U.S. patent application number 13/871313 was filed with the patent office on 2014-10-23 for system and method for annotating and manipulating electronic documents.
The applicant listed for this patent is David Lutz. Invention is credited to David Lutz.
Application Number | 20140317488 13/871313 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51729993 |
Filed Date | 2014-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140317488 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lutz; David |
October 23, 2014 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ANNOTATING AND MANIPULATING ELECTRONIC
DOCUMENTS
Abstract
A method, system, and computer program product allow a user to
annotate and manipulate a plurality of electronic documents. The
user loads a first electronic document comprising electronic
content, which content may be annotated or otherwise manipulated by
the user and which annotations are made using a user-defined
indication means. The annotated content is outputted to a second
electronic document, wherein the content is automatically organized
into a corresponding grouping defined by a user-selected
identifying aspect. The user may subsequently reorganize any of the
outputted annotations within the second electronic document. The
method, system, and computer program product further utilize a file
browser within which a plurality of electronic documents may be
organized and maintained by the user and a client-server protocol
for communicating data between a remote database and a local
storage medium.
Inventors: |
Lutz; David; (Bloomfield
Hills, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Lutz; David |
Bloomfield Hills |
MI |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51729993 |
Appl. No.: |
13/871313 |
Filed: |
April 26, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13866800 |
Apr 19, 2013 |
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13871313 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/230 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 40/103 20200101;
G06F 40/166 20200101; G06F 40/169 20200101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/230 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/24 20060101
G06F017/24 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for outputting and organizing
user-annotated content from a first electronic document to a second
electronic document, said method comprising the steps of: receiving
the first electronic document; loading the first electronic
document into a storage medium; creating a new, document within the
storage medium, the new document comprising the second electronic
document which second electronic is capable of receiving content
from the first electronic document; allowing a user to produce at
least one annotation onto the first electronic document using at
least one indication means, which at least one indication means is
selected by the user from a plurality of indication means;
outputting the at least one annotation from the first electronic
document directly to the second electronic document to generate or
add content to the second electronic document; and organizing the
at least one annotation outputted to the second electronic document
within at least one grouping, wherein the user may define the at
least one indication means of the plurality of indication means to
correspond to an identifying aspect, and wherein each at least one
grouping corresponds to at most one identifying aspect and each at
least one grouping contains each at least one annotation
corresponding to the identifying aspect corresponding thereto.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each at least one
indication means has at most one identifying aspect corresponding
thereto and each identifying aspect has at most one indication
means corresponding thereto.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said allowing step
further comprises the step of reproducing the at least one
annotation from the first electronic document and said outputting
step further comprises the step of outputting the reproduced at
least one annotation to the second electronic document.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user may
manipulate the at least one annotation within the second electronic
document by moving the at least one annotation within a grouping of
the at least one grouping or by moving the at least grouping from a
first grouping of the at least one grouping to a second grouping of
the at least one grouping.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electronic
document and the second electronic document are stored within a
file browser managed by the user, the file browser capable of
storing a plurality of first electronic documents and a plurality
of second electronic documents.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user may
manipulate the first electronic document by at least one of
underlining, italicizing, bolding, striking, highlighting,
coloring, circling, and free-hand drawing, which manipulation to
the first electronic document remains unless the manipulation is
removed from the first electronic document by the user.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user may assign
identifiers to the second electronic document, which identifier
corresponds to a name or other identifying information of the
second electronic document.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one
indication means comprises at least one of a highlight color and an
orthographic convention.
9. A system for allowing a user to produce at least one annotation
within a first electronic document and subsequently outputting said
at least one annotation to a new electronic document capable of
receiving content from said first electronic document, and
organizing said at least one annotation into an identifying aspect
within said new electronic document, said system comprising: a
computer readable medium, said computer readable medium storing
said first electronic document and said new electronic document,
said computer readable medium including a the browser stored
thereon; an input means, said input means allowing a user to
manipulate said first electronic document and said new electronic
document by producing said at least one annotation or by moving
said at least one annotation, said input means further allowing the
user to manipulate said file browser; a processor, said processor
recognizing said input means, said processor identifying said at
least one annotation in said first electronic document, said
processor relating said at least one annotation to said identifying
aspect, said processor reproducing said at least one annotation in
said new electronic document, said processor organizing said at
least one annotation based on said identifying aspect; and a
display module, said display module displaying said first
electronic document and said new electronic document, said display
module displaying said file browser.
10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said processor
executes a document editor, said document editor loading said first
electronic document onto said display module, said document editor
creating said new electronic document within said computer readable
medium, said new electronic document comprising a second electronic
document, said document editor allowing the user to produce said at
least one annotation, said at least one annotation encompassing at
least a portion of said first electronic document, said document
editor outputting said at least one annotation to be stored on said
computer readable medium, said document editor allowing the user to
manipulate said first electronic document by at least one of
underlining, italicizing, bolding, striking, highlighting,
coloring, circling, and free-hand drawing, which manipulation to
said first electronic document remains unless said manipulation is
removed from said first electronic document by the user.
11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said processor
thereafter executes a document organizer, said document organizer
receiving as input said at least one annotation stored on said
computer readable medium, said document organizer outputting said
at least one annotation to said second electronic document to
generate or add content to said second electronic document, said
document organizer organizing said at least one annotation into at
least one grouping of said second electronic document defined by
said identifying aspect, said document organizer loading said
second electronic document onto said display module, said document
organizer allowing the user to further organize said at least one
annotation as desired.
12. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said file browser
comprises at least one folder, said at least one folder capable of
storing and organizing said first electronic document and said
second electronic document on said computer readable medium, said
file browser capable of storing a plurality of first electronic
documents and a plurality of second electronic documents on said
computer readable medium.
13. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said processor allows
the user to define an indication means of a plurality of indication
means, said indication means of said plurality of indication means
graphically representing said at least one annotation within said
first electronic document and said second electronic document.
14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said indication
means comprises at least one of a highlight color and an
orthographic convention.
15. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said system further
comprises a client-server protocol, said client-server protocol
having a client side and a server side, said server side comprising
a remote database, said client side communicating with said server
side to receive data from and store data within said remote
database.
16. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory storage
medium for outputting and organizing user-annotated content from a
first electronic document to a second electronic document, said
computer program product comprising a program module having
instructions for: receiving said first electronic document; loading
said first electronic document into said non-transitory storage
medium; creating a new document within said non-transitory storage
medium, said new document comprising said second electronic
document, which second electronic is capable of receiving content
from said first electronic document; allowing a user to produce at
least one annotation onto said first electronic document using at
least one indication means, which at least one indication means is
selected by the user from a plurality of indication means;
outputting said at least one annotation from said first electronic
document directly to said second electronic document to generate or
add content to said second electronic document; and organizing said
at least one annotation outputted to said second electronic
document within at least one grouping, wherein the user may define
said at least one indication means of said plurality of indication
means to correspond to an identifying aspect, and wherein each said
at least one indication means has at most one said identifying
aspect corresponding thereto and each said identifying aspect has
at most one said at least one indication means corresponding
thereto, and wherein each said at least one grouping corresponds to
at most one said identifying aspect and each said at least one
grouping contains each said at least one annotation corresponding
to said identifying aspect corresponding thereto.
17. The computer program product as claimed in claim 16, wherein
said computer program product further comprises instructions for
reproducing said at least one annotation from said first electronic
document and outputting the reproduced said at least one annotation
to said second electronic document.
18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 16, wherein
said computer program product further comprises instructions for
including a file browser on said non-transitory storage medium,
said file browser comprising at least one folder, said at least one
folder capable of storing and organizing said first electronic
document and said second electronic document on said non-transitory
storage medium, said file browser capable of storing a plurality of
first electronic documents and a plurality of second electronic
documents on said non-transitory storage medium.
19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 16, wherein
said computer program product further comprises instructions for a
client-server protocol, said client-server protocol having a client
side and a server side, said server side comprising a remote
database, said client side communicating with said server side to
receive data from and store data within said remote database.
20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 16, wherein
said at least one indication means comprises at least one of a
highlight color and an orthographic convention.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation of and claims
priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.120 on the pending U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/866,800, filed on Apr. 19, 2013, the
disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a system and method for
annotating and manipulating electronic documents, and, more
particularly, to a system and method for outputting and organizing
user-annotated content from a first electronic document to a second
electronic document.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Perusing large documents for content can be a tiring and
stressful task. For instance, it is difficult for readers to
maintain organized notes on lengthy passages, and it is
particularly trying for readers to retain all of the necessary
information within their memory. A reader may further need to
organize his or her notes based on a particular category of content
or set thereof and/or may instead be reading strictly for
information pertaining to such categories. Even when a reader is
successful in consuming the content of a document, reviewing the
document and subsequently organizing a set of notes thereon
requires a significant amount of time to accomplish. For instance,
reading through a stack of legal court opinions or a movie
production script and also tracking and organizing all of the
relevant information from the document or documents is a trying
endeavor that demands constant focus and a substantial amount of
time to accomplish.
[0004] A traditional way to keep track of specific information in a
document is to highlight a passage in color or to annotate passages
of text or other content directly on the face of the document.
Doing so directs the reader's attention back to the highlighted or
annotated passages during a subsequent read-through, which makes it
easy to quickly recall important facts. Additionally, today,
highlighters are available in a plurality of colors, and when each
such color is paired with its own category of information, it
allows a reader to quickly reference specific (color-coded)
categories of content. Readers may take this process a step further
as well--by transposing the highlighted or annotated content from
the original document onto a new document, and maintaining the
transposed content in an organized, summarized manner on the new
document. "Briefing" court opinions is a good example of this
practice, which activity generally involves drafting a new document
and organizing specific information therein into the categories to
which it pertains, which new document may be used as a standalone
reference or as a supplement to the original court opinion
document.
[0005] However, while highlighting, or annotating, and transposing
such content is generally as simple process with print documents,
such as physical books and papers, it can be difficult and
inefficient when attempted with electronic documents. That is,
software applications generally do not provide an easy, convenient,
and efficient way for users to highlight or annotate content on an
electronic document, transpose that content to a new electronic
document, and organize that content therein into categories or
groupings based on the specific means by which the content was
highlighted or annotated. Because our society is moving more
towards electronic data and farther away from print, it is
important that readers be able to easily and efficiently annotate
content on a first electronic document, output the annotated
content to a second electronic document, and organize the annotated
content as desired within the second electronic document.
