US6081814A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Document reference environment manager
Assignee: RPX Corp
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Filing: 1997-07-07
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Granted: 2000-06-27
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Expires: 2017-07-07
Abstract
Abstract A reference environment manager may create, modify, and access multiple environments, each containing certain references related in a manner of significance to a user. References may be entries referring to documents, provided by any suitable means. A user may create an environment and select references for inclusion therein from a list, such as a hit list provided by a conventional or a special purposes browser with an associated search engine. A catalog of environments may store entries identifying individual environments. A catalog may be navigated by a browser, to identify an environment. An environment may be so navigated, to identify a reference, as may directory services objects, associated with a document, in a directory services tree. Information may be available therein to determine whether to retrieve an entire document. A single browser may provide all browsing (search/review/navigation) functions. A directory services system may store catalog objects listing reference environments. Indirection may be provided by having catalogs listing reference environment objects, each pointing to a reference environment "outside" the directory services tree, subdividing and improving access and maintenance tasks.
Inventors
- 👤 Satwinder S. Mangat
- 👤 Wayne Taylor
- 👤 Steven G. Mahlum
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 06:21
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/958; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
An apparatus for managing reference environments, the apparatus comprising: a computer readable memory device storing a plurality of reference environments associated with a user, each reference environment containing entries, each entry reflecting a document, the computer readable memory device storing data structures further comprising: a network directory services system comprising directory services objects operably related in a hierarchical tree, each directory services object corresponding to an entity, and the hierarchical relationships corresponding to the relationships between the entities; a location object, being an instance of a directory services object, containing reference environment attributes, and identifying the reference environments, for controlling access to the reference environments by a user in accordance with the reference environment attributes; and a processor for executing a reference environment manager programmed to create, manage and modify the plurality of reference environments, the reference environment manager being independent from the directory services system and effective to create and modify the entries, and for executing a browser for navigating the plurality of reference environments.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
166 words
An apparatus for managing reference environments, the apparatus comprising: a computer readable memory device storing a plurality of reference environments associated with a user, each reference environment containing entries, each entry reflecting a document, the computer readable memory device storing data structures further comprising: a network directory services system comprising directory services objects operably related in a hierarchical tree, each directory services object corresponding to an entity, and the hierarchical relationships corresponding to the relationships between the entities; a location object, being an instance of a directory services object, containing reference environment attributes, and identifying the reference environments, for controlling access to the reference environments by a user in accordance with the reference environment attributes; and a processor for executing a reference environment manager programmed to create, manage and modify the plurality of reference environments, the reference environment manager being independent from the directory services system and effective to create and modify the entries, and for executing a browser for navigating the plurality of reference environments.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a server operably connected to a plurality of sites operably connected by an internetwork, each site storing documents, and the server being programmed to provide to the processor a hit list identifying selected documents selected from the documents in response to a query.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the server is further programmed to run a search engine for processing the query and providing the hit list to the processor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the browser is executable to provide to the reference environment manager selected document information corresponding to selected documents identified by the browser from the hit list, for inclusion in a selected reference environment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference environment manager further comprises: a creator module for creating a plurality of reference environments; a modifier module for modifying reference environments; and the browser is further programmed to selectively search, sort, and filter the reference environments and the entries therein.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference environment manager further comprises a modifier module for modifying entries in each of a plurality of reference environments and for modifying a definition of the each reference environment.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory device further stores at least one reference environment catalog identifying the plurality of reference environments, and wherein the reference environment manager is programmed to navigate the at least one reference environment catalog.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 7, wherein: the at least one reference environment catalog is an object in a directory services database of objects accessible over a network; and the memory device stores a reference environment object listed in the reference environment catalog and pointing to the each reference environment for providing indirection.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is operably connected to a directory services system for managing a directory services database containing directory services objects, and wherein the reference environment is pointed to by a reference environment object in the directory services database.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the directory services database stores document location objects pointing, respectively, to document location tables, and wherein the browser is executable to navigate the document location objects to identify a document according to information related to the document and stored in the document location tables.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each entry of a reference environment of the plurality of reference environments further comprises a backlink, for identifying a previous entry, and a forward link, for identifying a subsequent entry, and wherein the browser is executable to select and retrieve directly documents corresponding to the entry, previous entry, and subsequent entry.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
170 words
A directory services browsing system, comprising data structures stored in a computer-readable medium, the data structures comprising: a network directory services system comprising directory services objects operably related in a hierarchical tree, each directory services object corresponding to an entity and, the hierarchical relationships corresponding to the relationships between the entities; a directory services database containing directory services objects, the directory services objects including a catalog object programmed for containing distinguished names; a document location stable structured for instantiation independent from the directory services system and in correspondence with reference environments containing a list of references corresponding to documents and effective to uniquely identify the documents; a document location object, an instance of a directory services object programmed for control, maintenance, and instantiation by the directory services system for corresponding to the document location table and pointing to the document location table; a reference environment manager programmed to create, manage and modify reference environments in accordance with inputs from a user for access in accordance with the document location object.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
