Systems and methods for providing information in a computer network

• US 20040205572A1
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Ajay, Fields, Wendell, Jackson, Kevin H., Black, Karl S.
• Application Number:
  US10/098,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205572A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/513
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

In one embodiment, a provisioning repository receives content from multiple content sources. Content in the provisioning repository may be used to populate page regions of a template. Documents based on the template may be created and then published in a computer network. In another embodiment, a workflow system is employed to manage the creation, editing, and publication of documents.

Claims

1. A method of providing information in a computer network, the method comprising:

storing a first content from a first source and a second content from a second source in a first repository;

populating a region of a first template with the first content and another region of the first template with the second content; and

publishing a document based on the first template.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

copying the first content and the second content from the first repository and into a second repository; and

wherein the document receives the first content and the second content from the second repository.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

populating a region of a second template with the first content; and

publishing another document based on the second template.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

copying the first content from the first repository and into a second repository; and

wherein the document based on the second template receives the first content from the second repository.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the document based on the first template and the document based on the second template are on different web sites.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first repository includes a database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the document includes a web page.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer network includes the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first source includes a file system.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending the document for approval by designated reviewers prior to publishing the document; and

wherein the document transitions from one state to another as reviewers approve the document.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

assigning a version number to the document once the document is approved; and

storing versions of the document.

12. A system for providing information in a computer network, the system comprising:

a first content source and a second content source;

a first repository containing contents from the first content source and the second content source;

a first template having a page region for displaying content selected from the first repository; and

a publishing system for publishing a document based on the first template.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the document receives content from a second repository of the publishing system.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the first content source includes a file system.

15. The system of claim 12 further comprising a second template having a page region for displaying content selected from the first repository.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the document includes a web page.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein the computer network includes the Internet.

18. A system for publishing information in a computer network, the system comprising:

content receiving means for receiving content from a plurality of content sources;

means for populating a template with content selected from the content receiving means; and

means for publishing a document based on the template.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

means for managing the approval of the document for publication; and

means for versioning the document.

20. A system for managing publication of documents, the system comprising:

a page composer for creating a document;

a workflow engine for coordinating approval of the document for publication; and

a versioning engine for keeping track of versions of approved documents.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising:

a data store for storing versions of approved documents; and

a state machine for keeping track of the status of the document as the document goes through an approval process.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the document includes a web page.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the document is published in a computer network including the Internet.

24. A method of coordinating the publication of documents, the method comprising the following actions to be performed in a computer system:

receiving a document to be approved for publication;

notifying a user whose role is to review the document;

waiting for a response from the user; and

upon receipt of approval from the user, versioning the document and publishing the document in a computer network.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

changing a state of the document upon receipt of approval from the user.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the act of notifying the user includes sending an e-mail to the user.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the document includes a web page and the computer network includes the Internet.