Advanced web bookmark database system

• US 6,725,227 B1
• Filed: 11/02/1998
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Wen-Syan
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US09/184,759
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/513, 715/513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An advanced bookmark database system provides query, re-organization, information sharing, view, and access control capabilities to manage bookmarks. In one embodiment of the bookmark database system of the present invention, HTML document parsing, keyword extraction, and HTML/VRML document generation capabilities are provided, in addition to allowing comprehensive database query and navigation. The bookmark database system extracts document content semantics, intra-document structures, inter-document linkage, and useful metadata for users to allow query and organization based on various attributes, such as keywords, domains, and last visit times. Further, an access control capability allows sharing of bookmark databases among users. Multiple physical or logical bookmark databases can be merged to create new bookmark databases. Multiple bookmark databases can be organized as a hierarchical structure, to allowing grouping by individuals, projects, groups, departments, etc. Automated query dispatch and dynamic links capabilities are provided. Dynamic links cross references multiple bookmark databases according to bookmark content semantics or other criteria. A user interface provides visualizing models for organizing accessible physical or logical bookmark databases.

Claims

1. A document management system comprising:

a document database including documents collected from a plurality of sources of a computer network, wherein said document database is organized as a hierarchy of component databases, wherein each of said component databases has associated with it meta-information describing said hierarchy, and wherein said meta-information includes an access control list associated with each component database;

a user interface for receiving database queries; and

a database management system administering said database, said database management system including a query processor for processing said queries to retrieve documents from said database and from said sources of a computer network, wherein the access control lists for each component database are combined without duplication into a combined access control list, and wherein said query processor accesses a component database only after verifying permission to access against said combined access control list.

2. A document management system as in claim 1, wherein said database management system provides a subscription service which notifies users of updates to documents collected in said logical document database and selected documents in said computer network, when a predetermined criterion is satisfied.

3. A document management system as in claim 2, wherein said subscription service comprises:

a process for retrieving new or updated documents responsive to a query when a predetermined condition is satisfied; and

a repository for including said new or updated documents.

4. A document management system as in claim 3, wherein said predetermined condition comprises the lapse of a predetermined time interval.

5. A document, management system as in claim 3, wherein said process retrieves said new or updated documents over said computer network.

6. A document management system as in claim 3, wherein said process retrieves from said logical document database said new or updated documents.

7. A document management system as in claim 1, wherein each document of said logical document database is associated with meta-information, said meta-information associating (a) each document with objects within said document and (b) each document with other documents of said logical document database.

8. A document management system as in claim 1, wherein one of said component databases comprises documents specified by a semantic definition.

9. A document management system as in claim 8, wherein said semantic definition includes one or more keywords found in documents within said component database.

10. A document management system as in claim 8, wherein said query processor retrievals documents based on natural language processing rules.

11. A document management system as in claim 1, wherein said component databases include logical databases.

12. A document management system as in claim 1, wherein a selected one of said component databases is defined by a union of a plurality of databases, including a logical database.

13. A document management system as in claim 12, wherein said selected one of said component databases comprises a virtual database.

14. A document management system as in claim 12, wherein said selected one of said component databases comprises a materialized database.

15. A document management system as in claim 12, wherein said selected one of said component databases comprises both a materialized database and a virtual database.

16. A document management system as in claim 12, wherein said logical database is associated with one or more keywords of documents within said logical database.

17. A document management system as in claim 12, wherein said logical database comprise a collection of documents.

18. A document management system as in claim 17, wherein said collection of documents include virtual documents.

19. A document management system as in claim 17, wherein said collection of documents include materialized documents.

20. A document management system as in claim 17, wherein said collection of documents include semi-materialized documents.

21. A document management system as in claim 17, wherein documents responsive to a query arc retrieved dynamically.

22. A document management as in claim 1, wherein said query processor expands a virtual component database to process a query against said virtual database, and process said query against documents included in a materialized component database without expansion.

23. A document management system as in claim 1, further comprising a graphical user interface for composing queries to said query processor.

24. A document management system as in claim 1, wherein said query processor further comprises a document generator for returning information retrieved in response to a query in a predetermined format.

