Client-server computer system for large document retrieval on networked computer system

• US 6,546,406 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1998
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Enigma Information Systems Ltd (PTC Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Enigma Information Systems Ltd (PTC Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, William C., DeRose, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Field, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US09/190,604
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 707/514, 707/513, 707/100, 707/523, 707/102, 707/501.1, 707/522, 704/5, 709/247
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/88 Mark-up to mark-up conversion conversion for visualization in web browsing G06F16/9577
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

A client-server system for making electronically published documents available over a computer network processes electronically published documents in a first markup language into document in a second markup language using a mapping table. A client viewer can request a portion of the electronically published document and the server sends only the selected portion, converted to the second markup language. If the selected portion is too big, the server can send a summary review such as a table of contents and description of the selected document.

Claims

1. A server system for use in a client-server computer system for providing access to electronically published documents stored on the server system and written in a first markup language, said access being provided through a client system which receives documents in a second markup language, comprising:

means for defining a mapping table between elements in the first markup language and elements in the second markup language;

means for receiving requests from the client system for at least a portion of at least one of the electronically published documents; and

means for converting the requested portion of the at least one of the electronically published documents from the first markup language to the second markup language using the mapping table and for transmitting the converted document to the client system.

2. The server of claim 1 wherein the means for transmitting includes:

means for receiving requests from the client system for at least a portion of at least one of the electronically published documents;

means for transmitting a summary view of the at least one of the electronically published documents containing the requested portion;

means for transmitting a delimiter signal to the client to request a separate display area; and

means for transmitting the requested document portion and the header information to the client system for display in the separate display area.

3. The server of claim 1 wherein the server system is connected to the client system via a computer network.

4. The server of claim 1 wherein the first markup language is SGML and the second markup language is HTML.

5. The server of claim 1 further comprising:

means for determining a length of the requested portion of the electronically published document; and

means for sending a table of contents of the requested portion if the determined length of the requested portion is greater than a given threshold.

6. The server of claim 1 further comprising:

means for generating header information in the second markup language and corresponding to the requested document; and

means for appending the header information to the portion of the document in the second markup language.

7. The server of claim 6 wherein the header information is a copyright notice.

8. The server of claim 1 further comprising:

means for detecting an identity of the client system; and

wherein the means for converting converts the portion of the requested document according to the detected identity of the client system.

9. The server of claim 1 wherein the means for converting converts the portion of the requested document according to a type of an element defining the requested document portion.

10. A process performed by a server system in a client-server computer system for providing access to electronically published documents stored on the server system and written in a first markup language, said access being provided through a client system which receives documents in a second markup language, wherein the server has a mapping table between elements in the first markup language and elements in the second markup language, the process comprising:

the step of receiving requests from the client system for at least a portion of at least one of the electronically published documents;

the step of converting the requested portion of the at least one of the electronically published documents from the first markup language to the second markup language using the mapping table; and

the step of transmitting the converted document to the client system.

11. The process of claim 10 further comprising:

the step of determining a length of the requested portion of the electronically published document; and

the step of sending a table of contents of the requested portion if the determined length of the requested portion is greater than a given threshold.

12. The process of claim 10 further comprising:

the step of generating header information in the second markup language and corresponding to the requested document; and

the step of appending the header information to the portion of the document in the second markup language.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the header information is a copyright notice.

14. The process of claim 10 further comprising the step of detecting an identity of the client system;

and

wherein the step of converting includes the step of converting the portion of the requested document according to the detected identity of the client system.

15. The process of claim 10, wherein the step of converting includes converting the portion of the requested document according to a type of an element defining the requested document portion.

16. A server system for use in a client-server computer system for providing access to electronically published documents stored on the server system and written in a markup language, said access being provided through a client system, comprising:

means for receiving requests from the client system for at least a portion of at least one of the electronically published documents;

means for generating header information corresponding to the requested document portion;

means for appending the header information to the requested document portion; and

means for transmitting the requested document portion and the header information to the client system.

17. The server of claim 16 wherein the header information is a copyright notice.

18. A process for a server system for use in a client-server computer system for providing access to electronically published documents stored on the server system and written in a markup language, said access being provided through a client system, comprising:

the step of receiving requests from the client system for at least a portion of at least one of the electronically published documents;

the step of generating header information to the requested document portion;

the step of appending the header information to the requested document portion; and

the step of transmitting the requested document portion and the header information to the client system.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein the header information is a copyright notice.