Vector relational characteristical object

• US 5,162,992 A
• Filed: 12/19/1989
• Issued: 11/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Marvin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Dale M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bodendorf, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US07/454,797
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200, 364/900, 364/419
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/123 Storage facilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of identifying attributes when documents are grouped to form document relationships within a document management system. Document groupings frequently require the identification of all documents within the relationship with a particular attribute. However, when individual documents store attributes along with document contents, individual querying of each document is required when the information is sought later. This invention provides a Vector Relational Characteristical Object, available to access mechanisms, and containing fields to identify a particular attribute. Each field in the Vector Relational Characteristical Object is followed by an identifier which uniquely identifies the document which possess the particular attribute.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a document attribute of a first and second documents stored in a shared library having a plurality of documents stored therein, and where said first and second documents are combined to form a document relationship, comprising the steps of:

identifying said first and second documents in said document relationship;

creating a vector relational characteristical object containing the document attribute of said first and second documents; and

storing said vector relational characteristical object in said shared library with at least one of said first and second documents.

2. A method of identifying a document attribute associated with a first and second documents stored in a shared library in a document management system where a plurality of documents are stored in said shared library, and where said first and second documents form a document relationship, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying said first and second documents in said document relationship;

storing said document attribute in a vector relational characteristical object; and

storing said vector relational characteristical object with at least one of said first and second documents in said shared library.

3. A method of identifying a document attribute resulting from a formation of a document relationship between a first document and a second document stored in a shared library within a document management system, said shared library having a plurality of documents and said plurality of documents are accessed by a user, comprising the steps of:

identifying by said user said first document and second document in said document relationship;

fetching said first document and said second document from said shared library and removing said document attribute from a profile object for said first document and said second document;

creating a vector relational characteristical object and placing said document attribute from said profile object for said first document and second document in said vector relational characteristical object; and

storing said vector relational characteristical object with at least one of said first document and second document in said shared library.