Method and apparatus for matter-centric document management

• US 20090030948A9
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interwoven Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interwoven Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Araujo, Neil, Rangel, Aaron, Lipman, L., Mutreja, Mohit, Mohammadi, Rafiq
• Application Number:
  US10/716,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20050108293A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a matter-centric document organization is described.

Claims

1. A matter-centric document management system (DMS) comprising:

a matter file including a plurality of folders, each folder corresponding to a document type; and

an attribute assignment logic to automatically create metadata data fields for a new document, when the new document is placed in a folder, the metadata fields appropriate for the document type.

2. The DMS of claim 1, further comprising:

an metadata copying logic to automatically fill in the metadata fields which correspond to metadata fields in a parent folder.

3. The DMS of claim 1, further comprising:

a security logic to assign a security level to the document, the security level corresponding to a security level of a parent folder.

4. The DMS of claim 1, further comprising:

a matter creation logic to create a new matter folder, the matter creation comprising;

matter type logic to receive a matter type selection from a user, and to create a plurality of folders within the new matter folder, each folder corresponding to a document type.

5. The DMS of claim 4, wherein the matter creation logic further comprises:

a work list logic to receive a list of users for the new matter folder, and to add the new matter folder to a My Matters folder for the list of users.

6. The DMS of claim 4, wherein the matter creation logic further comprises:

an email interface to generate an email address for the matter folder, the email address to receive emails and file them in a correspondence folder in the matter folder.

7. The DMS of claim 6, wherein the email address comprises:

a display address closely related to a matter folder name; and

an actual address corresponding to the display address, the actual address being a unique string.

8. The DMS of claim 1, further comprising:

a subscription logic to enable a user to subscribe to a matter file, the subscription putting a copy of a matter file in the user'"'"'s My Matters list.

9. The DMS of claim 8, wherein the subscription logic enables a user to subscribe to a matter file at a second level, wherein the subscription includes the matter file and documents and other folders.

10. The DMS of claim 8, where the subscription logic enables a user to subscribe to another user'"'"'s subscription list and the user may be granted rights to modify another user'"'"'s subscription list.

11. The DMS of claim 1, further comprising:

an email logic to file emails in an appropriate matter file.

12. The DMS of claim 11, further comprising:

the email logic to prompt a user to send a copy of an email to the matter folder.

13. The DMS of claim 1, further comprising:

a matter file logic to arrange the matter file into a taxonomy based on the metadata of the matter file.

14. The DMS of claim 1, further comprising:

a matter file logic to arrange the matter file into an ontology based on attributes of the matter file.

15. The DMS of claim 1, further comprising:

a refiling logic to simplify moving a plurality of objects into a matter folder by propagating the metadata to each of the objects in a hierarchical manner.

16. A method of implementing a matter-centric document management system comprising:

having a plurality of templates, each template designed to set up a matter file including a plurality of folders, each folder corresponding to a document type; and

setting up a matter file in response to a user request, the matter file including the plurality of folders; and

automatically creating metadata data fields for a new document filed in one of the plurality of folders in the matter file, the metadata fields appropriate for the document type.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the document inheriting metadata information from the one of the plurality of folders into which the document is filed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the inherited metadata is inferred.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a server to maintain data; and

a user system to display a Workspace to a user, the workspace including a plurality of matter files, each matter file including a plurality of folders, each folder corresponding to a document type; and

an email interface to generate a matter folder email address, the email interface to receive emails directed to the matter folder email address and file them in a correspondence folder in the matter folder.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

an attribute assignment logic to automatically create metadata data fields for a new document, when the new document is placed in a folder, the metadata fields appropriate for the document type.