U.S. patent application number 14/610853 was filed with the patent office on 2015-05-28 for system and method for processes enabled by metadata associated with documents within a binder file.
The applicant listed for this patent is Global Graphics Software Limited. Invention is credited to Derek W. Pool, Eric Worrall.
Application Number | 20150149898 14/610853 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43731697 |
Filed Date | 2015-05-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150149898 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Worrall; Eric ; et
al. |
May 28, 2015 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSES ENABLED BY METADATA ASSOCIATED WITH
DOCUMENTS WITHIN A BINDER FILE
Abstract
A method of presenting documents includes providing a single
file comprising a plurality of documents, an identifier for each of
the plurality of documents, an indicator for each of the plurality
of documents to indicate in which one of a plurality of predefined
sections that document belongs and to indicate a position of that
document in that section, and a time indicator for each of the
plurality of documents to indicate when that document was last
updated within the single file if the document has been updated,
wherein each document has been created individually and added to
the single file. The method further includes updating the single
file using a computer application program to, without user
intervention, review the time indicator of at least one of the
plurality of documents in the single file and update that document
if an updated version of that document is available to the computer
application program; displaying a graphical interface that appears
as a notebook binder; and displaying a portion of at least one of
the plurality of documents on a graphical page of the notebook
binder of the graphical interface.
Inventors: |
Worrall; Eric; (March,
GB) ; Pool; Derek W.; (Herts, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Global Graphics Software Limited |
Cambourne |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
43731697 |
Appl. No.: |
14/610853 |
Filed: |
January 30, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12879329 |
Sep 10, 2010 |
8990725 |
|
|
14610853 |
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|
61241722 |
Sep 11, 2009 |
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61241739 |
Sep 11, 2009 |
|
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61241733 |
Sep 11, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/277 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0483 20130101;
G06F 16/93 20190101; G06F 40/106 20200101; G06F 40/103
20200101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/277 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/21 20060101
G06F017/21; G06F 3/0483 20060101 G06F003/0483 |
Claims
1. A method of presenting documents, the method comprising:
providing a single file comprising a plurality of documents, an
identifier for each of the plurality of documents, an indicator for
each of the plurality of documents to indicate in which one of a
plurality of predefined sections that document belongs and to
indicate a position of that document in that section, and a time
indicator for each of the plurality of documents to indicate when
that document was last updated within the single file if the
document has been updated, wherein each document has been created
individually and added to the single file; automatically, without
user request, initiation, or intervention, updating the single file
using a computer application program to review the time indicator
of at least one of the plurality of documents in the single file
and update that document if an updated version of that document is
available to the computer application program; displaying a
graphical interface that appears as a notebook binder; and
displaying a portion of at least one of the plurality of documents
on a graphical page of the notebook binder of the graphical
interface.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time indicator for a
respective one of the plurality of documents indicates, if that
document has not been updated, when that document was added to the
single file or when that document was created.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically updating
a change history document in the single file when at least one of
the plurality of documents is updated.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising automatically updating
a change history document in the single file when a document is
added to the single file.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically
generating or updating a table of contents document when a document
is added to the single file.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically, and
without user request, selecting a revision date and printing each
one of the plurality of documents that has been added to the single
file since the revision date.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising periodically, and
without user request, printing each one of the plurality of
documents updated in the single file since the revision date.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of
documents is designated as a document not to be updated and wherein
the computer application program is configured and arranged to not
update that document even if an updated version of that document is
available to the computer application program.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the single file
comprises automatically, without user request, initiation, or
intervention, updating the single file using the computer
application program to review the time indicator of each of the
plurality of documents of the single file and update that document
if an updated version of that document is available to the computer
application program.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the single file
comprises updating the single file automatically on a regular
periodic basis using the computer application program to, without
user request, initiation, or intervention, review the time
indicator of at least one of the plurality of documents in the
single file and update that document if an updated version of that
document is available to the computer application program.
