System method and computer program product to automate the management and analysis of heterogeneous data
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for automating collection, management and analysis of data, comprising:
- means for storing documents and related information;
means for compiling a plurality of documents;
means for displaying said documents to a user;
means for creating a personal dictionary, wherein a user defines one or more categories, each comprising one or more items of interest;
means for analyzing a first document, including;
means for searching said first document for one or more of said items of interest, and means for saving said first document and a list of said items of interest contained therein; and
means for displaying a visual representation depicting the contents of said first document, wherein said visual representation includes a document icon representing said first document, and one or more category icons each representing a category that includes at least one of said items of interest in said list.
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Abstract
System, Method and Computer Program Product for automating the collection, management and analysis of data. Research is performed according to a methodology based on four phases: Requirements; Collection; Analysis; and Reporting. During the Requirements phase, users records objectives for the research project and items of interest in a Personal Dictionary. The items of interest are organized according to user defined or pre-defined categories. Data entered by the user during the Requirements phase is also used to automatically conduct database searches to compile information for the research project. During the Collection phase relevant data items are filtered and stored in a repository. Data files are automatically searched for items of interest from the Personal Dictionary. Automation tools are provided so users can quickly and efficiently determine the relevancy of documents based on the defined items of interest. Interactive visual displays are provided that model the contents of documents according to items of interest, so that the users can efficiently and quickly scan large volumes of information to determine their relevancy. During the Analysis phase data is analyzed, compared, related, visualized, and understood in terms of the items of interest. Relationships between data items are recorded and automatically maintained. Knowledge is added to the data items in terms of written comments and relationships between items. Relationship diagrams are provided that graphically depict relationships between any two items of interest. The relationship diagrams display relationships according to degrees of separation. Users are instantly presented with direct and distant relationships between items of interest. During the Dissemination phase users create reports that are automatically sent to other users. Documents and other data files are bookmarked during the Analysis phase so that they are instantly retrievable during the Dissemination phase and included in the final report.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A system for automating collection, management and analysis of data, comprising:
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means for storing documents and related information;
means for compiling a plurality of documents;
means for displaying said documents to a user;
means for creating a personal dictionary, wherein a user defines one or more categories, each comprising one or more items of interest;
means for analyzing a first document, including;
means for searching said first document for one or more of said items of interest, and means for saving said first document and a list of said items of interest contained therein; and
means for displaying a visual representation depicting the contents of said first document, wherein said visual representation includes a document icon representing said first document, and one or more category icons each representing a category that includes at least one of said items of interest in said list. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for displaying a representation of a document having one or more items of interest contained therein, said system comprising:
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means for defining one or more categories by a user, wherein each category comprises one or more of the items of interest defined by said user;
means for displaying a first visual representation depicting the contents of the document within a first window, wherein said visual representation includes a document icon representing the document and one or more category icons representing one or more of said categories that includes at least one of said items of interest, wherein said at least one of said items of interest associated with said category icon is contained in said first document. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for displaying a visual representation depicting relationships between objects stored in a database, said system comprising:
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a database having a plurality of records, wherein each said record represents a relationship between two objects;
means for selecting two objects for determining the relationships therebetween;
means, connected to said database, for determining relationships between said two objects, wherein said relationships include direct and indirect relationships; and
means for displaying the visual representation, wherein the visual representation is adjustable by a user according to a desired degree of separation between said two objects. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A method for automating management and analysis of data, the method comprising the steps of:
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compiling and storing a plurality of documents;
creating a personal dictionary by defining one or more categories and defining one or more items of interest within each of said categories;
analyzing a first document, comprising the steps of;
searching said first document for one or more of said items of interest, and if said first document contains said one or more items of interest, saving said first document and a list of said items of interest contained therein; and
displaying a visual representation depicting the contents of said first document, wherein said visual representation includes a document icon representing said first document, and one or more category icons each representing a category that includes at least one of said items of interest in said list.
