Meta-document and method of managing

• US 7,590,934 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hubert, Laurence, Gastaldo, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US10/766,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20040194025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,058 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/501.1, 715/511, 715/526, 715/200, 715/205, 715/209, 715/210, 715/234, 715/255, 715/256, 715/273, 715/733, 715/737, 715/750, 715/751, 715/201, 715/202, 715/226, 715/229, 715/231, 715/246, 715/254, 715/700, 715/760, 707/10, 707/102, 707/203, 707/204, 707/3, 707/200, 707/1, 707/100, 707/101, 707/104.1, 707/4, 707/5, 707/6, 707/8, 707/E17.001, 707/E17.002, 707/E17.008, 707/E17.009, 707/E17.013, 707/E14.014, 707/E17.015
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A meta-document includes an object conveying document information, processing information pertaining to processing of the meta-document and metadata for indexing and retrieving the processing information. The processing information is recorded on the meta-document each time the meta-document is processed in some manner. Each time processing information is recorded on the document, appropriate metadata for indexing and retrieving the processing information is also stored on the meta-document. Creation and recording of the processing information and associated metadata on the meta-document may be accomplished externally by the particular source or environment to which the meta-document may be residing. Alternatively, each meta-document may include a tool (e.g., a software program or macro) embedded on the object. Whenever the meta-document is accessed or processed, the embedded tool creates the appropriate processing information and associated metadata.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with data for processing by a data processing system, said data comprising:

a meta-document for tracking and storing all information pertaining to actions performed by an application program on a document comprising document information during its entire lifetime, comprising a file structure including;

an object conveying document information,

processing information, and

metadata for indexing and retrieving the processing information;

wherein all of which are stored on the meta-document and retrievable from the meta-document;

wherein the processing information comprises all information pertaining to each time the meta-document is processed by the application program being executed by the data processing system and any results of the processing during the entire life of the meta-document, the processing information being stored on the meta-document each time the meta-document is processed and being retrievable from the meta-document;

wherein the metadata comprises all associated metadata pertaining to each time the meta-document is processed by the application program being executed by the data processing system during the entire life of the meta-document, the metadata being stored on the meta-document each time the meta-document is processed and being retrievable from the meta-document;

wherein the meta-document is transmitted to a source and parsed at the source for extracting stored processing information and metadata;

wherein processing information is stored pertaining to transmitting and parsing at the source and associated metadata stored on the meta-document;

wherein the meta-document further comprises a first instruction, embedded on the object, responsive to processing of the meta-document, for generating and storing processing information and associated metadata on the meta-document, wherein the parsing is performed by the first instruction; and

wherein the meta-document further comprises a second instruction, embedded on the object, for parsing and extracting selected processing information stored on the meta-document, parsing the meta-document for extracting the selected processing information and associated metadata, and

distributing the extracted selected processing information to the source.

2. The meta-document of claim 1, wherein processing information comprises information pertaining to transformation of the document information.

3. The meta-document of claim 1, wherein the processing information comprises a user comment to the document information.

4. The meta-document of claim 1, wherein the processing information comprises information pertaining to distribution of the meta-document.

5. The meta-document of claim 1, wherein the application program is embedded on the meta-document.

6. In a data processing system, a computer-implemented method of managing a meta-document comprising:

storing a meta-document for tracking and storing all information pertaining to actions performed by an application program on a document comprising document information on a computer-readable storage medium, the meta-document, wherein the meta-document comprises a file structure including;

an object conveying document information, processing information pertaining to processing of the meta-document, and metadata for indexing and retrieving the processing information, wherein all of which are stored on the meta-document and retrievable from the meta-document;

wherein the processing information comprises all information pertaining to each time the meta-document is processed by the application program being executed by the data processing system and any results of the processing during the entire life of the meta-document, the processing information being stored on the meta-document each time the meta-document is processed and being retrievable from the meta-document; and

wherein the metadata comprises all associated metadata pertaining to each time the meta-document is processed by the application program being executed by the data processing system during the entire life of the meta-document, the metadata being stored on the meta-document each time the meta-document is processed and being retrievable from the meta-document;

transmitting the meta-document to a source;

parsing the meta-document, at the source, for extracting stored processing information and metadata; and

storing processing information pertaining to transmitting and parsing at the source and associated metadata stored on the meta-document,

wherein the meta-document further comprises a first instruction, embedded on the object, responsive to processing of the meta-document, for generating and storing processing information and associated metadata on the meta-document, wherein the parsing step is performed by the first instruction, and

wherein the meta-document further comprises a second instruction, embedded on the object, for parsing and extracting selected processing information stored on the meta-document, and further comprising the step of;

parsing the meta-document for extracting the selected processing information and associated metadata; and

distributing the extracted selected processing information to the source.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the source comprises a tool, responsive to a processing of the meta-document, for generating and storing processing information and associated metadata on the meta-document, wherein the parsing step is performed by the tool.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the source further comprises a second tool for parsing and extracting selected processing information stored on the meta-document, and further comprising the step of:

parsing the meta-document for extracting the selected processing information and associated metadata; and

distributing the extracted selected processing information to the source.

9. A data processing system for managing document information comprising:

a memory storing a meta-document for tracking and storing all information pertaining to actions performed by an application program on a document comprising document information on a computer-readable storage medium, the meta-document, wherein the meta-document comprises a file structure including;

an object conveying document information, processing information pertaining to processing of the meta-document, and metadata for indexing and retrieving the processing information, wherein all of which are stored on the meta-document and retrievable from the meta-document;

wherein the processing information comprises all information pertaining to each time the meta-document is processed by the application program being executed by the data processing system and any results of the processing during the entire life of the meta-document, the processing information being stored on the meta-document each time the meta-document is processed and being retrievable from the meta-document; and

wherein the metadata comprises all associated metadata pertaining to each time the meta-document is processed by the application program being executed by the data processing system during the entire life of the meta-document, the metadata being stored on the meta-document each time the meta-document is processed and being retrievable from the meta-document;

a processor for executing an application program for processing the meta-document; and

a plurality of sources, each source located at a different location,

wherein each time the meta-document is received by a source, processing information and its associated metadata is parsed and extracted from the meta-document at the source; and

processing information pertaining to transmitting the meta-document to the source and parsing at the source and associated metadata stored on the meta-document,

wherein the meta-document further comprises a first instruction, embedded on the object, responsive to processing of the meta-document, for generating and storing processing information and associated metadata on the meta-document, wherein the parsing step is performed by the first instruction, and

wherein the meta-document farther comprises a second instruction, embedded on the object, for parsing and extracting selected processing information stored on the meta-document, and farther comprising the step of;

parsing the meta-document for extracting the selected processing information and associated metadata; and

distributing the extracted selected processing information to the source.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein processing information comprises information pertaining to transformation of the document information.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing information comprises a user comment to the document information.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing information comprises information pertaining to distribution of the meta-document.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the source further comprises a tool, responsive to a processing of the meta-document, for generating and storing processing information and associated metadata on the meta-document.