Method and systems for hyperlinking files
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to the method of the invention, a set of target files is linked to a main file by encoding the target addresses or URLs of these target files into the primary filename of the main file. Separator characters are used to distinguish the primary filename of the main file and the encoded address of each linked target file. Linked target files may be of any kind including, source files of the main file, metadata, multimedia information and services. Since most file systems do not accept certain characters on valid filenames, addresses of linked target files are encoded so that any forbidden character is replaced by an associated authorized character. A lexicography table stores all pairs of forbidden and corresponding authorized characters. Likewise, since filenames length is generally limited to 256 characters, the encoding process may be optimized to reduce the length of the encoded addresses or URLs.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1-11. -11. (canceled)
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12. A method for hyperlinking a main file with N target files, said main file and said N target files being stored in a computer readable medium of a computer system, said N at least 1, said main file having a primary filename of a form F.E, said F representing a name component of the primary filename, said E representing an extension component of the primary filename, said N target files denoted as T1, T2, . . . , TN having an associated N target file addresses respectively denoted as A1, A2, . . . , AN, said method comprising:
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encoding the primary filename with the N target file addresses to form a composite filename having a form of F(A).E, said A representing A1, A2, . . . , AN, said symbol (between said F and said A denoting a first control character that separates said F and said A, said symbol ) between said A and said E denoting a second control character that separates said A and said E, said second control character differing from the first control character; and
storing the composite filename in said computer readable medium.
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13. The method of claim 12, wherein the target file Ti is a source file of the main file such that Ai is a source file address of the source file Ti, and wherein i is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and N.
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14. The method of claim 13, wherein the source file address Ai is a Universal Resource Locator (URL) of an Internet web page.
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15. The method of claim 12, wherein N is at least 2, wherein A is represented in a form of A1{A2{. . . {AN, and wherein said symbol {denotes a third control character that separates An−
- 1 and An for n=2, . . . , N, and wherein the third control character differs from both the first control character and the second control character.
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16. The method of claim 15, said method further comprising determining whether corresponding path portions of two consecutive target file addresses Ai and Ai 1 is a common path, wherein i is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and N−
- 1, and if said determining determines that said corresponding path portions is a common path then;
inserting a fourth control character denoted by a symbol} at the end of the common path of Ai, wherein the fourth control character differs from the first control character, the second control character, and the third control character; and
removing the common path from Ai 1.
- 1, and if said determining determines that said corresponding path portions is a common path then;
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17. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising specifying predetermined character strings and associated substitute characters;
- and for n=1, 2, . . . , N;
identifying in An at least one character string of said predetermined character strings; and
replacing in An each identified character string with its associated substitute character.
- and for n=1, 2, . . . , N;
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18. The method of claim 17, wherein an identified character string consists of one character.
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19. The method of claim 17, wherein an identified character string consists of at least two characters.
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20. The method of claim 12, said method further comprising:
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decoding the composite filename, by parsing the composite filename, to extract from the composite filename a target file address Ai of the N target file addresses, wherein i is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and N; and
accessing the target file Ti at the target file address Ai.
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21. The method of claim 20, said method further comprising:
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analyzing the target file address Ai to determine a file type of the target file Ti; and
launching an application that is associated to the file type of the target file Ti.
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22. An apparatus comprising a computer system, said computer system comprising a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium comprising software adapted to be executed by the computer system to implement a method for hyperlinking a main file with N target files, said method comprising:
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encoding the primary filename with the N target file addresses to form a composite filename having a form of F(A).E, said A representing A1, A2, . . . , AN, said symbol (between said F and said A denoting a first control character that separates said F and said A, said symbol) between said A and said E denoting a second control character that separates said A and said E, said second control character differing from the first control character; and
storing the composite filename in said computer readable medium.
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23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the target file Ti is a source file of the main file such that Ai is a source file address of the source file Ti, and wherein i is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and N.
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24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the source file address Ai is a Universal Resource Locator (URL) of an Internet web page.
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25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein N is at least 2, wherein A is represented in a form of A1{A2{. . . {AN, and wherein said symbol { denotes a third control character that separates An−
- 1 and An for n=2, . . . , N, and wherein the third control character differs from both the first control character and the second control character.
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26. The apparatus of claim 25, said method further comprising determining whether corresponding path portions of two consecutive target file addresses Ai and Ai 1 is a common path, wherein i is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and N−
- 1, and if said determining determines that said corresponding path portions is a common path then;
inserting a fourth control character denoted by a symbol } at the end of the common path of Ai, wherein the fourth control character differs from the first control character, the second control character, and the third control character; and
removing the common path from Ai−
1.
- 1, and if said determining determines that said corresponding path portions is a common path then;
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27. The apparatus of claim 22, said method further comprising specifying predetermined character strings and associated substitute characters;
- and for n=1, 2, . . . , N;
identifying in An at least one character string of said predetermined character strings; and
replacing in An each identified character string with its associated substitute character.
- and for n=1, 2, . . . , N;
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28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein an identified character string consists of one character.
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29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein an identified character string consists of at least two characters.
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30. The apparatus of claim 22, said method further comprising:
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decoding the composite filename, by parsing the composite filename, to extract from the composite filename a target file address Ai of the N target file addresses, wherein i is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and N; and
accessing the target file Ti at the target file address Ai.
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31. The apparatus of claim 30, said method further comprising:
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analyzing the target file address Ai to determine a file type of the target file Ti; and
launching an application that is associated to the file type of the target file Ti.
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32. A computer readable medium comprising software adapted to be executed by a computer system to implement a method for hyperlinking a main file with N target files, said method comprising:
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encoding the primary filename with the N target file addresses to form a composite filename having a form of F(A).E, said A representing A1, A2, . . . , AN, said symbol (between said F and said A denoting a first control character that separates said F and said A, said symbol) between said A and said E denoting a second control character that separates said A and said E, said second control character differing from the first control character; and
storing the composite filename in said computer readable medium.
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33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the target file Ti is a source file of the main file such that Ai is a source file address of the source file Ti, and wherein i is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and N.
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34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein the source file address Ai is a Universal Resource Locator (URL) of an Internet web page.
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35. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein N is at least 2, wherein A is represented in a form of A1{A2{. . . {AN, and wherein said symbol { denotes a third control character that separates An−
- 1 and An for n=2, . . . , N, and wherein the third control character differs from both the first control character and the second control character.
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36. The computer readable medium of claim 35, said method further comprising determining whether corresponding path portions of two consecutive target file addresses Ai and Ai 1 is a common path, wherein i is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and N−
- 1, and if said determining determines that said corresponding path portions is a common path then;
inserting a fourth control character denoted by a symbol } at the end of the common path of Ai, wherein the fourth control character differs from the first control character, the second control character, and the third control character; and
removing the common path from Ai 1.
- 1, and if said determining determines that said corresponding path portions is a common path then;
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37. The computer readable medium of claim 32, said method further comprising specifying predetermined character strings and associated substitute characters;
- and for n=1,2, . . . , N;
identifying in An at least one character string of said predetermined character strings; and
replacing in An each identified character string with its associated substitute character.
- and for n=1,2, . . . , N;
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38. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein an identified character string consists of one character.
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39. The computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein an identified character string consists of at least two characters.
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40. The computer readable medium of claim 32, said method further comprising:
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decoding the composite filename, by parsing the composite filename, to extract from the composite filename a target file address Ai of the N target file addresses, wherein i is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, . . . , and N; and
accessing the target file Ti at the target file address Ai.
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41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, said method further comprising:
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analyzing the target file address Ai to determine a file type of the target file Ti; and
launching an application that is associated to the file type of the target file Ti.
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Specification