System for publishing, organizing, accessing and distributing information in a computer network

• US 20070067414A1
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Dayon, Alexandre
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system uses “dimensions” to filter information in a computer network. Dimensions can be categories such as geographic location, corporate department, employee classification or time period, etc. Each dimension includes one or more “elements.” An element is essentially a “value” for the dimension. For example, in the “geographic location” dimension, values can be “worldwide,” “Europe,” “France,” etc. A “community” is a set of values for one or more dimensions. Thus, the community defines a segment, or “slice,” of documents or information within the total documents or information available. “Themes” are used to further organize the documents. Themes are subject categories. Documents, and document portions, can be associated with themes and are organized according to themes. Dimensions, dimension values, and themes can be set by a system administrator.

Claims

1. A method for accessing web pages on a network, wherein the network is coupled to a server computer and a user computer operated by a user, the user computer including a user input device and a display device, the method comprising

transferring a portion of a web page from the server computer to the display device over the network, wherein the portion of a web page includes a selector allowing the user to select two or more of the following categories:

geographic location, corporate department, employee classification, time period;

detecting a user'"'"'s choice by receiving information generated in response to signals from the user input device to indicate the one or more categories chosen by the user;

identifying one or more web pages associated with information that meets the chosen categories; and

sending information about the identified web pages to the user computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selector includes pull-down lists, one for each category.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein information sent to the user computer is used to display a list of the identified web pages.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising

accepting signals from the user input device to create a document;

and

accepting signals from the user input device to associate a document with a category.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising

associating a user with a category;

and

using the user'"'"'s associated category as a default category associated with the created document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each category has sub-categories, the method further comprising

defining a theme for associating documents with categories.

7. A user interface for accessing web pages on a network,

the user interface using a user input device and display device, the user interface comprising

selector means for displaying one or more categories;

detection means for accepting signals from the user interface device to detect one or more categories;

selection means for selecting one or more web pages that meet the chosen categories; and

display means for presenting a list of the selected web pages on the display device.

8. A user interface for accessing web pages, the user interface comprising

displaying a selector for selecting one or more categories;

accepting signals from the user input device to select one or more of the categories;

displaying a list of documents which are included in the selected categories.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a category is one of the following:

geographic location, corporate department, employee classification.

10. A method for searching documents in a computer network, the method comprising

defining a first category having category types;

assigning at least a portion of a document to a first type in the category;

storing the at least a portion of a document in a retrievable form;

indicating the category to a user;

accepting input from the user to specify the first type; and

identifying the at least a portion of a document to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the category is geographic location.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the category is corporate department.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the category is employee classification.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the category is time period.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein multiple categories are used,

wherein the step of indicating the category to the user includes the substep of indicating a plurality of categories to the user;

wherein the step accepting input from the user includes the substep of

allowing the user to specify at least one category type for two or more of the categories.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user specification is performed by means of a selector tool displayed on a graphical user interface to a digital processing system.