Centralized terminology and glossary development

• US 7,617,232 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2004
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lombard, Robin J., Woolums, Thomas Michael, Moiceanu, Corneliu, Robbins, Mark Wayne, Gabbert, Charles Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Shahid A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard; Jacques
• Application Number:
  US10/933,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20060047689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,895 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/3, 707/7, 707/10, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104.1, 715/513, 715/531, 715/532, 715/533
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Developing terminology for use within an organization. Data representing a term is received from a user. Data representing one or more projects to be associated with the term is also received from the user. The received data representing the term is linked with the received data representing the one or more projects in a memory area. A glossary for the one or more projects is generated. The generated glossary includes the term.

Claims

1. A method of developing terminology for use within an organization, said method comprising:

receiving data representing a term for building a glossary from a user;

receiving data representing one or more projects to be associated with the term in the organization from the user;

receiving data representing a definition associated with the data representing the term used in association with the one or more projects;

defining a relationship between the received data representing the term and the received data representing the one or more projects, said relationship defining at least one of the following;

a project may include zero to many terms, a term may appear in zero to many projects, and a term may not appear in the same project more than once;

linking the received data representing the term with the received data representing the one or more projects in a central memory area accessible by a computing device;

automatically extracting the received data representing the definition associated with the data representing the term; and

automatically generating the glossary for the one or more projects, said generated glossary including the term having the extracted definition linked to the one or more projects provided from the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the data representing the term comprises:

allowing a user in the organization to access the memory area to search for and select the term,

receiving an indication from the user that the term is selected.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein allowing the user in the organization to search for and select the term comprises allowing the user to search for the term based on a project name.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a help file based on the received data representing the term and the received data representing the one or more projects.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein generating the help file comprises outputting data in compiled hypertext markup language help format (CHM).

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving data representing a comment for the term to allow a user in the organization to localize the term based on the comment.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving reference data representing one or more of the following;

a See Other reference for the term and a See Also reference for the term, and

linking the received reference data with the received data representing the term in the memory area.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing a user in the organization to approve the term for the one or more projects in response to linking the received data representing the term with the received data representing the one or more projects in the memory area.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein allowing the user to approve the term for the one or more projects comprises allowing the user to approve the term for the one or more projects as a function of a permission setting of the user with regard to each of the one or more projects.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing a user to manage the received data representing the term and the received data representing the one or more projects as a function of a project associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the received data representing the term in a first database table in the memory area,

storing the received data representing the one or more projects in a second database table in the memory area, and

wherein linking the received data representing the term with the received data representing the one or more projects comprises using an intermediary database table in the memory area to associate the first database table with the second database table.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more computer storage media have computer-executable instructions to perform the method recited in claim 1.

13. A system for developing terminology for use within an organization, said system comprising:

a memory area for storing terminology data related to the organization; and

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions to;

receive data representing a term for building a glossary of terms from a user,

receive data representing a project to be associated with the term in the organization from the user, said term representing a terminology used in association with the one or more projects, said terminology associating with at least a definition included in the terminology data stored in the memory area,

define a relationship between the received data representing the term and the received data representing the one or more projects, said relationship defining at least one of the following;

a project may include zero to many terms, a term may appear in zero to many projects, and a term may not appear in the same project more than once,

link the received data representing the term and the received data representing the project in the memory area,

automatically extract the definition associated with the data representing the term from the terminology data in the memory area; and

automatically generate a glossary including the term for the project, said generated glossary including the term having the extracted definition linked to the one or more projects provided from the user.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the memory area is a relational database.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising an interface configured to allow a user in the organization to manage the terminology data stored in the memory area.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to receive data representing a definition of the term and to associate the definition with the term.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to allow a user in the organization to access the memory area to search for the term based on a project name.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to generate a help file based on the received data representing the term and the received data representing the project.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to receive data representing a comment for the term to allow a user in the organization to localize the term based on the comment.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to receive reference data representing one or more of the following:

a See Other reference for the term and a See Also reference for the term, said processor further being configured to execute computer-executable instructions to link the received reference data with the received data representing the term in the memory area.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to allow a user in the organization to approve the term for the project in response to linking the received data representing the term with the received data representing the project in the memory area.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to execute computer-executable instructions to:

store the received data representing the term in a first database table in the memory area,

store the received data representing the project in a second database table in the memory area, and

associate the first database table and the second database table via an intermediary database table in the memory area.

23. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable components for developing terminology for use within an organization, said computer storage media comprising:

a memory component for storing terminology data related to the organization;

an interface component for receiving data representing a term for building a glossary of terms from a user and for receiving data representing a project to be associated with the term in the organization from the user, said term being used in association with the one or more projects and being associated with at least a definition included in the terminology data stored in the memory area; and

a developing component for linking the received data representing the term with the received data representing the project in the memory component, for automatically extracting the definition associated with the term from the terminology data in the memory area, and for automatically generating a glossary for the project, said generated glossary including the term having the extracted definition linked to the one or more projects from the user, wherein a relationship is defined between the received data representing the term and the received data representing the one or more projects in the terminology data, said relationship defining at least one of the following;

a project may include zero to many terms, a term may appear in zero to many projects, and a term may not appear in the same project more than once.

24. The computer storage media of claim 23 wherein the interface component is configured to receive data representing a definition of the term, and wherein the developing component is configured to associate the definition with the term.

25. The computer storage media of claim 23 wherein the developing component includes a lookup tool, said lookup tool being configured to allow a user in the organization to access the memory component to search for the term.

26. The computer storage media of claim 23 wherein the developing component includes a build process, said build process being configured to generate a help file based on the received data representing the term and the received data representing the project.

27. The computer storage media of claim 26 wherein the help file is in compiled hypertext markup language help format (CHM).

28. The computer storage media of claim 23 wherein the developing component includes an edit tool, said edit tool being configured to link reference data with the received data representing the term in the memory component, said reference data representing one or more of the following:

a See Other reference for the term and a See Also reference for the term.

29. The computer storage media of claim 23 wherein the developing component includes an edit tool, said edit tool being configured to allow a user in the organization to approve the term for the project in response to linking the received data representing the term with the received data representing the project in the memory component.

30. The computer storage media of claim 23 wherein the developing component is configured to:

store the received data representing the term in a first database table in the memory component,

store the received data representing the project in a second database table in the memory component, and

associate the first database table with the second database table via an intermediary database table in the memory component.

31. The computer storage media of claim 23 wherein the memory component is a structured query language (SQL) database.