US6785667B2 — Method and apparatus for extracting data objects …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 208 words

A method for locating data objects in virtual location space, said method comprising: extracting a plurality of data objects from a data source, determining a relationship between said plurality of data objects, said relationship being based, at least in part, on a spatial paradigm, and locating each of said plurality of data objects at a respective location within a virtual location space, such locating being based, at least in part, on said spatial paradigm, said virtual location space including a first dimension, a second dimension, and a third dimension, said first dimension corresponding to a plurality of planes within the virtual location space at which a data object can be located and said second and said third dimensions corresponding to a position of a data object within a plane, wherein said locating comprises assigning to each of said plurality of data objects a value for each of said three dimensions, based, at least in part, on a template relating to said spatial paradigm, thereby determining said respective location of each of said plurality of data objects in said virtual location space, and wherein a first one of said plurality of data objects is located on a plane different from a second one of said plurality of data objects.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 208 words

A method for locating data objects in virtual location space, said method comprising: extracting a plurality of data objects from a data source, determining a relationship between said plurality of data objects, said relationship being based, at least in part, on a spatial paradigm, and locating each of said plurality of data objects at a respective location within a virtual location space, such locating being based, at least in part, on said spatial paradigm, said virtual location space including a first dimension, a second dimension, and a third dimension, said first dimension corresponding to a plurality of planes within the virtual location space at which a data object can be located and said second and said third dimensions corresponding to a position of a data object within a plane, wherein said locating comprises assigning to each of said plurality of data objects a value for each of said three dimensions, based, at least in part, on a template relating to said spatial paradigm, thereby determining said respective location of each of said plurality of data objects in said virtual location space, and wherein a first one of said plurality of data objects is located on a plane different from a second one of said plurality of data objects.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying from an adjustable viewing perspective of said user an appearance of a subset of said plurality of data objects in a virtual representation.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 1 , further comprising, comparing each of said plurality of data objects to a predetermined criterion, and establishing a hierarchical relationship between said data objects based in part on said comparison.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 15 words

The method of claim 3 further comprising organizing said data objects in a node tree.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 12 words

The method of claim 3 wherein said predetermined criterion includes content type.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 5 wherein said content type includes at least one of images, text, links, sounds, vector graphics, movies, executables, HTML elements, tables and frames.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 74 words

The method of claim 3 , in which said data source is a Web page, and wherein establishing said hierarchical relationship further comprises, receiving source code corresponding to said Web page, wherein each of said plurality of data objects is an element of said source code, and determining said hierarchical relationship between said plurality of data objects based, at least in part, on a display font size value of each of said data objects.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 73 words

The method of claim 3 , in which said data source is a Web page, and wherein establishing said hierarchical relationship further comprises, receiving source code corresponding to said Web page, wherein each of said plurality of data objects is an element of said source code, and determining said hierarchical relationship between said plurality of data objects based, at least in part, on a display location value of each of said data objects.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method of claim 1 wherein locating further comprises, defining a hierarchical node tree corresponding to said virtual location space, and assigning each of said data objects to a node in said hierarchical node tree, based, at least in part, on a template relating to said spatial paradigm, thereby determining said respective location of each data object in said virtual location space.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 13 words

The method of claim 1 wherein said data source is an edge server.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 1 further comprising converting said located data objects to be compatible with a platform.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 14 words

The method of claim 11 wherein said platform is associated with a mobile device.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 12 wherein said mobile device comprises a PDA, a watch display, or a telephone.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method of claim 11 wherein said platform is compatible with JAVA, a PALM operating system, a POCKET PC operating system or a SYMBIAN operating system.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 11 wherein said deliverable format is compatible with Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), HyperText Markup Language (HTML), Graphics Interchange Format (GIF), Zoomable Markup Language (ZML), or Macromedia FLASH.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method of claim 1 further comprising converting said located data objects to a deliverable format.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 65 words

The method of claim 1 wherein each of said data objects corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of abstraction levels, wherein determining said relationship further comprises determining said relationship between said plurality of data objects, said relationship including a plurality of hierarchical levels and being based, at least in part, on a correspondence between equivalent abstraction levels being associated with equivalent hierarchical levels.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 52 words

