Method for searching document objects on a network

• US 9,043,352 B1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DSS Technology Management, Inc. (Document Security Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bascom Research, LLC (Document Security Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bascom, Thomas Layne
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US11/543,862
• Time in Patent Office: 3,154 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/5, 707/10, 707/102, 707/704, 707/769, 707/802, 709/203, 715/201, 715/234
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

Methods for searching relationships between and among documents are detailed. One method includes steps for selecting one or more initial search items from a group consisting of: (a) document objects, (b) link references to document objects, (c) link reference attributes, and (d) link relationship attributes. The method also includes steps for identifying one or more link relationships using the selected initial search items, and for presenting one or more link relationships attributes describing the identified link relationships. A user interface for presenting and searching relationships between document objects located on a network is also detailed. The user interface may include a first portion of a screen display for displaying one or more link relationship attributes and a second portion of the screen display for displaying one or more entries from a group consisting of: (a) link references that represent the document objects, (b) link relationship attributes describing the link relationships, (c) link reference attributes describing the link references, and (d) document objects. The displayed entries in the second portion of the user interface are related to the displayed one or more link relationship attributes in the first portion.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for searching established document object relationships, the method comprising:

accessing, using a server, one or more link relationships stored on a memory device, wherein the one or more link relationships comprise a record, each record having a pointer to a first document object, a pointer to a second document object and information identifying one or more attributes describing the relationship between the first document object and the second document object, wherein the link relationships are stored separately from the first document object and the second document object;

prompting, using a server, selection of one or more link relationship attributes through a user interface;

searching established link relationships using the selected one or more link relationship attributes, wherein the searching includes identifying one or more link relationships that the one or more selected link relationship attributes participates in; and

transmitting, for display, information describing the one or more identified link relationships;

thereby transforming a search request into a display describing the one or more identified link relationships.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting one or more link relationships attributes describing the one or more identified link relationships on a display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving one or more document objects that participate in one or more of the identified link relationships; and

displaying the retrieved document objects on a display.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the document objects are in an organized information store.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of selecting one or more user profiles and applying the user profiles to filter the selected link relationship attributes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of selecting a user profile comprises selecting one or more link directories storing link relationships and link references.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more link relationship attributes are the results of a previous search.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the established link relationships are filed according to one or more link relationship attributes.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

10. A computer-implemented method for searching established document objects, the method comprising:

accessing, using a server, one or more link relationships stored on a memory device, wherein the one or more link relationships comprise a record, each record having a pointer to a first document object, a pointer to a second document object and information identifying one or more attributes describing the relationship between the first document object and the second document object, wherein the link relationships are stored separately from the first document object and the second document object;

prompting, using a server, selection of one or more first link reference attributes, wherein the one or more first link reference attributes describe one or more first link references that represent one or more particular document objects;

identifying one or more first link relationships that the one or more first link references participate in; and

transmitting, for display, information describing the one or more identified first link relationships.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising presenting one or more first link relationship attributes that describe the identified one or more first link relationships.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying step comprises:

retrieving the one or more first link references; and

locating the one or more first link relationships that the one or more retrieved first link references participate in.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying the one or more retrieved first link references having the selected one or more first link reference attributes.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

identifying one or more second link relationships having the one or more presented first link relationship attributes; and

accumulating one or more second link references that participate in the one or more second link relationships.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising grouping the one or more accumulated second link references into sets by first link relationship attributes, wherein each set of second link references comprises one or more second link references that participate in one or more first link relationships having one of the one or more presented first link relationship attributes.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

selecting one or more of the one or more presented first link relationship attributes;

retrieving the one or more sets of second link references grouped by the selected one or more first link relationship attributes; and

displaying the retrieved one or more second link references.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

selecting one or more of the retrieved one or more second link references; and

rendering for display the one or more document objects represented by the selected one or more second link references.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of identifying one or more second link relationships comprises identifying only those one or more second link relationships that include one or more of the one or more first link references.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more first link reference attributes are the results of a previous search.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein the identified link relationships include one or more link relationship attributes.

21. The method of claim 10 wherein the identified link relationships are filed according to one or more link relationship attributes.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for performing the method recited in claim 10.

