System and method for drafting documents using an outline table

• US 8,543,604 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nuix North America Inc. (Nuix Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: FTI Consulting Technology LLC (FTI Consulting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Williamson, Mary L., Smith, Martin F., Hensler, David C., Hensler, Charles P., Theobald, Amy C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PARDO, THUY N
• Application Number:
  US13/481,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20120240024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 707/783, 707/738, 707/784, 707/785, 707/731, 709/219, 709/223, 715/227
• US Class Current: 707/783
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A system and method for drafting documents using an outline table is provided. A database of outlines is maintained. Each outline includes an organizational framework into which document clauses are inserted to form a document. A request for one or more of the outlines is received from a user. The outlines are filtered by removing those outlines that the user is not authorized to access. The outlines are further filtered by removing those outlines that are not preferred by the user. The remaining outlines, not removed, are presented to the user. Input from the user regarding the presented outlines is received. At least one of the presented outlines associated with the user input is selected. The selected outline is populated with predefined values.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for drafting documents using an outline table, comprising:

a database of outlines, each comprising an organizational framework into which document clauses are inserted to form a document;

a request module to receive a request for one or more of the outlines from a user;

a filtering module to filter the outlines by removing those outlines that the user is not authorized to access and to further filter the outlines by removing those outlines that are not preferred by the user;

a presentation module to present to the user, the remaining outlines not removed;

an input module to receive input from the user regarding the presented outlines;

a selection module to select at least one of the presented outlines associated with the user input, wherein the selected outline is populated with predefined values;

a display module to display to the user at least one annotation with the selected outline, the annotation comprising an explanatory description of the outline and at least one hyperlink to link the explanatory description to one of a local data source and an external data source; and

a processor to execute the modules.

2. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein the annotation further comprises explanatory descriptions of individual document clauses and subsections of the outline.

3. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an authorization list for the user; and

an outline identification module to compare the authorization list to the database of outlines and to identify at least one of those outlines that the user is authorized to access and those outlines that the user is not authorized to access.

4. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a preference list for the user;

comparing the preference list to the database of outlines; and

identifying at least one of those outlines that the user prefers and those outlines that the user does not prefer.

5. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein the predefined values comprise names of parties potentially affected by content of the document.

6. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a journal to record the selected outline.

7. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, wherein the filtering module associates each of the outlines in the database with a monetary value and further filters the outlines based on the associated monetary values of the outlines and a monetary value preference by the user.

8. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a clause population module to populate the selected outline with the document clauses selected by the user.

9. The computer-implemented system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an outline table to maintain the outlines;

tables for the documents clauses, annotations, and learn topics; and

a hierarchically structured table with the outline, document clause, annotation, and learn topics tables, wherein the structured table stores indices to the document clauses, outlines, annotations, and learn topics within the outlines.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising:

recording the selected outline in a journal.

10. A computer-implemented method for drafting documents using an outline table, comprising:

maintaining a database of outlines, each comprising an organizational framework into which document clauses are inserted to form a document;

receiving a request for one or more of the outlines from a user;

filtering the outlines by removing those outlines that the user is not authorized to access;

further filtering the outlines by removing those outlines that are not preferred by the user;

presenting to the user, the remaining outlines not removed;

receiving input from the user regarding the presented outlines;

selecting at least one of the presented outlines associated with the user input, wherein the selected outline is populated with predefined values; and

displaying to the user at least one annotation with the selected outline, the annotation comprising an explanatory description of the outline and at least one hyperlink to link the explanatory description to one of a local data source and an external data source.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, wherein the annotation further comprises explanatory descriptions of individual document clauses and subsections of the outline.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising:

maintaining an authorization list for the user;

comparing the authorization list to the database of outlines; and

identifying at least one of those outlines that the user is authorized to access and those outlines that the user is not authorized to access.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising:

maintaining a preference list for the user;

comparing the preference list to the database of outlines; and

identifying at least one of those outlines that the user prefers and those outlines that the user does not prefer.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, wherein the predefined values comprise names of parties potentially affected by content of the document.

16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising:

associating each of the outlines in the database with a monetary value; and

further filtering the outlines based on the associated monetary values of the outlines and a monetary value preference by the user.

17. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising:

populating the selected outline with the document clauses selected by the user.

18. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, further comprising:

maintaining the outlines in an outline table;

further maintaining tables for the documents clauses, annotations, and learn topics; and

forming a hierarchically structured table with the outline, document clause, annotation, and learn topics tables, wherein the structured table stores indices to the document clauses, outlines, annotations, and learn topics within the outlines.