Hierarchical document cross-reference system and method

• US 6,978,420 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2001
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aplix Research, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aplix Research, Inc.
• Inventors: Ching, Philip Waisin
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Queler, Adam M.
• Application Number:
  US09/781,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,772 Days
• Field of Search: 715/511, 715/513, 715/526, 715/531, 715/530, 707/3
• US Class Current: 715/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858

Abstract

A hierarchical document cross-reference system comprises a document server computer remotely accessible by a user computer. The document server computer includes a database which stores the contents of a first document and a second document. The first document contains one or more segments and the second document contains one or more segments. Each segment is identified by a segment identifier. The document server computer also includes a module executable in the document server computer. The module is configured to receive a request to cross-reference the first document and the second document on a key phrase. The module searches the first document and the second document for the key phrase and identifies the segments in the documents containing the key phrase. The module then displays on the user computer a side-by-side display listing the segment identifiers for the identified segments. The segment identifiers for the identified segments in the first document containing the key phrase are displayed in a first list and the segment identifiers for the identified segments in the second document containing the key phrase are displayed in a second list. The user can subsequently select a segment identifier from each list and submit the segment identifiers for display. The module then displays the contents of each segment, with the key phrase highlighted in a distinct color or by other means.

Claims

1. A hierarchical document cross-referencing system comprising:

a document server computer accessible by a user computer, said document server computer comprising;

a database which stores the contents of a first document and a second document wherein said first document and said second document each includes one or more segments, each of said segments having segment content and a corresponding segment label wherein said segment label is shorter than said segment content; and

a module executable in said document server computer wherein said module is configured to receive a request to search said first document and said second document for a key phrase composed and input by a user, said module searches said first document and said second document for said key phrase, said module identifying said segments containing said key phrase, said module displaying on said user computer a side-by-side display wherein said side-by-side display lists only the labels, and not the segment content, of said identified segments from said first document in a first list and lists only the labels, and not the segment content, of said identified segments from said second document in a second list.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said module is further configured to receive a request to display on said user computer a side-by-side display of the segment content of one or more of said identified segments from said first document and the segment content of one or more of said identified segments from said second document.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first document comprises a document selected from the group consisting of text document, graphic document, audio document, video document and audiovisual document.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said second document comprises a document selected from the group consisting of text document, graphic document, audio document, video document and audiovisual document.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first document and said second document together total at least 50 pages in length.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first document and said second document is at least 50 pages in length.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first document and said second document comprise different types of documents.

8. A system for cross-referencing electronic data, said system comprising:

a server computer accessible by a user computer, said server computer comprising;

a database which stores said electronic data in a first data set and a second data set, wherein said first data set and said second data set each include one or more divisions, each of said divisions having division content and a corresponding division label wherein said division label is shorter than said division content; and

a module executable in said server computer wherein said module is configured to receive a request to search said first data set and said second data set for a key phrase composed and input by a user, said module searches said first data set and said second data set for said key phrase, said module identifies said one or more divisions that contain said key phrase, and said module displays only the labels, and not the division content, of said identified divisions in a side-by-side display in response to a request to search for said key phrase.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more divisions in said first or second data set are one or more document categories.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more divisions in said first or second data set are one or more documents.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more divisions in said first or second data set are one or more segments.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said identified divisions in said first or second data set are distinguished in said side-by-side display.

13. A hierarchical document cross-referencing system comprising:

a document server computer accessible over a communication medium, said document server computer comprising;

a database which stores a first document and a second document, wherein said first document and said second document include a plurality of segments, each of said segments having segment content and being identified by segment identifiers; and

a module executable in said document server computer wherein said module is configured to receive a request to search said first document and said second document for a search word or phrase composed and input by a user, said module searches said first document and said second document for said search word or phrase, and said module displays only said segment identifiers, and not said segment content, for said segments containing said search word or phrase in a displays;

wherein said display comprises a first display adjacent to a second display.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said module is further configured to receive a request to display said segment content of said segments containing said search word or phrase in a side-by-side display.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said first document comprises a document selected from the group consisting of text document, graphic document, audio document, video document and audiovisual document.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said second document comprises a document selected from the group consisting of text document, graphic document, audio document, video document and audiovisual document.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said first document and said second document together total at least 50 pages in length.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of said first document and said second document is at least 50 pages in length.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said first document and said second document comprise different types of documents.

