Techniques for forming electronic documents comprising multiple information types

• US 7,062,705 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kirkwood, Michael, Yazdani, Sima
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc A.
• Application Number:
  US09/909,108
• Time in Patent Office: 1,791 Days
• Field of Search: 715/530, 715/513, 715/522, 715/501.1, 707/102, 707/4, 707/10, 713/176
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Techniques for forming electronic documents include storing a plurality of information types for describing how information is used. Also, a plurality of document types is stored. Each document type includes a unique set of information types. A plurality of units of information is also stored. Each unit of information is associated with an information type. A document is produced based on a particular document type having a particular set of information types, and based on a first set of units of information. Each unit of information of the first set is associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types. This invention allows content to be associated with a particular use, through the information type, so that the content can be incorporated in all documents where such usage is desired. This invention also allows the enterprise to control the method of generating and presenting a particular content or information object based on its use and its temporal data, e.g., how often it is refreshed. Such control is employed in predictive caching technologies. Further, the system can allow and reference which documents or info types point to other documents or info types, thereby enabling the system to replace all affected objects and pointers when changes occur, and facilitating caching all objects that are affected by a change.

Claims

1. A method of forming electronic documents, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

storing a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents;

storing a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types;

storing a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and

producing a document based on integrating

a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type,

a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and

one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information,

wherein said step of producing the document is not performed until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, said step of producing the document comprising the steps of

determining the particular set of information types of the particular document type;

determining the first set of units of information; and

presenting the first set of units of information.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said step of storing a plurality of information types comprises storing a particular data structure associated with a particular information type of the plurality of information types, the particular data structure including first data comprising a plurality of relationships and attributes indicating how to present a unit of information associated with the particular information type; and

said step of presenting the first set of units of information comprises presenting a particular unit of information associated with the particular information type in the first set based at least in part on the first data.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein,

the first data indicates a user privilege for viewing information;

and

said step of producing the document includes limiting said presenting the particular unit of information associated with the particular information type in the first set to a user associated with the user privilege for viewing information.

5. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising formatting the particular unit of information associated with the particular information type in the first set based at least in part on the first data before said step of producing the document.

6. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said step of storing a plurality of document types comprises storing a particular data structure associated with a particular document type of the plurality of document types, the particular data structure including first data indicating how to present the unique set of information types of the particular document type; and

said step of presenting the first set of units of information comprises presenting the first set of units of information based on the first data.

7. A method of claim 2, wherein:

said step of storing a plurality of units of information further comprises associating each unit of information with a corresponding value for a first attribute;

said step of producing the document further comprises determining a particular value for the first attribute; and

said step of determining the first set of units of information further comprises determining whether each unit of information is associated with the particular value for the first attribute.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of information types include at least one of a product introduction information type, a product field notice information type, a product features and benefits information type, a product image information type, a product schematic drawing information type, a product operational properties information type, a product data sheet table, and an external article section information type.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first information type of the plurality of information types comprises at least one other information type of the plurality of information types.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said step of storing a plurality of information types comprises storing a particular data structure associated with a particular information type of the plurality of information types, the particular data structure including first data indicating how to produce information for the particular information type; and

said step of storing a plurality of units of information includes producing information for the particular information type based at least in part on the first data.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the particular data structure comprises information describing one or more relationship types, roles, attributes, orders, or participants.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein:

the first data indicates a user privilege for authoring information; and

said step of storing a plurality of units of information includes limiting said producing information for the particular information type to a user associated with the user privilege or profile for authoring information.

13. A method of claim 1, wherein:

the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a required information type; and

said step of producing the document of the particular document type is not completed until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

14. A method of claim 1, wherein:

the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as an optional information type; and

said step of producing the document of the particular document type is completed even if the first set of units of information does not include a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

15. A method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of information types and the plurality of document types are stored in a database of concepts and n-dimensional relationships among concepts.

16. A method of claim 1, the step of storing the plurality of units of information further comprising storing a reference to each unit of information in an information object stored in the database of concepts and relationships.

17. A method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of information types are stored as concepts in the database;

the plurality of documents types are stored as concepts in the database; and

the unique set of information types for each document type is stored as a set of relationships between the document type and the information types in the unique set.

18. A method of claim 17, wherein:

the particular unit of information referenced by the particular information object is in the first set of units of information for the document; and

the method further comprises the step of updating the document by storing a different reference to a different unit of information in the particular information object.

19. A method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing the plurality of units of information further comprises:

including a reference to a particular unit of information in a particular information object;

storing the particular information object as a concept in the database; and

storing in the database a particular relationship between the particular information object and a particular information type of the plurality of information types.

20. A method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of storing the plurality of units of information further comprises including a reference to a particular unit of information in a particular information object, and

storing the particular information object as a particular relationship in the database;

and the particular relationship indicates a particular information type of the plurality of relationship types.

21. A method of claim 20, wherein the first attribute is a product name.

22. A method of claim 20, wherein the first attribute is a characteristic of a user of the document.

23. A method of claim 22, wherein the characteristic is a job role of the user.

24. A method of claim 22, wherein the characteristic is a partner level of the user.

25. A method of claim 22, wherein the characteristic is a language in which the document is capable of being expressed.

26. A method of claim 22, wherein the characteristic is a task that the user is trying to complete.

27. A method of claim 22, wherein the characteristic is a product history.

28. A method of claim 20, wherein the step of associating each unit of information with a corresponding value for a first attribute further comprises:

including a reference to a particular unit of information in a particular information object;

storing the particular information object as a concept in a database of concepts and relationships; and

associating the particular information object with the corresponding value for the first attribute.

29. A method of claim 28, wherein the step of associating the particular information object with the corresponding value for the first attribute further comprises storing in the database a particular relationship between the particular information object and a particular concept having the corresponding value for the first attribute.

30. A method of claim 28, wherein the step of associating the particular information object with the corresponding value for the first attribute further comprises storing in the database a particular relationship having the corresponding value for the first attribute and having the particular information object as a participant in the relationship.

31. A method of claim 1, further comprising the step of updating the document by changing content in a first unit of information in the first set of units of information.

32. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for forming electronic documents, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

storing a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents;

storing a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types;

storing a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and

producing a document based on integrating

a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type,

a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and

one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information,

wherein said step of producing the document is not performed until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

33. A system for forming electronic documents, comprising:

a means for storing a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents;

a means for storing a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types;

a means for storing a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and

a means for producing a document based on integrating

a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type,

a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and

one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information,

wherein the document is not produced until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

34. A system for forming electronic documents, comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying;

a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents;

a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types; and

a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and

one or more processors configured to perform the step of producing a document based on integrating

a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type,

a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and

one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information,

wherein the document is not produced until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.