The method of claim 17 wherein locating further comprises locating each of said plurality of data objects at a respective location within a virtual location space, said location corresponding to one of said hierarchical levels, the method further comprising, displaying a set of said data objects corresponding to a first hierarchical level.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 1 wherein locating further comprises locating each of said plurality of data objects within said virtual space using Cartesian coordinates corresponding to said three dimensions.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 1 further comprising: enabling a user to navigate said data objects in a substantially unrestricted fashion using a pan control, a zoom-in control, and a zoom-out control.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method of claim 20 wherein enabling further comprises generating an appearance to the user of a virtual mass while navigating said data objects.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 89 words

The method of claim 20 wherein, with respect to a hierarchical level of a current data object, said pan control enables navigation to another data object located at a hierarchical level of said current data object, said zoom-in control enables navigation to another data object at another hierarchical level that is a child to said hierarchical level of said current data object, and said zoom-out control enables navigation to another data object at another hierarchical level that is a parent to said hierarchical level of said current data object.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 20 wherein, said pan control enables navigation along the second and the third dimensions, and said zoom-in control and said zoom-out control enables navigation along the third dimension.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 192 words

A system for locating data objects in virtual space, said system comprising: a computing device adapted to extract a plurality of data objects from a data source, and to locate each of said plurality of data objects at a respective location within a virtual location space, such locating being based, at least in part, on said spatial paradigm, said virtual location space including a first dimension, a second dimension, and a third dimension, said first dimension corresponding to a plurality of planes within the virtual location space at which a data object can be located and said second and said third dimensions corresponding to a position of a data object within a plane, wherein said locating comprises assigning to each of said plurality of data objects a value for each of said three dimensions, based, at least in part, on a template relating to said spatial paradigm, thereby determining said respective location of each of said plurality of data objects in said virtual location space, and wherein a first one of said plurality of data objects is located on a plane different from a second one of said plurality of data objects.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 192 words

A system for locating data objects in virtual space, said system comprising: a computing device adapted to extract a plurality of data objects from a data source, and to locate each of said plurality of data objects at a respective location within a virtual location space, such locating being based, at least in part, on said spatial paradigm, said virtual location space including a first dimension, a second dimension, and a third dimension, said first dimension corresponding to a plurality of planes within the virtual location space at which a data object can be located and said second and said third dimensions corresponding to a position of a data object within a plane, wherein said locating comprises assigning to each of said plurality of data objects a value for each of said three dimensions, based, at least in part, on a template relating to said spatial paradigm, thereby determining said respective location of each of said plurality of data objects in said virtual location space, and wherein a first one of said plurality of data objects is located on a plane different from a second one of said plurality of data objects.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 32 words

The system of claim 24 further adapted to display from an adjustable viewing perspective of said user an appearance of a subset of said plurality of data objects in a virtual representation.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 36 words

The system of claim 24 further adapted to compare each of said plurality of data objects to a predetermined criterion, and to establish a hierarchical relationship between said data objects based in part on said comparison.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 16 words

The system of claim 26 further adapted to organize said data objects in a node tree.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 11 words

The system of claim 26 said predetermined criterion includes content type.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system of claim 28 , wherein said content type includes at least one of images, text, links, sounds, vector graphics, movies, executables, HTML elements, tables and frame.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 67 words

The system of claim 26 , in which said data source is a Web page, further adapted to receive source code corresponding to said Web page, wherein each of said data objects is an element of said source code, and to determine said hierarchical relationship between said plurality of data objects based, at least in part, on a display font size value of each said data objects.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 68 words

The system of claim 26 , in which said data source is a Web page, further adapted to receive source code corresponding to said Web page, wherein each of said plurality of data objects is an element of said source code, and to determine said hierarchical relationship between said plurality of data objects based, at least in part, on a display location value of each said data objects.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 63 words

The system of claim 24 , further adapted to define a hierarchical node tree corresponding to said virtual location space, and to assign each of said data objects to a node in said hierarchical node tree, based, at least in part, on a template relating to said spatial paradigm, thereby determining said respective location of each data object in said virtual location space.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 13 words

The system of claim 24 wherein said data source is an edge server.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2007-08-31	2008-03-01	2008-08-31	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2011-08-31	2012-03-01	2012-08-31	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2015-08-31	2016-03-01	2016-08-31	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for extracting data objects and locating them in virtual space

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