Detection and processing of annotated anchors

• US 20040078757A1
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: PRICE, MORGAN N., Golovchinsky, Gene, Schilit, William N., Marshall, Catherine Claire
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/512
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and article of manufacture for detecting a reader'"'"'s interest in a particular external document through their markings and annotations, and processing the marks in various ways, is provided. By detecting anchors proximal to annotations made by a reader, a collection of the annotated anchors and the related documents may be organized and generated for a reader to process according to their desires.

Claims

1. A system for detecting an annotated anchor in a document, comprising:

a first code for locating an annotation in the document; and

,

a second code for detecting, proximate to or within the annotation, the presence of an anchor.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said second code detects an anchor which represents an explicit link to at least one other location.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said second code detects an anchor which represents an implicit link to at least one other location.

4. The system of claim 1 further including a data structure referencing said annotated anchor.

5. The system of claim 1 further including a third code for processing said annotated anchor.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes generating a data structure including said annotated anchor.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said data structure includes a plurality of annotated anchors.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said plurality of annotated anchors are obtained from at least one document.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said plurality of annotated anchors in said data structure are displayed in a format.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said format includes displaying said annotated anchors according to annotation metadata.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said format includes displaying said annotated anchors according to annotated anchor metadata.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said annotated anchors each represent a link to at least one target;

and wherein said annotated anchor metadata includes a number of anchors within said document representing said target.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein said annotated anchors each represent a link to at least one target;

and wherein said annotated anchor metadata includes a number of annotated anchors representing said target.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said annotated anchors each represent a link to at least one target;

and wherein said format includes displaying said annotated anchors according to target metadata.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said target is a second document.

16. The system of claim 5 wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes adding said annotated anchor to a data structure based on at least one attribute value.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said data structure includes a plurality of annotated anchors which have said at least one attribute value.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said plurality of annotated anchors are obtained from a plurality of documents.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said plurality of annotated anchors in said data structure are displayed in a format.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said format includes displaying said annotated anchors according to annotation metadata.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said format includes displaying said annotated anchors according to annotated anchor metadata.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said annotated anchors each represent a link to at least one target;

and wherein said format includes displaying said annotated anchors according to target metadata.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said target is a second document.

24. The system of claim 5 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to at least a first target;

and wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes locating a second document which includes a reference to said first target.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said document contains a second annotated anchor representing a link to at least a second target;

and wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes locating at least a second document which includes a reference to said first and second targets.

26. The system of claim 5 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to at least a second document;

and wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes obtaining said second document.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said second document is obtained prior to a reader requesting said second document.

28. The system of claim 5 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to at least one target;

and wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes detecting a second anchor representing a link to said target; and

propagating said annotation to said second anchor.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said second anchor is within said document.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein said second anchor is within a second document.

31. The system of claim 5 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to at least one target;

and wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes detecting a second anchor representing a link to said target; and

suppressing a display of said second anchor.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said second anchor is within said document.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein said second anchor is within a second document.

34. The system of claim 5 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to at least one target;

and wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes identifying, in a hypertext structure, a node representing said target; and

propagating said annotation to said node.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said code for processing includes identifying, in said hypertext structure, a connecting object representing said link, and altering said connecting object.

36. The system of claim 5 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to at least one target;

and wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes identifying, in a hypertext structure, a node representing said target; and

suppressing a display of said node.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes identifying, in said hypertext structure, an object representing said link and suppressing a display of said object.

38. The system of claim 5 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to at least one target;

and wherein said third code for processing said annotated anchor includes displaying said annotated anchor and said target.

39. A method for detecting and processing a plurality of annotated anchors in a plurality of documents, comprising the steps of:

(a) locating an annotation in a document;

(b) detecting, proximate to or within the annotation, the presence of an anchor;

(c) processing the annotated anchor; and

,

(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) for each annotation in the plurality of documents.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein step (c) includes the steps of:

adding the annotated anchor to a data structure of annotated anchors; and

,

displaying the data structure of annotated anchors.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein step (c) includes the steps of:

adding annotated anchors including at least one selected attribute to a data structure; and

,

displaying said data structure.

42. The method of claim 39 wherein said annotated anchors each represent a link to at least one target;

and wherein step (c) includes the step of;

locating at least a second document which includes a reference to at least one of said targets.

43. The method of claim 39 wherein at least one of said annotated anchors represent a link to a second document;

and wherein step (c) includes the steps of;

determining whether said second document is stored in said system; and

obtaining said second document if not already stored.

44. The method of claim 39 wherein step (c) includes the steps of:

determining a target of said annotated anchor;

detecting a second anchor representing a link to said target; and

,

propagating said annotation to said second anchor.

45. The method of claim 39 wherein step (c) includes the steps of:

determining a target of said annotated anchor;

detecting a second anchor representing a link to said target; and

,

suppressing a display of said second anchor.

46. The method of claim 39 wherein step (c) includes the steps of:

determining a target of said annotated anchor;

detecting a node, in a hypertext structure, representing said target; and

,

propagating said annotation to said node.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to said target;

and wherein step (c) further includes the steps of;

detecting an object, in said hypertext structure, representing said link; and

,

altering said object.

48. The method of claim 39 wherein step (c) includes the steps of:

determining a target of said annotated anchor;

detecting a node, in a hypertext structure, representing said target; and

,

suppressing said node.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to said target;

and wherein step (c) further includes the steps of;

detecting an object, in the hypertext structure, representing said link; and

,

suppressing the display of said object.

50. The method of claim 39 wherein said annotated anchor represents a link to at least one target;

and wherein step (c) includes the step of;

displaying simultaneously, said annotated anchor and said target.

51. An apparatus for detecting at least one annotated anchor in a document comprising:

a processor;

a processor readable storage medium in communication with the processor, containing processor readable program code for programming the apparatus to;

detect each annotation in the document;

detect, proximate to or within each annotation, the presence of an anchor; and

,

generate a data structure including each annotated anchor.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 further including processor readable program code for programming the apparatus to:

filter the data structure to include only annotated anchors which contain at least one selected attribute.

53. The apparatus of claim 51 further including processor readable program code for programming the apparatus to:

locate a second document containing a reference to at least one of said annotated anchors included in said data structure.

54. The apparatus of claim 51 further including processor readable program code for programming the apparatus to:

determine a target document for each annotated anchor included in said data structure;

identify whether the target document is stored within the apparatus;

obtain a copy of the target document if not stored.

55. The apparatus of claim 51 further including processor readable program code for programming the apparatus to:

determine a target document for said annotated anchor;

identify additional anchors which represent a link to said target document; and

propagate said annotation to said identified additional anchors.

56. The apparatus of claim 51 further including processor readable program code for programming the apparatus to:

determine a target for said annotated anchor;

identify, in a hypertext structure, a node representing said target; and

propagate said annotation to said node.