Creating a link relationship between document objects and storing in a link directory

• US 9,047,386 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• 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, Jones, Tanya
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US13/754,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 707/770, 707/704, 707/758, 707/769, 707/802, 709/203, 715/201, 715/234
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/288 Entity relationship models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links

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 non-transitory computer readable medium upon which is embedded instructions for carrying out a method comprising:

receiving a user input specifying a first document object located on a network and a second document object located on a network;

creating a link relationship between the first document object and the second document object, wherein the creating is based on the received user input and establishes a traversable connection between the first and second document objects, such that the traversable connection contains information describing traversal from the first document object to the second document object and from the second document object to the first document object;

creating a link directory for storing one or more traversable connections between document objects located on a network, wherein the link directory contains one or more records corresponding to the one or more link relationships between document objects;

creating a plurality of link relationship attributes for the link relationship, wherein the link relationship attributes describe the link relationship in a context useful to a user of the network;

storing the link relationship separate from the first document object and the second document object in the link directory, wherein the link relationship is stored as a record and connects document objects in a pairwise fashion by having a field identifying the first document object, and a field identifying the second document object, and one or more fields identifying link relationship attributes describing the traversable connection between the two document objects;

presenting the first document object;

presenting at least one of the plurality of link relationship attributes; and

presenting the link relationship, thereby optimizing the ability to search document objects on the network by transforming an identification of individual document objects on the network into a presentation of a traversable relationship between the two document objects.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises receiving user input describing the link directory, wherein the creating a link directory creates the link directory based on the received user input describing the link directory.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises creating or forming the first document object.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises storing a user profile.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the second document object is an image.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first document object contains text and the second document object is an image.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises accessing a user profile and accessing a link to the second document object.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises recording data regarding the first document object in a user data store.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the user input is received from a user sponsoring the link relationship.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising creating a link relationship between the second document object and a third document object, wherein said link relationship is stored as a separate record in the link directory having a field identifying the second document object, a field identifying the third document object, and one or more fields identifying link relationship attributes describing the traversable connection between the two document objects.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising authorizing one or more users to access the link relationship.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising assigning the link relationship attributes describing the link relationship.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 further comprising storing the assigned link relationship attributes in the link directory.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising assigning attributes describing the first document object.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising assigning attributes describing the second document object.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising retrieving the first document object using the link relationship.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising retrieving the second document object using the link relationship.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 1 wherein the second document object includes motion pictures.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium upon which is embedded instructions for carrying out a method comprising:

receiving identification of a user profile located on a network and an image wherein the image is a document object located on a network;

creating, using the received identification of the image, a link relationship referencing the image, wherein the link relationship establishes a traversable connection between said image and a second document object located on the network;

creating a link directory for storing one or more link relationships between document objects located on a network, wherein the link directory stores one or more records representing the one or more link relationships between document objects;

creating a plurality of link relationship attributes for the link relationship;

storing the created link relationship in the link directory, wherein the link relationship is stored as one of said records in the link directory and explicitly relates document objects in a pairwise fashion by having a field identifying the first document object, a field identifying the second document object, and one or more fields identifying link relationship attributes describing traversable connection between the two document objects; and

enabling a user to retrieve the stored link relationship from the link directory thereby optimizing a functionality of a computer by improving a user'"'"'s ability to access document objects on a network by enabling a user to retrieve the traversable records of pairwise related document objects.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium upon which is embedded instructions for carrying out a method comprising:

automatically uploading a first document object received from a user device;

automatically creating one or more link relationships referencing the first document object, wherein creating a link relationship referencing the first document object establishes a traversable connection between the first document object and a second document object located on a network;

assigning a plurality of link relationship attributes describing at least one of the one or more link relationships;

publishing the one or more link relationships wherein publishing the one or more link relationships comprises publishing, on a network, at least the reference to the first document object, the reference to the second document object, and one of said link relationships between the first document object and the second document object located on the network;

storing the one or more link relationships in one or more link directories, wherein each link relationship is stored as a record in the one or more link directories and relates document objects in a pairwise fashion by having a field referencing a first document object, a field referencing a second document object, and one or more fields identifying link relationship attributes describing the traversable connection between the two document objects;

