Method and system for moving content in a content object stored in a data repository

• US 7,895,243 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, Pearson Education Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, Pearson Education Incorporated (Pearson plc)
• Inventors: Hartman, Robert C. Jr., Murray, Janet L., Walkus, Richard W., Kao, I-Ming, Johnson, Eugene Jr., Hennessy, Richard D., Baer, William J., Robertson, Jerry D. III, Hanapole, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, III, ALBERT M
• Application Number:
  US11/848,916
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 707/805, 707/913, 715/776
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A web-based system, method and program product are provided for adding content to a content object stored (e.g., a custom compilation or prepublished work) in a data repository as a group of hierarchically related content entities. Each noncontainer content object is preferably stored as a separate entity in the data repository. Each content entity is also stored as a row in a digital library index class as a collection of attributes and references to related content entities and containers. As the user selects desired objects for inclusion in a content object, the system arranges the objects hierarchically, e.g., into volumes, chapters and sections according to the order specified by the user. The system then creates a file object (e.g., a CBO) defining the content object that contains a list or outline of the container and noncontainer entities selected, their identifiers, order and structure. This file object is stored separately in the data repository. Content is moved in the content object by moving desired ones of the container and noncontainer content entity identifiers to new locations in the list or outline. This is achieved through a user interface by providing a mechanism for enabling a user to select a container or noncontainer (e.g., by title) to be moved and specify a target location for the content entity (e.g., by inserting the container or noncontainer title between other titles in the outline.)

Claims

1. A method for reordering content in a hierarchically structured content object being one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object and stored as a plurality of hierarchically related individual content entities in a data repository, each content entity having an identifier and stored within said data repository as a file object, comprising:

creating said content object by enabling selection of content entities within said data repository for inclusion within said content object via a user interface, wherein at least one selected content entity includes pre-existing material, is pre-stored in said data repository and is selectable for inclusion within a plurality of different content objects,

defining the content object with an outline of containers and content entity identifiers each associated with a corresponding one of said selected content entities, wherein the content entity identifiers each include identification information identifying the file object containing the content entity associated with that identifier, and wherein a hierarchical arrangement of the content entity identifiers within the outline includes at least one hierarchical tier and at least one subordinate tier and corresponds to a user-defined content object hierarchical structure, and

redefining the order of the selected content entities and corresponding pre-existing material within the content object hierarchical structure in accordance with movement of a container or content entity identifier to a new location within the outline.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a user-specification of a content entity to move and target location for the specified content entity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of providing a mechanism for enabling a user to select a content entity to move and specify the target location in the content object through the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content object comprises a book, the content entities comprise sections and the containers comprise at least one of chapters and books.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a cost for the content object according to costs of the content entities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchically related content entities further comprise a parent container type and a child container type, and wherein parent containers can contain child containers, and child containers can contain content entities and each content entity has an identifier with a format of parentcontainerref.childcontainerref.contententityref, where parentcontainerref is a reference to a parent container, childcontainerref is a reference to a child container and contententityref is a reference to a content entity, thereby indicating the hierarchical level of the entity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the parent container type is a book, the child container type is a chapter, and the content entity is a section.

8. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for reordering content in a hierarchically structured content object being one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object and stored as a plurality of hierarchically related individual content entities in a data repository, each content entity having an identifier and stored within said data repository as a file object, said method comprising:

creating said content object by enabling selection of content entities within said data repository for inclusion within said content object via a user interface, wherein at least one selected content entity includes pre-existing material, is pre-stored in said data repository and is selectable for inclusion within a plurality of different content objects,

defining the content object with an outline of containers and content entity identifiers each associated with a corresponding one of said selected content entities, wherein the content entity identifiers each include identification information identifying the file object containing the content entity associated with that identifier, and wherein a hierarchical arrangement of the content entity identifiers within the outline includes at least one hierarchical tier and at least one subordinate tier and corresponds to a user-defined content object hierarchical structure, and

redefining the order of the selected content entities and corresponding pre-existing material within the content object hierarchical structure in accordance with movement of a container or content entity identifier to a new location within the outline.

9. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said method further comprises receiving a user-specification of a content entity to move and target location for the specified content entity.

10. The program storage device of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises providing a mechanism for enabling a user to select a content entity to move and specify the target location in the content object through the user interface.

11. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein the content object comprises a book, the content entities comprise sections and the containers comprise at least one of chapters and books.

12. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein said method further comprises calculating a cost for the content object according to costs of the content entities.

13. The program storage device of claim 8, wherein the hierarchically related content entities further comprise a parent container type and a child container type, and wherein parent containers can contain child containers, and child containers can contain content entities and each content entity has an identifier with a format of parentcontainerref.childcontainerref.contententityref, where parentcontainerref is a reference to a parent container, childcontainerref is a reference to a child container and contententityref is a reference to a content entity, thereby indicating the hierarchical level of the entity.

14. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the parent container type is a book, the child container type is a chapter, and the content entity is a section.

15. A system for reordering content in a hierarchically structured content object being one of a book, a collection of images, an album, a video and a multimedia object and stored as a plurality of hierarchically related individual content entities in a data repository, each content entity having an identifier and stored within said data repository as a file object, comprising:

means for creating said content object by enabling selection of content entities within said data repository for inclusion within said content object via a user interface, wherein at least one selected content entity includes pre-existing material, is pre-stored in said data repository and is selectable for inclusion within a plurality of different content objects,

means for defining the content object with an outline of containers and content entity identifiers each associated with a corresponding one of said selected content entities, wherein the content entity identifiers each include identification information identifying the file object containing the content entity associated with that identifier, and wherein a hierarchical arrangement of the content entity identifiers within the outline includes at least one hierarchical tier and at least one subordinate tier and corresponds to a user-defined content object hierarchical structure, and

means for redefining the order of the selected content entities and corresponding pre-existing material within the content object hierarchical structure in accordance with movement of a container or content entity identifier to a new location within the outline.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for receiving a user-specification of a content entity to move and target location for the specified content entity.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a mechanism for enabling a user to select a content entity to move and specify the target location in the content object through the user interface.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the content object comprises a book, the content entities comprise sections and the containers comprise at least one of chapters and books.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for calculating a cost for the content object according to costs of the content entities.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the hierarchically related content entities further comprise a parent container type and a child container type, and wherein parent containers can contain child containers, and child containers can contain content entities and each content entity has an identifier with a format of parentcontainerref.childcontainerref.contententityref, where parentcontainerref is a reference to a parent container, childcontainerref is a reference to a child container and contententityref is a reference to a content entity, thereby indicating the hierarchical level of the entity.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the parent container type is a book, the child container type is a chapter, and the content entity is a section.

22. A method for reordering content in a customized electronic book stored as a plurality of hierarchically related individual content entities in a computer database, each content entity having an identifier and stored within said computer database as a file object, comprising:

creating said customized book by enabling selection of content entities within said computer database for inclusion within said customized book via a user interface, wherein at least one selected content entity includes pre-existing material, is pre-stored in said computer database and is selectable for inclusion within a plurality of different customized books;

defining the customized book with a first outline of content entity identifiers each associated with a corresponding one of said selected content entities, wherein the content entity identifiers each include identification information identifying the file object containing the content entity associated with that identifier, and wherein a hierarchical arrangement of the content entity identifiers within the first outline includes at least one hierarchical tier and at least one subordinate tier and corresponds to a user-defined customized book hierarchical structure;

redefining the order of the selected content entities and corresponding pre-existing material within the customized book hierarchical structure in accordance with movement of a content entity identifier from the first outline to a new location within the first outline of content entity identifiers;

wherein moving a content entity identifier from the first outline to a new location comprises;

selecting a content entity identifier from the first outline to be moved; and

specifying a location from a second outline of content entity identifiers where the content entity identifier of the first outline is to be moved;

wherein the specified location comprises at least one of a current content entity identifier or a newly created content entity identifier.

23. A method for reordering content in a customized electronic book according to claim 22, wherein the specified location from the second outline of content entity identifiers is selected via a drop down box.