[0006] Solutions known in the art include the system and method
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,921, wherein a user annotates a
first electronic document and the system subsequently generates an
exact copy of that document and the annotations made thereon. This
technique creates a graphical overlay that can be disposed onto
copies of the first electronic document, which overlays comprise
the user's annotations exactly as they were made on the first
document. However, this system and method does not actually output
the annotated content from the original electronic document or
allow the user to edit the first electronic document, and so the
second electronic document created thereby does not help the user
by including only the annotated content from the first electronic
document or by organizing such content therein.
[0007] A second system and method for annotating the content of a
first electronic document is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,987,416
and involves creating an output repository wherein records are
maintained as to the identifying information of the first
electronic document within which the annotations were made, which
identifying information is predefined within a plurality of
reusable operators. The operators search through the first
electronic document for identifying information, which, when
located, is annotated and outputted to the output repository. While
this technique conveniently records and displays the annotations
made to a first electronic document, it too fails to create an
actual second electronic document that comprises the annotated
content from the first electronic document or that organizes such
content.
[0008] A third technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,603,
which relies on a method for taking as input a first electronic
document and a query of particularized content to be annotated,
which method searches the first electronic document for such
content, autonomously annotates it, and outputs the annotated
content to a database or repository. This method overcomes the
shortcomings of other techniques by outputting only the annotated
content to the second electronic document, which second document is
therefore a good resource for the user to review the annotated
content itself. Still, this technique includes its own
disadvantages, namely, that the process of annotating the first
electronic document may be automated rather than done by the user,
and, further, that the user is incapable of subsequently organizing
the annotated content within the database or repository.
[0009] Consequently there exists a need for a system and method
that allows as user to annotate content on a first electronic
document, output the annotated content to a second electronic
document, and organize the annotated content as desired within the
second electronic document into groupings defined by the content
categories to which the annotated content pertains.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In view of the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art, a
system and method for annotating, outputting, and organizing
electronic content configured to include all the advantages of the
prior art and to overcome the drawbacks inherent therein is
provided. The system and method allow an individual to annotate
content within a first electronic document and create a second
electronic document within which the user-annotated content is
stored. The annotated content is assigned to an identifying aspect
by the user, which identifying aspect allows the system and method
to automatically organize the annotated content into a specific
grouping within the second electronic document based on the
indication means used to so annotate it. The user may thereafter
reorganize the annotated content within the second electronic
document as desired.
[0011] In an embodiment, a method for annotating, outputting, and
organizing electronic content comprises the steps of receiving a
first electronic document, loading the first electronic document
into a storage medium, generating a second electronic document,
allowing a user to produce at least one annotation onto the first
electronic document using at least one indication means, outputting
the at least one annotation to the second electronic document, and
organizing the at least one annotation within at least one grouping
in the second electronic document. The method further allows the
user to define the at least one indication means used to produce
the at least one annotation and to correspond a user-defined
identifying aspect to the at least one indication means. The method
further corresponds the at least one grouping in the second
electronic document to at most one identifying aspect, which
provides for user control over the organization of the annotated
content stored therein.
[0012] In a further embodiment, each at least one indication means
may only correspond to at most one identifying aspect and
identifying aspect may only correspond to at most one indication
means.
[0013] In a further embodiment, the user may manipulate the at
least one annotation once it is stored in the second electronic
document.
[0014] In a further embodiment, the user may manipulate the first
electronic document in a variety of ways, including underlining,
italicizing, bolding, striking, highlighting, coloring, circling,
and free-hand drawing.
[0015] In a further embodiment, the user may associate identifiers
to the second electronic document.
[0016] In an embodiment, a system for annotating, outputting, and
organizing electronic content comprises a computer readable medium,
an input means, a processor, and a display module. The computer
readable medium stores a first electronic document and a second
electronic document and provides a file browser included therein.
The input means may be any input device for allowing a user to
manipulate the first and second electronic documents, as well as
the file browser. The processor executes various routines for
recognizing the input means, identifying at least one annotation
made to the first electronic document, relating the at least one
annotation to a user-defined identifying aspect, reproducing the at
least one annotation within the second electronic document, and
organizing the at least one annotation within the second electronic
document based on the identifying aspect related thereto. The
display module may be any display device for displaying the first
and second electronic documents, as well as the file browser.
[0017] In a further embodiment, the processor executes a document
editor subroutine, which loads the first electronic document onto
the display module, generates the second electronic document,
allows the user to produce at least one annotation on the first
electronic document and to otherwise manipulate such document in a
variety of ways, and thereafter stores the at least one annotation
on the computer readable medium.
[0018] In a further embodiment, the processor executes a document
organizer subroutine, which loads the second electronic document
onto the display module, receives the at least one annotation
stored on the computer readable medium, and organizes the at least
one annotation in the second electronic document within at least
one grouping defined by the identifying aspect corresponding
thereto.
[0019] In a further embodiment, the processor allows the user to
define an indication means for graphically representing the at
least one annotation within the first and second electronic
documents.
