Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-26
2001-05-08
Breene, John E. (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230168
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to information storage and retrieval systems. Specifically, the invention relates to methods for automatically creating a collection of hyperlinked files and/or automatically creating contexts within a hyperlinked collection of files. Typically, the hyperlinked files are stored in hypertext markup language (“HTML”) format at distributed remote internet servers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hypertext systems generally are constructed from a large number of small related “articles” or pages that are “linked” together to form a larger corpus of information. In distributed hypertext systems such as but not limited to the World-Wide Web on the internet, there is often value in constructing collections of hypertext pages that are related and contain linked information. The value of the collection is derived in part from storage and electronic and physical distribution efficiencies that are achieved from collecting related information. Another reason to create a collection is to greatly improve the value of the information to the target audience using the information, by making it easier and functionally richer to interact with it.
Bounded collections also provide context that can be augmented with navigational aids to allow a variety of operations to be performed on all or selected parts of the collection. These operations include, but are not limited to, searching, printing, hierarchical navigation (e.g. previous
ext page, table-of-contents, previous
ext search matches, etc.) Further, it would be possible to provide a categorized view of the entire context as a list of subjects and related components (pages) even if these groupings were not explicitly part of the hierarchical link structure of the material. Such a view would permit navigation by area of interest combined with more traditional hierarchical navigation. Present methods used by hypertext systems are not well suited to providing such, contexts for the information stored or retrieved from the system, thereby resulting in lost efficiency and function both in terms of the usage and storage/management of the information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method according to the present invention facilitates gathering a set of linked material in a distributed hypertext system into a collection that will both be contained and organized. The containment of such a collection may be the creation of a single file, data base, compacted or compiled format that includes copies of all the related material. The collection may continue to reference material outside its bounds through hypertext links as well. The organization of such a collection includes the creation of additional hypertext pages and links, and may include search indices that assist the user in navigating through the collection. These organizational pages and links can take the form of tables or directories of links, much like the table of contents, figure lists, and “back of the book” indices found in traditional printed material. They may also take the form of hypertext buttons or menus that assist the user in navigating through the material in a specific path.
One path of navigation is a particular sequential order, much as paging forward or backward through a bound volume. Another set of linked hypertext material might expose a hierarchical relationship between the objects in the material allowing the user to move “up” to higher level of more abstract information, or “down” to more specific topics. Further links may be added to the collection by a method according to the present invention that allow the user to “jump around”, viewing material on a spec subject area without regard to its sequential or hierarchical position in the context.
The method includes gathering a set of linked files for inclusion within a collection and identifying a map of links among the files. The map is then analyzed to determine groupings among the files based on relevance. Additional hypertext links are then created that link to files within the at least one group. The additional hypertext links are then stored in one of the files in the collection a new file that is added to the collection.
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Gegen Pete
Leone Paul
Rauch Thyra
Unger Jay
Breene John E.
Clay A. Bruce
International Business Machines Corp.
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
Robinson Greta L.
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