Holistic dynamic information management platform for end-users to interact with and share all information categories, including data, functions, and results, in collaborative secure venue

• US 7,716,170 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wafik Farag
• Original Assignee: Wafik Farag
• Inventors: Farag, Wafik
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saeed; Usmaan
• Application Number:
  US10/943,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/104
• US Class Current: 707/694
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A method and system dynamically and contextually manage information in an electronic computational environment. In one aspect, a desired project provides a context for management of a plurality of information elements, each element being in at least one of a plurality of categories. Each category in turn is a member of a category set, and the category set includes data category, function category, and result category. The context corresponds to at least one model that is defined by the elements and a set of rules governing permissible relationships among the elements. The method includes: receiving an input to the environment specifying a relationship among at least two information elements; using an integrity engine, operating to enforce such rules, to verify dynamically correctness of the relationship specified; and upon acceptance of the relation by the integrity engine, storing automatically the relationship specified, so as to permit dynamic interaction with respect to the context. The relation can be specified and implemented on the fly, without a preconceived design process. Related systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for dynamically and contextually managing information in an electronic computational environment, the method comprising:

with respect to a project, the project providing a corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts for management of a plurality of information elements, each information element being in at least one of a plurality of information categories, each information category being a member of a category set, the category set including data category, function category, and result category, wherein the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts corresponds to at least one contextual model, where the contextual model is defined by the information elements and a set of rules governing permissible relationships among the information elements;

(a) receiving an input and/or user interaction to the electronic computational environment specifying a relationship among at least two information elements;

(b) using an integrity engine, operating globally to enforce the set of rules, to verify dynamically correctness of the relationship specified among all information categories within the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts;

wherein the integrity engine'"'"'s role varies by the information category and operates on at least one of a plurality of levels within each information category to cause enforcement of the set of rules within the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts;

the plurality of levels within each information category including syntactic, semantic, and operational levels;

where the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts and the integrity engine establish the contextual model; and

(c) upon acceptance of the relationship by the integrity engine, storing automatically the relationship specified in a storage medium, permitting dynamic interaction, wherein the dynamic interaction includes storing, retrieving, manipulation of information elements, and modifications of relations with respect to the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a schema table, a list of attributes in the data category, each attribute being an element; and

storing, in a relation table, separately from the schema table, a list of relationships among such attributes, permitting dynamic interaction with respect to data aspects of the context.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a function table, a list of functions in the function category, inputs to and outputs from each of the listed functions, and metadata for each of the listed functions, each function being an element permitting dynamic interaction with respect to function aspects of the context.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing, in a result table, a list of results in the result category, and for each listed result, a sequence of functions pertinent to such result, input parameters to and outputs from each function, and metadata, each result being an element permitting dynamic interaction with respect to result aspects of the context.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information elements relates to a plurality of projects, each project providing a distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, the method further comprising:

storing a table listing the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts; and

for each distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, storing an information element table pertinent the information categories in the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, the table listing information elements that are present, in the information categories, in the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the information elements relates to the plurality of projects, each project providing the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, the method further comprising:

for each distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, storing a distinct schema table that lists attributes pertinent to the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts in the data category; and

storing a relation table that shows relations among attributes.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the information elements relates to the plurality of projects, each project providing the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, the method further comprising:

for each distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, storing a function table that lists functions, in the function category, pertinent to the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, inputs to and outputs from each of the listed functions, and metadata for each of the listed functions.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the information elements relates to the plurality of projects, each project providing the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, the method further comprising:

for each distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, storing a result table that lists results, in the result category, pertinent to the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts, and for each listed result, a sequence of functions pertinent to the result, input parameters to and outputs from each function, and metadata for each listed result.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the information elements in one of the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts has a relation to the information elements present in another of the distinct corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input is via a graphical user interface by an end user.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

operating a server running software instructions implementing processes including receiving the input using the integrity engine and storing, wherein the input is via a web browser application running on a computer in communication with the server over a network.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the rules are modifiable to modify behavior of the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the rules are modifiable by the user to modify behavior of the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts change dynamically in response to the presence of the information elements.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input specifying the relationship includes specifying, for a result, a process by which the result is obtained and at least some of the result itself.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input specifying the relationship includes specifying, for a function, a workflow by which data is made available to the function.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the input specifying the relationship includes specifying, for the information elements, a set of relationships among attributes associated with the information elements.

18. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the schema table and the relation table stores user-definable annotation of entries therein.

19. The method according to claim 3, wherein the function table includes a provision for storing user-definable annotation of entries therein.

20. The method according to claim 4, wherein the result table stores user-definable annotation of entries therein.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts include information content that is dynamic.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the project includes integration of information from a plurality of information sources, so that the information elements from the information sources may be integrated in the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts dynamically.

23. The method according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the plurality of projects is associated with another party, the method further comprising:

for an active one of the plurality of projects, making therein available, to the user, information elements from at least one user-specified other project, so that information elements from the plurality of projects may be dynamically integrated by the user and so that the user may collaborate with the other party.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic computational environment is multi-user, so that a plurality of users may collaborate with respect to the project, resulting in a collaboration in which the information elements may be integrated dynamically without a pre-conceived design.

25. The method according to claim 1, further comprising tracking changes resulting from the user interaction with the project and identifying such changes by at least one of time, user, location and version.

26. The method according to claim 5, wherein the computational environment is multi-user so that there are a plurality of end users and wherein each end-user has a profile for each context in the system to enforce policies and procedures on the user interaction with the information elements and any other users.

27. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a user with administrative rights with respect to the information elements including at least one of backup/restore, performance optimization, grouping or organization, access authorization, and annotation.

28. A system for dynamically and contextually managing information in an electronic computational environment, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory having stored thereon instructions executed by the processor that cause the processor to perform a process comprising;

with respect to a project, the project providing a corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts for management of a plurality of information elements, each information element being in at least one of a plurality of information categories, each information category being a member of a category set, the category set including data category, function category, and result category, wherein the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts corresponds to at least one contextual model, and the contextual model is defined by the information elements and a set of rules governing permissible relationships among the information elements;

means for receiving an input and/or user interaction to the electronic computational environment specifying a relationship among at least two information elements;

using an integrity engine, operating globally to enforce the set of rules, to verify dynamically correctness of the relationship specified among all information categories within the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts;

wherein the integrity engine'"'"'s role varies by the information category and operates on at least one of a plurality of levels within each information category to cause enforcement of the set of rules within the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts;

the plurality of levels within each information category including syntactic, semantic, and operational levels;

where the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts and the integrity engine establish the contextual model; and

means, operative upon acceptance of the relationship by the integrity engine, for storing automatically the relationship specified in a storage medium, permitting dynamic interaction, wherein the dynamic interaction includes storing, retrieving, manipulation of information elements, and modifications of relations with respect to the corresponding context and/or one or more other contexts.