Providing an electronic document collection

• US 9,292,479 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Khosrowshahi, Farzad, Tunali, Haluk Burcin, Epshteyn, Lev, Wain, Joseph, Johnston, Scott M., Sladden, Mandy R.
• Primary Examiner(s): JHAVERI, JAYESH M
• Application Number:
  US13/873,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20130246346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 707608-609, 709/209, 709/213, 709/221, 709/22, 709/224, 709/226, 709/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/12 Protecting executable software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/183 Tabulation, i.e. one-dimensional positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes receiving a request to access an electronic document collection that integrates a plurality of electronic sub-documents that are each of one of a plurality of defined document types. The method also includes retrieving information that is associated with the document collection, wherein the retrieved information identifies a first sub-document of the plurality of sub-documents using a first non-address identifier, and identifying a first software application that is configured to provide access to the first sub-document. The method additionally includes initiating a first connection with a first server that causes execution of the identified first software application and that, using the first non-address identifier, provides access to the first sub-document. The method further includes integrating access to the first sub-document into the document collection through the initiated first connection with the first server that causes execution of the first software application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, a user request to access an electronic document collection that integrates a plurality of electronic sub-documents that are each of one of a plurality of defined document types;

accessing information regarding the electronic document collection, the information identifying a first sub-document from the plurality of electronic sub-documents using a first non-address identifier that does not provide access to the first sub-document and that can be used to locate the first sub-document within a data repository;

identifying a first document type from the plurality of defined document types for the first sub-document based on the first non-address identifier;

accessing the first sub-document using the first non-address identifier via a first software application that is configured to provide access for the first document type;

identifying a dynamic link in the first sub-document to a second sub-document from the plurality of electronic sub-documents, the dynamic link using a second non-address identifier that does not provide access to the second sub-document and that can be used to locate the second sub-document within the data repository;

identifying a second document type from the plurality of defined document types for the second sub-document based on the second non-address identifier;

accessing the second sub-document using the second non-address identifier via a second software application that is configured to provide access for the second document type;

receiving a user selection that identifies at least part of the second sub-document as an indicated portion of the second sub-document; and

integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document into the first sub-document wherein the first sub-document is a map sub-document that includes a depiction of a geographic area and integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document includes causing geographic locations to be displayed in the first sub-document based on only the indicated portion of the second sub-document,

wherein causing geographic locations to be displayed in the first sub-document includes interpreting the second sub-document using the second software application to provide interpreted data to the first software application and wherein integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document into the first sub-document includes integrating the interpreted data into the first sub-document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document into the first sub-document is performed by the first software application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a dynamic link in the first sub-document to a second sub-document from the plurality of sub-documents is performed using the first software application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first document type from the plurality of defined document types for the first sub-document based on the first non-address identifier includes accessing information regarding the first sub-document using the first non-address identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking operations performed with respect to the first sub-document and the second sub-document at an undo stack;

receiving an undo request relating to a previous operation from the undo stack; and

performing the undo request using the first software application if the previous operation relates to the first sub-document and performing the undo request using the second software application if the previous operation relates to the second sub-document.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information to a client computing device from which the user request was received wherein the information, when interpreted at the client computing device, causes a graphical representation of the document collection to be output for display at the client computing device.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory having program instructions stored therein; and

one or more processors configured to execute the program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a user request to access an electronic document collection that integrates a plurality of electronic sub-documents that are each of one of a plurality of defined document types,

access information regarding the electronic document collection, the information identifying a first sub-document from the plurality of electronic sub-documents using a first non-address identifier that does not provide access to the first sub-document and that can be used to locate the first sub-document within a data repository,

identify a first document type from the plurality of defined document types for the first sub-document based on the first non-address identifier,

access the first sub-document using the first non-address identifier via a first software application that is configured to provide access for the first document type,

identify a dynamic link in the first sub-document to a second sub-document from the plurality of electronic sub-documents, the dynamic link using a second non-address identifier that does not provide access to the second sub-document and that can be used to locate the second sub-document within a data repository,

identify a second document type from the plurality of defined document types for the second sub-document based on the second non-address identifier,

access the second sub-document using the second non-address identifier via a second software application that is configured to provide access for the second document type,

receive a user selection that identifies at least part of the second sub-document as an indicated portion of the second sub-document; and

integrate only the indicated portion of the second sub-document into the first sub-document wherein the first sub-document is a map sub-document that includes a depiction of a geographic area and integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document includes the one or more processors causing geographic locations to be displayed in the first sub-document based on only the indicated portion of the second sub-document, wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processers to cause geographic locations to be displayed in the first sub-document by interpreting the second sub-document using the second software application to provide interpreted data to the first software application and wherein integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document into the first sub-document includes integrating the interpreted data into the first sub-document.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program instructions cause the one or more processors to integrate only the indicated portion of the second sub-document into the first sub-document using the first software application.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program instructions cause the one or more processors to identify the dynamic link in the first sub-document using the first software application.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program instructions cause the one or more processors to identify the first document type from the plurality of defined document types for the first sub-document based on the first non-address identifier by accessing information regarding the first sub-document using the first non-address identifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

track operations performed with respect to the first sub-document and the second sub-document at an undo stack;

receive an undo request relating to a previous operation from the undo stack; and

perform the undo request using the first software application if the previous operation relates to the first sub-document and performing the undo request using the second software application if the previous operation relates to the second sub-document.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

transmit information to a client computing device from which the user request was received wherein the information, when interpreted at the client computing device, causes a graphical representation of the document collection to be output for display at the client computing device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions executable by one or more processors that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, a user request to access an electronic document collection that integrates a plurality of electronic sub-documents that are each of one of a plurality of defined document types;

accessing information regarding the electronic document collection, the information identifying a first sub-document from the plurality of electronic sub-documents using a first non-address identifier that does not provide access to the first sub-document and that can be used to locate the first sub-document within a data repository;

identifying a first document type from the plurality of defined document types for the first sub-document based on the first non-address identifier;

accessing the first sub-document using the first non-address identifier via a first software application that is configured to provide access for the first document type;

identifying a dynamic link in the first sub-document to a second sub-document from the plurality of electronic sub-documents, the dynamic link using a second non-address identifier that does not provide access to the second sub-document and that can be used to locate the second sub-document within a data repository;

identifying a second document type from the plurality of defined document types for the second sub-document based on the second non-address identifier;

accessing the second sub-document using the second non-address identifier via a second software application that is configured to provide access for the second document type;

receiving a user selection that identifies at least part of the second sub-document as an indicated portion of the second sub-document; and

integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document into the first sub-document wherein the first sub-document is a map sub-document that includes a depiction of a geographic area and integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document includes causing geographic locations to be displayed in the first sub-document based on only the indicated portion of the second sub-document,

wherein causing geographic locations to be displayed in the first sub-document includes interpreting the second sub-document using the second software application to provide interpreted data to the first software application and wherein integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document into the first sub-document includes integrating the interpreted data into the first sub-document.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein integrating only the indicated portion of the second sub-document into the first sub-document is performed by the first software application.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein identifying a dynamic link in the first sub-document to a second sub-document from the plurality of sub-documents is performed using the first software application.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein identifying the first document type from the plurality of defined document types for the first sub-document based on the first non-address identifier includes accessing information regarding the first sub-document using the first non-address identifier.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

tracking operations performed with respect to the first sub-document and the second sub-document at an undo stack;

receiving an undo request relating to a previous operation from the undo stack; and

performing the undo request using the first software application if the previous operation relates to the first sub-document and performing the undo request using the second software application if the previous operation relates to the second sub-document.