Automated Report Generation System and Method

• US 20110296321A1
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Content Catalyst Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Content Catalyst Ltd.
• Inventors: Lord, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computer implemented system and method in a client-server environment, is provided for document research, aggregation, and compilation. The system and method includes a server having a search module configured to generate a search interface displayable to a client communicably coupled to the server, and responsive to instructions received via the search interface, to search and sort selections of interest within a plurality of source documents. A customized report module is configured to generate a custom report interface displayable to the client, and responsive to user selection instructions received via the custom report interface, to extract and aggregate the selections of interest into a customized report. PDF, PPT, and XLS modules are configured to respectively enable source documents in the PDF, PPT, and XLS formats to be searched, sorted, and aggregated by the search module and customized report module.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system in a client-server environment, for document research, aggregation, and compilation, the system comprising:

a server including;

a search module configured to generate a search interface displayable to a client communicably coupled to the server, and responsive to instructions received via the search interface, to search and sort selections of interest within a plurality of source documents;

a customized report module configured to generate a custom report interface displayable to the client, and responsive to user selection instructions received via the custom report interface, to extract and aggregate the selections of interest into a customized report;

a PDF module configured to enable source documents in the PDF format to be searched, sorted, and aggregated by the search module and customized report module;

a PPT module configured to enable source documents in the PPT format to be searched, sorted, and aggregated by the search module and customized report module; and

an XLS module configured to enable source documents in the XLS format to be searched, sorted, and aggregated by the search module and customized report module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the customized report module is configured to extract and aggregate selections of interest disposed in one or more text formats.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the search, customized report, PDF, PPT, and XLS modules are all disposed on computer readable media.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising a version control module in operative engagement with the customized report module, the version control module configured to track the version of the custom report generated by the customized report module, and, responsive to instructions received from the client, output a desired version of the custom report to the client.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the version control module is configured to retain the user selection instructions in order to regenerate the desired version of the custom report to the client.

6. The system of claim 4, comprising a source document module configured to store and index a plurality of source documents in a plurality of native formats including DOC, PDF, PPT, and XLS.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the customized report module is configured to extract and aggregate the selections of interest into a customized report while maintaining the original native formats of the selections of interest.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the source document module is configured to store each of the plurality of source documents in a plurality of sub-document portions.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the source document module is configured to store source information for each of the plurality of sub-document portions.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the source information is selected from the group consisting of author, publisher, publication date, copyright notice, and terms of use.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the source document module is configured to store the plurality of source documents in one or more tables populated with the sub-document portions, source information, and with coordinate information for location of the sub-document portions within its source document.

12. The system of claim 11, comprising a figure handler configured to generate a figure interface displayable to the client, and responsive to instructions received via the figure interface to search and sort selections of interest in the form of figures within the plurality of source documents.

13. The system of claim 11, comprising a PDF handler configured to generate a PDF interface displayable to the client, and responsive to instructions received via the PDF interface to search and sort selections of interest in the PDF format within the plurality of source documents.

14. The system of claim 11, comprising a PPT handler configured to generate a PPT interface displayable to the client, and responsive to instructions received via the PPT interface to search and sort selections of interest in the PPT format within the plurality of source documents.

15. The system of claim 11, comprising an XLS handler configured to generate an XLS interface displayable to the client, and responsive to instructions received via the XLS interface to search and sort selections of interest in the XLS format within the plurality of source documents.

16. The system of claim 11, comprising a translation handler configured to generate a translation interface displayable to the client, and responsive to instructions received via the translation interface to provide language translation for selections of interest within the plurality of source documents.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the customized report module is configured to output the custom report in any of a plurality of formats.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of formats is selected from the group consisting of XML, DOC, PDF, PPT, XLS, and combinations thereof.

19. The system of claim 11, comprising a tool module configured to generate a tool interface displayable to the client, and responsive to instructions received from the client, link user comments to individual sub-document portions.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the tool module is configured to permit the custom report to be displayed to, and comments to be added by, a plurality of clients.

21. A method for automated document research, aggregation, and compilation, in a client-server environment, the method comprising:

(a) generating, with a server computer, a search interface displayable to a client communicably coupled to the server;

(b) searching and sorting, with the server computer in response to instructions received via the search interface, selections of interest within a plurality of source documents;

(c) generating, with the server computer, a custom report interface displayable to the client;

(d) extracting and aggregating, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions received via the custom report interface, the selections of interest into a customized report;

(e) enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in the PDF format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report;

(f) enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in the PPT format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report; and

(g) enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in the XLS format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said extracting and aggregating (d) comprises extracting and aggregating selections of interest disposed in one or more text formats.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising (h) tracking, with the server computer, versions of the custom report, and outputting, in response to instructions received from the client, a desired version of the custom report.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said tracking (h) comprises retaining the user selection instructions in order to regenerate the desired version of the custom report.

25. The method of claim 23, comprising storing and indexing, with the server computer, a plurality of source documents in a plurality of native formats including text, PDF, PPT, and XLS.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said extracting and aggregating (d) is effected while maintaining the original native formats of the selections of interest.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising storing, with the server computer, each of the plurality of source documents in a plurality of sub-document portions.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising translating, with the server computer, in response to instructions received from the client, a plurality of the sub-document portions.

29. The method of claim 27, comprising storing, with the server computer, source information for each of the plurality of sub-document portions.

30. The method of claim 29, comprising storing, with the server computer, source information selected from the group consisting of author, publisher, publication date, copyright notice, and terms of use.

31. The method of claim 29, comprising storing, with the server computer, the plurality of source documents in one or more tables populated with the sub-document portions, source information, and with coordinate information for location of the sub-document portions within its source document.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said storing comprises storing figures as sub-document portions of the source document.

33. The method of claim 31, comprising generating, with the server computer, a PDF interface displayable to the client for capturing user selection instructions associated with searching and sorting selections of interest in the PDF format within the plurality of source documents.

34. The method of claim 31, comprising generating, with the server computer, a PPT interface displayable to the client for capturing user selection instructions associated with searching and sorting selections of interest in the PPT format within the plurality of source documents.

35. The method of claim 31, comprising generating, with the server computer, an XLS interface displayable to the client for capturing user selection instructions associated with searching and sorting selections of interest in the XLS format within the plurality of source documents.

36. The method of claim 31, comprising generating, with the server computer, a translation interface displayable to the client for capturing user selection instructions associated with language translation of selections of interest within the plurality of source documents.

37. The method of claim 31, comprising outputting, with the server computer, the custom report in any of a plurality of formats.

38. The method of claim 37, comprising outputting, with the server computer, the custom report in a plurality of formats selected from the group consisting of XML, DOC, PDF, PPT, XLS, and combinations thereof.

39. The method of claim 31, comprising generating, with the server computer, a tool interface displayable to the client for capturing user comments to be linked to individual sub-document portions.

40. The method of claim 39, comprising permitting, with the server computer via the tool interface, a plurality of users to add comments to the custom report.

41. An article of manufacture for automated document research, aggregation, and compilation, in a client-server environment, said article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer usable medium having computer readable program code for;

generating, with a server computer, a search interface displayable to a client communicably coupled to the server;

searching and sorting, with the server computer in response to instructions received via the search interface, selections of interest within a plurality of source documents;

generating, with the server computer, a custom report interface displayable to the client;

extracting and aggregating, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions received via the custom report interface, the selections of interest into a customized report;

enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in the PDF format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report;

enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in the PPT format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report; and

enabling, with the server computer in response to user selection instructions, documents in the XLS format to be searched, sorted, extracted and aggregated into the customized report.