Document data linking apparatus

Details Document data linking apparatus Document data linking apparatus

1998-12-03

2001-08-07

Black, Thomas (Department: 2171)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C709S202000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06272490

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for automatically appending a link destination address on a computer network to document data.
As computer networks such as the Internet and the like have spread rapidly, an environment that allows the user to easily search for the URL (uniform resource locator) addresses of link destinations corresponding to a predetermined keyword is in order.
In order to implement such search, conventionally, the user accesses a site called a search site dedicated to such searches, inputs a keyword for the contents to be obtained by a search on a search form of, e.g., a Web page provided by that site, and then acquires link destination addresses pertaining to that word as the search results. When each search result is provided as a Web page, the user need only click each map image on the displayed search result or each highlighted anchor tag using, e.g., a mouse, thus easily accessing a target site via the corresponding link destination address.
However, in such conventional system, the user must explicitly specify a word to be searched for by the search site, resulting in cumbersome search operation.
The link destination address searched once is saved as a history in a Web browser of a computer operated by the user. In order to use this history data in an arbitrary document, the link destination address saved as the history must be set for each word in the document using a given application program, also resulting in troublesome operation.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for appending a link destination address to each word in an arbitrary document.
To achieve the above object, there is provided a document data linking apparatus for linking document elements in document data, comprising: a link destination table including at least one entry in which document element identification information and at least one corresponding link destination address are registered; a link destination address inquiry module for inquiring of a predetermined search site as to a document element in the document data, and receiving search results each including a link destination address and link destination information thereof in response to the inquiry; a similarity detection module for detecting a similarity between the link destination information included in each search result and contents of the document data; and a link destination address setting module for selecting search results with higher similarities on the basis of the similarity detection result, registering an entry, which registers the link destination addresses of the selected search results and document element identification information for identifying the currently selected document element, in the link destination table, and storing access information in the registered entry in correspondence with the currently selected document element in the document data.
According to a document data linking apparatus realized as the first aspect of the present invention, each document element in document data can be automatically linked. Also, a link destination table is prepared, and only access information to an entry in the link destination table is stored at the position of each document element in the document data. In this way, a group of link destination addresses need not be repetitively stored in units of positions of document elements that appear repetitively, and link destination addresses can be efficiently set.
As a result, the need for conventional cumbersome operations such as input of a keyword, search, setting in a document, and the like can be obviated. Since a link destination pertaining to data such as a document can be automatically set, required information can be referred to from various information fields as needed, and the apparatus is effective for collecting related information of data, proofreading documents, and so forth.
According to a link destination address display/access apparatus or link destination address access apparatus realized as the second or third aspect of the present invention, the user can immediately access a link destination address from each automatically linked document element in document data.
According to a document data file distribution apparatus realized as the fourth aspect of the present invention, automatically linked documents can be easily distributed.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.


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“Automatic Hypermedia Link Generation”, IBM Technical Bulletin, U.S., IBM Corp., New York, vol. 35, No. 1A, Jun. 1, 1992 (Jun. 6, 1992), pp. 447-448, XP000308936, ISSN: 0018-8689—entire document.

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