Navigation of the content space of a document set

• US 20040177058A1
• Filed: 12/08/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DataCore Software Corporation (Flagship Ventures 2004 Fund LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hypertrust NV (Liberty Global Plc)
• Inventors: Winters, Joris, Carpentier, Paul, Willems, Maarten
• Granted Patent: US 7,263,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/34 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

Content-based addressing is used to navigate forward, backward and in a circular fashion through documents in a content space. To enable backward navigation, a descriptor file is created for a new version that contains not only a message digest for the new version, but also a message digest of the older document. A message digest is created for the descriptor file. A user navigates backward starting with the message digest of the descriptor file. To enable forward navigation, a mapping table maps a message digest of an older document into the message digest of the new version. A high-level descriptor file contains the message digest of the original document and the message digest of the mapping table. The message digest of the high-level descriptor file is returned to the user. A user navigates forward starting with the high-level descriptor file message digest. To enable circular navigation, a mapping table maps a message digest of a second document into a message digest of a version of the second document containing a message digest of a first document. The techniques are combined to allow navigation through a complex content space.

Claims

1. A method of enabling backward navigation in a content space, said method comprising:

receiving a first message digest that identifies a first computer file;

receiving a second message digest that identifies a second computer file;

receiving an indication that said second computer file is a later version of said first computer file;

creating a descriptor file that includes said first message digest and said second message digest; and

creating a third message digest of said descriptor file and returning said third message digest to a user, whereby said user may use said third message digest to navigate backward through said content space formed by said first and second computer files.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first message digest is the digest of a first descriptor file that includes a message digest of said first computer file.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said second computer file is received by said user or is created by said user.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said descriptor file includes meta data concerning said second computer file.

5. A method of enabling forward navigation in a content space, said method comprising:

receiving a first message digest that identifies a first computer file;

receiving a second message digest that identifies a second computer file;

receiving an indication that said second computer file is a later version of said first computer file;

creating a mapping table that maps said first message digest into said second message digest;

creating a descriptor file that includes said first message digest and an identification of said mapping table; and

creating a third message digest of said descriptor file and returning said third message digest to a user, whereby said user may use said third message digest to navigate forward through said content space formed by said first and second computer files.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said first message digest is the digest of a first descriptor file that identifies said first computer file, wherein said second message digest is the digest of a second descriptor file that identifies said second computer file.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein said first and second descriptor files include meta data concerning said first and second computer files, respectively.

8. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said second computer file is received by said user or is created by said user.

9. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said descriptor file includes meta data.

10. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said descriptor file includes said mapping table.

11. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein said descriptor file includes a message digest that identifies said mapping table.

12. A method of enabling forward navigation in a content space, said method comprising:

receiving a first message digest that identifies a first computer file;

receiving a second message digest that identifies a second computer file, said second computer file indicated as being a later version of said first computer file;

creating a mapping table that maps said first message digest into said second message digest;

returning said first message digest and an identification of said mapping table to a user; and

indicating to said user that said first message digest and said mapping table enable forward navigation through said content space formed by said first and second computer files, whereby said user may invoke a session using said first message digest and said mapping table to forward navigate through said content space.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said first message digest is the digest of a first descriptor file that identifies said first computer file, wherein said second message digest is the digest of a second descriptor file that identifies said second computer file.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein said first and second descriptor files include meta data concerning said first and second computer files, respectively.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said second computer file is received by said user or is created by said user.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said identification of said mapping table is a message digest of said mapping table.

17. A method of enabling circular navigation in a content space, said method comprising:

identifying first and second computer files, said first computer file including a second message digest that identifies said second computer file;

creating a first message digest that identifies said first computer file;

creating a version of said second computer file that includes said first message digest;

creating a third message digest of said second computer file version;

creating a mapping table that maps said second message digest into said third message digest;

returning said first message digest and an identification of said mapping table to a user, whereby said user may navigate between said first and second computer files.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

indicating to said user that said first message digest and said mapping table enable circular navigation in said content space that includes said first and second computer files, whereby said user may invoke a session using said first message digest and said mapping table to circular navigate in said content space.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said identification of said mapping table is a message digest of said mapping table.

20. A method as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

creating a descriptor file that includes said first message digest and said identification of said mapping table; and

creating a fourth message digest that identifies said descriptor file and returning said fourth message digest to said user, wherein said first message digest and said identification of said mapping table are returned to said user indirectly via said fourth message digest, whereby said user may navigate between said first and second computer files starting with said fourth message digest.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein said identification of said mapping table is the mapping table itself or a message digest that identifies said mapping table.

22. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said first, second and third message digests are each digests of a descriptor file that identifies said first, second and second version computer files, respectively.

23. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein said descriptor files include meta data concerning their respective computer files.

24. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said second computer file is received by said user or is created by said user.

25. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein said descriptor file includes meta data.