System and method for collecting, storing, managing and providing categorized information related to a document object

• US 7,386,792 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DSS Technology Management, Inc. (Document Security Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomas L Bascom
• Inventors: Jones, Tanya, Bascom, Thomas Layne
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Shahid
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevens; Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/050,515
• Time in Patent Office: 2,335 Days
• Field of Search: 715/501.1, 715/517, 715/513, 715/500
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links

Abstract

A method and system for enabling users of a network to create, store, and provide access to relationships between document objects stored on the network. The method may include the steps for allowing a user of the network to create a link relationship between a first document object and a second document object; for storing the link relationship in one or more link directories; and for providing all users of the network access to the link relationships stored in the one or more link directories based upon the document object currently accessed by the users. The system may include one or more client devices that access document objects stored on the network and create link relationships between the first document object and the second document object; and one or more servers that store and filter the link relationships created by the client devices and transmit one or more link relationships and link references to the client devices.

Claims

1. A method for enabling users of a network to create, store, and provide access to relationships among document objects stored on the network, the method comprising the steps of:

allowing creation of a link relationship between a first document object and a second document object, wherein the link relationship includes fields referencing a first and second document object and the allowing includes;

locating the first document object;

locating the second document object related to the first document object; and

creating a link relationship which references the first document object and the second document object;

storing the link relationship in one or more link directories, wherein the storing comprises;

storing a link relationship entry in a link relationship table, wherein the link relationship entry comprises fields including a first link reference to the first document object and a second link reference to the second document object; and

assigning link relationship attributes to the link relationship entry;

accessing one or more link relationships stored in the one or more link directories using a unique identifier for the first document object, wherein the one or more link directories are separate from the first document object; and

providing a link reference to a third document object, wherein the link reference provided is determined by identifying those one or more link relationships stored in the one or more link directories that include the unique identifier of the first document object, wherein providing a link reference includes displaying the link reference to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing step comprises providing access only to authorized users.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising authorizing users of the network to perform the allowing, storing and accessing steps.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the steps of the method are accomplished by automated procedures not requiring interaction with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing step further comprises:

setting a directional indicator for the link relationship entry.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of storing the link relationship in one or more link directories further comprises:

storing the first link reference to the first document object in a document object table;

assigning document object attributes to the first link reference associated with the first document object;

storing the second link reference to the second document object in the document object table; and

assigning document object attributes to the second link reference associated with the second document object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein one or more of the link relationship attributes are set;

and a directional indicator for the link relationship attribute is set by associating one document object attribute for the first link reference with one document object attribute for the second link reference.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the displayed link reference is related to a document object the user is currently accessing, wherein the link reference displayed to the user is determined by identifying those link relationships stored in the one or more link directories that include a link reference to a network address of the currently accessed document object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying more than one link reference from one or more link directories.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the displaying step comprises sorting and presenting one or more link references by the one or more link directories storing the link references.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the displaying step comprises sorting and presenting the one or more link references by attributes of the link relationships and link references.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is used on one or more of:

a private network, a closed network, a public network, and a private network that is connected to a public network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more link directories are accessible only by a specific individual user of a client device.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more link directories are stored on a server connected to the network by means of a secure connection.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning attributes to the link relationship established between the first document object and the second document object.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising assigning attributes to a first link reference to the first document object and a second link reference to the second document object.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the link references stored in the one or more link directories is capable of being organized, sorted, searched and filtered by one or more attributes assigned to the link references.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the link relationship stored in the one or more link directories is capable of being organized, sorted, searched and filtered by one or more attributes assigned to the link relationship.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying one or more link references to document objects on the network, the displaying comprising:

selecting the displayed link references for display based on a link relationship to a currently displayed document object; and

filtering the displayed link references by attributes.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the link relationship includes a directional indicator.

21. A system for establishing and providing access to relationships between document objects stored on a network, the system comprising:

one or more client devices that access document objects stored on the network and allow creation of link relationships between document objects, wherein the link relationship includes fields referencing a first and second document object and the one or more client devices allow creation of link relationships by;

locating the first document object;

locating the second document object related to the first document object; and

creating a link relationship which references the first document object and the second document object;

one or more servers that store the link relationships created by the client devices, allow access to one or more stored link relationships using a unique identifier for the first document object and transmit one or more link relationships and link references to one or more user client devices, wherein the one or more stored link relationships are separate from the first document object and the one or more servers comprise;

one or more link directories that store the link relationships created on the one or more client devices, wherein the one or more link directories comprise;

a link relationship table comprising a plurality of link relationship entries, the link relationship entries comprising;

a first field comprising a first link reference to a primary document object of the link relationship;

a second field comprising a second link reference to a second document object of the link relationship; and

one or more link relationship attributes providing information that places the link relationship in a context useful to the user;

a server manager module that coordinates communication between the one or more link directories, a user directory, and the one or more client devices if those client devices are requesting services from the server; and

a user data store that stores information regarding authorized users of the servers and link directories; and

one or more user client devices that receive one or more link references from the one or more servers and display the one or more link references to one or more users.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more servers filter and sort the link relationships and link references before transmitting the link relationships and link references to the client devices.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the client devices filter and sort the link relationships and link references after the link relationships and link references are transmitted to the client devices from the one or more servers.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the user data store comprises:

a user directory, the user directory comprising one or more user data records containing personal identifying information and information regarding which of the one or more link directories and the one or more servers a user is authorized to access;

a user profile store, the user profile store comprising one or more user profile records each containing one or more user profiles for each authorized user of the servers and link directories; and

a user account store, the user account store comprising one or more user account records each containing usage data for each authorized user of the servers and link directories.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more client devices comprise:

a client tool, wherein the client tool comprises a graphic user interface display;

a rendering tool that renders and displays document objects, the rendering tool comprising;

a graphic user interface display; and

a document object network address; and

a network access tool that connects the rendering tool and the client tool to the network.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the document object network address comprises a Uniform Resource Locator.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the client device further comprises one of:

one or more link directories that store the link relationships;

a communications module that coordinates communication between the one or more link directories, a user directory, a database of user profile data, and the one or more client devices; and

a user data store that stores information regarding authorized users of the client tool.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more link directories further comprise

a directional indicator that indicates whether the link relationship between the first link reference to the first document object of the link relationship and the second link reference to the second document object of the link relationship applies in either direction or in both directions.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the directional indicator comprises a plurality of directional indicator fields, each directional indicator field corresponding to one of the one or more link relationship attributes and indicating whether the corresponding link relationship attribute applies in one direction or in both directions between the first link reference to the first document object of the link relationship and the second link reference to the second document object of the link relationship.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more link directories further comprise:

a document object table comprising a plurality of link reference entries, the link reference entries comprising;

a network address of the document object on the network indicated by the link reference entry wherein the unique identifier for a document object is the network address of the document object; and

one or more document object attributes providing information that places the document object indicated by the link reference entry in a context that is useful to the user.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the network address comprises a Uniform Resource Locator.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the link reference entries further comprise a listing of all link relationship entries in which the network address of the document object indicated by the link reference entry is present in the first field or the second field of the link relationship entries.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the network address comprises a Uniform Resource Locator.

34. The system of claim 28, wherein a network address of the document object on the network includes information necessary to specify the location of the document object on the network.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the network address comprises a Uniform Resource Locator.

36. The system of claim 21, wherein the network is one or more of:

a private network, a closed network, a public network, and a private network that is connected to a public network.

37. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more link directories are accessible only by a specific individual user of a client device.

38. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more link directories are stored on a server connected to the network by means of a secure connection.

39. The system of claim 21, wherein the link relationship includes a directional indicator.

40. The system of claim 21 wherein the one or more client devices include one or more user client devices.

41. A computer readable storage medium upon which is embedded instructions for carrying out a method for enabling users of a network to create, store, and provide access to relationships among document objects stored on the network, the method comprising the steps of:

allowing creation of a link relationship between a first document object and a second document object, wherein the link relationship includes fields referencing a first and second document object and the allowing includes;

locating the first document object;

locating the second document object related to the first document object; and

creating a link relationship which references the first document object and the second document object;

storing the link relationship in one or more link directories, wherein the storing comprises;

storing a link relationship entry in a link relationship table, wherein the link relationship entry comprises fields including a first link reference to the first document object and a second link reference to the second document object; and

assigning link relationship attributes to the link relationship entry;

accessing one or more link relationships stored in the one or more link directories using a unique identifier for the first document object, wherein the one or more link directories are separate from the first document object; and

providing a link reference to a third document object, wherein the link reference provided is determined by identifying those one or more link relationships stored in the one or more link directories that include the unique identifier of the first document object, wherein providing a link reference includes displaying the link reference to a user.

42. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the accessing step comprises providing access only to authorized users.

43. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, further comprising authorizing users of the network to perform the allowing, storing and accessing steps.

44. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the allowing step comprises:

a first user locating a first document object;

the first user locating a second document object related to the first document object in some manner determined by the first user; and

the first user creating a link relationship which references the first document object and the second document object.

45. The computer readable storage medium of claim 44, wherein one or more of the steps of the method are accomplished by automated procedures not requiring interaction with the user.

46. The computer readable storage medium of claim 44 further comprising:

selecting a link reference to a first document object related to a second document object that a second user is currently accessing, by identifying those link relationships, stored in the one or more link directories, that include a link reference to a network address of the second document object the second user is currently accessing; and

displaying the selected link reference to the second user.

47. The computer readable storage medium of claim 46, wherein the displaying step comprises displaying more than one link reference from one or more link directories.

48. The computer readable storage medium of claim 46, wherein the displaying step comprises sorting and presenting one or more link references by the one or more link directories storing the link references.

49. The computer readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the displaying step comprises sorting and presenting the one or more link references by attributes of the link relationships and link references.

50. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the storing step further comprises:

setting a directional indicator for the link relationship entry.

51. The computer readable storage medium of claim 50, wherein the step of storing the link relationship in one or more link directories further comprises:

storing the first link reference to the first document object in a document object table;

assigning document object attributes to the first link reference associated with the first document object;

storing the second link reference to the second document object in the document object table; and

assigning document object attributes to the second link reference associated with the second document object.

52. The computer readable storage medium of claim 51, wherein one or more of the link relationship attributes are set;

and a directional indicator for the link relationship attribute is set by associating one document object attribute for the first link reference with one document object attribute for the second link reference.

53. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the one or more link directories are accessible only by a specific individual user of a client device.

54. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41 wherein the one or more link directories are stored on a server connected to the network by means of a secure connection.

55. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41 further comprising assigning attributes to the link relationship established between the first document object and the second document object.

56. The computer readable storage medium of claim 55 further comprising assigning attributes to a first link reference to the first document object and a second link reference to the second document object.

57. The computer readable storage medium of claim 56 wherein the link references stored in the one or more link directories is capable of being organized, sorted, searched and filtered by one or more attributes assigned to the link references.

58. The computer readable storage medium of claim 55 wherein the link relationship stored in the one or more link directories is capable of being organized, sorted, searched and filtered by one or more attributes assigned to the link relationships.

59. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41, wherein the link relationship includes a directional indicator.