Method and system for adding content to a content object stored in a data repository

• US 7,356,766 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, Pearson Education Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, Pearson Education Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Inventors: Hartman, Robert C. Jr., Murray, Janet L., Walkus, Richard W., Kao, I-Ming, Johnson, Eugene Jr., Hennessy, Richard D., Baer, William J., Robertson, Jerry D. III, Hanapole, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig; Matthew J.
• Application Number:
  US09/489,576
• Time in Patent Office: 3,000 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707/201, 715/500, 715/501.1, 715/514, 715/515, 715/513, 715/530, 715/527, 715/500.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A web-based system, method and program product are provided for adding content to a content object stored (e.g., a custom compilation or prepublished work) in a data repository as a group of hierarchically related content entities. Each noncontainer content object is preferably stored as a separate entity in the data repository. Each content entity is also stored as a row in a digital library index class as a collection of attributes and references to related content entities and containers. As the user selects desired objects for inclusion in a content object, the system arranges the objects hierarchically, e.g., into volumes, chapters and sections according to the order specified by the user. The system then creates a file object (e.g., a CBO) defining the content object that contains a list or outline of the container and noncontainer entities selected, their identifiers, order and structure. This file object is stored separately in the data repository. Content is added to the content object by adding a container or noncontainer identifier to the list or outline. This is achieved through a user interface by providing a mechanism for enabling a user to select a container or noncontainery (e.g., by title) and specify a target location for the container or noncontainer (e.g., by inserting the entity title between other entity titles on the outline.

Claims

1. A method for adding content to a first content object, being one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, capable of being produced by a processing system and stored as a first plurality of content entities in a data repository, the data repository containing a second plurality of content entities of a second content object, each of the content entities having an identifier, comprising:

defining the first content object by a first list of content entity identifiers indicating the content entities within the first content object, wherein a hierarchical arrangement of the content entity identifiers within the first list includes at least one hierarchical tier and at least one subordinate tier and corresponds to a user-defined hierarchical structure of the first content object, wherein the content entity identifiers are determined by the processing system and placed in the list in response to user selection of ones of the second plurality of content entities and corresponding locations for the selected content entities within the first content object, and wherein adding the content entity identifier of one of the second plurality of content entities to the first list at a location corresponding to the user selected location adds the identified content entity to the first content object at a location within the hierarchical structure corresponding to the location within the list hierarchical arrangement,

wherein the first list of content entity identifiers comprises a plurality of content entity identifiers each including identification information identifying the content entity within the data repository associated with that identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the second object by a second list of content entity identifiers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adding an entity identifier from the second list to the first list adds the identified content entity to the first object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object is a book, and the content entities are at least one of a volume, a chapter, and a section.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface communicating with the data repository, and

providing a mechanism for selecting a content entity identifier from the second list to add to a desired location in the first list through the user interface.

6. A method for adding content to a first hierarchically structured content object, being one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, capable of being produced by a processing system and stored as a first plurality of content entities in a data repository, the data repository containing a second plurality of content entities of a second hierarchically structured content object, each of the content entities having an identifier, comprising:

defining the first content object by a first hierarchical outline of containers and content entity identifiers corresponding to a user-defined hierarchy of the first content object, wherein each container represents an outline hierarchical tier and includes at least one content entity identifier forming a subordinate outline hierarchical tier, wherein the content entity identifiers are determined by the processing system and placed in the first outline in response to user selection of ones of the second plurality of content entities and corresponding locations for the selected content entities within the first content object, and wherein adding the content entity identifier of one of the second plurality of content entities to the first outline at a location corresponding to the user selected location adds the identified content entity to the first content object at a location within the first content object hierarchy corresponding to the location within the hierarchical outline,

wherein the first outline of content entity identifiers comprises a plurality of content entity identifiers each including identification information identifying the content entity within the data repository associated with that identifier.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising defining the second object by a second outline of containers and content entity identifiers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein adding a container of the second outline to the first outline adds the content entities identified by the content entity identifiers of that container to the first object.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a first container in the second outline contains one or more containers.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein adding the first container to the first outline adds the content entities identified by the content entity identifiers of all containers in the first container to the first object.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second objects are books, and the content entities are at least one of a volume, a chapter, and a section.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the first object and second objects are books, and the containers are one or more of a book, a volume, and a chapter.

13. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing a user interface communicating with the data repository, and providing a mechanism for selecting a content entity identifier from the second outline to add to a desired location in the first outline through the user interface.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing a user interface communicating with the data repository, and providing a mechanism for selecting a container from the second outline to add to a desired location in the first outline through the user interface.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing a user interface communicating with the data repository, and providing a mechanism for creating a new container to add to the first outline at a desired location through the user interface.

16. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine operable to perform method steps for adding content to a first content object, being one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, capable of being produced by a processing system and stored as a first plurality of content entities in a data repository, the data repository containing a second plurality of content entities of a second content object, each of the content entities having an identifier, the method steps comprising:

defining the first content object by a first list of content entity identifiers indicating the content entities within the first content object, wherein a hierarchical arrangement of the content entity identifiers within the first list includes at least one hierarchical tier and at least one subordinate tier and corresponds to a user-defined hierarchical structure of the first content object, wherein the content entity identifiers are determined by the processing system and placed in the list in response to user selection of ones of the second plurality of content entities and corresponding locations for the selected content entities within the first content object, and wherein adding the content entity identifier of one of the second plurality of content entities to the first list at a location corresponding to the user selected location adds the identified content entity to the first content object at a location within the hierarchical structure corresponding to the location within the list hierarchical arrangement,

wherein the first list of content entity identifiers comprises a plurality of content entity identifiers each including identification information identifying the content entity within the data repository associated with that identifier.

17. The program storage device of claim 16, wherein said method steps further comprise defining the second object by a second list of content entity identifiers.

18. The program storage device of claim 17, wherein adding an entity identifier from the second list to the first list adds the identified content entity to the first object.

19. The program storage device of claim 16, wherein the first object is a book, and the content entities are at least one of a volume, a chapter, and a section.

20. The program storage device of claim 16, wherein said method steps further comprise providing a user interface communicating with the data repository, and providing a mechanism for selecting a content entity identifier from the second list to add to a desired location in the first list through the user interface.

21. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine operable to perform method steps for adding content to a first hierarchically structured content object, being one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, capable of being produced by a processing system and stored as a first plurality of content entities in a data repository, the data repository containing a second plurality of content entities of a second hierarchically structured content object, each of the content entities having an identifier, the method steps comprising:

defining the first content object by a first hierarchical outline of containers and content entity identifiers corresponding to a user-defined hierarchy of the first content object, wherein each container represents an outline hierarchical tier and includes at least one content entity identifier forming a subordinate outline hierarchical tier, wherein the content entity identifiers are determined by the processing system and placed in the first outline in response to user selection of ones of the second plurality of content entities and corresponding locations for the selected content entities within the first content object, and wherein adding the content entity identifier of one of the second plurality of content entities to the first outline at a location corresponding to the user selected location adds the identified content entity to the first content object at a location within the first content object hierarchy corresponding to the location within the hierarchical outline,

wherein the first outline of content entity identifiers comprises a plurality of content entity identifiers each including identification information identifying the content entity within the data repository associated with that identifier.

22. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein said method steps further comprise defining the second object by a second outline of containers and content entity identifiers.

23. The program storage device of claim 22, wherein adding a container of the second outline to the first outline adds the content entities identified by the content entity identifiers of that container to the first object.

24. The program storage device of claim 22, wherein a first container in the second outline contains one or more containers.

25. The program storage device of claim 24, wherein adding the first container to the first outline adds the content entities identified by the content entity identifiers of all containers in the first container to the first object.

26. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the first and second objects are books, and the content entities are at least one of a volume, a chapter, and a section.

27. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein the first object and second objects are books, and the containers are one or more of a book, a volume, and a chapter.

28. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein said method steps further comprise providing a user interface communicating with the data repository, and providing a mechanism for selecting a content entity identifier from the second outline to add to a desired location in the first outline through the user interface.

29. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein said method steps further comprise providing a user interface communicating with the data repository, and providing a mechanism for selecting a container from the second outline to add to a desired location in the first outline through the user interface.

30. The program storage device of claim 21, wherein said method steps further comprise providing a user interface communicating with the data repository, and providing a mechanism for creating a new container to add to the first outline at a desired location through the user interface.

31. A system for adding content to a first content object, being one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, capable of being produced by a processing system and stored as a first plurality of content entities in a data repository, the data repository containing a second plurality of content entities of a second content object, each of the content entities having an identifier, comprising:

means for defining the first content object by a first list of content entity identifiers indicating the content entities within the first content object, wherein a hierarchical arrangement of the content entity identifiers within the first list includes at least one hierarchical tier and at least one subordinate tier and corresponds to a user-defined hierarchical structure of the first content object,

means for determining the content entity identifiers and placing the content entity identifiers in the list in response to user selection of ones of the second plurality of content entities and corresponding locations for the selected content entities within the first content object,

wherein adding the content entity identifier of one of the second plurality of content entities to the first list at a location corresponding to the user selected location adds the identified content entity to the first content object at a location within the hierarchical structure corresponding to the location within the list hierarchical arrangement,

wherein the first list of content entity identifiers comprises a plurality of content entity identifiers each including identification information identifying the content entity within the data repository associated with that identifier.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for defining the second object by a second list of content entity identifiers.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein adding an entity identifier from the second list to the first list adds the identified content entity to the first object.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the first object is a book, and the content entities are at least one of a volume, a chapter, and a section.

35. The system of claim 31, further comprising a user interface communicating with the data repository, and a mechanism for enabling a user to select a content entity identifier from the second list to add to a desired location in the first list through the user interface.

36. A system for adding content to a first hierarchically structured content object, being one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object, capable of being produced by a processing system and stored as a first plurality of content entities in a data repository, the data repository containing a second plurality of content entities of a second hierarchically structured content object, each of the content entities having an identifier, comprising:

means for defining the first content object by a first hierarchical outline of containers and content entity identifiers corresponding to a user-defined hierarchy of the first content object, wherein each container represents an outline hierarchical tier and includes at least one content entity identifier forming a subordinate outline hierarchical tier,

means for determining the content entity identifiers and placing the content entity identifiers in the first outline in response to user selection of ones of the second plurality of content entities and corresponding locations for the selected content entities within the first content object,

wherein adding the content entity identifier of one of the second plurality of content entities to the first outline at a location corresponding to the user selected location adds the identified content entity to the first content object at a location within the first content object hierarchy corresponding to the location within the hierarchical outline,

wherein the first outline of content entity identifiers comprises a plurality of content entity identifiers each including identification information identifying the content entity within the data repository associated with that identifier.

37. The system of claim 36, further comprising means for defining the second object by a second outline of containers and content entity identifiers.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein adding a container of the second outline to the first outline adds the content entities identified by the content entity identifiers of that container to the first object.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein a first container in the second outline contains one or more containers.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein adding the first container to the first outline adds the content entities identified by the content entity identifiers of all containers in the first container to the first object.

41. The system of claim 36, wherein the first and second objects are books, and the content entities are at least one of a volume, a chapter, and a section.

42. The system of claim 36, wherein the first object and second objects are books, and the containers are one or more of a book, a volume, and a chapter.

43. The system of claim 36, further comprising a user interface communicating with the data repository, and a mechanism for enabling a user to select a content entity identifier from the second outline to add to a desired location in the first outline through the user interface.

44. The system of claim 36, further comprising a user interface communicating with the data repository, and a mechanism for enabling a user to select a container from the second outline to add to a desired location in the first outline through the user interface.

45. The system of claim 36, further comprising a user interface communicating with the data repository, and a mechanism for enabling a user to create a new container to add to the first outline at a desired location through the user interface.