[0020] In an embodiment, a computer program product for annotating,
outputting, and organizing electronic content comprises a program
module having instructions for receiving a first electronic
document, loading the first electronic document into a storage
medium, generating a second electronic document, allowing a user to
produce at least one annotation onto the first electronic document
using at least one indication means, outputting the at least one
annotation to the second electronic document, and organizing the at
least one annotation within at least one grouping m the second
electronic document. The instructions further allow the user to
define the at least one indication means used to produce the at
least one annotation and to correspond a user-defined identifying
aspect to the at least one indication means, which identifying
aspect may only correspond to the one indication means
corresponding thereto. The instructions further correspond the at
least one grouping in the second electronic document to at most one
identifying aspect The instructions further limit the at least one
indication means to only correspond to at most one identifying
aspect.
[0021] In a further embodiment, the method further comprises the
step of and the program module of the computer program product
further comprises instructions for reproducing the at least one
annotation from the first electronic document, which reproduced
annotation is what is outputted to and stored within the second
electronic document such that the original annotation remains
stored within the first electronic document.
[0022] In a further embodiment, the method, system, and computer
program product further comprise a file browser that is managed by
the user and that stores the first and second electronic documents,
which file browser is capable of maintaining as many first and
second electronic documents as may be stored in the computer's
storage medium.
[0023] In a further embodiment, the system further comprises and
the program module of the computer program product further
comprises instructions for a client-server protocol for
communicating data between a remote database and the computer
readable medium.
[0024] In a further embodiment, the at least one indication means
of the method and computer program product and the indication means
of the system each comprise a highlight color defined by the
user.
[0025] These together with other aspects of the present disclosure,
along with the various features of novelty that characterize the
present disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the
claims annexed hereto and form a part of the present disclosure.
For a better understanding of the present disclosure, its operating
advantages, and the specific objects attained by its uses,
reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and detailed
description in which there are illustrated and described exemplary
embodiments of the present disclosure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] The advantages and features of the present invention will
become better understood with reference to the following detailed
description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein like elements are identified with like symbols,
and in which:
[0027] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary diagram of the connections between
the various computer systems involved in the disclosed method in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0028] FIG. 2A shows an exemplary flow chart illustrating the steps
of the disclosed method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment
of the present disclosure;
[0029] FIG. 2B shows a user being able to define associations
between indication means and identifying, aspects before receiving
a first electronic document, in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0030] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary user interface of the system and
method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0031] FIG. 4A shows an exemplary computer system diagrammed
hierarchically in table view in accordance with an exemplary
embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0032] FIG. 4B shows an outputting of at least one annotation to be
store on a computer readable medium, in accordance with an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0033] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary second electronic document with
identifying aspects, groupings, identifiers assigned by a user, and
annotations corresponding to identifying aspects, in accordance
with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0034] Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the
description of several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0035] The best mode for carrying out the present disclosure is
presented in terms of its preferred embodiments, herein depicted in
the accompanying figures. The preferred embodiments described
herein detail for illustrative purposes are subject to many
variations. It is understood that various omissions and
substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstances may
suggest or render expedient, but are intended to cover the
application or implementation without departing from the spirit or
scope of the present disclosure.
[0036] The terms "a" and "an" herein do not denote a limitation of
quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the
referenced items.
[0037] The present disclosure comprises a system and method for
annotating and manipulating electronic documents. In an embodiment,
a computer-implemented method for outputting and organizing
user-annotated content allows a user to load a first electronic
document, annotate the first electronic document, and output the
annotations to a pre-generated second electronic document. The
first electronic document is received by the computer implementing
the method and may be received from a remote source, such as a
website or remote server. The first electronic document is then
loaded into the storage medium of the computer and opened within a
program thereon capable of opening such an electronic file. The
second electronic document is generated thereafter and, once
annotations are made to the first electronic document, the
annotations are outputted thereto, where they are organized into a
specific grouping defined within a particularized area of the
second electronic document.
[0038] The method provides a plurality of indication means that the
user can associate with an identifying aspect, winch association
categorizes each annotated content item within the specific
grouping corresponding to the indication means used to annotate
such content item. In a preferred embodiment, the indication means
is a plurality of highlight colors and the identifying aspect is a
content category. The user defines the association between each
highlight color and its corresponding content category before
annotating the first electronic document. The second electronic
document then automatically organizes the annotated content therein
based on the highlight color used and groups all
similarly-annotated content items together for easy perusal. The
user may thereafter reorganize the annotated content within the
second electronic document as desired. In a further embodiment, the
indication means is a plurality of orthographic conventions.
[0039] In an embodiment, a system for allowing a user to produce an
annotation within a first electronic document and subsequently
output it to and organize it within a second electronic document
comprises a computer readable medium, an input means, a processor,
and a display module. The system stores the first and second
electronic documents until they are loaded for use on the display
module by the processor. The processor executes a document editor
subroutine that allows the user to annotate and otherwise
manipulate the first electronic document, and thereafter executes a
document organizer subroutine that generates the second electronic
document and outputs and organizes the annotations previously made
thereto and therein. In essence, the system is a computer hardware
configuration capable of running a software application comprising
program code for executing the disclosed method.
[0040] The present disclosure further comprises a computer program
product embodied on a storage medium for outputting and organizing
user-annotated content from a first electronic document to a second
electronic document. In an embodiment, the computer program product
comprises a program module having instructions for executing the
disclosed method on the computer on which the computer program is
installed, including instructions for receiving the first
electronic document from some source, loading it into the storage
medium of the computer, generating the second electronic document,
allowing the user to annotate the first electronic document using a
set of pre-defined indication means, outputting the annotations to
the second electronic document, and organizing them therein based
on the indication means used to so annotate them.
