Expanding the scope of an annotation to an entity level

• US 7,899,843 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stevens, Richard J., Dettinger, Richard D., Rath, Cale T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly; Cheyne D
• Application Number:
  US10/664,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,720 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/3, 707/4, 707/100, 707/783, 709/204
• US Class Current: 707/783
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for creating and sharing an annotation associated with a data object other than the particular data object described by the annotation are provided. The annotation may be associated with an entity, even though the annotation may describe only a particular data object encompassed by the entity. By associating the annotation with the entity, the annotation may be made available to other users viewing information related to the entity, even if the particular data object described by the annotation is not displayed in the information being viewed.

Claims

1. A method of exchanging information via an annotation, comprising:

providing a first interface allowing a first user to view query results including a first data object, select the first data object from the query results, and create an annotation with a scope encompassing the selected first data object, whereby the annotation annotates the selected first data object with metadata describing the selected first data object, and wherein the first user is authorized to view the first data object;

providing an interface element allowing the first user to further associate the annotation with a second data object, whereby the annotation annotates both the first data object and the second data object, and wherein the first user is not authorized to view the second data object;

providing a second interface allowing a second user to view query results including the second data object, wherein the second user is authorized to view the second data object; and

providing, in the second interface, an indication of the annotation to the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an interface element allowing the first user to further associate the annotation with a second data object comprises providing an interface element allowing the user to associate the annotation with a primary key for a row of data containing the selected first data object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a first interface allowing a first user to view query results and create an annotation with a scope related to the selected first data object comprises:

providing a selection interface allowing the first user to select one or more rows, columns, or cells of the query results; and

providing an annotation interface allowing the first user to create an annotation for the selected one or more rows, columns, or cells.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

providing an interface element allowing the first user to further associate the annotation with a second data object comprises allowing the first user to associate the annotation with a model entity encompassing the selected first data object the first user is authorized to view as well as the second data object the first user is not authorized to view; and

the method further comprises storing the annotation with a reference to the model entity.

5. A tangible computer-readable storage medium containing a program for exchanging information via annotations which, when executed by a processor, performs operations comprising:

providing a first interface allowing a first user to view query results, select a first data object from the query results, and create an annotation with a scope encompassing selected first data object, whereby the annotation annotates the selected first data object with metadata describing the selected data object, and wherein the first user is authorized to view the first data object;

providing an interface element allowing the first user to further associate the annotation with a second data object, whereby the annotation annotates both the selected first data object and the second data object, and wherein the first user is not authorized to view the second data object;

providing a second interface allowing a second user to view second query results including the second data object, wherein the second user is authorized to view the second data object; and

providing, in the second interface, an indication of the annotation to the second user.

6. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein providing an interface element allowing the first user to further associate the annotation with a second data object comprises providing an interface element allowing the first user to associate the annotation with a primary key for a row of data containing the selected first data object.

7. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein:

providing an interface element allowing the first user to further associate the annotation with a second data object comprises allowing the first user to associate the annotation with an entity encompassing the selected first data object and the second data object that the first user is not authorized to view; and

the method further comprises storing the annotation with a reference to the entity.

8. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein:

allowing the first user to associate the annotation with an entity comprises presenting the first user with one or more entities encompassing the selected first data object and the second data object that the first user is not authorized to view; and

the method further comprises storing the annotation with a reference to at least one of the one or more entities selected by the user.

9. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the selected first data object is an instance value of a field encompassed by an entity.

10. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the second query results do not contain the selected first data object described by the annotation.

11. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to input from the second user, displaying the annotation to the second user.

12. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise displaying, to the second user, the selected first data object described by the annotation.