Method to organize and manipulate blueprint documents using hypermedia links from a primary document to recall related secondary documents

• US 5,526,520 A
• Filed: 09/21/1993
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Essential Research, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gary M. Krause
• Inventors: Krause, Gary M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choules, Jack M.
• Application Number:
  US08/125,021
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/145, 395/146, 395/155, 395/156, 395/160, 395/161, 364/419.19, 364/223.6, 364/223.7, 364/237.82, 364/254.6, 364/275.6, 364/282.1, 364/283.3, 364/283.1, 364/920.7, 364/920.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method for organizing and relating several documents, including graphic documents, allows the storing of documents in a plurality of files, and thereafter identifying specific ones of those files with a project, such as blueprint documents for the construction of a building. Documents associated with a project are related in that they may include a primary or general document, such as a general view blueprint, and secondary documents, such as detailed drawings of the primary document including sectional or end views. The secondary documents may also include textual and function files. The files are linked to one another by placing hotspots on a primary document which automatically calls up a secondary document. The hotspot is visually indicated on the primary document with a name which indicates the file of the secondary document. There may be a plurality of documents or drawings within one page file. A specified document or drawing can be identified by designating its coordinates, scale and calling file in a separate file which can be used as a hotspot.

Claims

1. A method of organizing and relating a plurality of documents including graphic drawings such as architectural drawings, the method including the steps of:

storing a primary document including a primary graphic drawing representative of an object in a primary file;

storing a secondary document including a plurality of secondary graphic drawings in a secondary file, each of the secondary graphic drawings further defining a portion of the object represented by the primary graphic drawing;

selectively displaying the primary and secondary documents;

defining a frame file of the secondary file by isolating one of the plurality of secondary graphic drawings from the other secondary graphic drawings;

assigning a measurement scale to the one secondary drawing in the frame file;

identifying a hotspot on the primary document for further definition;

linking the hotspot with the frame file so that activation of the hotspot on the primary document causes display of the frame file without displaying the remaining portions of the secondary document so that analysis can be performed using the assigned measurement scale of the one secondary graphic drawing in the frame file; and

wherein said storing of the primary document includes electronically scanning a blueprint drawing page and said storing of the secondary document includes electronically scanning a different blueprint drawing page.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including assigning a name to the hotspot and assigning the same name to the frame file.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 further including displaying the frame file with the name of the hotspot.