Self-contained document management based on document properties

• US 6,324,551 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1998
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Realm Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Terry, Douglas B., Thornton, James D., Lamping, John O., LaMarca, Anthony G., Dourish, James P., Edwards, Warren K., Salisbury, Michael P., Petersen, Karin
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US09/144,383
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 707/500, 707/524, 707/511, 707/517, 707/522, 707/523, 707/1, 707/10, 707/200, 707/104.1, 707/100, 709/328, 713/161, 713/200-202, 717/1, 717/11, 345/335, 345/804
• US Class Current: 715/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A document management system is provided which organizes, stores and retrieves documents in accordance with document properties. A property attachment mechanism allows a user to define and attach static properties and/or active properties to a document. The active properties include executable code which control the behavior of the document contents. Upon transferring a document to another user, system, or environment, the document management system combines the document content and properties as a self-contained document which can interpret and manipulate its own contents. In this manner, a receiving user does not require additional applications in order to manipulate the document contents into a usable format. The self-contained document interprets and manipulates itself using its active properties to provide a useful document to the receiving user.

Claims

1. In a non-hierarchical document management system having a document stored at a first location by a first user, a method of transferring the document to a second location comprising the steps of:

forming the document to include a content and a document reference being distinguishable from each other, the document reference maintaining properties attachable by a user which include static properties describing characteristics of the content and active properties controlling behaviors of the content;

attaching an active property to the document reference which is associated to the document, the active property including executable code for interpreting and manipulating the content of the document; and

,

transferring the document to a second location, the transferring automatically including the association between the content and the properties of the document such that, upon a triggering event and without use of an external application, the active property associated to the document executes the executable code which interprets and manipulates the content of the document into a format such that the content is accessible at the second location.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including storing and retrieving the document based on properties associated to the document.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including, before the transferring, modifying the content of the document in accordance with a function, and incorporating executable code from the function in the active property.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including, before the transferring, adding additional static properties to relate context information about the document to the second location.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including, before transferring, removing selected properties from the document reference to constrain access and behaviors available to a receiving user at the second location.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the transferring includes transferring the static and active properties such that the document is obtained and the content is reconstructed at the second location based on the static and active properties.

7. A method of managing a document in a document management system which separates management of user properties and management of content during a transfer of the document to a receiving user comprising the steps of:

forming the document to include a content and a document reference, the document reference maintaining properties attachable by a user;

attaching properties to the document reference including at least one of static properties describing characteristics of the content and active properties controlling behaviors of the content;

transferring selected properties of the static properties and active properties to the receiving user; and

,

reconstructing the document, by the receiving user, based on the transferred static and active properties.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the selected properties cause the document to be reconstructed having limited access and behaviors available to the receiving user.

9. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the document includes a content which is separate from the properties, and the reconstructing includes locating the content based on the transferred static and active properties.

10. A method of transferring a document to a destination in a system which manages documents comprising content and properties unattached to the content, the method comprising the steps of:

defining a state and a behavior for the document by attaching properties to a document reference, the properties including at least one of non-executable data and executable code, wherein the non-executable data includes a description of characteristics of the content, and the executable code includes a control for behaviors of the content;

transferring the document reference and the content as a packed self-contained unit to the destination; and

unpacking, by the attached properties at the destination, the packed self-contained unit such that the content is usable at the destination without use of external applications.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein the document includes content, the content being separated from the attached properties.

12. The method as set forth in claim 10 further including:

controlling the behavior of the document with the executable code; and

assigning a triggering event to the executable code such that, in response to the triggering event, the executable code is executed to control the behavior of the document.