Method and system for annotating documents using an independent annotation repository

• US 6,721,921 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Securacquisition Corp.
• Original Assignee: ITM Associates, Inc. (SecurLinx Holding Corp.)
• Inventors: Altman, Ian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US09/575,712
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 707/512, 345/764, 345/751, 345/753, 715/512
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A method and system for generating workflow messages based on adding annotations to a file repository or database independent of an original document that they annotate. By separately storing the annotations in a searchable annotation repository, original documents can be preserved unchanged while still providing the ability to comment on the original document. By generating workflow messages, a system can track who has reviewed a document, whose proposed changes and/or comments require action by another person, and if everyone has reviewed the documents within the time constraints established.

Claims

1. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to separately manage an original document and annotations for the original document, the computer program code mechanism comprising;

a first computer code device configured to authenticate a first user to a remote database;

a second computer code device configured to receive an original document stored in a first file repository;

a third computer code device configured to create, by the first user, at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation for the original document;

a fourth computer code device configured to overlay the original document and the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation without changing a contents of the original document; and

a fifth computer code device configured to utilize TCP/IP communications to send the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to the remote database and to receive from the remote database at least one annotation from a second user reviewing the original document in parallel with the first user.

2. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first through fifth computer code devices comprise a plug-in to a markup language browser.

3. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the original document comprises an ADOBE ACROBAT document.

4. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second computer code device comprises a sixth computer code device configured to receive a form document illustrating at least one form field;

and

wherein the third computer code device comprises a seventh computer code device configured to create a text annotation by extracting a contents of the at least one form field.

5. The computer program product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third computer code device comprises a sixth computer code device configured to specify a corresponding category for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

6. The computer program product as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a seventh computer code device configured to select a trigger type for execution based on the category specified for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(a) authenticating a first user to a remote database;

(b) receiving an original document stored in a first file repository;

(c) creating, by the first user, at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation for the original document;

(d) overlaying the original document and the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation without changing a contents of the original document; and

(e) utilizing TCP/IP communication to send the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to the remote database and to receive from the remote database at least one annotation from a second user reviewing the original document in parallel with the first user.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the steps (a)-(e) are performed by a plug-in to a markup language browser.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the original document comprises an ADOBE ACROBAT document.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step (b) comprises receiving a form document illustrating at least one form field;

and

wherein the step (c) comprises creating a text annotation by extracting a contents of the at least one form field.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step (c) comprises specifying a corresponding category for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising selecting a trigger type for execution based on the category specified for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising triggering a category-specific trigger based on the category specified for the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation.

14. A system for separately managing an original document and annotations for the original document, the system comprising:

an authentication device configured to authenticate a first user to a remote database;

a receiver configured to receive an original document stored in a first file repository;

an input device configured to create, by the first user, at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation for the original document;

an overlay circuit configured to overlay the original document and the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation without changing a contents of the original document; and

a transceiver configured to utilize TCP/IP communications to send the at least one of a text annotation and a graphical annotation to the remote database and to receive from the remote database at least one annotation from a second user reviewing the original document in parallel with the first user.