20. A hierarchical cross-referencing system, comprising a module executable in a document server computer, wherein said module is configured to receive a request to search a first hierarchy and a second hierarchy for a search term composed and input by a user, each of said first hierarchy and said second hierarchy having one or more elements, each of said elements having element content and a corresponding element label wherein said element label is shorter than said element content, said module displaying said element labels, and not said element content, of one or more elements in said first and second hierarchies containing said search term in a side-by-side display in response to receiving said request to search said first and second hierarchies.

21. A computer-implemented method of cross-referencing first and second hierarchies wherein said first and said second hierarchies each include one or more elements, each of said elements having element content and a corresponding element label wherein said element label is shorter than said element content, said method comprising:

receiving a request to search said first and said second hierarchies for a search term composed and input by a user;

searching said first and said second hierarchies for said search term;

identifying which of said elements within said first and second hierarchies contain said search term; and

displaying said element labels, and not said element content, of said identified elements in a side-by-side display.

22. A computer-implemented of cross-referencing first and second hierarchies wherein said first and said second hierarchies each include one or more elements having element content and denominated by element labels wherein said element labels are shorter than said element content, said method comprising:

receiving a request to search said first and said second hierarchies for a search term composed and input by a user;

searching said first and said second hierarchies for said search term;

identifying which of said elements within said first and second hierarchies contain said search term;

displaying only said element labels, and not said element content, associated with said identified elements in a first side-by-side display;

receiving a request to display said identified elements; and

displaying said element content of said identified elements in a second side-by-side display.

23. A hierarchical document cross-referencing system comprising:

a document server computer accessible by a user computer, said document server computer comprising;

a database which stores the contents of a plurality of documents wherein each of said plurality of documents includes one or more segments, each of said segments having segment content and a corresponding segment label wherein said segment label is shorter than said segment content; and

a module executable in said document server computer wherein said module is configured to receive a request to search said plurality of documents for a key phrase composed and input by a user, said module searches said plurality of documents for said key phrase, said module identifying said segments containing said key phrase, said module displaying on said user computer a side-by-side display wherein said side-by-side display contains a plurality of side-by-side lists of said segment labels, and not said segment content, of said identified segments that correspond to each of said plurality of documents.

24. A hierarchical document cross-referencing system comprising:

a computer comprising a database which stores the contents of a first document and a second document wherein said first document and said second document each includes one or more segments, each of said segments having segment content and a corresponding segment label wherein said segment label is shorter than said segment content; and

a module executable in said computer, wherein said module is configured to;

receive a request to search said first document and said second document for a data string composed and input by a user;

search said first document and said second document for said data string;

identify said segments containing said data string;

display a first side-by-side display which lists said segment labels of said identified segments from said first document in a first list and lists segment labels of said identified segments from said second document in a second list;

receive a request to display said segment content of at least one of said identified segments from said first document and said segment content of at least one of said identified segments from said second document; and

display a second side-by-side display which lists at least some of said segment content of at least one of said identified segments from said first document and at least some of said segment content of at least one of said identified segments from said second document.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said first document and said second document are not of the same document type.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein at least one of said first document and said second document comprises a document selected from the group consisting of text document, graphic document, audio document, video document and audiovisual document.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein at least one of said first document and said second document is at least 50 pages in length.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein said module is configured to display in said first side-by-side display only said segment labels, and not said segment content, of said identified segments from said first document in said first list, and to display only said segment labels, and not said segment content, of said identified segments from said second document in said second list.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein said data string is selected from the group consisting of a word, multiple words, a letter, a byte, a bit and a pixel.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein said data string is selected from the group consisting of a pattern, an image, a frame, a scene, a series of patterns, a series of images, a series of frames and a series of scenes.