[0041] In a preferred embodiment, the disclosed computer program
product relates to a software application (hereinafter referred to
as the "application") capable of being executed on the disclosed
computer system, which application comprises the steps of the
disclosed method. The application generates a second electronic
document for receiving specific, user-selected content from a
separate, first electronic document, which content may be text,
images, or other forms. Specifically, the application allows the
user to annotate selected content front the first electronic
document using a plurality of highlight colors and/or orthographic
conventions, wherein each highlight color and/or orthographic
convention has been associated with a content category. The content
that is received by and stored within the second electronic
document is automatically organized into content categories based
on the user's pre-defined associations with the highlight color
and/or orthographic convention used to annotate such content. The
user may thereafter reorganize the annotated content items within
the second electronic document as desired. In this way, the user is
able to greatly reduce the amount of time spent on transposing such
content manually from the first electronic document to the second
electronic document.
[0042] For example, the application may be used by a law student to
help with briefing cases. Law students are generally required to
read significant quantities of court opinions (colloquially
referred to as "cases") in connection with their studies, and they
often brief these cases, which briefs comprise the important
information from such court opinions in order to help them
succinctly isolate (and, ideally, comprehend) the details thereof.
Thus, a law student using this application would be able to
download an electronic file comprising a case opinion and highlight
it using a variety of colors with each color pertaining to a
separate category of information (for instance, he or she might use
the yellow highlight color to annotate the facts of the case and
the orange highlight color to annotate the rules of law set forth
by the court). The second electronic document would resultingly
include groupings, each of which comprising a content category
(e.g. "Facts" and "Rules") and every line of text from the opinion
that was annotated using the highlight color corresponding to that
content category.
[0043] Similarly, and as another example, the application may be
used by an actor, playwright, or other individual involved in an
entertainment production to help with keeping track of each
character's lines. Scripts are generally very long and provide few
unique details for identifying one character from another aside
from the plain text prescribing the characters' names. It is often
desirable to have a separate listing of each individual character's
lines, for example, to better understand that character's
development and progression throughout the course of the
production's story. As such, the user would be able to download an
electronic file comprising a script and highlight it using a
variety of colors with each color pertaining to a different
character. The second electronic document would thus include
groupings, each of which comprising a content category (e.g.
"Character 1's Lines") and every time from the script that was
annotated using the highlight color corresponding to that content
category.
[0044] Additionally, the application has further uses than those
discussed above. Because the application may be used to annotate
items other than text, such as images, graphs, and charts, a user
may be able to create a second electronic document such as a
summary of a scientific journal article, a corporate business
report, and a sketchbook of drawings and designs. The application
can work with a variety of forms of electronic documents, including
those embodied in PDF, DOC, HTML, and other formats, and memory
sizes as large as that which can be stored on the computer readable
medium of the computer system running the application.
[0045] Referring now to FIG. 1, a diagram 10 is shown as indicating
the connections between the user's computer 11 and the various
other computers 15 and servers 12 involved in the disclosed method.
Before the first electronic document 13 can be received by the
user's computer 11, it must be located elsewhere and transmitted
thereto. The user will thus be required to find the first
electronic document 13 from some external source 14, which may be
another computer or a website. In an embodiment where the method is
used to generate a case brief for a court opinion, the first
electronic document 13 may be a court opinion and may come from a
legal database website. The user would log on to one of those
websites, perform research related to his or her subjects of study,
and uncover one or more court opinions that may be of interest to
him or her. In a further embodiment where the method is used to
generate a listing of lines based on the characters in a play or
movie, the first electronic document 13 may be a script derived
from a script database website, studio office, or other
location.
[0046] In an embodiment, the user may subsequently download the
court opinions, scripts, or other electronic documents to the
storage medium of the local computer 15 upon which the research was
performed and email them to an individualized email address as an
attachment thereto. This email address is provided to the user upon
his or her initially creating an account with the application and
directs all incoming messages to a server 12 that maintains the
user's information such as his or her account data, settings, and
files maintained in the application's library. Once the user is
back on his or her own computer 11, also known as the client
computer, he or she may log into the application using his or her
usemame and password. The application connects directly to the
server 12 on which the email message and attachments are
maintained, and any documents provided, by the user for use with
the application are automatically received within the file browser
upon the application loading in the computer's 11 memory. In an
embodiment, the attachments may only remain within the inbox for a
limited duration, which duration, in an embodiment, is fourteen
days, after which time the user would be required to re-download
such attached electronic documents. In a further embodiment, the
user may manually import the first electronic document 13 into the
file browser. Once downloaded to the application's library, the
first electronic document 13 is considered received.
[0047] The figure further illustrates the ability of the
application to be executed in one of two different computing
environments. First, and in a preferred embodiment, the application
is run on a local computer system 11 managed and possessed by the
user, for instance, on the user's tablet computer or laptop. In
this way, the processor of the user's computer system 11 will
execute the application and related subroutines and the storage
medium thereof will maintain and stare all files associated with
the application. In a further embodiment, the application runs on a
server 12 managed remotely and located at a remote location, and
the user connects their computer system 11 to such server 12 in
order to gain access to the application and associated data.
