Aggregating, retrieving, and providing access to document visuals
First Claim
1. A method for aggregating and retrieving a variety of data and associated metadata within a computer database and making the data accessible via an online user interface over a distributed network wherein the data comprises one or more document visuals, the method comprising:
- loading the data and the associated metadata into the computer database via a content manager wherein the computer database comprises a repository and the content manager comprises an administrative user interface for loading the document visuals each document visual having one or more attributes into the repository and wherein loading the data and associated metadata comprises;
creating and storing the one or more document visuals and the one or more attributes in the repository;
adding one or more users to the repository and assigning a primary geographic or a primary business division to a user profile of each user; and
creating and storing one or more visual presentations by associating one or more of the document visuals with a visual presentation;
receiving from a user a request to access the data;
in response to receiving the request, launching the online user interface displaying at least one view of the computer database wherein the content manager is operative to assign a primary repository role to each user based on the primary geographic or business division assigned to the user wherein the primary repository role of the user determines the at least one view of the database and wherein a secondary repository role may be assigned to each user such that the online user interface further displays a second view that includes the document visuals and the visual presentations having the geographic or business division associated with the secondary repository role assigned as an attribute;
receiving a selection of one or more functions of the online user interface, the selection representing a desired query;
in response to receiving the desired query, searching the data arid the associated metadata to retrieve one or more results that match the desired query wherein the associated metadata comprises the attributes of each document visual and each geographic or business division has an established view of the database, each established view providing access to just document visuals and visual presentations having as an attribute the primary and graphic or business division assigned to the user and wherein searching the data and associated metadata comprises searching just the document visuals, the visual presentations, and the attributes provided by the established view;
displaying the results that match the desired query via the online user interface;
associating one or more of the results to add to an existing association of data or to create a new association of data; and
displaying the existing or new association of data via the online user interface wherein each association of data comprises a visual presentation;
wherein the repository comprises one or more attribute tables and one or more relational tables defining linking relationships between the attributes of the document visuals and the document visuals such that multiple attributes may be assigned to each document visual and wherein one copy of each document visual is loaded into the repository and the one copy of a document visual is retrieved in response to the document visual matching the desired query.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A software module referred to as a content manager is provided for loading and maintaining a variety of data and associated metadata in a computer database. The data may be loaded in the form of individual documents that support business preparation or sales presentations where only one copy of each document is stored in the database. The metadata may be loaded in the form of attributes of the documents. A table of users may also be loaded in the database including a geographic or business division for each user. A role is assigned to the user, thereby granting access privileges to certain views of the database. An online user interface software module is also provided for remote access to the documents. Searches may be conducted by a variety of attributes. Documents may be associated into visual presentations or multiple presentations merged into one presentation. Three types of presentations private, shared, and global are supported. The user may also print, view, or download, email, post to website, or fax the documents and presentations.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for aggregating and retrieving a variety of data and associated metadata within a computer database and making the data accessible via an online user interface over a distributed network wherein the data comprises one or more document visuals, the method comprising:
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loading the data and the associated metadata into the computer database via a content manager wherein the computer database comprises a repository and the content manager comprises an administrative user interface for loading the document visuals each document visual having one or more attributes into the repository and wherein loading the data and associated metadata comprises; creating and storing the one or more document visuals and the one or more attributes in the repository; adding one or more users to the repository and assigning a primary geographic or a primary business division to a user profile of each user; and creating and storing one or more visual presentations by associating one or more of the document visuals with a visual presentation; receiving from a user a request to access the data; in response to receiving the request, launching the online user interface displaying at least one view of the computer database wherein the content manager is operative to assign a primary repository role to each user based on the primary geographic or business division assigned to the user wherein the primary repository role of the user determines the at least one view of the database and wherein a secondary repository role may be assigned to each user such that the online user interface further displays a second view that includes the document visuals and the visual presentations having the geographic or business division associated with the secondary repository role assigned as an attribute; receiving a selection of one or more functions of the online user interface, the selection representing a desired query; in response to receiving the desired query, searching the data arid the associated metadata to retrieve one or more results that match the desired query wherein the associated metadata comprises the attributes of each document visual and each geographic or business division has an established view of the database, each established view providing access to just document visuals and visual presentations having as an attribute the primary and graphic or business division assigned to the user and wherein searching the data and associated metadata comprises searching just the document visuals, the visual presentations, and the attributes provided by the established view; displaying the results that match the desired query via the online user interface; associating one or more of the results to add to an existing association of data or to create a new association of data; and displaying the existing or new association of data via the online user interface wherein each association of data comprises a visual presentation; wherein the repository comprises one or more attribute tables and one or more relational tables defining linking relationships between the attributes of the document visuals and the document visuals such that multiple attributes may be assigned to each document visual and wherein one copy of each document visual is loaded into the repository and the one copy of a document visual is retrieved in response to the document visual matching the desired query. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for aggregating and retrieving a variety of documents within a repository and making the documents accessible via an online user interface over a distributed network, the method comprising:
