System and method for storage, management and automatic indexing of structured documents

• US 7,844,633 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schimunek, Gottfried, Bittner, Robert A., Baude, Brent J., Miszczyk, Jaroslaw
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Cam Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, CECILE H
• Application Number:
  US11/855,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/100, 707/999.003, 715215-234, 717116-137
• US Class Current: 707/797
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134

Abstract

A structured document storage and management technique utilizes a generic document model tree, a symbol conversion module and an encoded vector set to store structured documents. The generic document model tree represents a structured document model and contains one or more structured document nodes without storing node data unique to any particular structured document. The symbol conversion module contains untagged data associated with the one or more structured document nodes, and representing node data for particular structured documents. The symbol conversion module also maintains a value code in association with each untagged data element. The encoded vector set includes one or more encoded vectors corresponding to the one or more structured document nodes having associated untagged data. Each encoded vector contains one of the value codes at an index position that corresponds to a particular structured document. The disclosed technique allows structured documents to be efficiently stored, organized, and searched.

Claims

1. A structured document storage and management system, comprising:

a data store having one or more computer useable storage media;

a generic document model tree in said data store representing a structured document model, said generic document model tree containing one or more structured document nodes without storing node data that is unique to any particular structured document;

a symbol conversion module in said data store containing untagged data associated with said one or more structured document nodes, said untagged data representing node data for one or more particular structured documents conforming to said structured document model, said symbol conversion module also maintaining a value code in association with each element of said node data; and

an encoded vector set in said data store comprising a set of encoded vectors, each encoded vector being assigned to one of said structured document nodes of said generic document model tree, each encoded vector being comprised of a set of vector elements that each store a copy of one of said symbol conversion module value codes for said structured document node to which said encoded vector is assigned, each value code being stored at an index position in said encoded vector that corresponds to a particular structured document that conforms to said generic document model tree;

whereby said encoded vector set represents encoded document storage for a set of structured documents that conform to said generic document model tree, with said node data for each node of a structured document being determinable by consulting each of said encoded vectors at an index position corresponding to said structured document and using said value code stored at said index position to consult said symbol conversion module and identify said node data that is associated with said value code.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said one or more structured document nodes having associated untagged data are linked to a corresponding one of said encoded vectors.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising maintenance logic adapted to maintain said generic document module tree, said symbol conversion module and said encoded vector set.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising update logic adapted to handle document additions, document deletions, and document edits.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising search logic adapted to handle search requests for documents whose structure is defined by said generic document object model tree.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising document retrieval logic adapted to recreate an entire structured document using said generic document model tree, said encoded vector set and said symbol conversion module.

7. A structured document storage and management method, comprising:

establishing the following in a data store having one or more computer useable storage media;

a generic document model tree representing a structured document model, said generic document model tree containing one or more structured document nodes without storing node data that is unique to any particular structured document;

a symbol conversion module containing untagged data associated with said one or more structured document nodes, said untagged data representing node data for one or more structured documents conforming to said structured document model, said symbol conversion module also maintaining a value code in association with each element of said node data; and

an encoded vector set comprising a set of encoded vectors, each encoded vector being assigned to one of said structured document nodes of said generic document model tree, each encoded vector being comprised of a set of vector elements that each store a copy of one of said symbol conversion module value codes for said structured document node to which said encoded vector is assigned, each value code being stored at an index position in said encoded vector that corresponds to a particular structured document that conforms to said generic document model tree;

whereby said encoded vector set represents encoded document storage for a set of structured documents that conform to said generic document model tree, with said node data for each node of a structured document being determinable by consulting each of said encoded vectors at an index position corresponding to said structured document and using said value code stored at said index position to consult said symbol conversion module and identify said node data that is associated with said value code.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of said one or more structured document nodes having associated untagged data are linked to a corresponding one of said encoded vectors.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising maintaining said generic document module tree, said symbol conversion module and said encoded vector set.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising updating a structured document in response to requests for document additions, document deletions, and document edits.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising searching for documents whose structure is defined by said generic document object model tree.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising recreating an entire structured document using said generic document model tree, said encoded vector set and said symbol conversion module.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

one or more computer useable storage media;

program logic stored on said computer useable storage media for programming a data processing platform to implement structured document storage and management, as by;

establishing a generic document model tree representing a structured document model, said generic document model tree containing one or more structured document nodes without storing node data that is unique to any particular structured document;

establishing a symbol conversion module containing untagged data associated with said one or more structured document nodes, said untagged data representing node data for one or more particular structured documents conforming to said structured document model, said symbol conversion module also maintaining a value code in association with each element of node data; and

establishing an encoded vector set comprising a set of encoded vectors, each encoded vector being assigned to one of said structured document nodes of said generic document model tree, each encoded vector being comprised of a set of vector elements that each store a copy of one of said symbol conversion module value codes for said structured document node to which said encoded vector is assigned, each value code being stored at an index position in said encoded vector that corresponds to a particular structured document that conforms to said generic document model tree;

whereby said encoded vector set represents encoded document storage for a set of structured documents that conform to said generic document model tree, with said node data for each node of a structured document being determinable by consulting each of said encoded vectors at an index position corresponding to said structured document and using said value code stored at said index position to consult said symbol conversion module and identify said node data that is associated with said value code.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein each of said one or more structured document nodes having associated untagged data are linked to a corresponding one of said encoded vectors.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said data processing platform is further programmed to maintain said generic document module tree, said symbol conversion module and said encoded vector set.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said data processing platform is further programmed to update a structured document in response to requests for document additions, document deletions, and document edits.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said data processing platform is further programmed to search for documents whose structure is defined by said generic document object model tree.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said data processing platform is further programmed to recreate an entire structured document using said generic document model tree, said encoded vector set and said symbol conversion module.

19. A computer program product, comprising:

one or more computer useable storage media;

program logic stored on said computer useable storage media for programming a data processing platform to implement structured document storage and management, as by;

establishing a generic document model tree representing a structured document model, said generic document model tree containing one or more structured document nodes without storing node data that is unique to any particular structured document;

establishing a symbol conversion module containing untagged data associated with said one or more structured document nodes, said untagged data representing node data for one or more particular structured documents conforming to said structured document model, said symbol conversion module also maintaining a value code in association with each element of said node data;

establishing an encoded vector set comprising a set of encoded vectors, each encoded vector being assigned to one of said structured document nodes of said generic document model tree, each encoded vector being comprised of a set of vector elements that each store a copy of one of said symbol conversion module value codes for said structured document node to which said encoded vector is assigned, each value code being stored at an index position in said encoded vector that corresponds to a particular structured document that conforms to said generic document model tree; and

linking said one or more structured document nodes having associated untagged data to a corresponding one of said encoded vectors;

whereby said encoded vector set represents encoded document storage for a set of structured documents that conform to said generic document model tree, with said node data for each node of a structured document being determinable by consulting each of said encoded vectors at an index position corresponding to said structured document and using said value code stored at said index position to consult said symbol conversion module and identify said node data that is associated with said value code.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein said data processing platform is further programmed to:

maintain said generic document module tree, said symbol conversion module and said encoded vector set;

update a structured document in response to requests for document additions, document deletions, and document edits;

search for documents whose structure is defined by said generic document object model tree; and

recreate an entire structured document using said generic document model tree, said encoded vector set and said symbol conversion module.