Document creation system and method using knowledge base, precedence, and integrated rules

• US 7,260,584 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2004
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolters Kluwer Financial Services Incorporated (Wolters Kluwer Nv)
• Original Assignee: Wolters Kluwer Financial Services Incorporated (Wolters Kluwer Nv)
• Inventors: Hollingsworth, Samuel Richard, Hollingsworth, Susan Bosl, Walter, Scott James, Wyman, Richard Keith, Lira, Abdias Evangelista-de, Hailey, Richard Warren, Weitzel, Thomas William, Gunn, Paul John
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin; Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard; Jacques
• Application Number:
  US10/814,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 5, 707/8, 707/10, 707/100, 707/101, 707/103.R, 707/203, 707/102, 707/104.1, 715/513, 715/530, 715/775
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A data structure generation system. The system includes a knowledge base configured to store data structure components as objects in an object-relational hierarchy. Each object is configured to have a precedence, to include one or more rules, and to include content. The knowledge base may be coupled to a data structure assembly facility configured to retrieve one or more cross-referenced data structure components from a database. The one or more data structure components are configured to have a precedence level, and may be processed in a processor to generate a tree having a root node. The tree may be processed beginning at the root node, and objects of low precedence may be overidden with objects of high precedence.

Claims

1. A data structure generation system comprising:

a plurality of data structure components, each data structure component configured to have a precedence defining an override level of the data structure component, to include one or more embedded rules, and to include content; and

a computer-implemented knowledge base configured to be coupled to a data structure assembly facility, the knowledge base configured to store the plurality of data structure components as objects in an object-relational hierarchy, the knowledge base storing a first set of objects and a second set of objects, the first set of objects having a first, read-only precedence level and the second set of objects having a second precedence level higher than the first precedence level.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the precedence provides hierarchical control of content to match business preferences.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a data structure assembly facility.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the assembly facility is configured to retrieve one or more data structure components from the knowledge base;

process the one or more data structure components in a processor to generate a tree having a root node;

process the tree beginning at the root node; and

to override objects of low precedence with objects of high precedence.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the assembly facility is configured to, when an object having a rule is encountered, evaluate the rule and replace the rule with a value.

6. A system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising an authoring tool and a content management system.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the content management system is configured to permit a user to create a version of an object in the first set of objects, and save the version of the object at a precedence different than the first precedence level.

8. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the content management system is configured to permit a user to create a version of an object in the first set of objects where the version of the object and the object at a different precedence level have the same name.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each object is configurable to be locked in order to prevent overriding by an object having a higher precedence level.

10. A computer-implemented knowledge base configured to store data structure components as objects in an object-relational hierarchy, each object configured to have a precedence defining an override level of the object, to include one or more embedded rules, and to include content, the knowledge base storing a first set of data components stored as objects and a second set of data components stored as objects, the first set of data components stored as objects having a first, read-only precedence level and the second set of data components stored as objects having a second precedence level higher than the first precedence level.

11. A knowledge base as claimed in claim 10, wherein each data component stored as an object is configurable to be locked in order to prevent overriding by an object having a higher precedence level.

12. A computer-implemented method of assembling a data structure from a group of components, the method comprising:

retrieving one or more cross-referenced data structure components from a database, the one or more data structure components configured to have a precedence level defining an override level for the one or more data structure components;

processing the one or more cross-referenced data structure components in a processor to generate a tree having a root node;

processing the tree beginning at the root node;

overriding objects of low precedence with objects of high precedence to create a resulting tree; and

transforming the resulting tree into a data structure representing a document.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising creating a transaction data set.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein retrieving one or more cross-referenced data structure components from a database includes retrieving the same based on the transaction data set.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the one or more data structure components are configured to include one or more rules.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising, when a rule is encountered, evaluating the rule and replacing the rule with a value.

17. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising configuring each data structure component to be lockable in order to prevent overriding by an object having a higher precedence level.

18. A method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising configuring the database so that it may include a first set of data structure components, a second set of data structure components, and a third set of data structure components, the first set of data structure components having a first, read-only precedence level, the second set of data structure components having a second precedence level higher than the first precedence level, and the third set of data structure components having a third precedence level higher than the second precedence level.

19. A computer readable medium containing instructions for generating a data structure by

retrieving one or more cross-referenced data structure components from a computer-implemented database, each of the one or more data structure components configured to have a precedence level defining an override level for the data structure component;

processing the one or more cross-referenced data structure components in a processor to generate a tree having a root node;

processing the tree beginning at the root node;

overriding objects of low precedence with objects of high precedence to create a resulting tree; and

transforming the resulting tree into a data structure representing a document.

20. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 19, further comprising instructions for structuring the one or more data structures to include one or more embedded rules.

21. A computer readable medium as claimed in claim 20, further comprising instructions for processing the one or more data structures components by evaluating a rule and replacing the rule with a value when the rule is encountered.