11. A method of presenting documents, the method comprising:
providing a single file comprising a plurality of documents, an
identifier for each of the plurality of documents, an indicator for
each of the plurality of documents to indicate in which one of a
plurality of predefined sections that document belongs and to
indicate a position of that document in that section, and a time
indicator for each of the plurality of documents to indicate when
that document was last updated within the single file or added to
the single file if that document has not be updated, wherein each
document has been created individually and added to the single
file; selecting a cut-off date; automatically, without user
request, initiation, or intervention, updating the single file by
using a computer application program to review the time indicator
at least one of the plurality of documents in the single file and
delete that document if the time indicator of that document is
prior to the cut-off date; displaying a graphical interface that
appears as a notebook binder; and displaying a portion of at least
one of the plurality of documents on a graphical page of the
notebook binder of the graphical interface.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein updating the single file
comprises automatically, without user request, initiation, or
intervention, updating the single file by using the computer
application program to review the time indicator of each of the
plurality of documents of the single file and delete that document
if the time indicator of that document is prior to the cut-off
date.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically
updating a change history document in the single file when at least
one of the plurality of documents is deleted.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically
updating a change history document in the single file when a
document is added to the single file.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically
updating a table of contents document when a document is deleted
from the single file.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein updating the single file
comprises updating the single file automatically on a regular
periodic basis by using the computer application program to,
without user request, initiation, or intervention, review the time
indicator at least one of the plurality of documents in the single
file and delete that document if the time indicator of that
document is prior to the cut-off date.
17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having
processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable
instructions when installed onto a system enable the system to
perform actions, comprising: providing a single file comprising a
plurality of documents, an identifier for each of the plurality of
documents, an indicator for each of the plurality of documents to
indicate in which one of a plurality of predefined sections that
document belongs and to indicate a position of that document in
that section, and a time indicator for each of the plurality of
documents to indicate when that document was last updated within
the single file if the document has been updated, wherein each
document is created individually and added to the single file,
wherein each document has been created individually and added to
the single file; automatically, without user request, initiation,
or intervention, updating the single file using a computer
application program to review the time indicator of at least one of
the plurality of documents in the single file and update that
document if an updated version of that document is available to the
computer application program; displaying a graphical interface that
appears as a notebook binder; and displaying a portion of at least
one of the plurality of documents on a graphical page of the
notebook binder of the graphical interface.
18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
17, wherein updating the single file comprising updating the single
file automatically on a regular periodic basis using the computer
application program to, without user request, initiation, or
intervention, review the time indicator of at least one of the
plurality of documents in the single file and update that document
if an updated version of that document is available to the computer
application program.
19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having
processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable
instructions when installed onto a system enable the system to
perform actions, comprising: providing a single file comprising a
plurality of documents, an identifier for each of the plurality of
documents, an indicator for each of the plurality of documents to
indicate in which one of a plurality of predefined sections that
document belongs and to indicate a position of that document in
that section, and a time indicator for each of the plurality of
documents to indicate when that document was last updated within
the single file or added to the single file if that document has
not be updated, wherein each document has been created individually
and added to the single file; selecting a cut-off date;
automatically, without user request, initiation, or intervention,
updating the single file by using a computer application program to
review the time indicator at least one of the plurality of
documents in the single file and delete that document if the time
indicator of that document is prior to the cut-off date; displaying
a graphical interface that appears as a notebook binder; and
displaying a portion of at least one of the plurality of documents
on a graphical page of the notebook binder of the graphical
interface.
20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim
19, wherein updating the single file comprises updating the single
file automatically on a regular periodic basis by using the
computer application program to, without user request, initiation,
or intervention, review the time indicator at least one of the
plurality of documents in the single file and delete that document
if the time indicator of that document is prior to the cut-off
date.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/879,329 filed Sep. 10, 2010 which claims
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Ser. Nos.
61/241,733; 61/241,722; and 61/241,739, all of which were filed on
Sep. 11, 2009, all of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Many people who use computers in their day-to-day business
are not computer experts. It would often be counter-productive to
require them to be; they are needed for their other skills. As a
result one of the challenges in designing software applications
that will be used on computer workstations is to ensure that the
users of such software can perform the tasks of their jobs rapidly
and efficiently. If the user interface for an application is
complex or confusing then an organization may provide significant
training for their employees to use the application and may supply
help desk personnel to deal with queries and problems; both of
which may reduce productivity and increase the total cost of using
the software.
[0003] Over the past few decades it has become commonplace to
represent page-based documents on a computer display in a roughly
consistent way, often as a more-or-less white rectangle with the
same aspect ratio as a printed page, shown against a gray, black or
colored background. As a result of consistent usage computer users
are now familiar with this representation of a simple stream of
pages. In the same way the use of scroll bars and "page up" and
"page down" keys has become a part of the baseline knowledge that
new staff may be expected to already understand. These commonly
understood representations and methods of interaction do not,
however, extend to a more complex collection of documents that is
more than a simple, ordered, sequence of pages.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0004] One embodiment is a method of presenting documents including
providing a single file comprising a plurality of documents, an
identifier for each of the plurality of documents, an indicator for
each of the plurality of documents to indicate in which one of a
plurality of predefined sections that document belongs and to
indicate a position of that document in that section, and a time
indicator for each of the plurality of documents to indicate when
that document was last updated within the single file if the
document has been updated, wherein each document has been created
individually and added to the single file. The method further
includes updating the single file using a computer application
program to, without user intervention, review the time indicator of
at least one of the plurality of documents in the single file and
update that document if an updated version of that document is
available to the computer application program; displaying a
graphical interface that appears as a notebook binder; and
displaying a portion of at least one of the plurality of documents
on a graphical page of the notebook binder of the graphical
interface.