making the first document object available to users through the one or more link relationships thereby optimizing a functionality of a computer by allowing users the ability to access related document objects on a network by explicitly relating document objects in a pairwise fashion.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the method further comprises authorizing a user to access the first document object.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein publishing the one or more link relationships storing includes storing the one or more link relationships as one or more records in one or more link directories selected by the user.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the method further comprises automatically creating one or more link directories.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the first document object is an image.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the method further comprises authorizing one or more users to access the one or more link relationships.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 20 further comprising storing the assigned link relationship attributes.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the method further comprises assigning attributes describing the first document object.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the method further comprises retrieving the first document object using one of the one or more link relationships.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the publishing occurs after the first document object is uploaded.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein at least one of the one or more link relationships references a second document object.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 30 wherein the second document object is an image.

32. A non-transitory computer readable medium upon which is embedded instructions for carrying out a method comprising:

automatically uploading a first document object received from a user;

automatically creating one or more link relationships referencing the first document object, wherein creating a link relationship referencing the first document object establishes a traversable connection between the first document object and a second document object located on a network;

publishing the one or more link relationships to one or more link directories appropriate to the link relationship, wherein link directories store one or more records corresponding to the one or more link relationships between document objects such that each record explicitly relates document objects in a pairwise fashion by having a field identifying a first document object and a field identifying a second document object;

assigning attributes describing the first document object; and

assigning a plurality of link relationship attributes describing at least one of the one or more link relationships.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein assigning attributes describing the first document object comprises automatically assigning the attributes.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein assigning attributes describing the first document object comprises enabling the user to assign attributes describing the first document object.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the method further comprises automatically assigning the plurality of link relationship attributes describing at least one of the one or more link relationships.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the method further comprises receiving a user selection of an existing first document object.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein publishing the one or more link relationships includes storing at least one of the one or more link relationships in one or more link directories selected by the user.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the method further comprises automatically creating one or more link directories.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the first document object is an image.

40. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the method further comprises authorizing one or more users to access the one or more link relationships.

41. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the method further comprises authorizing one or more users to access the uploaded first document object.

42. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the method further comprises authorizing, based on user input, a user to access the uploaded first document object.

43. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the method further comprises storing the assigned plurality of link relationship attributes in the one or more link directories.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the method further comprises retrieving the first document object using one of the one or more link relationships.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein the publishing occurs after the first document object is uploaded.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 32 wherein at least one of the one or more link relationships references a second document object.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 46 wherein the second document object is an image.

48. A computer system for managing links, comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one memory including program code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the computer system to;

receive for processing user input identifying a user profile located on a network and an image, wherein the image is a document object located on a network;

create, using the received identifications, a link relationship to the image such that the link relationship establishes a traversable connection between the image and a second document object located on the network;

generate a link directory for storing one or more records corresponding to one or more link relationships between document objects located on a network, wherein each record explicitly relates document objects in a pairwise fashion by having a field identifying a first document object, a field identifying a second document object, and one or more fields identifying link relationship attributes describing the traversable connection between the two document objects;

assign a plurality of link relationship attributes describing the link relationship;

store the created link relationship in the link directory whereby storing created link relationships improves the functionality of the computer system by establishing a network of pairwise related document objects; and

send the stored link relationship from the link directory to a user device.

49. The computer system of claim 48 wherein the at least one memory further comprises program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the computer system to publish the created link relationship.

50. The computer system of claim 48 wherein the at least one memory further comprises program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the computer system to authorize a user to access the stored link relationship.

51. A computerized method for linking data objects comprising:

receiving, using a computer system, an identification of a first document object located on a network and a second document object located on a network;

creating, using a computer system, a link relationship between the first document object and the second document object, wherein the creating is based on the received identifications and establishes a traversable connection between the first and second document objects;

automatically creating a link directory for storing link relationships between document objects located on a network;

creating a plurality of link relationship attributes for the link relationship;

storing in a memory device the link relationship in the link directory, wherein the link relationship is stored as a record in the link directory and explicitly relates document objects in a pairwise fashion by having a field identifying the first document object, a field identifying the second document object and one or more fields identifying link relationship attributes describing the traversable connection between the two document objects; and

making the link relationship and the plurality of link relationship attributes available to a user device upon request.

52. The computerized method of claim 51 further comprising publishing the created link relationship.

53. The computerized method of claim 51 further comprising authorizing a user to access the available link relationship and plurality of link relationship attributes.