[0048] The flow chat of FIG. 2A depicts the process 20 by which the
user annotates the first electronic document using the application.
As is shown, the first step is the receiving step 21, which, as
discussed above, requires the user to receive the first electronic
document within the application from some source. After it is
received, the user may select the first electronic document from
the application's file browser to load it 22 onto the display of
the computer running the application. The first electronic
document, once loaded, may be viewed by the user as it would be had
it been loaded by a standard program capable of opening such a
file. The user may then choose to exit from the first electronic
document and return to the file browser, or to select an editing
tool provided on the display. Selecting the editing toot executes a
document editor subroutine, which allows the user to annotate and
otherwise manipulate the first electronic document.
[0049] The document editor subroutine initially and automatically
generates the second electronic document upon being executed 23,
which second electronic document is saved to the memory of the
computer miming the application 23A and is configured to receive
the annotations made to the first electronic document, as discussed
below. The second electronic document may initially be stored
within the same file folder as contains such first electronic
document and may thereafter be moved or otherwise reorganized by
the user to a different location in the file browser.
[0050] The document editor subroutine provides the user with a
variety of options for annotating 25 and otherwise manipulating 24
the content of the first electronic document. Specifically, a
plurality of indication means may be offered to the user for
annotating specific portions of the document that are of interest
to him or her. In an embodiment, the plurality of indication means
is a set of highlight colors from which the user may select one
color at a time to highlight specific lines of text, images, or
other content items. The plurality of highlight colors is provided
such that each highlight color may be used with a particular
identifying aspect, which, in an embodiment, is a content category.
The user may define the associations (as shown in FIG. 2B) between
the highlight colors and the content categories prior to annotating
the first electronic document by entering the settings menu, which
menu is accessible at least via the file browser. In an embodiment,
nine highlight colors may be provided for the user to correspond to
various content categories.
[0051] In an embodiment, the application allows the user to
associate multiple highlight colors with a single content category
and/or multiple content categories with a single highlight color.
For example, where the first electronic document is a court
opinion, the user may define the highlight colors yellow and orange
to correspond to the content category "Facts," or he or she may
define the highlight color yellow to correspond to the content
categories "Facts" and "Rules." However, in a preferred embodiment,
the method will allow the user to associate only a single highlight
color with a single content category. For example, in a preferred
embodiment where the first electronic document is a court opinion
and where the user defines the highlight color yellow to correspond
to the content category "Facts," he or she may not use any other
highlight colors with the content category "Facts," nor use the
highlight color yellow with any other content categories. In an
embodiment, the user will be able to define these associations
within the settings menu of the application.
[0052] In another embodiment, the indication means is a
user-defined orthographic convention (such as the italicization,
bolding, or underlining of text), which orthographic convention may
correspond to a content category such that when the user selects
and applies the orthographic convention to a portion of text in the
first electronic document for annotating that portion of such
document, the method, system, and computer program product of the
present disclosure will deposit that portion of the text to which
the particular orthographic convention has been applied to the
particular content category of the second electronic document that
corresponds thereto. It will be apparent that the user may employ a
plurality of different orthographic conventions to the first
electronic documents, each of which different orthographic
conventions having a particular content category associated
therewith.
[0053] While using the document editor subroutine, the user may
undertake is variety of actions, including, but not limited to,
annotating select content from the first electronic document with
the highlight colors; underlining, italicizing, bolding, and
striking text; and free-hand drawing thereupon. In an embodiment,
the application may provide an undo feature, which undo feature
when used would effectively erase any recently added annotations or
manipulations made to the first electronic document. In an
embodiment, the computer running the application will feature a
touch-based input means, such as a touch screen, which will thereby
allow the user to directly apply an annotation or manipulation to
the specific content of the first electronic document. In a further
embodiment, the input means may be a keyboard and mouse
configuration. It will be apparent that document editor subroutine
may allow the user to manipulate the first electronic document
using the input means, which input means may provide the user with
the ability to draw on or otherwise produce illustrations and
graphics within the first electronic document as desired.
[0054] In an embodiment, certain document manipulations such as the
free-hand drawing onto content will be maintained solely within the
first electronic document. Contrastingly, annotations made to the
first electronic document using the set of pre-defined highlight
colors and/or orthographic conventions will be outputted to the
second electronic document. In an embodiment, the annotations
themselves will be outputted 26 to the second electronic document
and will thus be removed from the first electronic document and
stored only within the second electronic document. In a further
embodiment, a copy of the annotations will be outputted 26 to the
second electronic document, thereby maintaining the original
annotations within the first electronic document and storing the
copy thereof within the second electronic document.
[0055] Once the user is finished annotating and manipulating the
first electronic document at 26A, the application may close the
document editor subroutine and execute a document organizer
subroutine. The document organizer subroutine may organize the
content 27 into a plurality of groupings, each of which
corresponding to a single content category. The application may
automatically organize the annotated content into the appropriate
content category based on the user-defined associations between
them that were defined before the annotations were made. For
example, in an embodiment where the annotated content is text and
the first electronic, document is a court opinion, where the user
defined the highlight color yellow to pertain to the content
category "Facts" and the highlight color orange to pertain to the
category "Rules," any text annotated within the first electronic
document using the yellow highlight color would be placed within
the "Facts" grouping within the second electronic document, and any
text highlighted in orange would be placed within the "Rules"
grouping therein.
