NAVIGATION OF THE CONTENT SPACE OF A DOCUMENT SET

• US 20080140700A1
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DataCore Software Corporation (Flagship Ventures 2004 Fund LLC)
• Original Assignee: Caringo Incorporated
• Inventors: Carpentier, Paul R.M., Willems, Maarten J.P.A., Winters, Joris
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Abstract

Content-based addressing is used to navigate forward, backward and in a circular fashion through documents in a content space. To enable backward navigation, a descriptor file is created for a new version that contains not only a message digest for the new version, but also a message digest of the older document. A message digest is created for the descriptor file. A user navigates backward starting with the message digest of the descriptor file. To enable forward navigation, a mapping table maps a message digest of an older document into the message digest of the new version. A high-level descriptor file contains the message digest of the original document and the message digest of the mapping table. The message digest of the high-level descriptor file is returned to the user. A user navigates forward starting with the high-level descriptor file message digest. To enable circular navigation, a mapping table maps a message digest of a second document into a message digest of a version of the second document containing a message digest of a first document. The techniques are combined to allow navigation through a complex content space.

Claims

1. A method of enabling backward navigation in a content space, said method comprising:

receiving a first unique identifier that identifies a first computer file;

receiving a second unique identifier that identifies a second computer file;

receiving an indication that said second computer file is a later version of said first computer file;

creating a descriptor file that includes said first unique identifier and said second unique identifier; and

creating a third unique identifier of said descriptor file and returning said third unique identifier to a user, whereby said user uses said third unique identifier to navigate backward through said content space formed by said first and second computer files.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first unique identifier identifies a first descriptor file that includes a unique identifier of said first computer file.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said second computer file is received by said user or is created by said user.

26. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers are message digests.

27. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers are not random numbers.

28. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers are random numbers.

4. (canceled)

5. A method of enabling forward navigation in a content space, said method comprising:

receiving a first unique identifier that identifies a first computer file;

receiving a second unique identifier that identifies a second computer file;

receiving an indication that said second computer file is a later version of said first computer file;

creating a mapping table that maps said first unique identifier into said second unique identifier;

creating a descriptor file that includes said first unique identifier and an identification of said mapping table; and

creating a third unique identifier of said descriptor file and returning said third unique identifier to a user, whereby said user uses said third unique identifier to navigate forward through said content space formed by said first and second computer files.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said first unique identifier identifies a first descriptor file that identifies said first computer file, wherein said second unique identifier identifies a second descriptor file that identifies said second computer file.

8. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said second computer file is received by said user or is created by said user.

10. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said descriptor file includes said mapping table.

11. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said descriptor file includes a unique identifier that identifies said mapping table.

29. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers are message digests.

30. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers are not random numbers.

31. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers are random numbers.

7. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

12. A method of enabling forward navigation in a content space, said method comprising:

receiving a first unique identifier that identifies a first computer file;

receiving a second unique identifier that identifies a second computer file, said second computer file indicated as being a later version of said first computer file;

creating a mapping table that maps said first unique identifier into said second unique identifier;

returning said first unique identifier and an identification of said mapping table to a user; and

indicating to said user that said first unique identifier and said mapping table enable forward navigation through said content space formed by said first and second computer files, whereby said user invokes a session using said first unique identifier and said mapping table to forward navigate through said content space.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said first unique identifier identifies a first descriptor file that identifies said first computer file, wherein said second unique identifier identifies a second descriptor file that identifies said second computer file.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said second computer file is received by said user or is created by said user.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said identification of said mapping table is a unique identifier of said mapping table.

32. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said first and second unique identifiers are message digests.

33. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said first and second unique identifiers are not random numbers.

34. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said first and second unique identifiers are random numbers.

14. (canceled)

17. A method of enabling circular navigation in a content space, said method comprising:

identifying first and second computer files, said first computer file including a second unique identifier that identifies said second computer file;

creating a first unique identifier that identifies said first computer file;

creating a version of said second computer file that includes said first unique identifier;

creating a third unique identifier of said second computer file version;

creating a mapping table that maps said second unique identifier into said third unique identifier;

returning said first unique identifier and an identification of said mapping table to a user, whereby said user navigates between said first and second computer files.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

indicating to said user that said first unique identifier and said mapping table enable circular navigation in said content space that includes said first and second computer files, whereby said user invokes a session using said first unique identifier and said mapping table to circular navigate in said content space.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said identification of said mapping table is a unique identifier of said mapping table.

20. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

creating a descriptor file that includes said first unique identifier and said identification of said mapping table; and

creating a fourth unique identifier that identifies said descriptor file and returning said fourth unique identifier to said user, wherein said first unique identifier and said identification of said mapping table are returned to said user indirectly via said fourth unique identifier, whereby said user navigates between said first and second computer files starting with said fourth unique identifier.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein said identification of said mapping table is the mapping table itself or a unique identifier that identifies said mapping table.

22. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers identify a descriptor file that identifies said first, second and second version computer files, respectively.

24. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said second computer file is received by said user or is created by said user.

35. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers are message digests.

36. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers are not random numbers.

37. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said first, second and third unique identifiers are random numbers.

23. (canceled)

25. (canceled)