Automatic document citations by utilizing copied content for candidate sources

• US 9,703,763 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zemach, Aaron Saul
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Luu-Phuong
• Application Number:
  US14/459,769
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 715234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/382 using citations hypermedia G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5846 using extracted text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/14 Tree-structured documents parsing G06F40/205; validation G06F40/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0016 Selecting or retrieving of images by means of their associated code-marks, e.g. coded microfilm or microfiche microfilm reading G03B21/11; computers therefor G06F16/00; teaching devices G09B5/02; accessing record carriers G11B27/002; static digital stores using optical elements G11C13/04; intermediate storage of facsimile picture signals H04N1/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/36 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/416 Extracting the logical structure, e.g. chapters, sections or page numbers; Identifying elements of the document, e.g. authors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/418 Document matching, e.g. of document images

Abstract

A method for automatic document citations includes outputting, by one or more computing devices and for display, a first interface area in which an editable document is displayed and a second interface area outside of the first interface area. The method also includes, in response to a paste command, inserting copied content into the editable document and defining, in the second interface area, an interface element that includes source information regarding the copied content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting, by one or more computing devices and for display, a first interface area in which an editable document is displayed and a second interface area outside of the first interface area;

in response to a paste command, inserting copied content into the editable document;

identifying a plurality of candidate sources for the copied content, each candidate source being a distinct source of the copied content, at least some of the candidate sources being identified based on documents concurrently open in a third interface area outside of the first interface area and the second interface area;

outputting, in the second interface area, a plurality of interface elements, wherein each respective interface element corresponds to a respective candidate source for the copied content;

receiving, from a user, a selection of one of the interface elements; and

generating, by the one or more computing devices, citation information in the editable document based on the candidate source associated with the selected one of the interface elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each candidate source includes at least one of a title of a document associated with the copied content or a URL of a document associated with the copied content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interface area represents one or more document pages each having an outer periphery, and the second interface area is located outside of the outer peripheries of each of the one of more document pages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the copied content is received from an inter-application clipboard.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the copied content is received from an inter-application clipboard and at least some of the candidate sources of the plurality of candidate sources are associated with browser history information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface element includes an indication of a number of times each candidate source is referenced in the editable document.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the documents concurrently open are documents concurrently open in a browser.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to;

output, for display, a first interface area in which an editable document is displayed and a second interface area outside of the first interface area,

in response to a paste command,

insert copied content into the editable document, and

output, in the second interface area, a plurality of interface elements, each interface element associated with a candidate source, other than the editable document, for the copied content, at least some of the candidate sources are associated with results of a search function based on the copied content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each candidate source includes at least one of a title of a document associated with the copied content or a URL of a document associated with the copied content.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first interface area represents one or more document pages each having an outer periphery, and the second interface area is located outside of the outer peripheries of each of the one of more document pages.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the copied content is received from an inter-application clipboard.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein output of the interface element in the second area interface occurs in response to the paste command.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein output of the interface element in the second interface area occurs in response to a selection, by a user, of the copied content in the editable document in combination with a user input that causes display of the candidate sources.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device including program instructions executable by one or more processors that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

outputting, for display, a first interface area in which an editable document is displayed and a second interface area outside of the first interface area;

in response to a paste command, inserting copied content into the editable document;

identifying a plurality of candidate sources for the copied content, at least some of the candidate sources being identified based on documents concurrently open in a third interface area outside of the first interface area and the second interface area, and at least some of the candidate sources are associated with results of a search function based on the copied content; and

outputting, in the second interface area, a plurality of interface elements, wherein each respective interface element corresponds to a respective candidate source for the copied content.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein each candidate source includes at least one of a title of a document associated with the copied content or a URL of a document associated with the copied content.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the first interface area represents one or more document pages each having an outer periphery, and the second interface area is located outside of the outer peripheries of each of the one of more document pages.