[0056] In an embodiment, the document organizer subroutine will
order the annotations of a particular grouping based on the order
in which they appear in the first electronic document. In a further
embodiment, the document organizer subroutine will order the
annotations of a particular grouping based on the order in which
they are annotated by the user. In a further embodiment, and where
the annotated content is text, the document organizer subroutine
will order the annotations of a particular grouping alphabetically
based on the first letter of the first word of each annotated
content item. Once the annotations have been organized by the
document organizer subroutine, the application will load the second
electronic document 28 onto the display of the computer running the
application.
[0057] Although the method may automatically organize the annotated
content into the associated categories, the user may thereafter
reorganize the annotated content items 29 stored within the second
electronic document as desired by reordering the content items of a
particular grouping and/or relocating the content items to a
different grouping therein. The user may also assign identifiers to
the second electronic document in order to more easily identify
such document within the file browser. For example, where the first
electronic document is a court opinion and the second electronic
document comprises a brief of that opinion, the user may further
label the second electronic document with the name of the case or
the parties thereto, the reporter in which the opinion is
prescribed, the date of the decision, and other information. Or,
where the first electronic document is a script, the user may
further label the second electronic document with the title of the
production, the names of the actors, and other information. When
the user is done organizing or reorganizing 29A, the method
ends.
[0058] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary secondary electronic document,
which exemplary second electronic document includes one indication
means having one identifying aspect and vice versa. FIG. 5 also
shows annotations reproduced on the second electronic document,
manipulated annotations, assigned identifiers, and indication means
in the form of orthographic conventions.
[0059] The application allows the user to store a plurality of
first and second electronic documents within the application's
library. As such, the method may be repeated every time a user
finds a first electronic document that he or she wants to annotate
and is concluded upon the user finalizing his or her additional
edits to the second electronic document. The user may store as mart
first and second electronic documents as may be retained by the
computer's memory and may organize each of the files as desired
within the file browser of the application.
[0060] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary screenshot of an application using
such file browser 30 wherein the user may store and organize their
first electronic documents 36 and second electronic documents 37.
The main screen for the file browser 30 shows at least one file
folder 31 capable of organizing and storing a plurality of first
electronic documents 36 and second electronic documents 37, an
inbox folder 32, an icon for creating a new file folder 33, and a
settings menu icon 34 for accessing the settings and other options
of the application. The inbox folder 32 will be the location to
which the first electronic documents 36 are sent by and received
from the source of such electronic document. The user may remove
the received first electronic documents 36 from the inbox folder 32
and move them into a file folder 31 to organize them as desired.
The user may create as many file folders 31 as he or she likes to
organize and store the first and second electronic documents by
selecting the aforementioned new folder icon 33. Selecting a file
folder 31 from the file browser 30 causes a pop-up window 35 to
appear on the display, which window 35 will display the contents of
the selected file folder 31 in an organized way. The first
electronic documents 36 and second electronic documents 37 stored
therein may originally be organized alphabetically, and the user
may thereafter rename the files and otherwise reorganize them as
desired.
[0061] When the application is first loaded by the user, it will
prompt the user for authentication information such as a username
and a password. The user will have to either enter his or her
username and password to authenticate their account information and
log in, or opt to create a new account if he or she has not already
so done. There may further be an option for help with a lost or
forgotten username and/or password so that the user may reset his
or her account information. Once the application has authenticated
the user, the user is logged into his or her account and directed
to the file browser 30. The file browser 30 is the main screen used
by the user and the first one seen by the user after logging into
the application. In an embodiment, the file browser 30 may provide
the user with customization options for further personalizing the
file browser 30. These customization options may include altering
the color or other appearance features of the background and
foreground items and/or renaming the existing file folders 31.
[0062] In a preferred embodiment, the user's account and all data
associated therewith, including all first and second electronic
documents and settings, are stored locally on the computer that is
running the application. In this way, the authentication device is
used solely to securely protect the user's account and associated
data. In a further embodiment, the user's account and all data
associated therewith are stored on a remote server or a computer
other than that being used by the user to access the application.
In this way, the authentication device not only securely protects
the user's account and associated data, but also provides a remote
connection to the server on which such account and associated data
are stored and maintained.
[0063] A system capable of running the disclosed method is
diagrammed in FIG. 4A, which diagram illustrates the various
components of such system 40 and indicates their relation to one
another. The system 40 is a computer and therefore must comprise at
least a computer readable medium 41, an input means 42, a processor
43, and a display module 44, The processor 43 is capable of
executing commands and other various programs and routines, and
performs any calculations that are necessary to communicate any
information that may need to be transmitted between it and the
other components of the system. The computer readable medium 41 may
be a random access memory, or RAM, capable of loading various
programs and other routines to be executed by the processor 43 for
use by the user. The computer readable medium 41 may also be a
read-only memory, or ROM, such as a hard drive, capable of storing
quantities of information thereon for use by the user throughout
the execution of various programs and other routines.
