Method and system for updating a summary page of a document

• US 7,519,579 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zhuo, Julie L., Pratley, Christopher H., Yalovsky, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Lie; Angela M
• Application Number:
  US11/018,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/102, 707/101
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A summary page provides a current overview of a document. A query may be created or selected to search for a particular type of data in the document. Metadata associated with the document is analyzed to locate the type of data identified in the query. The query result is displayed on the summary page. A user may scan the summary page to determine an overview of the document based on the query result. The summary page may also include a link to the source of the query result in the document. The query or the query results may be stored in a dynamic content container associated with the document. The dynamic quality of the content container causes the summary page to be continuously updated and synchronous with a current state of the document. Thus, modifications to sources of the query result in the document are dynamically updated on the summary page.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for updating a summary page of a text file, comprising:

receiving a request, on a software application of a client, to query a text file for information, wherein the text file is stored in a memory in accordance with the software application of the client, wherein the information is identified by metadata stored with the text file, wherein the software application is at least one member of a group comprising;

a word processing application and a notes application;

identifying the information within the text file and storing the information in a dynamic container that is created when the request is received, wherein the dynamic container causes a continuous and synchronous relationship between the text file and the summary page;

displaying the identified information on the summary page, wherein a modification to the query of the text file dynamically modifies the identified information on the summary page, wherein the summary page includes a plurality of links, wherein each link indicates a portion of the text file that is displayed on the summary page, wherein selection of one of the links causes navigation to the portion of the text file that is displayed on the summary page and is indicated by the selected link; and

upon receiving a user input that modifies the information of the text file in relation to the identified information of the summary page, automatically updating the dynamic container with the modification to cause the dynamic container to automatically update the summary page with the modification.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the identified information further comprises displaying at least one of:

an action item list that is associated with tasks for the text file, a list of content that was modified prior to the receiving the query a list of users that have modified content in the text file, and a list of references to a particular data set within the content of the text file.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information is a specific type of data queried as a result of a pre-defined query list.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the specific type of data is one of:

a section heading, a note flag, an action item, contact information, an updated object, and an unviewed object.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the metadata is embedded in the text file.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the query is stored in the dynamic container.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for updating a summary page of a text file, comprising:

performing a query to identify data in the text file stored in accordance with a software application of a client device, wherein the data is identified by metadata stored with the text file, wherein the software application is at least one member of a group comprising;

a word processing application and a notes application;

in response to performing the query, generating, on the software application of the client device, a dynamic container for the query, wherein the dynamic container facilitates a synchronous relationship between the text file and the summary page;

obtaining a result of the query on the software application of the client device, wherein the result includes information within the text file, wherein the result is determined by the query;

storing the result in the dynamic container;

displaying the query result on the summary page, wherein modification to the query of the text file results in a new query result being displayed on the summary page, wherein the summary page includes a plurality of links, wherein each link indicates a portion of the text file that is displayed on the summary page, wherein selection of one of the links causes navigation to the portion of the text file that is displayed on the summary page and is indicate by the selected link; and

upon receiving an input that modifies the data of the text file in relation to one of the categories identified in the summary page, automatically updating the dynamic container with the modification to cause the dynamic container to automatically update the summary page with the modification.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein displaying the query results further comprises displaying at least one of:

an action item list that is associated with tasks for the text file, a list of content that was modified prior to the receiving the query, a list of users that have modified content in the text tile, and a list of references to a particular data set within the content of the text.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the data is a specific type of data queried as a result of a pre-defined query list.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the specific type of data is one of:

a section heading, a note flag, an action item, contact information, an updated object, and an unviewed object.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the metadata is embedded in the text file.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the query is stored in the dynamic container.

13. A system for updating a summary page of a text file, comprising:

a computer system having a memory, wherein the text file is loaded in the memory in accordance with a software application of a client device, wherein the software application is at least one member of a group comprising;

a word processing application and a notes application; and

a summary page update module loaded in the memory in accordance with the software application of the client device, wherein the summary page update module is arranged to;

receive a query on the software application of the client device for accessing categories of data of the text file stored in accordance with the software application of the client device;

identify categories of data in the text file, wherein the categories of data are identified by analyzing metadata stored with the text file, wherein the categories of data are determined by the received query, wherein the identified categories of data are stored in a dynamic content container stored with the text file, wherein the dynamic container causes a continuous synchronous relationship between the text file and the summary page;

display the identified categories of data on the summary page, wherein modification to the query of the text file results in new identified categories of data being displayed on the summary page, wherein the summary page includes a plurality of links, wherein each link indicates a portion of the text file that is displayed on the summary page, wherein selection of one of the links causes navigation to the portion of the text file that is displayed on the summary page and is indicate by the selected link; and

upon receiving a user input that modifies the text file in relation to one of the categories identified in the summary page, automatically updating the dynamic container with the modification to cause the dynamic container to automatically update the summary page with the modification.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the metadata is embedded in the text file.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the query is stored in the dynamic container.