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24. A method for displaying a representation of a document having one or more items of interest contained therein, said method comprising the steps of:
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defining one or more categories by a user, wherein each category comprises one or more items of interest defined by said user;
displaying a first visual representation depicting the contents of the document within a first window, wherein said visual representation includes a document icon representing the document and one or more category icons representing one or more of said categories that includes at least one of said items of interest, wherein said at least one of said items of interest associated with said category icon is contained in the document. - View Dependent Claims (25, 28, 29, 30)
navigating a database that stores information about the document by interacting with said visual representation to gain knowledge about the relevancy of the document and relationships between the document and other information stored in said database.
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28. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of interacting with a selected item of interest, and
displaying a second visual representation of said selected item, wherein said second visual representation includes an item icon representing said selected item, and a research icon representing the number of documents that include said selected item. -
29. The method of claim 24, further comprising collecting at least one document to be analyzed prior to displaying said first visual representation.
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30. The method of claim 29, further comprising analyzing said at least one document to determine whether it includes said one or more items of interest.
- 26. The method of 25, wherein said step of navigating includes the step of interacting with one of said category icons to display a list of said items of interest within said category represented by said one of said category icons.
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31. A method for displaying a visual representation depicting relationships between objects stored in a database, said method comprising the steps of:
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creating a database having a plurality of records, wherein each said record represents a relationship between two objects;
selecting two objects for determining the relationships therebetween;
determining relationships between said two objects, wherein said relationships include direct and indirect relationships; and
displaying the visual representation, wherein the visual representation is adjustable by a user according to a desired degree of separation between said two objects. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein, said computer program logic for enabling a computer to automate management and analysis of data, wherein said computer program logic comprises:
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means for enabling the computer to store documents and related information;
means for enabling the computer to compile a plurality of documents in said storing means;
means for enabling the computer to display said documents to a user;
means for enabling the computer to create a personal dictionary, wherein a user defines one or more categories, each comprising one or more items of interest;
means for enabling the computer to analyze a first document, including;
means for enabling the computer to search said first document for one or more of said items of interest, and if said first document contains said one or more items of interest, means for enabling the computer to save said first document and a list of said items of interest contained therein; and
means for enabling the computer to display a visual representation depicting the contents of said first document, wherein said visual representation includes a document icon representing said first document, and one or more category icons each representing a category that includes at least one of said items of interest in said list. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein, said computer program logic for enabling a computer to display a representation of a document having one or more items of interest contained therein, wherein said computer program logic comprises:
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means for enabling the computer to accept from a user, a specification for one or more categories and one or more items of interest within each of said categories;
means for enabling the computer to display a first visual representation depicting the contents of the document within a first window, wherein said visual representation includes a document icon representing the document and one or more category icons representing one or more of said categories that includes at least one of said items of interest, wherein said at least one of said items of interest associated with said category icon is contained the first document. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
means for enabling the computer to allow a user to interact with said visual representation for navigating said database for providing knowledge about the relevancy of the document and relationships between the document and other information stored in said database.
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39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein said means for enabling the computer to allow a user to interact with said first visual representation includes means for enabling the computer to allow a user to interact with one of said category icons to display a list of said items of interest within said category represented by said one of said category icons.
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40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein said means for enabling the computer to allow a user to interact further includes means for enabling the computer to allow a user to drag said one of said category icons to a second window.
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41. The computer program product of claim 39, further including means for enabling the computer to allow a user to interact with a selected item of interest from said list;
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means for enabling the computer to display a second visual representation of said selected item, wherein said second visual representation includes an item icon representing said selected item, and a research icon representing the number of documents that include said selected item.
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42. The method of claim 37, further comprising means for enabling the computer to collect at least one document to be analyzed prior to displaying said first visual representation.
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43. The method of claim 42, further comprising means for enabling the computer to analyze said at least one document to determine whether it includes said one or more items of interest.
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44. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic stored therein, said computer program logic for enabling a computer to display a visual representation depicting relationships between objects stored in a database, wherein said computer program logic comprises:
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means for enabling the computer to maintain database having a plurality of records, wherein each said record represents a relationship between two objects;
means for enabling the computer to allow a user to select two objects for determining the relationships therebetween;
means for enabling the computer to determine relationships between said two objects, wherein said relationships include direct and indirect relationships; and
means for enabling the computer to display the visual representation, wherein the visual representation is adjustable by a user according to a desired degree of separation between said two objects. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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Specification