System for electronic publishing

• US 6,233,592 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TimeBase Pty Limited (Fiscalnote Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TimeBase Pty Limited (Fiscalnote Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lessing, Abha, Mariani, Peter, Schnelle, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/108,999
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 707/513, 707/203, 707/100, 707/526, 345/327, 345/333, 345/348, 345/349, 345/355, 345/356
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, apparatus and system for publishing electronic information. The system includes a plurality of predefined portions of data with each predefined portion being encoded with at least one linking means. For each predefined portion, each predefined portion is stored and, where such predefined portion has been modified, each such modified predefined portion is stored. Further, the system has a plurality of attributes. Each attribute is a point on an axis of a multidimensional space for organizing the data. The plurality of predefined portions of the data may be encoded using Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) OR XML. Still further, the data is encoded using one or more Document Type Definitions (DTD) or Style Sheet Mechanisms (SSM).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for publishing an electronic publication using text-based data, comprising:

a plurality of predefined portions of text-based data with each predefined portion being stored;

at least one predefined portion being modified and stored;

a plurality of linking means of a markup language, each predefined portion of said text-based data and said at least one modified predefined portion of text-based data being encoded with at least one linking means; and

a plurality of attributes, each attribute being a point on an axis of a multidimensional space for organising said plurality of predefined portions and said at least one modified predefined portion of said text-based data.

2. The system according to claim 1, comprising means for searching within the system.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said searching means uses one or more attributes.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein said searching means uses any predefined portion, any modification of a predefined portion, or any word or phrase within such predefined portion or such modification.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for searching at least one of said text-based predefined portions of said data using said plurality of attributes, wherein said plurality of attributes are coupled to each of said predefined portions by said respective linking means, and for retrieving one or more of said predefined portions using said plurality of attributes to define a point in said multidimensional space.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said markup language is Standard Generalised Markup Language (SGML) or eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said text-based data is encoded using one or more Document Type Definitions (DTD) or Style Sheet Mechanisms (SSM).

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said linking means comprises any piece of information additional to the body of the text-based data.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said linking means is a code or markup that allows departure and destination points to be created between portions of said text-based data.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one linking means comprises an identification code for said respective predefined portion.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein a first database comprises said plurality of predefined portions of text-based data.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein a second database comprises said plurality of attributes for managing said first database.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein said predefined portions are encoded with one or more attributes.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said respective predefined portion is changed by performing one of the group consisting of adding at least one attribute to said respective predefined portion, deleting at least one attribute from said respective predefined portion, and modifying at least one of the attributes of said respective predefined portion.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein said respective predefined portion is changed by performing one of the group consisting of adding data to said respective predefined portion, deleting data from said respective predefined portion, and modifying data of said respective predefined portion.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein said text-based data comprises legislation.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein each of said plurality of predefined portions of said text-based data is a respective provision of said legislation.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said provision is a section or schedule of an Act, or a regulation or schedule of a Regulation(s).

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein each predefined portion is a block of said text-based data, said block being larger than a single word and less than an entire document of said text-based data.

20. A computer readable recording medium for publishing an electronic publication using text-based data, comprising:

a plurality of predefined portions of text-based data with each predefined portion being stored;

at least one predefined portion being modified and stored; and

a plurality of linking means of a markup language, each predefined portion of said text-based data and said at least one modified predefined portion of text-based data being encoded with at least one linking means; and

a plurality of attributes, each attribute being a point on an axis of a multidimensional space for organising said plurality of predefined portions and said at least one modified predefined portion of said text-based data.

21. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein means for searching can be used to search the recording medium.

22. The recording medium according to claim 21, wherein said searching means uses one or more attributes.

23. The recording medium according to claim 21, wherein said searching means uses any predefined portion, any modification of a predefined portion, or any word or phrase within such predefined portion or such modification.

24. The recording medium according to claim 20, further comprising means for searching at least one of said predefined portions of said text-based data uses said plurality of attributes, wherein said plurality of attributes are coupled to each of said predefined portions by said respective linking means, and for retrieving one or more of said predefined portions using said plurality of attributes to define a point in said multidimensional space.

25. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein said markup language is Standard Generalised Markup Language (SGML) or eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

26. The recording medium according to claim 25, wherein said text-based data is encoded using one or more Document Type Definitions (DTD) or Style Sheet Mechanisms (SSM).

27. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein said linking means comprises any piece of information additional to the body of the text-based data.

28. The recording medium according to claim 27, wherein said linking means is a code or markup that allows departure and destination points to be created between portions of said text-based data.

29. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein said at least one linking means comprises an identification code for said respective predefined portion.

30. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein a first database comprises said plurality of predefined portions of said text-based data.

31. The recording medium according to claim 30, wherein a second database comprises said plurality of attributes for managing said first database.

32. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein said predefined portions are encoded with one or more attributes.

33. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein said respective predefined portion is changed by performing one of the group consisting of adding at least one attribute to said respective predefined portion, deleting at least one attribute from said respective predefined portion, and modifying at least one of the attributes of said respective predefined portion.

34. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein said respective predefined portion is changed by performing one of the group consisting of adding data to said respective predefined portion, deleting data from said respective predefined portion, and modifying data of said respective predefined portion.

35. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein said text-based data comprises legislation.

36. The recording medium according to claim 35, wherein each of said plurality of predefined portions of said text-based data is a respective provision of said legislation.

37. The recording medium according to claim 36, wherein said provision is a section or schedule of an Act, or a regulation or schedule of a Regulation(s).

38. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein said recording medium is made from one of the group consisting of magnetic media, optical media, and magneto-optical media.

39. The recording medium according to claim 20, wherein each predefined portion is a block of said text-based data, said block being larger than a single word and less than an entire document of said text-based data.

40. A computer-implemented method for publishing an electronic publication using text-based data, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of predefined portions of text-based data with each predefined portion being stored;

encoding each predefined portion of said text-based data with at least one linking means of a markup language;

providing at least one predefined portion being modified and stored;

providing a plurality of attributes, each attribute being a point on an axis of a multidimensional space for organising said plurality of predefined portions and said at least one modified predefined portion of said text-based data.

41. The method according to claim 40, comprising the step of searching said text-based data.

42. The method according to claim 41, wherein said searching step uses one or more attributes.

43. The method according to claim 41, wherein said searching step uses any predefined portion, any modification of a predefined portion, or any word or phrase within such predefined portion or such modification.

44. The method according to claim 40, further comprising the step of searching at least one of said predefined portions of said text-based data using said plurality of attributes, wherein said plurality of attributes are coupled to each of said predefined portions by said respective linking means, and for retrieving one or more of said predefined portions using said plurality of attributes to define a point in said multidimensional space.

45. The method according to claim 40, wherein said markup language is Standard Generalised Markup Language (SGML) or eXtensible Markup Language (XML).

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein said text-based data is encoded using one or more Document Type Definitions (DTD) or Style Sheet Mechanisms (SSM).

47. The method according to claim 40, wherein said linking means comprises any piece of information additional to the body of the text-based data.

48. The method according to claim 47 wherein said linking means is a code or markup that allows departure and destination points to be created between portions of said text-based data.

49. The method according to claim 40, wherein said at least one linking means comprises an identification code for said respective predefined portion.

50. The method according to claim 40, wherein a first database comprises said plurality of predefined portions of said text-based data.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein a second database comprises said plurality of attributes for managing said first database.

52. The method according to claim 40, wherein said predefined portions are encoded with one or more attributes.

53. The method according to claim 40, wherein said respective predefined portion is changed by performing one of the group consisting of adding at least one attribute to said respective predefined portion, deleting at least one attribute from said respective predefined portion, and modifying at least one of the attributes of said respective predefined portion.

54. The method according to claim 40, wherein said respective predefined portion is changed by performing one of the group consisting of adding data to said respective predefined portion, deleting data from said respective predefined portion, and modifying data of said respective predefined portion.

55. The method according to claim 40, wherein said text-based data comprises legislation.

56. The method according to claim 55, wherein each of said plurality of predefined portions of text-based data is a respective provision of said legislation.

57. The method according to claim 56, wherein said provision is a section or schedule of an Act, or a regulation or schedule of a Regulation(s).

58. The method according to claim 40, wherein each predefined portion is a block of said text-based data, said block being larger than a single word and less than an entire document of said text-based data.