Systems and methods for creating an annotation from a document

• US 9,122,666 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2011
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RELX Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: LexisNexis Group Inc. (RELX PLC)
• Inventors: Kerry-Tyerman, Jonathan, Sharma, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): TSUI, WILSON W
• Application Number:
  US13/177,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 715/205, 715/208, 715230-232, 715/255, 715/256, 715/266
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include systems and methods for annotating a document. Some embodiments include searching a first electronic legal document to determine a first reference to a statute, identifying a portion of the first electronic legal document that includes the first reference to the statute, and copying the portion of the first electronic legal document for inclusion as an annotation to the statute. Similarly, some embodiments include compiling the portion of the first electronic legal document into the annotation to the statute, receiving a request for the statute and providing the annotation for display. Other embodiments are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for creating an annotation from a document comprising:

searching a first electronic legal document to determine a first reference citation to a statute depicted in a second electronic legal document, wherein a plurality of content classifications has been identified for the first electronic legal document based on technical subject matter content, wherein the plurality of content classifications identify respective content portions of the first electronic document;

determining, from the plurality of content classifications, a technical content classification that describes content of the first electronic legal document associated with the first reference to the statute;

identifying a content portion of the first electronic legal document that includes the first reference citation to the statute;

copying the identified content portion of the first electronic legal document;

annotating the second electronic legal document with a plurality of annotations, wherein the plurality of annotations includes a first annotation that includes the determined content technical classification, wherein the plurality of annotations includes a second annotation that includes at least a part of the copied identified content portion, and wherein annotating the second electronic legal document further comprises including an interpretive note associated with the identified content portion;

providing, by a computing device, a user interface that includes the the annotated second electronic legal document and an option to filter annotation content being displayed in the second electronic legal document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user option for filtering the plurality of annotations;

receiving a selection of the user option; and

removing at least a portion of the plurality of annotations, according to the selection.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user option for filtering the plurality of annotations comprises an option for filtering according to at least one of the following criteria:

jurisdiction, practice area and legal topic, a subsection of the statute, date, and legal validity signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first reference includes at least one of the following:

a citation to a section of the statute, a document overview with disposition, an interpretive note, and a case citation with history.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching a third electronic legal document for a second reference to the statute;

identifying a portion of the third electronic legal document that includes the second reference to the statute;

comparing the first reference to the statute with the second reference to the statute; and

in response to determining that the first reference to the statute is not similar to the second reference to the statute, copying the portion of the third electronic legal document for inclusion as part of a third annotation of the statute and compiling the portion of the third electronic legal document into the third annotation to the statute.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the first electronic legal document contains a valid legal theory and, in response to determining that the first electronic legal document does not contain the valid legal theory, removing the portion of the first electronic legal document from the plurality of annotations.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a navigatable table of contents for providing access to the statute and the plurality of annotations.

8. A system for creating an annotation from a document comprising:

a processor; and

a memory component that stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the system to perform at least the following;

receive a request for a second electronic document, the second electronic document having content;

determine whether content within a first electronic document includes a reference to the second electronic document, wherein the system previously identified a plurality of content classifications for the content of the first electronic document, wherein the plurality of content classifications identify respective content portions of the first document;

determine, from the plurality of content classifications, one of the content classifications as a technical content classification of the reference to the first electronic document;

in response to determining that the first electronic document references the second electronic document, identify a content portion of the first electronic document that contains the reference to the second electronic document and retrieve the identified content portion of the first electronic document for inclusion as a first annotation to the second electronic document;

annotate, the content of the second electronic document to include the first annotation, text describing the technical content classification, and an interpretive note associated with the identified content portion;

provide, a user interface comprising the annotated content of second electronic document; and

provide, a user interface upon request that includes the annotated second electronic document, a user-option to filter content being viewed for the annotated second electronic document by filtering the first annotation according to user-defined criteria, and the determined technical classification.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to perform at least the following:

determine whether a third electronic document references the second electronic document, wherein the system previously identified a plurality of classifications of the third electronic document based on technical subject matter, wherein the plurality of classifications identify respective portions of the third electronic document;

determine whether the third electronic document is duplicative of the first electronic document; and

in response to determining that the third electronic document is not duplicative of the first electronic document, determining whether the classification of the first electronic document is similar to the classification of the third electronic document and, in response to determining that the classification of the first document is similar to the classification of the third electronic document, additionally include at least a portion of the third electronic document in the annotation, and arrange the portion of the first electronic document and the portion of the third electronic document according to classification.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the logic further causes the system to refrain from including the third electronic document into the annotation in response to a determination that the third electronic document is duplicative with a portion of the first electronic document.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the user-defined criteria comprises at least one of the following:

jurisdiction, practice area and legal topic, a subsection of the statute, date, and legal validity signal.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the first electronic document comprises at least one of the following:

a citation to a section of the second electronic document, an overview of the first electronic document with disposition, and a citation of the first electronic document with history.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to determine whether the first electronic document contains a valid legal theory and, in response to determining that the first electronic document does not contain the valid legal theory, removing the portion of the first electronic document from the annotation.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the logic further causes the system to generate a navigatable table of contents for providing access to the second electronic document and the annotation.

15. A system for creating annotations from a plurality of documents, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory component that stores logic that, when executed by the processor, causes the system to perform at least the following;

search a first electronic document to determine a first reference to a second electronic document, wherein the system previously identified a plurality of classifications of the first electronic document based on technical subject matter, wherein the plurality of classifications identify respective portions of the first electronic document;

identify a portion of the first electronic document that includes the first reference to the second electronic document;

determine from the plurality of classifications, a technical classification of the first reference to the second electronic document and an interpretive note, wherein the technical classification is determined via an indicator provided in the first electronic document;

copy the portion of the first electronic document for inclusion as a first annotation to the second electronic document;

compile the portion of the first electronic document into the first annotation to the second electronic document;

search a third electronic document to determine a second reference to the second electronic document;

identify a portion of the third electronic document that includes the second reference to the second electronic document;

copy the portion of the third electronic document for inclusion as a second annotation to the second electronic document;

compile the portion of the third electronic document into the second annotation to the second electronic document; and

provide a user interface that includes at least a portion of the second electronic document, the first annotation, the second annotation, the technical classification, and a filtering option for filtering the first annotation and the second annotation, wherein the user interface further provides a user annotation option to view additional, less relevant annotations to the second electronic document.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the logic further causes the system to perform at least the following:

provide a user option for filtering the first annotation and the second annotation;

receive a selection of the user option; and

remove at least one of the following, according to the selection;

the first annotation and the second annotation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second electronic document is a legal document and wherein the user option for filtering the first annotation and the second annotation comprises an option for filtering according to at least one of the following criteria:

jurisdiction, practice area and legal topic, a subsection of the second electronic legal document, date, and legal validity signal.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the first reference includes at least one of the following:

a citation to a section of the second electronic document, an overview of the first electronic document, and a citation of the first electronic document with history.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the logic further causes the system to remove the portion of the third electronic document from the annotation in response to determining that the portion of the third electronic document is duplicative with a portion of the first electronic document.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the logic further causes the system to determine whether the third electronic document contains a valid theory and in response to determining that the third electronic document does not contain the valid theory, removing the portion of the third electronic document from the annotation.