Systems and methods for providing a validation tool

• US 8,577,864 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RELX Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: LexisNexis Group Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Inventors: Mehra, Gaurav, Dalessio, John Alexander, Miller, Molly, Manchester, Alison
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THU NGUYET T
• Application Number:
  US13/565,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 707705-706, 707/736
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/226 Validation

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a validation tool may be configured to identify a plurality of words within a document, the document being provided in a first window within a user interface. Additionally, the systems and methods may be configured to determine, from a predetermined list that includes terms of interest, whether the words are matching words with terms of interest. The systems and methods may, in response to determining that the plurality of words are matching words with the terms of interest, highlight matching words in a document and access pieces of related data for matching words.

Claims

1. A system for providing a validation tool comprising:

a local computing device that comprises a memory component, the memory component storing validation tool logic that causes the system to perform at least the following;

identify a plurality of words within a document, the document being provided in a first window within a user interface, wherein identifying the plurality of words includes determining that the plurality of words are formatted as a potential term of interest;

access a predetermined list that includes terms of interest, wherein the predetermined list that includes the terms of interest is distinct from the document, wherein the predetermined list is common to a plurality of different documents;

determine, from a predetermined list that includes the terms of interest, whether the plurality of words are matching words with the terms of interest;

in response to determining that the plurality of words are matching words with the terms of interest, highlight the matching words in the document;

perform a search for other documents that include the terms of interest;

access pieces of related data from the other documents for the matching words;

replace each of the matching words in the document with a corresponding link to the pieces of related data in the other documents; and

create a second window within the user interface and provide the pieces of related data in the second window as a virtual document stack, wherein selection of one of the pieces of related data in the virtual document stack causes the document in the first window to scroll to one of the matching words in the document.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the terms of interest include at least one of the following:

a legal citation, a legal term, an entity name, and a person name.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation tool logic further causes the system to provide an option to provide a legal matter to which a user is authorized.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation tool logic further causes the system to determine validity of a legal document that corresponds to the plurality of words.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein navigation of the document in the first window causes corresponding navigation of the virtual document stack in the second window.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation tool logic further causes the system to provide a keyword search function that receives a keyword for searching at least one of the following, according to a user selection:

an online search tool, a first computing device on a wide area network, a second computing device on a local area network, and the local computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further stores a document application and a communicator application and wherein the document is provided by at least one of the following:

the document application and the communicator application.

8. A method for providing a validation tool comprising the steps of:

identifying, by a local computing device, a plurality of words within a document that are formatted as a potential term of interest, the document being provided in a first window within a user interface;

accessing a predetermined list that includes terms of interest, wherein the predetermined list that includes the terms of interest is distinct from the document;

determining, from the predetermined list that includes the terms of interest, whether the plurality of words are matching words with the terms of interest;

in response to determining that the plurality of words are matching words with the terms of interest, highlighting the matching words in the document, wherein the predetermined list is static across a plurality of different documents;

performing a search for other documents that include the terms of interest;

accessing pieces of related data from the other documents for the matching words;

replacing each of the matching words in the document with a corresponding link to the pieces of related data in the other documents; and

creating a second window within the user interface and providing the pieces of related data in the second window as a virtual document stack, wherein selection of one of the pieces of related data in the virtual document stack causes the document in the first window to scroll to one of the matching words in the document.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the terms of interest include at least one of the following:

a legal citation, a legal term, an entity name, and a person name.

10. The method if claim 8, further comprising providing an option to provide a legal matter to which a user is authorized.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining validity of a legal document that corresponds to the plurality of words.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein navigation of the document in the first window causes corresponding navigation of the virtual document stack in the second window.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a keyword search function that receives a keyword for searching at least one of the following, according to a user selection:

an online search tool, a first computing device on a wide area network, a second computing device on a local area network, and the local computing device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for providing a validation tool that stores validation tool logic, that when executed by a local computing device, causes the local computing device to perform at least the following:

identify a plurality of words within a document that are formatted as a potential term of interest, the document being provided in a first window within a user interface;

access a predetermined list that includes terms of interest, wherein the predetermined list that includes the terms of interest is distinct from the document, wherein the predetermined list is populated independent from the electronic document;

determine, from a predetermined list that includes terms of interest, whether the plurality of words are matching words with the terms of interest;

in response to determining that the plurality of words are matching words with the terms of interest, highlight the matching words in the document;

perform a search for other documents that include the terms of interest;

access pieces of related data from the other documents for the matching words;

determine whether the matching words include any inaccuracies;

replace each of the matching words in the document with a corresponding link to the pieces of related data in the other documents; and

create a second window within the user interface and provide the pieces of related data in the second window as a virtual document stack, wherein selection of one of the pieces of related data in the virtual document stack causes the document in the first window to scroll to one of the matching words in the document.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the terms of interest include at least one of the following:

a legal citation, a legal term, an entity name, and a person name.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the validation tool further causes the local computing device to provide an option to provide a legal matter to which a user is authorized.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the other documents include a legal document and wherein the validation tool logic further causes the local computing device to determine validity of the law included in the legal document.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein navigation of the document in the first window causes corresponding navigation of the virtual document stack in the second window.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the validation tool logic further causes the local computing device to provide a keyword search function that receives a keyword for searching at least one of the following, according to a user selection:

an online search tool, a first computing device on a wide area network, a second computing device on a local area network, and the local computing device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising document logic and communicator logic and wherein the document is provided by at least one of the following:

the document logic and the communicator logic.