System and method for managing file content

• US 6,473,749 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph D.E. Bono, STUFF2SELL
• Original Assignee: Vectrix Business Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Robert Scott, Mathew, Thomas, Wilson, Doug, Penndorf, Dale, McMinn, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Choules, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Linh, Pham
• Application Number:
  US09/510,699
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100-104, 345/700
• US Class Current: 707/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A system for managing file content, such as Microsoft Powerpoint for Windows™ presentation slides, is provided. The system includes an upload interface that can receive files, such as a file containing slides, from an upload client. The upload interface can extract data structures, such as slides or images, from each file, and index data from each data structure. The system also includes an index system that is connected to the upload interface. The index system can receive the index data from the upload interface and store the index data. A content storage system connected to the upload interface and the index system can receive data structures for storage from the upload interface system, and can provide a storage address for locating each data structure to the index system. A download interface is connected to the content storage system, and can be used to identify data structures matching a query and to download the data structures to a download client.

Claims

1. A system for managing file content comprising:

a download interface operable to receive one or more data structures from an upload client and to extract index data from each data structure;

an index system coupled to the download interface, wherein the index system is operable to receive the index data from the download interface and to store the index data;

a content storage system coupled to the download interface and the index system, the content storage system operable to receive data structures for storage from the download interface system, and to provide a storage address to the index system; and

an upload interface coupled to the index system and the content storage system, the upload interface operable to receive a query from an upload client, to identify data structures matching the query, and to upload the data structures to the upload client.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the data structures are presentation slide data pages.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the data structures are Internet web pages.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the data structures are image data files.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a comment system, wherein the comment system is operable to receive user-entered index data that is associated with each data structure.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a security data system coupled to the upload interface, the security data system operable to determine whether the upload user should be granted access to each data structure based upon security data associated with each data structure and user security data associated with the upload user.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a charge tracking system coupled to the upload interface, the charge tracking system operable to store charge data for the upload client based upon the data structures uploaded by the client.

8. A system for managing file content comprising:

a file upload system coupled to a communications medium, the file upload system operable to transfer one or ore files over the communication medium;

a file content management system coupled to the communications medium, the file content management system operable to receive the one or more files from the file upload system, to extract one or more data structures from each file, to extract index data from each data structure, and to store the index data and each data structure in a relational database; and

a data structure download system coupled to the communications medium, the data structure download system operable to query the file content management system and to receive one or more data structures in response to the query.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the file upload system further comprises:

a content editor operable to create a file and to modify the file;

a content storage coupled to the content editor, the content editor operable to store and retrieve one or more files from the content storage; and

an upload interface coupled to the content storage, the upload interface operable to retrieve one or more files from the content storage and to transmit the files over the communications medium.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the upload interface is a software system that is transmitted to the file upload system by the file content management system.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the data structure download system further comprises:

a content viewer operable to view a data structure;

content storage coupled to the content viewer, the content viewer operable to store and retrieve one or more data structures from the content storage; and

a download interface coupled to the content viewer, the download interface operable to receive the data structure from the communications medium and to transfer the data structure to the content viewer.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the download interface is a software system that is transmitted to the data structure download system by the file content management system.

13. A method for managing file content comprising:

receiving one or more files;

extracting one or more data structures from each file;

storing extracted index data for each data structure in an index;

storing each data structure in a data storage that is cross-referenced with the index; and

searching the index to identify data structures matching user-entered data strings.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving one or more files comprises receiving a file containing one or more presentation slide pages.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving one or files further comprises receiving security data associated with each of the one or more files.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein extracting data from each file further comprises receiving user-entered data for each file.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving one or more files comprises receiving a file containing one or more web pages.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein searching the index to identify data structures matching user-entered data strings further comprises:

receiving security data associated with the user; and

excluding data structures from the search results based upon the security data.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

presenting a thumbnail of the data structure to the user;

receiving selection data from the user; and

storing charge data based upon the selection data.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising storing credit data for a data structure author based upon the selection data.