Association And Extraction Of Content Artifacts From A Graphical Representation Of Electronic Content

• US 20100145984A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CK12 Foundation
• Original Assignee: CK12 Foundation
• Inventors: Palaniappan, Murugan
• Granted Patent: US 8,352,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computer implemented method and system is provided for associating and extracting content artifacts from a graphical representation of electronic content. A multi-dimensional virtual lattice comprising one or more grid layers is created. The nodes of the multi-dimensional virtual lattice represent metadata acquired from predefined content criteria. Electronic content comprising content artifacts acquired from multiple content sources is graphically represented within the multi-dimensional virtual lattice using the grid layers. Each of the content artifacts from the electronic content attaches to one or more nodes of the multi-dimensional virtual lattice. A user provides search criteria comprising keywords. The content artifacts attached to nodes of the multi-dimensional virtual lattice whose metadata matches with the keywords are extracted and displayed to the user. The graphical representation of electronic content in the multi-dimensional virtual lattice is used to associate, extract, composite, project, and organize the content artifacts acquired from the content sources.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of associating and extracting a plurality of content artifacts from a graphical representation of electronic content, comprising:

creating a multi-dimensional virtual lattice comprising one or more grid layers generated based on predefined content criteria, wherein nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice represent metadata acquired from said predefined content criteria;

graphically representing said electronic content comprising content artifacts acquired from a plurality of content sources within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using said one or more grid layers, wherein each of said content artifacts from said electronic content attaches to one or more of said nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice;

receiving search criteria comprising keywords from a user; and

extracting content artifacts attached to nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice whose metadata matches with said keywords in said search criteria.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said predefined content criteria comprise domain criteria, standards criteria, pedagogic criteria, parametric criteria, demographic criteria, chronology criteria, and format criteria.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of said content artifacts attaches to said one or more of said nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice based on one of explicit definition provided by said user and implicit matching using said metadata.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said one or more grid layers comprise:

a foundation grid layer for representing said content artifacts based on domains;

a standards grid layer overlaid on said foundation grid layer for logically representing said content artifacts based on a curriculum and state standards framework;

a pedagogical grid layer overlaid on one or more of said standards grid layer and said foundation grid layer for pedagogically representing said content artifacts; and

a parametric grid layer overlaid on said pedagogical grid layer for parametrically representing said content artifacts based on user defined attributes and a set of ad hoc representation parameters.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring implicit metadata and explicit metadata from said search criteria, said electronic content, and said predefined content criteria for associating said content artifacts that are graphically represented within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice, wherein said acquired metadata is stored in a metadata database.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising representing said associations between said content artifacts within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using said acquired metadata.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing a graphical user interface for acquiring said search criteria, said metadata, and said predefined content criteria.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising uniquely identifying said content artifacts attached to said nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using a plurality of identifiers assigned by an artifact database.

9. A computer implemented method of associating and extracting a plurality of content artifacts from a graphical representation of electronic content, comprising:

creating a multi-dimensional virtual lattice comprising;

generating a foundation grid layer for representing said content artifacts based on domains;

overlaying a standards grid layer on said foundation grid layer for logically representing said content artifacts based a curriculum and state standards framework;

overlaying a pedagogical grid layer on one or more of said standards grid layer and said foundation grid layer for pedagogically representing said content artifacts; and

overlaying a parametric grid layer on said pedagogical grid layer for parametrically representing said content artifacts based on user defined attributes and a set of ad hoc representation parameters;

graphically representing said electronic content comprising said content artifacts acquired from a plurality of content sources within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using said generated and overlaid grid layers, wherein each of said content artifacts from said electronic content attaches to one or more nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice, wherein said nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice represent metadata acquired from predefined content criteria;

receiving search criteria comprising keywords from a user; and

extracting content artifacts attached to nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice whose metadata matches with said keywords in said search criteria.

