System, apparatus and method for using and managing digital information

• US 7,340,456 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chartoleaux KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Govers Property Mgmt LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rodenburg, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly; Anh
• Application Number:
  US10/992,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20050187949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,201 Days
• Field of Search: 707 2- 6, 707 10-102, 707/104.1, 715804-805, 715/809, 715/738
• 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) receiving input from a user to select a term in an electronic document, said electronic document including at least one of text, audio, video and graphic digital information;

said term found within an index of terms in said electronic document;

said index of terms in said electronic document including a count of the occurrence of each said term in the document and a reference to a location in the said document of each said occurrence of each said term;

(ii) constructing a respective context box for each said occurrence of said term, each said context box comprising a selected amount of digital information proximate to said term in said electronic document;

(iii) displaying one or more of said context boxes to said user; and

(iv) 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 electronic 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 displaying a remainder of said context boxes upon receipt of further user input.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of applying a filter to said index of terms in said electronic document to remove terms which are not of interest therefrom.

4. 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.