Database system and method for organizing and sharing information

• US 6,973,456 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2001
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Storelaw, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Storelaw, Inc.
• Inventors: Elgart, Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US09/927,851
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 7, 707/103.R, 707/9, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/201, 707/203, 707/100, 707/101, 709/218, 709/219, 709/300, 705/14, 705/34
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A database stores records of resources that include web pages and web-accessed files, electronic files, and hardcopy documents. The URL of a web page or web-accessed file, the file access path of an electronic file, and the location of a hardcopy document are stored in the records. The records can be created by a user. The user can store an Internet link record when the user is browsing the web page or reviewing the web-accessed file. The user can store an electronic file record when the user is exploring files. The user can enter descriptions and notes that associate with the records. The resources can be organized into categories and sub-categories. For example, certain web pages and web-accessed files, electronic files, and hardcopy documents that cover the same subject can be grouped into one category. The records, including the descriptions and notes of the records, can be shared by other users that have access to the same database.

Claims

1. A method of organizing and sharing Internet links, electronic files and hardcopy documents, the method comprising:

enabling a user to enter comments about an Internet link;

storing the entered comments about the Internet link and a URL of the Internet link in an Internet link record in a database;

associating the Internet link record with a category or an item;

enabling the user to enter comments about an electronic file;

storing the entered comments about the electronic file and, a file access path of the electronic file in an electronic file record in the database;

associating the electronic file record with a category or an item;

enabling the user to enter comments about a hardcopy document;

storing the entered comments about the hardcopy document and a description of the physical location of the hardcopy document in a hardcopy document record in the database;

associating the hardcopy document record with a category or an item;

enabling the user to designate categories in the database as shared or not shared;

making Internet link records, electronic file records, and hardcopy document records associated with a category designated as not shared accessible only to the user that created the category;

making Internet link records, electronic file records, and hardcopy document records associated with shared categories accessible to other users that use the database; and

enabling the user to associate one or more Internet link records, electronic file records, and hardcopy document records with a same category or a same item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling a user to enter comments about an Internet link comprises enabling the user to enter a summary in a description filed of the Internet link record, and enabling the user to enter other comments in a notes field of the Internet link record.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling a user to enter comments about a hardcopy document comprises enabling the user to enter a summary in a description filed of the hardcopy document record, and enabling the user to enter other comments in a notes field of the hardcopy document record.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an item is associated with a category.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a category can be associated with another category.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein an item can be associated with one or more categories.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to associate the Internet link record with another category or another item.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to associate the electronic file record with another category or another item.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to associate the hardcopy document record with another category or another item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more Internet link records, one or more electronic file records, and one or more hardcopy document records can be associated with a same category or a same item.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to designate Internet link records in the database as shared or not shared;

enabling the user to designate electronic file records in the database as shared or not shared;

enabling the user to designate hardcopy document records in the database as shared or not shared; and

making the shared Internet link records, the shared electronic file records, and the shared hardcopy document records available to other users that use the database.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to designate fields of Internet link records in the database as shared or not shared;

enabling the user to designate fields of electronic file records in the database as shared or not shared;

enabling the user to designate fields of hardcopy document records in the database as shared or not shared; and

making the shared Internet link record fields, the shared electronic file record fields, and the shared hardcopy document record fields available to other users that use the database.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the user to designate items in the database as shared or not shared; and

making Internet link records, electronic file records, and hardcopy document records associated with the shared items accessible to other users that use the database.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a report of at least a portion of the Internet link records, electronic file records, and hardcopy document records stored in the database.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising printing at least a portion of a web page identified by the stored URL of a Internet link record, and printing the stored entered comments of the Internet link record.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising printing at least a portion of a file identified by the stored file access path of a electronic file record, and printing the stored entered comments of the electronic file record.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the description of the physical location of the hardcopy document comprises a description of a room and/or a drawer in which the hardcopy document is located.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the description of the physical location of the hardcopy document comprises a description of a book title and/or a page number at which the hardcopy document is located.

3. The method of claire 1, wherein enabling a user to enter comments about an electronic file comprises enabling the user to enter a summary in a description filed of the electronic file record, and enabling the user to enter other comments in a notes field of the electronic file record.

20. A method of organizing and sharing Internet links and hardcopy documents, the method comprising:

enabling a user to navigate to an Internet link using a web browser;

enabling the user to enter notes about the Internet link;

storing the entered notes about the Internet link and a URL of the Internet link in an Internet link record of a database;

associating the Internet link record with a category;

enabling the user to enter notes about a hardcopy document;

storing the entered notes about the hardcopy document and a description of the physical location of the hardcopy document in a hardcopy document record of the database;

associating the hardcopy document record with a category;

enabling the user to designate categories in the database as shared or not shared;

making Internet link records and hardcopy document records associated with a category designated as not shared accessible only to the user that created the category;

making Internet link records and hardcopy document records associated with shared categories accessible to other users that use the database; and

enabling the user to associate one or more Internet link records, and hardcopy document records with a same category or a same item.

