System and method for creating a book of reports over a computer network

• US 7,315,864 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edmund L. Valentine
• Original Assignee: Edmund L. Valentine
• Inventors: Valentine, Edmund L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo; Thuy
• Application Number:
  US09/798,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,496 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/101, 707/103.R, 707/104.1, 709/203, 705/26
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/914 Video
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method is disclosed wherein a server receives and stores report definitions. A user instructs the server to create a book and associate the report definitions with the book. Thereafter, the user requests that the server generate and transmit the book to his client. The server generates and transmits a report for each of the report definitions to the user.

Claims

1. A method for creating and transmitting a book of reports over a computer network, comprising:

storing at least two report definitions in a storage device of a server;

creating a book with which the at least two report definitions are to be associated;

associating the at least two report definitions with the book;

receiving a request for the book from a user;

generating a first report for a first of the at least two report definitions associated with the book based on network-based searching of a plurality of databases, wherein at least one contribution to said first report is derived from a first database among said plurality of databases and at least one additional contribution to said first report is derived from a second database among said plurality of databases that is distinct from said first database, yielding a first report that includes multiple contributions originating from distinct databases;

generating a second report for a second of the at least two report definitions associated with the book based on network-based searching of a plurality of databases, wherein at least one contribution to said second report is derived from a third database among said plurality of databases and at least one additional contribution to said second report is derived from a fourth database among said plurality of databases that is distinct from said third database, yielding a second report that includes multiple contributions originating from distinct databases; and

transmitting the book of reports that include the first and second reports to the user.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving the at least two report definitions from the user, wherein the report definitions were created with at least one routine.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein a report definition created by the report definition routine produces a chart when processed by the server.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the product query routine includes at least one related routine.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said at least one related routine is a diagnosis filter routine.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said at least one related routine is an MOA filter routine.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said at least one related routine is a marketer filter routine.

8. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said at least one related routine is a lifecycle filter routine.

9. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said at least one related routine is a status filter routine.

10. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said at least one related routine is a countries routine.

11. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein a report definition created by the product query routine produces a product specification when processed by the server.

12. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one routine is a report definition routine.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the report definition routine includes at least one additional routine.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least one additional routine is a filters routine.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least one additional routine is a columns routine.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least one additional routine is a countries routine.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least one additional routine is an options routine.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the filters routine includes at least one associated routine.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said at least one associated routine is a diagnosis filter routine.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said at least one associated routine is an MOA filter routine.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said at least one associated routine is a marketer filter routine.

22. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said at least one associated routine is a lifecycle filter routine.

23. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said at least one associated routine is a status filter routine.

24. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one routine is a product query routine.

25. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of generating a table of contents for the book including titles of the reports and transmitting the table of contents to the user.

26. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of formatting descriptive headings in each of the reports prior to transmitting the book of reports to the user, the descriptive headings being useful for generating a table of contents by a client.

27. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the reports are selected from the group consisting of documents, articles, abstracts, product specifications, charts, still images, video clips, and audio clips.

28. A computer system for creating and transmitting a book of reports over a computer network, comprising:

a processor in communication with a storage device, wherein the processor is operative to

store at least two report definitions in the storage device;

create a book with which the at least two report definitions are to be associated;

associate the at least two report definitions with the book;

receive a request for the book from a user;

perform network-based searching of a plurality of databases based on said at least two report definitions;

generate a first report for a first of the at least two report definitions associated with the book based on said network-based searching, wherein at least one contribution to said first report is derived from a first database among said plurality of databases and at least one additional contribution to said first report is derived from a second database among said plurality of databases that is distinct from said first database, yielding a first report that includes multiple contributions originating from distinct databases;

generate a second report for a second-of the at least two report definitions associated with the book based on said network-based searching, wherein at least one contribution to said second report is derived from a third database among said plurality of databases and at least one additional contribution to said second report is derived from a fourth database among said plurality of databases that is distinct from said third database, yielding a second report that includes multiple contributions originating from distinct databases; and

transmit the book of reports to the user.

29. The computer system as recited in claim 28, wherein the processor is further operative to receive the at least two report definitions from the user, wherein the report definitions were created with a routine.

30. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein a report definition created by the report definition routine produces a chart when processed by the server.

31. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein said routine is a report definition routine.

32. The computer system as recited in claim 31, wherein the report definition routine includes at least one associated routine.

33. The computer system as recited in claim 32, wherein said at least one associated routine is a filters routine.

34. A computer system as recited in claim 32, wherein said at least one associated routine is a columns routine.

35. The computer system as recited in claim 32, wherein said at least one associated routine is a countries routine.

36. The computer system as recited in claim 32, wherein said at least one associated routine is an options routine.

37. The computer system as recited in claim 33, wherein the filters routine includes at least one related routine.

38. The computer system as recited in claim 37, wherein said at least one related routine is a diagnosis filter routine.

39. The computer system as recited in claim 37, wherein said at least one related routine is an MOA filter routine.

40. The computer system as recited in claim 37, wherein said at least one related routine is a marketer filter routine.

41. The computer system as recited in claim 37, wherein said at least one related routine is a lifecycle filter routine.

42. The computer system as recited in claim 37, wherein said at least one related routine is a status filter routine.

43. The computer system as recited in claim 29, wherein said routine is a product query routine.

44. The computer system as recited in claim 43, wherein the product query routine includes at least one related routine.

45. The computer system as recited in claim 44, wherein said at least one related routine is a diagnosis filter routine.

46. The computer system as recited in claim 44, wherein said at least one related routine is an MOA filter routine.

47. The computer system as recited in claim 44, wherein said at least one related routine is a marketer filter routine.

48. The computer system as recited in claim 44, wherein said at least one related routine is a lifecycle filter routine.

49. The computer system as recited in claim 44, wherein said at least one related routine is a status filter routine.

50. The computer system as recited in claim 43, wherein a report definition created by the product query routine produces a product specification when processed by the server.

51. The computer system as recited in claim 28, wherein the processor is further operative to generate a table of contents for the book including titles of the reports and transmitting the table of contents to the user.

52. The computer system as recited in claim 28, wherein the processor is further operative to format descriptive headings in each of the reports prior to transmitting the book of reports to the user, the descriptive headings being useful for generating a table of contents by a client.

53. The computer system as recited in claim 28, wherein the reports are selected from the group consisting of documents, articles, abstracts, product specifications, charts, still images, video clips, and audio clips.