System for indexing and display requested data having heterogeneous content and representation

• US 6,253,239 B1
• Filed: 11/09/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Information Architects Corp.
• Original Assignee: Information Architects Corp.
• Inventors: Makower, David, Shklar, Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/436,564
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709/229, 709/238, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation

Abstract

A system and method provides flexible access to heterogeneous information from numerous sources. This is accomplished without relocating the original data, by analyzing the data in its existing format and assorted locations, in order to discern the logical structure of the data, in terms of whatever units might be applicable for the specific type of data in question (e.g., paragraphs, sections, articles, chapters, frames, etc.). The result is an object-oriented model of that data structure. The system also allows for customization of the format for displaying the information, once the model has been constructed. The data thus remains in its original location and format, but is presented through the system in a coherent, uniform format.

Claims

1. A system for interrogating stored data at a source location, and for retrieving and displaying a select portion of the data at a display location via electronic networking, said system comprising:

(a) a type specification particular to the data, and generating one or more encapsulation units comprising instructions for extracting from the stored data the select portion thereof;

(b) metadata including said encapsulation units identifying the select portion of said data for being displayed at the display location, and means for identifying how to present the select portion of said data at the display location, said metadata residing at a location suitable for communication with both of the source and the display locations; and

(c) a computer for processing said metadata to access and retrieve the select portion of said data defined by said encapsulation units, and for displaying the select portion of said data at the display location.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said stored data includes data defined by different type specifications.

3. A system according to claim 1, and comprising a presentation specification for determining the format for displaying the select portion of said data at the display location.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying said data at said display location via hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said encapsulation units refers to one or more other encapsulation units.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a library of type specifications.

7. A system according to claim 1, and comprising processing means for presenting the source data to the display system as a mark-up language file, image, executable code, video, audio, plain text, modeling language file, or a combination thereof.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the mark-up language is hypertext mark-up language (HTML) or extensible mark-up language (XML).

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the metadata includes said type specification.

10. A system according to claim 1, further comprising two or more security levels for accessing data at said display location and displaying said data according to the security level of the user at the display location, wherein the security level of the user at the display location determines the data displayed at the display location.