System, apparatus and method for using and managing digital information

• US 6,845,369 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2000
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chartoleaux KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Relevant Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Rodenburg, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US09/482,908
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/104, 707/509, 345/800, 345/804, 345/805, 345/817, 345/712, 345/713, 345/705, 345/738
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for using, identifying, interacting and managing digital information in a useful and convenient manner. When a digital representation of information is loaded, an index is constructed of unique terms in the information, which index includes the terms, a count of the occurrences of each term in the information and a reference to each location wherein the term occurs in the information. A user can select a term of interest from the index and a context box comprising a user-selected amount of information from before and/or after each occurrence of the selected term is displayed to the user to allow the user to more readily identify portions of the information which are of interest. The user can select one a context box of interest and the display of the information is repositioned to the location in the information which corresponds to the select box. A user can also create a knowledge base entry from each identified and/or selected portion of the information, which knowledge base can be searched in a variety of manners.

Claims

1. A method of using and managing information represented in a digital form, comprising the steps of:

(i) selecting an electronic document, said document including at least one of text, audio, video and graphic digital information;

(ii) constructing an index of terms in said document, said index including a count of the occurrence of each said term in the document and a reference to a location in the document of each said occurrence of each said term;

(iii) displaying said terms to a user;

(iv) receiving input from said user to select a displayed one of the terms, constructing a respective context box for each said occurrence of said selected term, each said context box comprising a user-selected amount of digital information proximate to said selected term in said document, and displaying said context boxes to said user; and

(v) receiving input from said user to select one of said displayed context boxes, and in a single display window distinct from said selected context box displaying said digital information associated with said selected context box and a portion of said document proximate to said displayed digital information and excluded from the selected context box.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a filter to said constructed index to remove terms which are not of interest therefrom.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(a) a user identifying an occurrence of a term which is of interest;

(b) said user selecting a portion of said digital information adjacent said occurrence of said term and creating a database entry including said selected portion of digital information.

4. A system for using and managing information represented in a digital format, comprising:

storage for maintaining at least one electronic document;

user input means;

user output means;

a computer connected to said storage, user input means and user output means, said computer operable to;

(a) display said electronic document on said user output means;

(b) construct an index of terms in said electronic document, said index comprising a count of the occurrence of each said term in the electronic document and a reference to a location in the document of each said occurrence of each said term;

(c) display said terms to said user output means;

(d) receive input from said user input means representing a selection of one of the displayed terms;

(e) construct a respective context box for each said occurrence of said selected term, each said context box including a user-selected amount of digital information proximate to said selected term in said electronic document, and display said constructed context boxes on said user output means; and

(f) receive input from said user input means representing a selection of one of said displayed context boxes and in a single display window distinct from said selected context box displaying said digital information associated with said selected context box, and a portion of said document proximate to said displayed digital information and excluded from the selected context box.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said computer is further operable to apply a filter to said constructed index, said filter removing terms which are not of interest to said user.

6. A computer-readable medium including processing instructions for managing with a general purpose computer information represented in a digital format, the processing instructions when loaded into the computer being configured to cause the computer to perform the steps of:

(i) displaying a list of terms used in an electronic document, the electronic document including one of text, audio, video and graphic digital information;

(ii) receiving a selection of one of the displayed terms;

(iii) constructing a respective context box for each occurrence of the selected term in the document, each said context box including an amount of the digital information proximate to said selected term in said document;

(iv) displaying said context boxes;

(v) receiving a selection of one of the displayed context boxes; and

(vi) in a single display window distinct from said selected context box displaying said digital information associated with said selected context box and a portion of said document proximate to said displayed digital information and excluded from the selected context box.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the processing instructions are configured to cause the computer to perform the further step of filtering said list of terms to remove therefrom terms which are not of interest.