23. A computer-implemented method for searching established document object relationships, the method comprising:

accessing, using a server, one or more link relationships stored on a memory device, wherein the one or more link relationships comprise a record, each record having a pointer to a first document object, a pointer to a second document object and information identifying one or more attributes describing the relationship between the first document object and the second document object, wherein the link relationships are stored separately from the first document object and the second document object;

prompting, using a server, selection of one or more first link relationship attributes, wherein the first link relationship attributes describe one or more first link relationships;

searching established link relationships using the selected one or more first link relationship attributes, wherein the the searching includes identifying the one or more first link relationships that the one or more first link relationship attributes participates in;

retrieving one or more second link relationship attributes, wherein the second link relationship attributes further describe the one or more first link relationships; and

transmitting, for display, the one or more retrieved second link relationship attributes.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising presenting the one or more second link relationship attributes on a display.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

identifying one or more second link relationships having the one or more presented second link relationship attributes; and

accumulating one or more second link references that participate in the one or more second link relationships.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising grouping the one or more accumulated second link references into sets by second link relationship attributes, wherein each set of second link references comprises one or more second link references that participate in one or more second link relationships having one of the one or more presented second link relationship attributes.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

retrieving one or more second link reference attributes describing the one or more accumulated second link references; and

displaying the one or more retrieved second link reference attributes on a display.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

selecting one or more of the one or more presented second link relationship attributes;

retrieving one or more sets of accumulated second link references having the selected one or more second link relationship attributes; and

displaying the retrieved one or more second link references on a display.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

selecting one or more of the retrieved one or more second link references; and

rendering for display the one or more document objects represented by the selected one or more second link references.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more first link relationship attributes are the results of a previous search.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein the established link relationships further include one or more link relationship attributes.

32. The method of claim 23 wherein the established link relationships are filed according to one or more link relationship attributes.

33. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for performing the method recited in claim 23.

34. A computer-implemented method for searching established document object relationships, the method comprising:

accessing, using a server, one or more link relationships stored on a memory device, wherein the one or more link relationships comprise a record, each record having a pointer to a first document object, a pointer to a second document object and information identifying one or more attributes describing the relationship between the first document object and the second document object, wherein the link relationships are stored separately from the first document object and the second document object;

prompting, using a server, selection of one or more first link references, wherein the first link references represent particular document objects;

searching established link relationships with the selected one or more first link references, wherein the searching includes identifying one or more first link relationships that the selected one or more first link references participate in; and

transmitting, for display, information describing the one or more identified first link relationships.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising presenting one or more first link relationship attributes that describe the identified one or more first link relationships.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising grouping the one or more accumulated second link references into sets by first link relationship attributes, wherein each set of second link references comprises one or more second link references that participate in one or more first link relationships having one of the one or more presented first link relationship attributes.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

selecting one or more of the one or more presented first link relationship attributes;

retrieving one or more sets of accumulated second link references having the selected one or more link relationship attributes; and

displaying the retrieved one or more second link references.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

selecting one or more of the retrieved one or more second link references; and

rendering for display the one or more document objects represented by the selected one or more second link references.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of identifying one or more second link relationships comprises identifying only those one or more second link relationships that include one or more of the one or more first link references.

40. The method of claim 34 further comprising:

identifying one or more second link relationships having the one or more presented first link relationship attributes; and

accumulating one or more second link references that participate in the one or more second link relationships.

41. The method of claim 34, further comprising retrieving one or more first link reference attributes describing the selected one or more first link references.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising displaying the one or more retrieved first link reference attributes.

43. The method of claim 34, wherein the selecting step comprises rendering for display the one or more document objects represented by the selected one or more first link references.

44. The method of claim 34, wherein the one or more first link references are the results of a previous search.

45. The method of claim 34 wherein the established link relationships further include one or more link relationship attributes.

46. The method of claim 34 wherein the established link relationships are filed according to one or more link relationship attributes.

47. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for performing the method recited in claim 34.

48. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for performing a computer-implemented method for searching established document object relationships by:

accessing link relationship attributes, using a server, from one or more link directories stored on a memory device, wherein the one or more link directories comprise a plurality of records, each record representing a link relationship between document objects such that each record comprises a pointer to a first document object, a pointer to a second document object and information identifying one or more attributes describing the relationship between the first document object and the second document object, wherein the link relationships are stored separately from the first document object and the second document object;

receiving, using a server, selection of one or more accessed link relationship attributes from a user interface;

searching established link relationships in the one or more link directories stored in the memory using the selected one or more link relationship attributes, wherein the searching includes identifying one or more established link relationships that the one or more link relationship attributes participates in; and

sending, for selection, information describing the one or more identified link relationships;

thereby transforming a received search request into a display describing the one or more identified link relationships.