[0064] The input means 42 comprises a means for allowing the user
to interact and otherwise cause changes to occur within the
software environments of the computer. In a preferred embodiment,
the input means 42 is touch-based, which allows the user to
annotate and select content using their fingers and thus do so
without the need of extraneous accessories. In a further
embodiment, the input means 42 may be a keyboard and mouse
combination that is operatively coupled with the computer system
via wired or wireless connections. The display module 44 may be any
screen for viewing the user interfaces embodied by the programs and
other routines being executed by the processor 43. In a preferred
embodiment wherein the input means 42 is touch-based, the display
module 44 is a touch screen. In a further embodiment, the display
module 44 may be a computer monitor, television, projector, or
other viewing device.
[0065] When the user causes the computer system 40 to open the
application, the processor 43 executes an executable file 45 for
running it and the application is brought to the front of the
display module 44. The user will enter their login information to
gain access to the file browser 46, which file browser 46 will
provide an organized way to view and maintain all of the electronic
documents constituting the user's library of content. When the user
begins the disclosed method by loading the first electronic
document into the computer readable medium 41, the processor 43
executes a document editor subroutine 47 that allows the user to
annotate and otherwise manipulate the first electronic document as
desired. For example, the user may underline, italicize, bold,
strike, or highlight any text; color or circle any image, chart, or
graph; and free hand draw anything thereon. The document editor
subroutine 47 will store all of the annotations made to the first
electronic document in the system's memory 41 (as shown in FIG. 4B)
for a transitory duration until the annotations are outputted to
and stored permanently within the second electronic document.
[0066] The document editor subroutine 47 initially loads the first
electronic document onto the display module 44 of the computer
system 40 and immediately thereafter generates the second
electronic document, which second electronic document receives the
outputted annotations. Once the user has finished annotating and
manipulating the first electronic document, the processor 43 closes
the document editor subroutine 47 and executes a document organizer
subroutine 48. The document organizer subroutine 48 receives the
annotations that are stored transitorily within the system's memory
41 therefrom and creates a plurality of groupings, each of which
representing a single content category to which the annotations
pertain. The document organizer subroutine 48 then determines the
appropriate groupings to which each of the annotations pertains and
places each within its respective grouping. In an embodiment, the
document organizer subroutine 48 will not create a grouping for a
particular content category if the user does not make any
annotations within the first electronic document using an
indication means pertaining to that content category.
[0067] For example, where the first electronic document is a court
opinion, if the document organizer subroutine 48 receives text that
was annotated using the yellow highlight color and such highlight
color corresponds to the "Facts" content category, the document
organizer subroutine 48 will organize that text under the "Facts"
grouping of the second electronic document; however, and in the
embodiment discussed above, if the user does not use the yellow
highlight color to annotate any content within the first electronic
document, there will be no grouping for "Facts" within the second
electronic document. Additionally, in an embodiment, the document
organizer subroutine 48 will order the annotations of a particular
grouping based on the order in which they appear in the first
electronic document. In a further embodiment, the document
organizer subroutine 48 will order the annotations of a particular
grouping based on the order in which they are annotated by the
user. In a further embodiment, and where the annotated content is
text, the document organizer subroutine 48 will order the
annotations of a particular grouping alphabetically based on the
first letter of the first word of each annotated content item.
[0068] Once all of the outputted annotations have been received by
the document organizer subroutine 48 and organized within the
second electronic document at their respective locations, the
document organizer subroutine 48 loads the second electronic
document onto the display module 44. This allows the user to view
the second electronic document to verify that all of the desired
annotations were made to the first electronic document and are
organized properly therein. The user may also thereafter
re-organize the annotations within the second electronic document
should they desire to do so, for example, if he or she decides that
an annotated content item listed under a particular grouping should
instead be listed under a different grouping or if an annotated
content item should be ordered before or after another within its
current grouping.
[0069] As stated above, and in a preferred embodiment, the
application itself is run on a local computer system that is
managed and possessed by the user, for instance, on the user's
tablet computer or laptop. In this way, the processor of the user's
computer system will execute the application and related
subroutines and the storage medium thereof will maintain and store
all files associated with the application. In a further embodiment,
the application itself is run on a remote server that is managed
remotely and located at a remote location, and the user merely
connects his or her computer system to such remote server in order
to gain access to the application. In this way, which is often
referred to as "cloud computing," the processor of the remote
server executes the application and related subroutines and the
storage medium thereof maintains and stores all associated files,
meaning that the user's computer system's processor merely must
execute a link to connect the user's computer system with the
remote server and thus that the user's computer system's storage
medium need not maintain or store the associated files.
[0070] The system and method disclosed herein provide various
advantages over the prior art. A user thereof may receive a first
electronic document from sonic source, load it into the storage
medium of a computer system, and produce annotations thereon and
otherwise manipulate it in a variety of ways. Meanwhile, the system
and method generates a second electronic document for receiving the
user-produced annotations, which annotations are outputted thereto
from the first, electronic document. The annotations are
automatically organized within the second electronic document based
on the indication means used to so annotate and the identifying,
aspect that has been pre-defined to correspond to such indication
means. The user may thereafter further organize the annotations
within the second electronic document as desired.
[0071] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the
present disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration
and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit
the present disclosure to the precise forms disclosed, and
obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light
of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and
described in order to best explain the principles of the present
disclosure and its practical application, to thereby enable others
skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure and various
embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the
particular use contemplated.
* * * * *