Electronic file management hierarchical structure

• US 8,375,072 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Burgess, Cleburne Robinson, Garcia, Ana Maria, Burns, Michael Patrick, Smelser, Theron Daniel, Newman, Daniel Lee, Askin, Keith Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US11/734,728
• Time in Patent Office: 2,133 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/101, 707/829, 707/804, 707/999.1, 707/999.101, 707/999.102
• US Class Current: 707/829
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

Based on received data descriptive of an event, a hierarchical data structure is constructed comprising structural elements associated with components of an event. A file folder hierarchy corresponding to the hierarchical data structure is created. User interfaces facilitate user access to files and folders in the hierarchies. Certain documents may be designated as documents of record and access to those documents is limited to processes that will not modify the original electronic document, thereby preserving it. Facilities for creating working copies of documents of records and associating them within the hierarchies are provided. A scanning information sheet that may have an electronically readable data imprint containing information about a document to be scanned is described for facilitating the migration of paper documents into an electronic file management system.

Claims

1. A system for managing electronic files comprising:

a processor and a memory;

a first module deployed in the memory and executed by the processor to receive data descriptive of a loss event, the loss event being associated with an insurance claim;

a second module deployed in the memory and executed by the processor to identify a hierarchy of a plurality of components for the loss event and to correlate the data descriptive of the loss event to the plurality of components of the loss event to construct a hierarchical data structure in response to the receiving of the data descriptive of the loss event and identifying the hierarchy, wherein the hierarchical data structure includes substructures that are created based on the received data descriptive of a loss event;

a third module deployed in the memory and executed by the processor to automatically create an electronic file folder hierarchy that corresponds to the hierarchical data structure, wherein the electronic file folder hierarchy includes electronic file folders each including a one-to-one correspondence with a node of a navigation bar; and

a user interface configured to display the navigation bar corresponding to at least a portion of the hierarchical data structure and including a plurality of elements, wherein the user interface is further configured to;

scan a paper document to an electronic document to be filed as an electronic file;

create a scan information sheet having a bar code thereon, the bar code containing data pertaining to;

the paper document; and

text data included on the scan information sheet;

detect a selection of a plurality of nodes of the navigation bar; and

associate the electronic file, using the bar code of the scan information sheet, with a plurality of electronic file folders corresponding to the selected plurality of nodes of the navigation bar, wherein the association includes a hyperlink to display the electronic file.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the loss event relates to one of an insured vehicle, an insured person, or an insured dwelling.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises a plurality of predefined substructures, a particular predefined substructure of the plurality of predefined substructures corresponding to a categorization of a particular component of the plurality of components of the loss event.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises a predefined substructure corresponding to one of an insured vehicle, an insured person, or an insured dwelling.

5. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the hierarchical data structure includes a plurality of nodes, a particular node being associated with a particular component of the plurality of components of the loss event and the electronic file folder hierarchy includes a plurality of electronic file folders, a particular electronic file folder being associated with the particular node of the hierarchical data structure.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a fourth module deployed in the memory and executed by the processor to detect a selection of the particular node of the hierarchical data structure associated with the particular component of the loss event; and

a fifth module deployed in the memory and executed by the processor to associate an electronic document with an electronic file folder associated with the particular node based on the selection.

7. A method comprising:

using one or more processors to perform the following

receiving data descriptive of a loss event, the loss event being associated with an insurance claim;

identifying a hierarchy of a plurality of components for the loss event;

correlating the data descriptive of the loss event to the plurality of components of the loss event to create a hierarchical data structure in response to the receiving of the data descriptive of the loss event and identifying the hierarchy, wherein the hierarchical data structure includes substructures that are created based on the received data descriptive of a loss event;

automatically creating an electronic file folder hierarchy corresponding to the hierarchical data structure, wherein the electronic file folder hierarchy includes electronic file folders each including a one-to-one correspondence with a node of a navigation bar;

scanning a paper document to an electronic document to be filed as an electronic file;

creating a scan information sheet having a bar code thereon, the bar code containing data pertaining to;

the paper document; and

text data included on the scan information sheet;

detecting a selection of a plurality of nodes of the navigation bar; and

associating the electronic file, using the bar code of the scan information sheet, with a plurality of electronic file folders corresponding to the selected plurality of nodes of the navigation bar, wherein the association includes a hyperlink to display the electronic file.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the loss event relates to one of an insured vehicle, an insured person, or an insured dwelling.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises a plurality of predefined substructures, a particular predefined substructure of the plurality of predefined substructures selected in response to a categorization of a particular component of the plurality of components of the loss event.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises a predefined substructure corresponding to one of an insured vehicle, an insured person, or an insured dwelling.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the hierarchical data structure includes a plurality of nodes, a particular node being associated with a particular component of the plurality of components of the loss event and the electronic tile folder hierarchy includes a plurality of electronic file folders, a particular electronic file folder being associated with the particular node of the hierarchical data structure.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

receiving an electronic document related to the particular component of the loss event;

accessing the particular node of the hierarchical data structure associated with the particular component of the loss event; and

associating the electronic document with a file folder associated with the particular node based on the accessing.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for:

receiving data descriptive of a loss event, the loss event being associated with an insurance claim;

identifying a hierarchy of a plurality of components for the loss event;

correlating the data descriptive of the loss event to the plurality of components of the loss event to create a hierarchical data structure in response to the receiving of the data descriptive of the loss event and identifying the hierarchy, wherein the hierarchical data structure includes substructures that are created based on the received data descriptive of a loss event;

automatically creating an electronic file folder hierarchy corresponding to the hierarchical data structure, wherein the electronic file folder hierarchy includes electronic file folders each including a one-to-one correspondence with a node of a navigation bar;

scanning a paper document to an electronic document to be filed as an electronic file;

creating a scan information sheet having a bar code thereon, the bar code containing data pertaining to;

the paper document; and

text data included on the scan information sheet;

detecting a selection of a plurality of nodes of the navigation bar; and

associating the electronic file, using the bar code of the scan information sheet, with a plurality of electronic file folders corresponding to the selected plurality of nodes of the navigation bar, wherein the association includes a hyperlink to display the electronic file.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the loss event relates to one of art insured vehicle, an insured person, or an insured dwelling.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises a plurality of predefined substructures, a particular predefined substructure of the plurality of predefined substructures selected in response to a categorization of a particular component of the plurality of components of the loss event.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the hierarchical data structure comprises a predefined substructure corresponding to one of an insured vehicle, an insured person, or an insured dwelling.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the hierarchical data structure includes a plurality of nodes, a particular node being associated with a particular component of the plurality of components of the loss event and the electronic file folder hierarchy includes a plurality of electronic file folders, a particular electronic file folder being associated with the particular node of the hierarchical data structure.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, further comprising computer executable instructions for:

receiving art electronic document related to a particular component of a loss event;

detecting a selection of the particular node of the hierarchical data structure associated with the particular component of the loss event; and

associating the electronic document with an electronic file folder associated with the particular node based on the selection.