Multi-document context aware annotation system

• US 7,269,787 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Soroka, Vladimir, Ribak, Amnon, Ur, Sigalit, Amitay, Einat, Jacovi, Michal
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackwell; James H
• Application Number:
  US10/425,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 715/512, 715/500, 715/864, 345/173, 345/864, 707/100
• US Class Current: 715/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A method for document annotation includes providing a contextual framework extending over multiple electronic documents. Annotations are input to a computer by a user with respect to two or more of the documents, while the user views the documents on a computer screen. Each of the annotations is stored together with respective context information in a memory of the computer, the context information including multiple fields defined by the framework. The annotations are sorted with respect to the two or more documents according to one or more of the multiple fields of the respective context information, and the sorted annotations are output for viewing by the user.

Claims

1. A method for document annotation, comprising:

providing a contextual framework extending over multiple electronic documents and multiple software applications, wherein the framework is independent of the software applications that are used to create and view the documents;

receiving annotations input to a computer by a user with respect to two or more of the documents, while the user views the documents on a computer screen, the two or more of the documents comprising at least a first document that is viewed by the user using a first software application on the computer, and a second document that is viewed by the user using a second software application on the computer, the annotations comprising an input from the user selecting at least one of the documents and indicating a location in the at least one of the documents at which at least one of the annotations is to be made;

storing each of the annotations together with respective context information in a memory of the computer, the context information comprising multiple fields defined by the framework, the fields comprising a file name of the at least one of the documents and the location indicated by the user in the at least one of the documents;

sorting the annotations with respect to the two or more documents according to one or more of the multiple fields of the respective context information; and

outputting the sorted annotations for viewing by the user in an annotation listing comprising user-operable links from the annotations to the documents with respect to which the annotations were received.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing each of the annotations comprises storing the annotations with respect to both the first and second documents together in a data structure that is substantially independent of the first and second applications.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data structure is a database comprising the multiple fields.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing each of the annotations comprises storing, together with each of at least some of the annotations, an image of at least a portion of the computer screen viewed by the user while inputting the annotations, in an image format that is substantially independent of the first and second software applications, and wherein outputting the stored annotations comprises displaying the image.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein outputting the sorted annotations comprises creating a unified view of the annotations received with respect to both the first and second software applications.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein receiving the annotations further comprises, in response to the input, opening a window on the computer screen in which the user is to enter the one of the annotations.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein sorting the annotations comprises sorting the annotations by the file name and location.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing each of the annotations comprises storing the annotations with respective time stamps.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein sorting the annotations comprises sorting the annotations, responsively to the time stamps, according to an order in which the annotations were input by the user.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein sorting the annotations comprises selecting for output, responsively to the context information, a subset of the annotations indicated by the user.

11. The method according to claim 1, and comprising performing a free text search of the annotations received with respect to the two or more documents, and sorting the annotations responsively to the free text search.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein sorting the annotations comprises merging the annotations created by multiple users into a single list, which is sorted according to the one or more of the multiple fields.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein providing the contextual framework comprises receiving an agenda of a conference at which the two or more of the documents are to be presented, and defining at least some of the multiple fields in the framework based on the agenda.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein storing each of the annotations comprises prompting the user to input to the computer the context information to be stored in at least one of the multiple fields.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple fields comprise one or more context fields selected from a group of the context fields consisting of a file name of one of the documents, a software application type of one of the documents, a topic of one of the documents, a title of one of the documents, an author or presenter of one of the documents, an annotation location in one of the documents, a time stamp, and an identification of the user.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the links connect to the location in the at least one of the documents at which the at least one of the annotations was made.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein outputting the sorted annotations comprises outputting the annotation listing without outputting the documents with respect to which the annotations were received.

18. Apparatus for document annotation, comprising:

a workstation processor;

a memory;

a display, coupled to be driven by the workstation to display documents for viewing by a user; and

a user input device, which is coupled to receive annotations input by the user while viewing two or more of the documents on the display, the two or more of the documents comprising at least a first document that is viewed by the user using a first software application on the computer, and a second document that is viewed by the user using a second software application on the computer, the annotations comprising an input from the user selecting at least one of the documents and indicating a location in the at least one of the documents at which at least one of the annotations is to be made,

wherein the processor is arranged to provide a contextual framework extending over multiple electronic documents and multiple software applications, wherein the framework is independent of the software applications that are used to create and view the documents, such that upon receiving the annotations input by the user with respect to the two or more of the documents, the processor stores each of the annotations in the memory together with respective context information comprising multiple fields defined by the framework, the fields comprising a file name of the at least one of the documents and the location indicated by the user in the at least one of the documents, the processor being further arranged to sort the annotations with respect to the two or more of the documents according to one or more of the multiple fields of the respective context information, and to output the sorted annotations for viewing by the user in an annotation listing comprising user operable links from the annotations to the documents with respect to which the annotations were received.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to store the annotations with respect to both the first and second documents together in a data structure that is substantially independent of the first and second applications.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the data structure is a database comprising the multiple fields.

