System for annotation overlay proxy configured to retrieve associated overlays associated with a document request from annotation directory created from list of overlay groups

• US 5,826,025 A
• Filed: 09/08/1995
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Gramlich, Wayne C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Anderson I.
• Application Number:
  US08/525,980
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A system and method for providing annotation overlays from diverse sources of commentary for World-Wide Web documents is disclosed. Sources of commentary contribute annotation overlays regarding particular documents on the World-Wide Web. The annotation overlays from a particular source are stored on one or more overlay servers, which are connected to the Web. A user of a Web browser opens an annotation proxy server between the Web browser and the Web servers that intercepts all documents retrieved by the Web browser and merges with the retrieved documents commentary from sources designated by the user of the Web browser that refer to the requested documents. Multiple annotation overlay proxies can be serially connected. The annotation proxy can perform the merge operation by first creating a local annotation directory of annotation overlays from sources designated by the user then, when the user requests a document, merging with the requested document information only from the annotation directory. Alternatively, the annotation proxy can perform the merge operation on the fly by pulling the annotation overlays directly from the Web servers without the use of a local annotation directory.

Claims

1. In a computer network incorporating a plurality of servers used to store documents, each said document having a unique document identifier, and a client computer having a browser configured to request and receive said documents over said network, a system for providing annotation overlays for a requested document, said system comprising:

at least one stored overlay group associated with one of said servers, said overlay group encapsulating annotation overlays regarding at least one of said documents, each said stored overlay group having a unique source identifier;

an annotation overlay proxy configured to form a merged document by merging said requested document from a first server with associated annotation overlays regarding said requested document from specified overlay groups and to relay said merged document to a receiver selected from another proxy or said browser; and

an annotation directory associated with said annotation overlay proxy, wherein said annotation directory stores said annotation overlays from said specified overlay groups, and wherein said annotation overlay proxy is configured, in response to a document request issued by said browser, to retrieve a set of associated annotation overlays related to said requested document from said annotation directory prior to merging said set of associated annotations and said requested document;

wherein said annotation directory is created by said annotation overlay proxy, which, upon receiving a list of said specified overlay groups identified by their unique source identifiers, is configured to retrieve all of said annotation overlays from said specified overlay groups and store said retrieved annotation overlays in an electronic memory coupled to said annotation overlay proxy, said stored annotation overlays forming said annotation directory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one overlay group encapsulates a plurality of distinct annotation overlays regarding one of said documents.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each overlay group encapsulates annotation overlays provided by a single commentator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least a subset of said annotation overlays each have associated therewith data indicating with which document or documents said each annotation overlay is to be associated.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said annotation overlays has an associated unique overlay identifier so that each of said annotation overlays can be annotated in same manner as said documents.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said annotation overlay proxy is configured so as to be operable in series with other proxies, said other proxies including other said annotation overlay proxies and firewall proxies.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said annotation overlays are defined using hypertext mark up language (HTML).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said annotation overlay comprises:

a document id specifying a set of documents to which said annotation overlay is applicable;

a pattern in said set of documents;

an action code specifying an action to be taken by said annotation overlay proxy with regard to said pattern in said set of documents when creating said merged document; and

an argument supplying additional information to assist said annotation overlay proxy in executing said action.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said action code further comprises:

a location field that indicates a part of said set of documents, said part being selected from a document, section, paragraph, sentence and word containing said pattern; and

a where field that indicates where, with respect to said part, said action is to be implemented.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein, when said action code is a replacement code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said annotation overlay proxy forms said merged document by substituting for each occurrence of said pattern in said requested document said additional information in a corresponding part of said merged document.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein, when said action code is an insertion code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said annotation overlay proxy associates said additional information with each occurrence in said merged document of said pattern.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein, when said action code is a deletion code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said annotation overlay proxy prevents from appearing in said merged document any occurrence of said pattern.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein, when said action code is a program code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said annotation overlay proxy executes a filter program on each occurrence of said pattern in said requested document so that a corresponding part of said merged document includes a transformation of said pattern operated on by said filter program.

