; and

a codebase field that contains data identifying a location where instructions for processing the client application-defined data can be obtained.

51. A system implementing a Common Annotation Framework comprising:

a plurality of annotation objects, each configured to store data regarding a resource being annotated and data annotating the resource; and

an object manager configured to allow a client application to access the plurality of annotation objects, and further configured to allow the client application to extend individual objects of the plurality of annotation objects with client application-defined data.

52. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the object manager includes a create method interface that allows the client application to request that an annotation object be created.

53. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the object manager includes a save method interface that allows the client application to request that an annotation object be saved into an annotation store.

54. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the object manager includes a remove method interface that allows the client application to request that an annotation object be removed form an annotation store.

55. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the object manager includes a retrieve method interface that allows the client application to request that an annotation object be retrieved from an annotation store.

56. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the object manager includes an invoke method interface that allows the client application to request that a client application-defined method be executed by the object manager.

57. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the object manager includes a codebase method interface that allows another client application to obtain an identifier of a location of instructions regarding how to process the client application-defined data.

58. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the client application-defined data comprises methods.

59. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the client application-defined data comprises properties.

60. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein each of the plurality of annotation objects exposes an annotation interface that allows the client application to access a pointer to an anchor object that identifies a location of the resource that the annotation object pertains to.

61. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein each of the plurality of annotation objects exposes an annotation interface that allows the client application to access a pointer to an anchor object that identifies a location of another resource that contains the data annotating the resource.

62. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the Common Annotation Framework further comprises a set object that allows selected ones of the plurality of annotation objects to be grouped together.

63. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the Common Annotation Framework further comprises an event object that includes data to be returned to the client application in an asynchronous manner.

64. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the Common Annotation Framework further comprises an anchor object that contains the data regarding the resource being annotated.

65. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the Common Annotation Framework further comprises an anchor object that contains the data annotating the resource.

66. A system as recited in claim 51, wherein the Common Annotation Framework further comprises a property object that contains the client application-defined data.

67. A method comprising:

receiving a request to retrieve, from an annotation store, one or more objects; and

implementing one or more of a plurality of handlers as needed to respond to the request, the plurality of handlers including an extended property handler, extended object handler, and an extended storage handler.

68. A method as recited in claim 67, wherein the extended property handler operates on annotation object properties.

69. A method as recited in claim 67, wherein the extended property handler operates on anchor object properties.

70. A method as recited in claim 67, wherein the extended storage handler operates on objects from the annotation store.