Document generation

• US 20030140053A1
• Filed: 01/20/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Reuters Enterprise Centre GmbH (The Woodbridge Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Reuters Global Resources
• Inventors: Vasey, Philip Edgar
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,667 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• 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 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

A document generation system for generating a customized document using predetermined elements of document content selected by rules operating on input information, is configured to generate a partially customized document by evaluating some of the rules to select some of the predetermined elements, and associating other of the rules and corresponding predetermined elements with the partially customized document for later use in generating a further customized document.

Claims

1. A document generation system for generating a customized document using predetermined elements of document content selected by rules operating on input information, the system configured to generate a partially customized document by evaluating some of the rules to select some of the predetermined elements, and to associate other of the rules and corresponding predetermined elements with the partially customized document for later use in generating a further customized document.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the other rules are represented in the partially customized document in form of mark-up of the corresponding predetermined elements.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the partially customized document is generated in response to input information which is not sufficient to evaluate the other rules.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the partially customized document is generated in response to input information which is sufficient to evaluate at least some of the other rules, and which indicates that the other rules should not be evaluated.

5. A computer-implemented method of document generation in which a customized document is generated using predetermined elements of document content selected by rules operating on input information, comprising:

generating a partially customized document by using a computer to evaluate some of the rules to select some of the predetermined elements; and

associating other of the rules and corresponding predetermined elements with the partially customized document for later use in generating a further customized document.

6. A computer readable medium comprising a computer program for generating a document in which a customized document is generated using predetermined elements of document content selected by rules operating on input information, comprising:

generating a partially customized document by using a computer to evaluate some of the rules to select some of the predetermined elements; and

associating other of the rules and corresponding predetermined elements with the partially customized document for later use in generating a further customized document.

7. A document generation system comprising:

means for accessing a document template comprising predetermined elements of content for possible use when generating a customized document;

means for accessing data associated with the document template, the data representing first and second rules for making, respectively, first and second determinations as to the use to be made of the predetermined elements of content when generating a customized document, the first and second determinations each requiring further information to be received;

means for receiving information enabling at least the first determination to be made;

means for making the first determination on the basis of the received information;

means for generating a partially customized document in accordance with the outcome of the first determination; and

means for associating, with the generated partially customized document, data representing the second rule.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined elements of content enable customized documents to be generated, from the document template, for each possible combination of outcomes of both the first and second determinations.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the first and second rules are represented in the document template in form of mark-up of the predetermined elements of content.

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein the partially customized document comprises one or more of the predetermined elements of content selected to enable further customized documents to be generated, from the partially customized document, for each possible outcome of the second determination.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the second rule is represented in the partially customized document in form of mark-up of the selected one or more elements of content.

12. A system according to claim 7, wherein the received information comprises at least part of the information required to enable the second determination to be made an indication that the second determination should not be made.

13. A system according to claim 7, comprising means for generating a request to receive information enabling at least the second determination to be made, the received information being validly received in response to the request.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the generated request is a user request presented to a user in the form of a user interface.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein the generated request is a database query.

16. A computer-implemented method of document generation, the method comprising:

accessing a document template comprising predetermined elements of content for possible use when generating a customized document;

accessing data associated with the document template, the data representing first and second rules for making, respectively, first and second determinations as to the use to be made of the predetermined elements of content when generating a customized document, the first and second determinations each requiring further information to be received;

receiving information enabling at least the first determination to be made;

making the first determination on the basis of the received information;

generating, using a computer, a partially customized document in accordance with the outcome of the first determination; and

associating, with the generated partially customized document, data representing the second rule.

17. A computer readable medium comprising a computer program for generating a document, comprising:

accessing a document template comprising predetermined elements of content for possible use when generating a customized document;

accessing data associated with the document template, the data representing first and second rules for making, respectively, first and second determinations as to the use to be made of the predetermined elements of content when generating a customized document, the first and second determinations each requiring further information to be received;

receiving information enabling at least the first determination to be made;

making the first determination on the basis of the received information;

generating, using a computer, a partially customized document in accordance with the outcome of the first determination; and

associating, with the generated partially customized document, data representing the second rule.

18. A document generation system for generating a customized document using predetermined elements of document content selected by rules operating on variables, the variables representing items of input information, the system configured to receive an indication of whether or not a state of a variable is definite, and, when processing data in dependence on the variable, to respond differently to an indication that the state is definite than to an indication that the state is not definite.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the system receives the indication together with input information comprising a value for the variable.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the system receives the indication without having received a value for the variable.

21. A system according to claim 18, wherein the system is configured to receive a plurality of mutually independent indications of whether or not the respective states of a respective plurality of variables are definite, the plurality of indications being received in a single response to a request for input information.

22. A system according to claim 21, wherein the request is a user request presented to a user in form of a user interface.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein the user interface provides means for a user to defer inputting information corresponding to one or more of the variables.

24. A system according to claim 22, wherein the user interface provides means for a user to input information corresponding to one or more of the variables together with an indication that the input information is unsure.

25. A system according to claim 21, wherein the generated request is a database query.

26. A method of generating a customized document using predetermined elements of document content selected by rules operating on variables, the variables representing items of input information, comprising:

receiving an indication of whether or not a state of a variable is definite; and

when processing data in dependence on the variable, responding differently to an indication that the state is definite than to an indication that the state is not definite.

27. A computer readable medium comprising a computer program for generating a customized document using predetermined elements of document content selected by rules operating on variables, the variables representing items of input information, comprising:

receiving an indication of whether or not a state of a variable is definite; and

when processing data in dependence on the variable, responding differently to an indication that the state is definite than to an indication that the state is not definite.

28. A document generation system comprising:

means for accessing a document template comprising one or more predetermined elements of content for possible use when generating a customized document;

means for accessing data associated with the document template, the data representing a rule for making a determination, on the basis of further information to be received, as to the use to be made of the predetermined elements of content when generating a customized document;

means for receiving information indicating that the determination is not to be made;

means for generating a partially customized document; and

means for associating, with the generated partially customized document, data representing the rule.

29. A document generation system comprising:

means for storing first data representing a document template, said document template comprising a plurality of logical rules each of which determine, on the basis of further information, the use to be made of content when generating a customized document;

means for receiving farther information enabling the use of content to be determined for a first, but not for a second, of said logical rules; and

means for generating second data representing a partially customized document on the basis of said first data and said received further information, said second data comprising said second logical rule.

30. A document generation system comprising:

means for storing a document template comprising a first and a second criterion which, together with required further information, enable a first and a second determination to be made, respectively, as to whether or not to include predetermined elements of content when generating a customized document;

means for receiving further information enabling the first determination, but not the second determination, to be made; and

means arranged to generate a partially customized document comprising the second criterion on the basis of the document template and the received further information.