DOCUMENT CATALOG SYSTEM

• US 20080033916A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ray, Elton
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/902 Licensing digital content

Abstract

A method for open-text searching of information sources owned by a library is provided. The method uses existing full-text search engines and databases of open-text scans of text documents to provide searches which are limited to the actual set of information sources owned by or within a physical library. This set of information sources may be defined by a listing of ISBN or document identification numbers at an access rights database. Users may access this system from computer terminals within the library, or offsite using a unique library patron identification card. Constraints may be placed on the searches which limit the number of users searching a specific book at one time or the level of search access permitted.

Claims

1. A method for providing a search service, comprising:

receiving a search request for a search property from a user device via a communications network;

selecting a set of information sources corresponding to resource materials at a customer site;

searching the accessible information sources with the search request to identify one or more documents that include the search property; and

delivering the search results to the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method also comprises, after the delivering the search results:

allowing a user to select an information source from the search results;

determining a number of viewable copies of the information source for which the customer site has license rights;

determining a number of delivered copies of the information source; and

providing a copy of the information source to the user device if the number of delivered copies plus the provided copy does not exceed the license rights.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method also comprises, after the determining the number of viewable copies of the information source:

delivering a message to the user device that the selected information source is unavailable if the number of delivered copies plus the provided copy will exceed the license rights; and

placing the user in a queue to view the information source when it becomes available.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer site is a library.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a computer terminal.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the license rights are associated with a customer identification and are stored at an access rights database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the customer identification is associated with the customer site.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the access rights database stores a list of information sources which are located at the customer site.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the search request includes the customer identification and at least one search property.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the information sources occurs on an open-text searchable database.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the search results is as an enumerated list which includes individual list items with at least the information source title, author, and publication date.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a part of the individual list item is selectable and provides a link to an open-text version of the information source item.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a list of information sources available at the customer site to an access rights database.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein items in the list of information sources are identified by ISBN numbers.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

purchasing license rights to additional copies of an information source; and

incrementing the list of information sources to reflect an increased number of viewable copies of the information source.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user with a user device capable of accessing the communications network.

17. A method for providing a search service, comprising:

receiving a search request for a search property from a user device via a communications network;

selecting a set of information sources corresponding to resource materials at a customer site;

searching the accessible information sources with the search request to identify one or more documents that include the search property;

delivering the search results to the user device;

allowing the user to select an information source from the search results;

determining a number of viewable copies of the information source for which the customer site has license rights, wherein the license rights are associated with a customer identification and are stored at an access rights database and wherein the access rights database stores a list of information sources which are located at the customer site;

determining a number of delivered copies of the information source; and

providing a copy of the information source to the user device if the number of delivered copies plus the provided copy does not exceed the license rights.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method also comprises, after the determining the number of viewable copies of the information source:

delivering a message to the user device that the selected information source is unavailable if the number of delivered copies plus the provided copy will exceed the license rights; and

placing the user in a queue to view the information source when it becomes available.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein delivering the search results is as an enumerated list which includes individual list items with at least the information source title, author, and publication date.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the search request includes at least one search property and the customer identification and wherein the customer identification is associated with the customer site.