10. A computer implemented system for associating and extracting a plurality of content artifacts from a graphical representation of electronic content, comprising:

a grid layer generation engine that generates one or more grid layers based on predefined content criteria;

a lattice creation module that creates a multi-dimensional virtual lattice comprising said generated one or more grid layers, wherein nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice represent metadata acquired from said predefined content criteria;

a graphical representation creation module that graphically represents said electronic content comprising content artifacts acquired from a plurality of content sources within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using said generated one or more grid layers, wherein each of said content artifacts from said electronic content attaches to one or more of said nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice; and

an artifact extraction module that extracts content artifacts attached to nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice whose metadata matches with keywords in search criteria received from a user.

11. The computer implemented system of claim 10, wherein said grid layer generation engine performs the steps of:

generating a foundation grid layer for representing said content artifacts based on domains;

overlaying a standards grid layer on said foundation grid layer for logically representing said content artifacts based a curriculum and state standards framework;

overlaying a pedagogical grid layer on one or more of said standards grid layer and said foundation grid layer for pedagogically representing said content artifacts; and

overlaying a parametric grid layer on said pedagogical grid layer for parametrically representing said content artifacts based on user defined attributes and a set of ad hoc representation parameters.

12. The computer implemented system of claim 10, further comprising a metadata acquisition module that acquires implicit metadata and explicit metadata from said search criteria, said electronic content, and said predefined content criteria for associating said content artifacts that are graphically represented within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice, wherein said acquired metadata is stored in a metadata database.

13. The computer implemented system of claim 12, further comprising a validation module that validates said acquired metadata using a predefined set of metadata stored in said metadata database.

14. The computer implemented system of claim 10, further comprising an artifact association module that attaches said content artifacts to said one or more of said nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice based on one of explicit definition provided by said user and implicit matching using said metadata.

15. The computer implemented system of claim 14, wherein said artifact association module represents associations between said content artifacts within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using said acquired metadata.

16. The computer implemented system of claim 10, further comprising an identification engine that uniquely identifies said content artifacts attached to said nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using a plurality of identifiers assigned by an artifact database.

17. The computer implemented system of claim 10, further comprising a graphical user interface for acquiring said search criteria, said metadata, and said predefined content criteria.

18. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable storage medium, wherein said computer program product comprises:

a first computer parsable program code for generating one or more grid layers based on predefined content criteria;

a second computer parsable program code for creating a multi-dimensional virtual lattice comprising said generated one or more grid layers;

a third computer parsable program code for graphically representing electronic content comprising content artifacts acquired from a plurality of content sources within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using said generated one or more grid layers, wherein each of said content artifacts from said electronic content attaches to one or more of said nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice;

a fourth computer parsable program code for receiving search criteria comprising keywords from a user; and

a fifth computer parsable program code for extracting content artifacts attached to nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice whose metadata matches with said keywords in said search criteria.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

a sixth computer parsable program code for generating a foundation grid layer for representing said content artifacts based on domains;

a seventh computer parsable program code for overlaying a standards grid layer on said foundation grid layer for logically representing said content artifacts based a curriculum and state standards framework;

an eighth computer parsable program code for overlaying a pedagogical grid layer on one or more of said standards grid layer and said foundation grid layer for pedagogically representing said content artifacts; and

a ninth computer parsable program code for overlaying a parametric grid layer on said pedagogical grid layer for parametrically representing said content artifacts based on user defined attributes and a set of ad hoc representation parameters.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising a tenth computer parsable program code for acquiring implicit metadata and explicit metadata from said search criteria, said electronic content, and said predefined content criteria for associating said content artifacts graphically represented within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising an eleventh computer parsable program code for representing associations of said content artifacts within said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using said acquired metadata, wherein said associations are performed based on one of explicit definition provided by said user and implicit matching using said metadata.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising a twelfth computer parsable program code for uniquely identifying said content artifacts attached to said nodes of said created multi-dimensional virtual lattice using a plurality of identifiers assigned by an artifact database.