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receiving from a user a request to access the documents; in response to receiving the request, rendering the online user interface displaying a view of the repository; receiving a selection of a repository query; in response to receiving the selection, searching the documents and one or more associated attributes and retrieving one or more documents tat match the repository query wherein the one copy of the one or more documents is retrieved in response to the documents matching the repository query; and displaying the documents that match the repository query via the online user interface; wherein the repository queries are operative to; retrieve the documents by searching for one or more categories; retrieve an account history of one or more customers by searching for a customer telephone number; retrieve the documents by searching for one or more key words; retrieve the documents by searching for documents added in the last X days, wherein X represents a variable number of days;
orretrieve the documents added since a last request for access by searching for a super-category;
orretrieve one or more presentations by searching for presentations associated with the view wherein the presentations comprise one or more private presentations accessible by a current user, one or more shared presentations shared among one or more entire divisions, or one or more global presentations shared among all divisions, wherein the method includes; viewing or making into a private presentation one or more of the shared or global presentations; creating a private presentation by merging two or more of the presentations; and creating, renaming, playing, modifying, downloading, printing, deleting, or posting to a website one or more private presentations. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for aggregating and retrieving a variety of data and associated metadata and making the data accessible over a distributed network, the system comprising:
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a memory; a repository containing; one or more document visuals, wherein each document visual has associated metadata comprising one or more attributes of each document visual wherein the attributes include at least one of the following; a description of each document visual; one or more key words for each document visual; an expiration date for each document visual; a source information date for each document visual; a creation date of each document visual; an update date for updated document visuals; at least one super-category and category assigned to each document visual wherein each category is associated with a super-category and wherein the super-categories include at least one of the following; a first main category representing one of local document visuals and local rates of an advertising directory covering a market region; a second main category representing document visuals of advertising products from categories having one or more document visuals associated with them; a third main category representing document visuals related to a business directory; and a fourth main category representing document visuals associated with one or more advertising headings; at least one business process step assigned to each document visual; and at least one of a geographic and a business division assigned to each document visual; one or more attribute tables and one or more relational tables defining linking relationships between the attributes of the document visuals and the document visuals such that multiple attributes may be assigned to each document visual and wherein one copy of cach document visual is loaded into the repository and the one copy of a document visual is retrieved in response to the document visual matching a desired query; one or more users of the repository wherein each user has a primary geographic or a primary business division assigned to a user profile of each user; a display unit; a processor executing computer executable instructions for providing an online user interface operative to; receive from a user a request to access the document visuals; in response to receiving the request, display at least one view of the repository; receive a selection of one or more functions of the online user interface, the selection representing a desired query wherein the functions are operative to; retrieve one or more document visuals based on a query including a super-category and category; retrieve an account history of one or more customers based on a query including a customer telephone number; retrieve one or more visual presentations based a query including one or more presentations; retrieve the document visuals based on a query including one or more key words; retrieve one or more document visuals based on a query including a request for documents added in the last X days, wherein X represents a variable number of days; retrieve the documents visuals from among all categories and super-categories based on a query including a business process step; retrieve one or more visual presentations based on a query including one or more visual presentation; retrieve one or more new document visuals added since a last request for access to the data based on a query including a super-category; and access one or more links from the online user interface where the links are associated in a link table in the repository with the geographic or business division assigned to the user; in response to receiving the desired query, search the document visuals and the associated attributes to retrieve one or more results that match the desired query; display the results that match the desired query via the online user interface; associate one or more of the results to add to an existing association of document visuals or to create a new association of document visuals; and display the existing or new association of document visuals via the online user interface wherein the new or existing association of document visuals comprise a visual presentation; and a processor executing computer executable instructions operative to; create and store one or more templates, wherein the templates may be used to automatically populate one or more of the attributes of the document visuals; modify one or more of the document visuals, one or more of the attributes, one or more of the user profiles, and one or more of the attribute tables, and assign a primary repository role to each user based on the primary geographic or business division assigned to the user wherein the primary repository role of the user determines the at least one view of the repository displayed to the user via the online user interface upon receiving the request to access the document visuals, wherein a view of the repository established for each geographic or business division wherein each view provides access to just document visuals and visual presentations having as an attribute the primary geographic or business division assigned to the user and wherein searching the document visuals and associated attributes comprises searching just the document visuals, the visual presentations, and the attributes provided by the view.
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Specification