21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is adapted to store, together with each of at least some of the annotations, an image of at least a portion of a computer screen viewed by the user on the display while inputting the annotations, in an image format that is substantially independent of the first and second software applications, and to display the image while outputting the stored annotations.

22. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is adapted to create a unified view of the annotations received with respect to both the first and second software applications.

23. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged, in response to the input, to open a window on the display in which the user is to enter the one of the annotations.

24. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to sort the annotations by the file name and location.

25. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to store the annotations with respective time stamps.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the processor is arranged to sort the annotations, responsively to the time stamps, according to an order in which the annotations were input by the user.

27. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to output, responsively to the context information, a subset of the annotations selected by the user.

28. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to perform a free text search of the annotations received with respect to the two or more documents, and to sort the annotations responsively to the free text search.

29. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to merge the annotations created by multiple users into a single list, which is sorted according to the one or more of the multiple fields.

30. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to receive an agenda of a conference at which the two or more of the documents are to be presented, and to define at least some of the multiple fields in the framework based on the agenda.

31. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to prompt the user to input to the computer the context information to be stored in at least one of the multiple fields.

32. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the multiple fields comprise one or more context fields selected from a group of the context fields consisting of a file name of one of the documents, a software application type of one of the documents, a topic of one of the documents, a title of one of the documents, an author or presenter of one of the documents, an annotation location in one of the documents,a time stamp, and an identification of the user.

33. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the links connect to the location in the at least one of the documents at which the at least one of the annotations was made.

34. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processor is arranged to output the annotation listing without outputting the documents with respect to which the annotations were received.

35. A computer software product, comprising a computer readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to provide a contextual framework extending over multiple electronic documents and multiple software applications, wherein the framework is independent of the software applications that are used to create and view the documents, and further cause the computer to receive annotations input to the computer by a user with respect to two or more of the documents, while the user views the documents on a computer screen, the annotations comprising an input from the user selecting at least one of the documents and indicating a location in the at least one of the documents at which at least one of the annotations is to be made, the two or more of the documents comprising at least a first document that is viewed by the user using a first software application on the computer, and a second document that is viewed by the user using a second software application on the computer, and to store each of the annotations together with respective context information in a memory of the computer, the context information comprising multiple fields defined by the framework, the fields comprising a file name of the at least one of the documents and the location indicated by the user in the at least one of the documents, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to sort the annotations with respect to the two or more documents according to one or more of the multiple fields of the respective context information, and to output the sorted annotations for viewing by the user in an annotation listing comprising user-operable links from the annotations to the documents with respect to which the annotations were received.

36. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to store the annotations with respect to both the first and second documents together in a data structure that is substantially independent of the first and second applications.

37. The product according to claim 36, wherein the data structure is a database comprising the multiple fields.

38. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to store, together with each of at least some of the annotations, an image of at least a portion of the computer screen viewed by the user while inputting the annotations, in an image format that is substantially independent of the first and second software applications, and to display the image while outputting the stored annotations.

39. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to create a unified view of the annotations received with respect to both the first and second software applications.

40. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer, in response to the input, to open a window on the computer screen in which the user is to enter the one of the annotations.

41. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to sort the annotations by the file name and location.

42. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to store the annotations with respective time stamps.

43. The product according to claim 42, wherein the instructions cause the computer to sort the annotations, responsively to the time stamps, according to an order in which the annotations were input by the user.

44. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to output, responsively to the context information, a subset of the annotations selected by the user.

45. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to perform a free text search of the annotations received with respect to the two or more documents, and to sort the annotations responsively to the free text search.

46. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to merge the annotations created by multiple users into a single list, which is sorted according to the one or more of the multiple fields.

47. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to receive an agenda of a conference at which the two or more of the documents are to be presented, and to define at least some of the multiple fields in the framework based on the agenda.

48. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to prompt the user to input to the computer the context information to be stored in at least one of the multiple fields.

49. The product according to claim 35, wherein the multiple fields comprise one or more context fields selected from a group of the context fields consisting of a file name of one of the documents, a software application type of one of the documents, a topic of one of the documents, a title of one of the documents, an author or presenter of one of the documents, an annotation location in one of the documents,a time stamp, and an identification of the user.

50. The product according to claim 35, wherein the links connect to the location in the at least one of the documents at which the at least one of the annotations was made.

51. The product according to claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the computer to output the annotation listing without outputting the documents with respect to which the annotations were received.