Management and use of data in a computer-generated document

• US 20060136477A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Burke, Eoin, Jones, Brian, Rothschiller, Chad, Wu, Su-Piao Bill, Bishop, Andrew, Garg, Sharad K., Villaron, Shawn Alan, Little, Robert, Pollock, Josh, Morgan, Ashley, Walker, Charles S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Methods and systems provide for breaking a computer-generated document into a number of components where the components have explicit relationships with each other. A relationship representation is generated for the components of the document. A user may then navigate the relationships between the components to quickly understand the nature of the document and its components and to locate particular portions of the document that are important to the user. In addition, the user may open, edit and reuse particular components of the document apart from the rest of the document and without having to open or edit the document.

Claims

1. A method for managing components of a computer-generated document, comprising:

assembling a plurality of components of a document as a collection of separate components in an electronic document container;

generating a relationship representation of the document showing how each of one or more components relate to other components;

establishing a link between any related components of the collection of separate components based on a relationship between the any related components; and

upon selection of the electronic document container, providing a visual representation of the collection of components and providing a visual representation of how each component of the collection of components relates to other components of the collection of components.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon selection of a visual representation of one component of the document from the visual representation of the collection of components, providing access to a component of the document associated with the selected visual representation of one component of the document.

3. The method of claim 2, whereby providing access to a component of the document associated with the selected visual representation includes launching the selected component associated with the selected visual representation for allowing manipulation of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation apart from other components of the document.

4. The method of claim 3, whereby allowing manipulation of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation includes allowing editing of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation.

5. The method of claim 3, whereby allowing manipulation of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation includes allowing copying of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation to a different document.

6. The method of claim 1, whereby upon launching the document, merging the collection of components of the document for presenting the document according to relationships between each of the components of the document.

7. The method of claim 1, whereby assembling a plurality of components of a document as a collection of separate components in an electronic document container includes assembling the document as one or more separate executable components.

8. The method of claim 7, whereby assembling a plurality of components of a document as a collection of separate components in an electronic document container includes assembling the document as one or more data objects.

9. The method of claim 8, whereby assembling a plurality of components of a document as a collection of separate components in an electronic document container includes assembling the document as one or more formatting property objects.

10. The method of claim 1, whereby assembling a plurality of components of a document as a collection of separate components in an electronic document container includes assembling the collection of components in a zip format file.

11. A method for managing components of a computer-generated document, comprising:

dividing the document into a plurality of components comprising the document;

assembling each of the components of the document in an electronic document container;

representing a relationship between components of the document showing how each of one or more components of the document relate to other components of the document; and

upon launching the document, merging each of the components of the document according to relationships between each of the components of the document.

12. The method of claim 11, when representing a relationship between components of the document showing how each of one or more components of the document relate to other components of the document, establishing a link between each component of the document according to a relationship between each component of the document.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing one or more of the components of the document in one or more locations separate from other components of the document.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising upon selection of one component of the document assembled in the electronic document container, launching the selected component to allow editing of the selected component apart from other components of the document.

15. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for managing components of a computer-generated document, comprising:

assembling a plurality of components of a document as a collection of separate components in an electronic document container;

generating a relationship representation of the document showing how each of one or more components relate to other components;

establishing a link between any related components of the collection of separate components based on a relationship between the any related components; and

upon selection of the electronic document container, providing a visual representation of the collection of components and providing a visual representation of how each component of the collection of components relates to other components of the collection of components.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising upon selection of a visual representation of one component of the document from the visual representation of the collection of components, providing access to a component of the document associated with the selected visual representation of one component of the document.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, whereby providing access to a component of the document associated with the selected visual representation includes launching the selected component associated with the selected visual representation for allowing manipulation of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation apart from other components of the document.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, whereby allowing manipulation of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation includes allowing editing of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, whereby allowing manipulation of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation includes allowing copying of the selected component associated with the selected visual representation to a different document.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, whereby upon launching the document, merging the collection of components of the document for presenting the document according to relationships between each of the components of the document.