Method and apparatus for event-tagging data files automatically correlated with a time of occurence in a computer system

• US 5,799,315 A
• Filed: 07/07/1995
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pio-di Savoia, Luigi Alberto, Rainey, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US08/499,586
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 395/137, 395/141, 395/161, 395/159, 395/558, 364/419.13, 364/551.01, 382/203, 368/185, 707/104, 707/1, 707/3, 707/101, 342/125, 345/441
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/489 using time information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method and apparatus for event-tagging data entries as separate data segments in a data file. The data file is stored in the memory of a computer including a processor that executes instructions to carry out the method of the invention. As a user enters data, such as with a computer "pen" in a pen-driven notebook computer, the processor determines whether each data entry is one of a set of predefined data entry events. Such events may include areas on the screen that the user is entering his or her notes, such lines or paragraphs, such that whenever the user begins a new line or paragraph, that is tagged as a new event. An event may also be a particular time interval; for instance, data entry may be tagged every minute, or every ten minutes. An event may also relate to the type of data that the user is entering, such as graphical data vis-a-vis handwritten or text data, and/or may relate to the fact that a given data entry is of a different type of data than an adjacent data entry. The event-tagged segments are used to synchronize display of the data segments with a series of event signals, for instance to play back the development of the document comprising the data file in synchrony with the playback of a videotape of the meeting or other event at which the notes and/or drawings were made. Conversely, the event signals may be used to drive the videotape player or another external device. The event tagging of the data file also provides a useful mechanism for reconciling different versions of the data file on a segment-by-segment basis.

Claims

1. A method for event-tagging data entered into a first data file stored in a memory of a computer system that includes a processor coupled to the memory, the method carried out by program instructions executed on said processor and including the steps of:

(1) receiving a plurality of new data entries;

(2) determining whether each new data entry constitutes a predefined type of event, and if so then storing in the memory, correlated with each new data entry, an event tag identifying that new data entry as a data segment, where the predefined event is automatically generated by the computer system substantially at the time of the new data entry and includes at least a spatial region and a temporal event such that the spatial region is correlated with a time of occurrence of the new data entry; and

(3) outputting the data entries on a segment-by-segment basis;

wherein the data segment constitutes one of a plurality of data segments of a predetermined type stored sequentially in time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step 3 includes the step of:

(4) driving the output of the data segments in response to a series of event signals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step 3 includes, before step 4, the step of receiving the series of event signals at the processor from an device external to the computer system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the external device is a playback device storing information corresponding to the predefined events.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein step 3 includes, before step 4, the step of generating the series of event signals in the processor.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the step of outputting the series of event signals to a device external to the computer system to drive playback of information corresponding to the predefined spatial regions in an order determined by the respective times of occurrence of the new data entries.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one said event tag is an indicator of the time of the new data entry.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one said event tag is an indicator of a predefined region on a data entry surface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one said event tag is an indicator of a first type of data different from a second type of data in an adjacent data segment.

10. The method of claim 1, including:

(4) repeating steps 1-3 to modify the first data file, and storing the modified data file with new event-tagged data segments; and

(5) correlating at least a first subset of the event-tagged data segments of the first data file with at least a second subset of the event-tagged data segments of the modified data file.

11. The method of claim 10, including, after step 5, the step of reconciling the first and second subsets of event-tagged data segments.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reconciliation step is carried out by an additive reconciliation.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the reconciliation step is carried out by subtractive reconciliation.

14. A method for outputting information stored in a data file comprising event-tagged data segments, the data segments being defined according to event tagging generated automatically by a computer system according to a plurality of spatial regions and a plurality of data entry times such that each spatial region is correlated with a time of entry of data corresponding to that spatial region, the method including the steps of:

generating a series of signals corresponding to the event-tagged data segments; and

in response to each said signal, outputting one said event-tagged data segment;

wherein a plurality of separately event-tagged data segments of a predetermined type are output sequentially in time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the data file is stored in a memory coupled to a processor of a computer system; and

the series of signals is generated by a playback device storing information corresponding to the event-tagged data segments, and is communicated to the processor.

16. A computer system for storing new data entries into a data file, including:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a plurality of program modules stored in said memory and configured to execute on said processor, including;

a data input module configured to receive the new data entries;

an event detector module configured to detect whether each new data entry relates to a predefined spatial region, and if so to tag the data entries so identified with an event tag identifying the data entries as data segments corresponding to the predefined spatial region, the event tags being correlated with respective times of entry of the data segments in respective spatial regions, wherein the predefined spatial region is automatically determined by the computer system; and

a synchronization module configured to synchronize at least one of input and output of the data segments with a series of synchronization signals;

wherein a plurality of said data segments are of a predetermined type and are stored sequentially in time.

17. The system of claim 16, further including a receive module configured to receive said synchronization signals from a source external to the computer system.

18. A computer-readable medium storing a plurality of modules for storing new data entries in a data file stored in a memory of a computer system having a processor, including:

a data input module configured to instruct the processor to store the new data entries in the memory;

an event detector module configured to instruct the processor to determine whether each new data entry relates to a predefined type of region automatically determined by the computer system, and if so to tag the data entries so identified with an event tag identifying the data entries as data segments corresponding to the predefined type of region; and

a synchronization module configured to instruct the processor to synchronize at least one of input and output of the data segments with a series of synchronization signals;

wherein a plurality of said data segments are of a predetermined type and are stored sequentially in time.

19. The medium of claim 18, further including a receive module configured to instruct the processor to receive said synchronization signals from a predetermined source.

20. The medium of claim 18, further including a send module configured to instruct the processor to output said synchronization signals to a predetermined device.

21. The medium of claim 18, wherein said predefined region is determined at least in part by a position of each new data entry.

22. The medium of claim 18, wherein said predefined event is defined at least in part by a position of each new entry on a page having predefined subpages of predetermined dimensions.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein said subpage comprises a line of text.

24. The medium of claim 22, wherein said subpage comprises a quadrant of said page.

25. A method for inputting information to a data file stored in a computer system, including the steps of:

inputting a sequence of data segments into the computer system; and

storing each said data segment, correlated with an event tag generated automatically by a computer system according to at least one predefined type of region;

wherein a plurality of separately event-tagged data segments of a predetermined type are input sequentially in time, and each data segment is stored in a manner correlated with its time of entry in its respective region.