14. In a computer network incorporating a plurality of servers used to store documents, each said document having a unique document identifier, and a client computer having a browser configured to request and receive said documents over said network, a method for providing annotation overlays for a requested document, said method comprising the steps of:

associating at least one stored overlay group with one of said servers, said overlay group encapsulating annotation overlays regarding at least one of said documents, each said stored overlay group having a unique source identifier;

forming a merged document by merging said requested document from a first server with associated annotation overlays regarding said requested document from specified overlay groups; and

relaying said merged document to a receiver selected from a proxy or said browser,

wherein all said requested documents are routed through an annotation overlay proxy, said annotation overlay proxy performing said merging and said relaying steps, and, before said merging step, forming an annotation directory, wherein said annotation directory stores said annotation overlays from said specified overlay groups;

said annotation overlay proxy forming said annotation directory by;

receiving a list of said specified overlay groups identified by their unique source identifiers;

retrieving all of said annotation overlays from said specified overlay groups; and

storing said retrieved annotation overlays in an electronic memory coupled to said annotation overlay proxy.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said annotation overlay comprises:

a document id specifying a set of documents to which said annotation overlay is applicable;

a pattern in said set of documents;

an action code specifying an action to be taken with respect to said set of documents when forming said merged document; and

an argument supplying additional information for said action code.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, when said action code is a replacement code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said action comprises substituting in said merged document said additional information for parts of said requested document having a specified relationship to said pattern.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein, when said action code is an insertion code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said action comprises inserting in said merged document said additional information at a position set wherein each position in said position set has a specified relationship to said pattern.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein, when said action code is a deletion code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said action comprises preventing from appearing in said merged document any occurrence of a part of said requested document having a specified relationship to said pattern.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein, when said action code is said program code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said action comprises executing a specified filter program on parts of said requested document having a specified relationship to said pattern so that corresponding parts of said merged document include a transformation of said parts operated on by said filter program.

20. A computer-readable memory that can be used to direct a computer to merge stored annotation overlays with documents stored on a computer network to which said computer is coupled, said computer-readable memory comprising:

(1) an annotation overlay including;

(a) a document id specifying a set of documents to which said annotation overlay is applicable;

(b) a pattern in said set of documents;

(c) an action code specifying an action to be taken by said computer with regard to said pattern in said set of documents when creating said merged document; and

(d) an argument supplying additional information to assist proxy procedures in executing said action with regard to said pattern;

(2) said proxy procedures for forming a merged document by merging said annotation overlay with a requested document within said set of documents, said merging including performing said action specified by said action code; and

(3) an annotation directory associated with said proxy procedures, wherein said annotation directory stores said annotation overlays from specified overlay groups, and wherein said proxy procedures are configured, in response to a document request issued by said computer, to retrieve a set of associated annotation overlays related to said requested document from said annotation directory prior to merging said set of associated annotations and said requested document;

wherein said annotation directory is created by said proxy procedures, which, upon receiving a list of said specified overlay groups identified by their unique source identifiers, are configured to retrieve all of said annotation overlays from said specified overlay groups and store said retrieved annotation overlays in an electronic memory coupled to said proxy procedures, said stored annotation overlays forming said annotation directory.

21. The computer readable memory of claim 20, wherein, when said action code is a replacement code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said proxy procedures substitute in said merged document said additional information for parts of said requested document having a specified relationship to said pattern.

22. The computer readable memory of claim 20, wherein, when said action code is an insertion code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said proxy procedures insert in said merged document said additional information at a set of insertion points wherein each of said insertion points has a specified relationship to said pattern.

23. The computer readable memory of claim 20, wherein, when said action code is a deletion code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said proxy procedures prevent from appearing in said merged document any occurrence of a part of said requested document having a specified relationship to said pattern.

24. The computer readable memory of claim 20, wherein, when said action code is said program code and said requested document is within said set of documents, said proxy procedures execute a specified filter program on parts of said requested document having a specified relationship to said pattern so that a corresponding part of said merged document includes a transformation of said part operated on by said filter program.