Method and system for creating a reference database for a computer-readable document

• US 20010003818A1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Published: 06/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pingel, Jurgen, Loehmann, Frank, Specht, Oliver, Hoger, Lutz
• Granted Patent: US 7,155,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A reference database containing, for example, bibliographic data of a computer-readable document like a text document is stored together with the text document in a single data file. The reference data are therefore always accessible for the user of the document.

Claims

1. A method of creating a reference database for a computer-readable document comprising:

entering inputted reference data into the reference database; and

storing the reference database and other data of the computer-readable document in a single data file.

2. The method of

claim 1

, wherein the computer-readable document further comprises a reference field for retrieving a record stored in the reference database.

3. The method of

claim 1

wherein the reference database further comprises:

fields for different types of reference data sources; and

fields containing specific information associated with these different types of reference data sources.

4. The method of

claim 3

wherein the reference database comprises a bibliographic database, and the reference data sources comprise books, journals, conference presentations, web-pages and e-mails.

5. The method of

claim 4

wherein the reference database further comprises one field containing information about a number of citations of a reference in the document.

6. The method of

claim 1

further comprising:

displaying a user interactive dialogue window for inputting reference data.

7. The method of

claim 1

further comprising:

synchronizing the reference database with other data sources.

8. The method of

claim 1

wherein said method is stored in a storage medium.

9. The method of

claim 8

wherein said method is downloaded into said storage medium.

10. An apparatus for creating a reference database for a computer-readable document comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium coupled to said processor, and including a reference database together with a document in a single data file.

11. The apparatus of

claim 10

wherein said processor is in a first device, and said storage medium is in a second device.

12. A storage medium having stored thereon in a single data file a computer-readable document comprising a reference database and other data of the computer-readable document.

13. The storage medium of

claim 12

wherein the computer-readable document further comprises reference fields.

14. The storage medium of

claim 12

wherein the reference database contains fields for different types of reference data sources and fields containing specific information associated with these data sources.

15. A computer program for creating a reference database for a computer-readable document, the computer program comprising program code adapted for:

entering inputted reference data into the reference database; and

storing the reference database and other data of the computer-readable document in a single data file.

16. The computer program of

claim 15

, wherein the computer-readable document comprises a reference field for retrieving a record stored in the database.

17. The computer program of

claim 15

, wherein the reference database comprises fields for different types of reference data sources, and fields containing specific information associated with these data sources.

18. The computer program of

claim 17

, wherein the reference database comprises a bibliographic database and the data sources include books, journals, conference presentations, web-pages and e-mails.

19. The computer program of

claim 18

, wherein the reference database comprises one field containing information about the number of citations of a reference in the computer-readable document.

20. The computer program of

claim 15

further comprising instructions for displaying a user interactive dialogue window on a display screen.

21. The computer program of

claim 20

, comprising computer code allowing synchronization of the reference database with other data sources.

22. A computer program product for creating a reference database for a computer-readable document, the computer program product comprising program code adapted for:

entering inputted reference data into the reference database, and

storing the reference database and other data of the computer-readable document in a single data file.

23. The computer program product of

claim 22

, wherein reference fields are included in other data for retrieving the reference data stored in the reference database.

24. The computer program product of

claim 23

, further comprising program code allowing synchronization of the reference database with other data sources.