21. A method of organizing and sharing electronic files and hardcopy documents, the method comprising:

enabling a user to navigate to an electronic file using a computer;

enabling the user to enter notes about the electronic file;

storing the entered notes about the electronic file and a file access path of the electronic file in an electronic file record of a database;

associating the electronic file record with a category;

enabling the user to enter notes about a hardcopy document;

storing the entered notes about the hardcopy document and a description of the physical location of the hardcopy document in a hardcopy document record of the database;

associating the hardcopy document record with a category;

enabling the user to designate categories in the database as shared or not shared;

making electronic file records and hardcopy document records associated with a category designated as not shared accessible only to the user that created the category;

making electronic file records and hardcopy document records associated with shared categories accessible to other users that use the database; and

enabling the user to associate one or more electronic file records, and hardcopy document records with a same category or a same item.

22. A database that facilitates the organizing and sharing of Internet links, electronic files and hardcopy documents, the database comprising:

category records, wherein a category can be a sub-category of another category;

Internet link records storing at least the URL, associated categories and user entered comments of each of a plurality of Internet links;

electronic file records storing at least the file access path, associated categories and user entered comments of each of a plurality of electronic files; and

hardcopy document records storing at least a description of the physical location, associated categories and user entered continents of each of a plurality of hardcopy documents,

wherein an Internet link record, an electronic file record, and a hardcopy document record can be associated with a same category, and

wherein each of the category records stores a shared or 100t-shared designation of the category,

wherein Internet link records, electronic file records, and hardcopy document records associated with a not shared category are accessible to the user that created the category, and

wherein internet link records, electronic file records, and hardcopy document records associated with a shared category are accessible to the user that created the category and accessible to other users that use the database.

23. The database of claim 22, wherein each of the Internet link records further stores a shared or not shared designation of the Internet link, wherein not shared Internet link records are accessible to the user that created the not shared Internet link records, and wherein shared Internet link records are accessible to the user that created the shared Internet link records and accessible to other users that use the database.

24. The database of claim 22, wherein each of the electronic file records further stores a shared or not shared designation of the electronic file, wherein not shared electronic file records are accessible to the user that created the not shared electronic file records, and wherein shared electronic file records are accessible to the user that created the shared electronic file records and accessible to other users that use the database.

25. The database of claim 22, wherein each of the hardcopy document records further stores a shared or not shared designation of the hardcopy document, wherein not shared hardcopy document records are accessible to the user that created the not shared hardcopy document records, and wherein shared hardcopy document records are accessible to the user that created the shared hardcopy document records and accessible to other users that use the database.

26. The database of claim 22, wherein the database is a relational database.

27. The database of claim 22, wherein the database is an object-oriented database.

28. The database of claim 22, wherein the description of the physical location of each of the plurality of hardcopy documents comprises a description of a room and/or a drawer in which the hardcopy documents are located.

29. The database of claim 22, wherein the description of the physical location of each of the plurality of hardcopy documents comprises a description of a book title and/or a page number at which the hardcopy documents are located.

30. A database that facilitates the organizing and sharing of Internet links and hardcopy documents, the database comprising:

category records, wherein a category is a sub-category of another category;

Internet link records storing at least the URL, associated categories and user entered notes of each of a plurality of Internet links; and

hardcopy document records storing at least a description of the physical location, associated categories and user entered notes of each of a plurality of hardcopy documents,

wherein an Internet link record and a hardcopy document record are associated with a same category,

wherein each of the category records stores a shared or not shared designation of the category,

wherein Internet link records and hardcopy document records associated with a not shared category are accessible to the user that created the category, and

wherein internet link records and hardcopy document records associated with a shared category are accessible to the user that created the category and accessible to other users that use the database.

31. A database that facilitates the organizing and sharing of electronic files and hardcopy documents, the database comprising;

category records, wherein a category is a sub-category of another category;

electronic file records storing at least the file access path, associated categories and user entered notes of each of a plurality of electronic files; and

hardcopy document records storing at least a description of the physical location, associated categories and user entered notes of each of a plurality of hardcopy documents,

wherein an electronic file record and a hardcopy document record are associated with a same category,

wherein each of the category records stores a shared or not shared designation of the category,

wherein electronic file records and hardcopy document records associated with a not shared category are accessible to the user that created the category, and

wherein electronic file records and hardcopy document records associated with a shared category are accessible to the user that created the category and accessible to other users that use the database.