25. A document management system as in claim 24, wherein said predetermined format comprises hypertext.

26. A document management system as in claim 24, wherein said database management system comprises a physical level database management system and a logical level database management system.

27. A document management as in claim 26, wherein said query processor comprises a logical level query processor associated with said logical level database management system and a physical level query processor associated with said physical level database management system, and wherein a query received into said document management system is translated by said logical level query processor into physical level queries for processing by said physical level query processor.

28. A document management system as in claim 1, wherein said user interface provides a graphical user interface to allow viewing the organization of said document management system.

29. A method for providing a document management system, comprising:

organizing a document database, said document database including documents collected from a plurality of sources of a computer network, wherein said document database is organized as a hierarchy of component databases, wherein each of said component databases has associated with it meta-information describing said hierarchy, and wherein said meta-information includes an access control list associated with each component database;

providing a user interface for receiving database queries; and

providing a database management system administering said database, said database management system including a query processor for processing said queries to retrieve documents from said database and from said sources of a computer network, wherein the access control lists for each component database are combined without duplication into a combined access control list, and wherein said query processor accesses a component database only after verifying permission to access against said combined access control list.

30. A method as in claim 29 further comprising:

providing, in said database management system, a subscription service which notifies users of updates to documents collected in said logical document database and selected documents in said computer network, when a predetermined criterion is satisfied.

31. A method as in claim 30, further comprising:

providing a process for retrieving new or updated documents responsive to a query when a predetermined condition is satisfied; and

creating a repository for including said new or updated documents.

32. A method as in claim 31, wherein said predetermined condition comprises the lapse of a predetermined time interval.

33. A method as in claim 31, wherein said query processor retrieves said new or updated documents over said computer network.

34. A method as in claim 31, wherein said query processor retrieves said new and updated documents from said logical document database.

35. A method as in claim 29, further comprising;

associating with each document of said logical document database meta-information, said meta-information associating (a) each document with objects within said document and (b) each document with other documents.

36. A method as in claim 29, wherein one of said component database comprises documents specified by a semantic definition.

37. A method as in claim 36, wherein said semantic definition includes one or more keywords of documents within said component database.

38. A method as in claim 36, wherein said query processor retrieves documents based on natural language processing rules.

39. A method as in claim 29, wherein said component databases include logical databases.

40. A method as in claim 29, wherein a selected one of said component databases defined by a union of a plurality of databases, including a logical database.

41. A method as in claim 40, wherein said selected one of said component databases comprise a virtual database.

42. A method as in claim 40, wherein said selected one of said component databases comprise a materialized database.

43. A method as in claim 40, wherein said selected one of said component databases comprise both a materialized database and a virtual database.

44. A method as in claim 40, wherein said logical database is associated with one or more keywords of documents within said logical database.

45. A method as in claim 40, wherein said logical database comprise a collection of documents.

46. A method as in claim 45, wherein said collection of documents include virtual documents.

47. A method as in claim 45, wherein said collection of documents include materialized documents.

48. A method as in claim 45, wherein said collection of documents include semi-materialized documents.

49. A method as in claim 45, wherein said documents responsive to a query are retrieved dynamically.

50. A method as in claim 29, wherein said query processor expands a virtual component database to process a query against said virtual database, and process said query against documents included in a materialized component database without expansion.

51. A method as in claim 29, further comprising:

providing a graphical user interface for composing queries for processing by said query processor.

52. A method as in claim 51, wherein said predetermined format comprises hypertext.

53. A method as in claim 29, wherein said query processor further comprises a document generator for returning information retrieved in responsive to a query in a predetermined format.

54. A method as in claim 53, wherein said database management system comprises a physical level database management system and a logical level database management system.

55. A method as in claim 54, wherein said query processor comprises a logical level query processor associated with said logical level database management system and a physical level query processor associated with said physical level database management system, and wherein a query received into said document management system is translated by said logical level query processor into physical level queries for processing by said physical level query processor.

56. A method as in claim 29, wherein said user interface provides a graphical user interface to allow viewing the organization of said document management system.