170 words
A directory services browsing system, comprising data structures stored in a computer-readable medium, the data structures comprising: a network directory services system comprising directory services objects operably related in a hierarchical tree, each directory services object corresponding to an entity and, the hierarchical relationships corresponding to the relationships between the entities; a directory services database containing directory services objects, the directory services objects including a catalog object programmed for containing distinguished names; a document location stable structured for instantiation independent from the directory services system and in correspondence with reference environments containing a list of references corresponding to documents and effective to uniquely identify the documents; a document location object, an instance of a directory services object programmed for control, maintenance, and instantiation by the directory services system for corresponding to the document location table and pointing to the document location table; a reference environment manager programmed to create, manage and modify reference environments in accordance with inputs from a user for access in accordance with the document location object.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
136 words
A computer readable medium storing data structures for managing reference environments, the data structures comprising: a reference environment manager programmed to create, manage and modify reference environments; a network directory services system comprising directory services objects operably related in a hierarchical tree, each directory services object corresponding to an entity and, the hierarchical relationships corresponding to the relationships between the entities; a document location table, structured for instantiation independent from the directory services system and in correspondence with the reference environments to contain a list of references corresponding to documents and effective to uniquely identify the documents; a document location object, being an instance of a directory services object programmed to be controlled, maintained, and instantiated by the directory services system for corresponding to the document location table and for pointing to the document location table.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
136 words
A computer readable medium storing data structures for managing reference environments, the data structures comprising: a reference environment manager programmed to create, manage and modify reference environments; a network directory services system comprising directory services objects operably related in a hierarchical tree, each directory services object corresponding to an entity and, the hierarchical relationships corresponding to the relationships between the entities; a document location table, structured for instantiation independent from the directory services system and in correspondence with the reference environments to contain a list of references corresponding to documents and effective to uniquely identify the documents; a document location object, being an instance of a directory services object programmed to be controlled, maintained, and instantiated by the directory services system for corresponding to the document location table and for pointing to the document location table.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The article of claim 13, wherein the reference environment manager further comprises a creator and a modifier for executing the creating and modifying, and wherein the creator is further programmed to create definitions defining, respectively, the reference environments.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The article of claim 14, wherein the modifier is further programmed to modify the definitions, respectively, of the reference environments.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
57 words
The article of claim 13, wherein each entry of a reference environment of the plurality of reference environments further comprises a backlink, for identifying a previous entry, and a forward link, for identifying a subsequent entry, and wherein the browser is executable to select and retrieve directly documents corresponding to the entry, previous entry, and subsequent entry.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
48 words
The article of claim 13, further storing executables effective to: provide a reference environment containing references; provide a catalog of reference environments; navigate the catalog to select a selected reference environment; navigate the reference environment to select a reference; and retrieve directly a document corresponding to the reference.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The article of claim 13, wherein the data structures further comprise a document location table storing information for identifying and selecting a document.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
The article of claim 18, wherein the data structures further comprise a document location object pointing to the document location table.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The article of claim 19, wherein the data structures further comprise a catalog object containing a list of distinguished names of objects for browsing.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
124 words
A method for managing reference environments, the method comprising: providing a network directory services system comprising directory services objects operably related in a hierarchical tree, each directory services object corresponding to an entity, and the hierarchical relationships corresponding to the relationships between the entities; providing a reference environment manager programmed to create, manage and modify reference environments; providing a document location table, configured for instantiation independent from the directory services system and in correspondence with the reference environments to list references corresponding to documents and to uniquely identify each of the documents; providing a document location object, an instance of a directory services object programmed for control, maintenance, and instantiation by the directory services system to correspond and point to the document location table.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
124 words
A method for managing reference environments, the method comprising: providing a network directory services system comprising directory services objects operably related in a hierarchical tree, each directory services object corresponding to an entity, and the hierarchical relationships corresponding to the relationships between the entities; providing a reference environment manager programmed to create, manage and modify reference environments; providing a document location table, configured for instantiation independent from the directory services system and in correspondence with the reference environments to list references corresponding to documents and to uniquely identify each of the documents; providing a document location object, an instance of a directory services object programmed for control, maintenance, and instantiation by the directory services system to correspond and point to the document location table.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5220625A
Cited
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Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-06-27 | 2003-12-27 | 2004-06-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-06-27 | 2007-12-27 | 2008-06-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-06-27 | 2011-12-27 | 2012-06-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |