Data access and retrieval mechanism

• US 20050108205A1
• Filed: 11/14/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autonomy Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Iron Mountain Incorporated
• Inventors: Hegarty, Sean, Twombly, Christopher, Venditti, Stephen, Olsen, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for preserving electronic resources identified as search results in a system location, such as a system folder. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method comprises executing a search query on a data collection to produce at least one search result, the search query specifying at least one criterion, each of the at least one search results representing a resource which satisfies the at least one criterion; providing an input mechanism by means of which a user may select at least one resource for preservation; and executing, in response to the user'"'"'s selection, a command to preserve the selected at least one resource in a system location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating access to a resource which is included in a data collection, the resource comprising a self-contained module of data, the data collection comprising a plurality of resources, the method comprising acts of:

(A) executing a search query on the data collection to produce at least one search result, the search query specifying at least one criterion, each of the at least one search results representing a resource which satisfies the at least one criterion;

(B) providing an input mechanism by means of which a user may select for preservation at least one resource from the data collection; and

(C) executing, in response to the user'"'"'s selection, a command to preserve the selected at least one resource in a system location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the system location comprises a folder.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the folder is created based on input provided by the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the folder is implemented via an indication stored in at least one persistent data store.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (A) further comprises each of the at least one search results representing a resource by providing an identifier which facilitates access to the resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (C) further comprises exporting the preserved resource.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the act (C) further comprises exporting the preserved resource to at least one of a CD-ROM or a paper copy.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the act (C) is performed in at least one of a manual and semi-automated manner.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (C) further comprises copying the selected at least one resource from the system location to a second system location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the act (C) is performed in response to a command provided by a user.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the act (C) is performed by creating a relationship in at least one persistent data store between each of the selected at least one resources and the second system location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (C) further comprises moving the selected at least one resource from the system location to a second system location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the act (C) is performed in response to receiving a command provided by a user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the act (C) is performed by creating a relationship in at least one persistent data store between each of the selected at least one resources and the second system location.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a human operator.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion is provided by the user.

17. A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform a method for facilitating access to a resource which is included in a data collection, the resource comprising a self-contained module of data, the data collection comprising a plurality of resources, the method comprising acts of:

(A) executing a search query on the data collection to produce at least one search result, the search query specifying at least one criterion, each of the at least one search results representing a resource which satisfies the at least one criterion;

(B) providing an input mechanism by means of which a user may select for preservation at least one resource from the data collection; and

(C) executing, in response to the user'"'"'s selection, a command to preserve the selected at least one resource in a system location.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the system location comprises a folder.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the folder is created based on input provided by the user.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the folder is implemented via an indication stored in at least one persistent data store.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the act (A) further comprises each of the at least one search results representing a resource by providing an identifier which facilitates access to the resource.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the act (C) further comprises exporting the preserved resource.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the act (C) further comprises exporting the preserved resource to at least one of a CD-ROM or a paper copy.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the act (C) is performed in at least one of a manual and semi-automated manner.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the act (C) further comprises copying the selected at least one resource from the system location to a second system location.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the act (C) is performed in response to a command provided by a user.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the act (C) is performed by creating a relationship in at least one persistent data store between each of the selected at least one resources and the second system location.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the act (C) further comprises moving the selected at least one resource from the system location to a second system location.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the act (C) is performed in response to receiving a command provided by a user.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the act (C) is performed by creating a relationship in at least one persistent data store between each of the selected at least one resources and the second system location.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the user is a human operator.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one criterion is provided by the user.

33. A system for facilitating access to a resource which is included in a data collection, the resource comprising a self-contained module of data, the data collection comprising a plurality of resources, the system comprising:

a search controller to execute a search query on the data collection to produce at least one search result, the search query specifying at least one criterion, each of the at least one search results representing a resource which satisfies the at least one criterion;

an input controller to provide an input mechanism by means of which a user may select, from the at least one search result produced by the search controller, at least one resource from the data collection for preservation; and

a command controller to execute, in response to the user'"'"'s selection provided to the input controller, a command to preserve the selected at least one resource in a system location.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the system location comprises a folder.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the folder is created based on input provided by the user.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the folder is implemented via an indication stored in at least one persistent data store.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the search controller provides each of the at least one search results by providing an identifier which facilitates access to a resource.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the command controller further exports the preserved resource.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the command controller further exports the preserved resource to at least one of a CD-ROM or a paper copy.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein the command controller further copies the selected at least one resource from the system location to a second system location.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the command controller creates a relationship in at least one persistent data store between each of the selected at least one resources and the second system location.

42. The system of claim 33, wherein the command controller further moves the selected at least one resource from the system location to a second system location.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the command controller creates a relationship in at least one persistent data store between each of the selected at least one resources and the second system location.

44. The system of claim 33, wherein the user is a human operator.

45. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one criterion is provided by the user.