Document structure inspection method and apparatus

• US 7,559,019 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakayama, Kojiro, Ueda, Ryoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig; Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US10/785,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20040237039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/523, 715/515, 715/234, 715/237, 715/239
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation

Abstract

Structured documents written in a document structure definition language may be inconsistent with a predetermined document structure definition when they are encrypted partly or electronically signed. The document structure inspection method according to the present invention applies a document structure alteration rule to a document structure definition expressing the structure of such structured documents and effects conversion to generate a second document structure definition. The second document structure definition is then checked to determine whether it is consistent with a corresponding, predetermined document structure definition. The document structure alteration rule includes, for instance, a replacement rule for replacing an element contained in a document structure definition by another element, and an addition rule for adding an element to a location after the target document structure definition element.

Claims

1. A document structure inspection method comprising the steps of:

conducting a first inspection on an individual element name basis to determine whether a structured document is consistent with a corresponding first document structure definition written in a document structure definition language;

in the case that an inconsistency occurs during the first inspection, suspending the first inspection and searching a document structure alteration rule library that is a collection of a plurality of document structure alteration rules for an applicable document structure alteration rule based on an inconsistent element name that appears in the structured document;

wherein said document structure alteration rule sets a type indicating “

add”

or “

replace,”

an applied definition, an operation element and a relevant document structure definition of a second document structure definition, the type indicating “

add”

designates an element to be added in the second document structure definition and the type indicating “

replace”

designates an element to be replaced in the second document structure definition corresponding to the inconsistent element name;

conducting a second inspection on an individual element name basis by use of the second document structure definition corresponding to the inconsistent element name in the document structure alteration rule found through the search; and

when the second inspection has reached the end of the second document structure definition, resuming the first inspection from the inconsistent element of the first document structure definition if the type of the used second document structure definition is “

add”

or from an inspection position next to the inconsistent element of the first document structure definition if the type of the used second document structure definition is “

replace”

.

2. A document structure inspection apparatus, comprising:

means for conducting a first inspection on an individual element name basis to determine whether a structured document is consistent with a corresponding first document structure definition written in a document structure definition language;

means for suspending the first inspection, in the case tat an inconsistency occurs during the first inspection, and searching a document structure alteration rule library that is a collection of a plurality of document structure alteration rules for an applicable document structure alteration rule based on an inconsistent element name that appears in the structured document;

wherein said document structure alteration rule sets a type indicating “

add”

or “

replace,”

an applied definition, an operation element and a relevant document structure definition of a second document structure definition, the type indicating “

add”

designates an element to be added in the second document structure definition and the type indicating “

replace”

designates an element to he replaced in the second document structure definition corresponding to the inconsistent element name;

means for conducting a second inspection on an individual element name basis by use of the second document structure definition corresponding to the inconsistent element name in the document structure alteration rule found through the search; and

means for resuming the first inspection, when the second inspection has reached the end of the second document structure definition, from the inconsistent element of the first document structure definition if the type of the used second document structure definition is “

add”

or from an inspection position next to the inconsistent element of the first document structure definition if the type of the used second document structure definition is “

replace”

.

3. A computer program stored on a computer storage device for causing a computer to implement the functions of:

conducting a first inspection on an individual element name basis to determine whether a structured document is consistent with a corresponding first document structure definition written in a document structure definition language;

in the case that an inconsistency occurs during the first inspection, suspending the first inspection and searching a document structure alteration rule library that is a collection of a plurality of document structure alteration rules for an applicable document structure alteration rule based on an inconsistent element name that appears in the structured document;

wherein said document structure alteration rule sets a type indicating “

add”

or “

replace,”

an applied definition, an operation element and a relevant document structure definition of a second document structure definition, the type indicating “

add”

designates an element to be added in the second document structure definition and the type indicating “

replace”

designates an element to be replaced in the second document structure definition corresponding to the inconsistent element name;

conducting a second inspection on an individual element name basis by use of the second document structure definition corresponding to the inconsistent element name in the document structure alteration rule found through the search; and

when the second inspection has reached the end of the second document structure definition, resuming the first inspection from the inconsistent element of the first document structure definition if the type of the used second document structure definition is “

add”

or from an inspection position next to the inconsistent element of the first document structure definition if the type of the used second document structure definition is “

replace”

.