Computer program product containing electronic transcript and exhibit files and method for making the same

• US 8,327,255 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: West Services
• Inventors: Koch, Kevin, Mundell, Grover
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Application Number:
  US10/710,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,045 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 395/600, 707/101, 715/500, 715/200, 715/201, 715/202, 715/203, 715/204, 715/209
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel

Abstract

The present invention provides a computer program product that includes electronic transcripts, exhibits, and an association therebetween. In one example, the method includes providing one or more electronic transcript files; providing one or more exhibit files associated with the one or more electronic transcript files; and providing an executable viewer file. The transcript and exhibit image files and their association, as well as the executable viewer file, may be stored in a local, remote, or removable media. In this manner, a user can activate the viewer and view the electronic transcripts and associated exhibits without the need for any additional software.

Claims

1. A method for making a computer program product comprising electronic transcript and exhibit files, comprising:

importing, by a processor, one or more electronic transcript files and one or more electronic exhibit files into a publisher module;

establishing, by the processor, an operable electronic link between the one or more electronic exhibit files and one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the one or more electronic exhibit files;

storing a bundle on a computer readable medium via the processor and the publisher module, wherein the bundle comprises the one or more electronic transcript files, the one or more electronic exhibit files, the operable electronic link, and an executable viewer file to view the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files, the computer readable medium comprising a portable device; and

providing the one or more electronic transcript files in the bundle via the executable viewer file in the bundle and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle in response to an input activating the operable electronic link via the one or more entries in the one or more provided electronic transcript files.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device comprises a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a tape, a CD-ROM disk, a DVD disk, or a removable hard disk.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor has local access to the computer readable medium that stores the bundle comprising the one or more electronic transcript files, the one or more electronic exhibit files, the operable electronic link, and the executable viewer file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor has remote access to the computer readable medium that stores the bundle comprising the one or more electronic transcript files, the one or more electronic exhibit files, the operable electronic link, and the executable viewer file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the processor has the remote access to the computer readable medium that stores the bundle through a network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network comprises at least one of a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, an Ethernet network, or an optical network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a network connection between the processor and the computer readable medium that stores the bundle comprising the one or more electronic transcript files, the one or more electronic exhibit files, the operable electronic link, and the executable viewer file; and

launching, via the processor, the executable viewer file in the bundle, wherein the launched executable viewer file downloads or streams the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle to the processor over the established network connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the operable electronic link between the one or more electronic exhibit files and the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files comprises a hyperlink from the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files to the one or more electronic exhibit files.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching the one or more electronic transcript files to detect a first reference to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files; and

reading a page number and a line number associated with the first detected reference to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files, wherein the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the operable electronic link include the first reference to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching the one or more electronic transcript files to detect all references to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files; and

reading page numbers and line numbers associated with all the references to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files, wherein the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the operable electronic link include all the references to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the operable electronic link include one or more user-defined page numbers and line numbers in the one or more electronic transcript files.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the executable viewer file provides the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files substantially simultaneously via a user interface having a transcript pane and an exhibit pane to respectively provide the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transcript pane and the exhibit pane associated with the user interface include independent controls to respectively add, view, and remove the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle via the executable viewer file in the bundle includes:

providing, via the executable viewer file, images associated with the one or more electronic transcript files in a transcript window that includes controls to view, search, and scroll through the images associated with one or more electronic transcript files; and

providing, via the executable viewer file, images associated with the one or more electronic exhibit files in an exhibit window in response to the input activating the operable electronic link via searching or scrolling through the images associated with one or more electronic transcript files to view the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the one or more electronic exhibit files.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more electronic exhibit files include video files, audio files, video/audio files, animation files, text files, or image files.

16. A computer program product comprising electronic transcript and exhibit files, wherein the computer program product comprises a computer readable medium that stores:

an importing module configured to import one or more electronic transcript files and one or more electronic exhibit files;

an association module configured to establish an operable electronic link between the one or more electronic exhibit files and one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the one or more electronic exhibit files; and

a bundle that comprises the one or more electronic transcript files, the one or more electronic exhibit files, the operable electronic link, and an executable viewer module configured to;

provide the one or more electronic transcript files in the bundle; and

provide the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle in response to an input activating the operable electronic link via the one or more entries in the one or more provided electronic transcript files, the computer readable medium comprising a portable device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the importing module has remote access to the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files through a network.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable medium comprises a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a tape, a removable hard disk, a CD-ROM disk, or a DVD disk.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the one or more electronic exhibit files include video files, audio files, video/audio files, animation files, text files, or image files.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the executable viewer module in the bundle is further configured to provide a remote processor access to the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle over a network connection.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the executable viewer module in the bundle is further configured to download the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic transcript files in the bundle to the remote processor.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the executable viewer module in the bundle is further configured to stream the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic transcript files in the bundle to the remote processor.

23. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the operable, electronic link between the one or more electronic exhibit files and the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files comprises a hyperlink from the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files to the one or more electronic exhibit files.

24. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the association module is further configured to:

search the one or more electronic transcript files to detect a first reference to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files; and

read a page number and a line number associated with the first detected reference to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files, wherein the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the operable electronic link include the first reference to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files.

25. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the association module is further configured to:

search the one or more electronic transcript files to detect all references to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files; and

read page numbers and line numbers associated with all the references to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files, wherein the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the operable electronic link include all the references to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files.

26. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the operable electronic link include one or more user-defined page numbers and line numbers in the one or more electronic transcript files.

27. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the executable viewer file is further configured to provide the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files substantially simultaneously via a user interface having a transcript pane and an exhibit pane to respectively provide the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the transcript pane and the exhibit pane associated with the user interface include independent controls to respectively add, view, and remove the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle.

29. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the executable viewer file is further configured to:

provide images associated with the one or more electronic transcript files in a transcript window that includes controls to view, search, and scroll through the images associated with one or more electronic transcript files; and

provide images associated with the one or more electronic exhibit files in an exhibit window in response to the input activating the operable electronic link via searching or scrolling through the images associated with one or more electronic transcript files to view the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the one or more electronic exhibit files.

30. A system for making a computer program product comprising electronic transcript and exhibit files, wherein the system comprises a processor configured to:

import one or more electronic transcript files and one or more electronic exhibit files into a publisher module;

establish an operable electronic link between the one or more electronic exhibit files and one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the one or more electronic exhibit files;

store a bundle on a computer readable medium via the publisher module, wherein the bundle comprises the one or more electronic transcript files, the one or more electronic exhibit files, the operable electronic link, and an executable viewer file to view the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files, the computer readable medium comprising a portable device; and

provide the one or more electronic transcript files in the bundle via the executable viewer file in the bundle and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle in response to an input activating the operable electronic link via the one or more entries in the one or more provided electronic transcript files.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the computer readable medium that stores the bundle comprising the one or more electronic transcript files, the one or more electronic exhibit files, the operable electronic link, and the executable viewer file comprises a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a tape, a CD-ROM disk, a DVD disk, or a removable hard disk.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor has local or remote access to the computer readable medium that stores the bundle comprising the one or more electronic transcript files, the one or more electronic exhibit files, the operable electronic link, and the executable viewer file.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

establish a network connection to the computer readable medium that stores the bundle comprising the one or more electronic transcript files, the one or more electronic exhibit files, the operable electronic link, and the executable viewer file;

launch the executable viewer file to provide the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle; and

download or stream the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle from the launched executable viewer file over the established network connection.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the operable electronic link between the one or more electronic exhibit files and the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files comprises a hyperlink from the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files to the one or more electronic exhibit files.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

search the one or more electronic transcript files to detect a first reference to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files; and

read a page number and a line number associated with the first detected reference to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files, wherein the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the operable electronic link include the first reference to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

search the one or more electronic transcript files to detect all references to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files; and

read page numbers and line numbers associated with all the references to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files, wherein the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the operable electronic link include all the references to the one or more electronic exhibit files in the one or more electronic transcript files.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the operable electronic link include one or more user-defined page numbers and line numbers in the one or more electronic transcript files.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to provide, via the executable viewer file, the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files substantially simultaneously via a user interface having a transcript pane and an exhibit pane to respectively provide the one or more electronic transcript files and the or more electronic exhibit files.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the transcript pane and the exhibit pane associated with the user interface include independent controls to respectively add, view, and remove the one or more electronic transcript files and the one or more electronic exhibit files in the bundle.

40. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide, via the executable viewer file, images associated with the one or more electronic transcript files in a transcript window that includes controls to view, search, and scroll through the images associated with one or more electronic transcript files; and

provide, via the executable viewer file, images associated with the one or more electronic exhibit files in an exhibit window in response to the input activating the operable electronic link via searching or scrolling through the images associated with one or more electronic transcript files to view the one or more entries in the one or more electronic transcript files that are associated with the one or more electronic exhibit files.

41. The system of claim 30, wherein the one or more electronic exhibit files include video files, audio files, video/audio files, animation files, text files, or image files.

42. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide, via the executable viewer file, an electronic transcript pane that displays a list of the one or more electronic transcript files.

43. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide, via the executable viewer file, an exhibit pane that displays a list of the one or more electronic exhibit files.

44. The system of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide, via the executable viewer file, an electronic transcript pane that displays a list of the one or more electronic transcript files; and

provide, via the executable viewer file, an exhibit pane that displays a list of the one or more electronic exhibit files.