[0005] Another embodiment is a method of presenting documents
including providing a single file comprising a plurality of
documents, an identifier for each of the plurality of documents, an
indicator for each of the plurality of documents to indicate in
which one of a plurality of predefined sections that document
belongs and to indicate a position of that document in that
section, and a time indicator for each of the plurality of
documents to indicate when that document was last updated within
the single file or added to the single file if that document has
not be updated, wherein each document has been created individually
and added to the single file. The method further includes selecting
a cut-off date; updating the single file by using a computer
application program to, without user intervention, review the time
indicator at least one of the plurality of documents in the single
file and delete that document if the time indicator of that
document is prior to the cut-off date; displaying a graphical
interface that appears as a notebook binder; and displaying a
portion of at least one of the plurality of documents on a
graphical page of the notebook binder of the graphical
interface.
[0006] Yet another embodiment is a computer readable storage medium
having processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable
instructions when installed onto a system enable the system to
perform actions. The actions include providing a single file
comprising a plurality of documents, an identifier for each of the
plurality of documents, an indicator for each of the plurality of
documents to indicate in which one of a plurality of predefined
sections that document belongs and to indicate a position of that
document in that section, and a time indicator for each of the
plurality of documents to indicate when that document was last
updated within the single file if the document has been updated,
wherein each document is created individually and added to the
single file, wherein each document is created individually and
added to the single file. The actions further include updating the
single file using a computer application program to, without user
intervention, review the time indicator of at least one of the
plurality of documents in the single file and update that document
if an updated version of that document is available to the computer
application program; displaying a graphical interface that appears
as a notebook binder; and displaying a portion of at least one of
the plurality of documents on a graphical page of the notebook
binder of the graphical interface.
[0007] A further embodiment is a computer readable storage medium
having processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable
instructions when installed onto a system enable the system to
perform actions. The actions include providing a single file
comprising a plurality of documents, an identifier for each of the
plurality of documents, an indicator for each of the plurality of
documents to indicate in which one of a plurality of predefined
sections that document belongs and to indicate a position of that
document in that section, and a time indicator for each of the
plurality of documents to indicate when that document was last
updated within the single file or added to the single file if that
document has not be updated, wherein each document has been created
individually and added to the single file. The actions further
include selecting a cut-off date; updating the single file by using
a computer application program to, without user intervention,
review the time indicator at least one of the plurality of
documents in the single file and delete that document if the time
indicator of that document is prior to the cut-off date; displaying
a graphical interface that appears as a notebook binder; and
displaying a portion of at least one of the plurality of documents
on a graphical page of the notebook binder of the graphical
interface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present
invention are described with reference to the following drawings.
In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like parts
throughout the various figures unless otherwise specified.
[0009] For a better understanding of the present invention,
reference will be made to the following Detailed Description, which
is to be read in association with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of an
environment in which the invention can be employed;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic conceptualization of one embodiment of
a binder file, according to the invention;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of elements of one
embodiment of a system for management and display of content of a
binder file, according to the invention;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of a
method of adding a document to a binder file, according to the
invention;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of a
method of adding a document to a binder file and the hiding of
other documents in the section to which the document is added,
according to the invention; and
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of a
method of updating at least some documents in a binder file using
modified source files, according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] The methods, systems, and devices described herein may be
embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as
limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Accordingly, the
methods, systems, and devices described herein may take the form of
an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or
an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. The
following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a
limiting sense. The methods described herein can be performed using
any type of computing device that includes a processor or any
combination of computing devices where each device performs at
least part of the process.
[0017] Suitable computing devices typically include mass memory and
typically include communication between devices. The mass memory
illustrates a type of computer-readable media, namely computer
storage media. Computer storage media may include volatile,
nonvolatile, removable, and non-removable media implemented in any
method or technology for storage of information, such as computer
readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other
data. Examples of computer storage media include RAM, ROM, EEPROM,
flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile
disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic
tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or
any other medium which can be used to store the desired information
and which can be accessed by a computing device.
[0018] Methods of communication can include both wired and wireless
(e.g., RF, optical, or infrared) communications methods and such
methods provide another type of computer readable media; namely
communication media. Communication media typically embodies
computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules,
or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave,
data signal, or other transport mechanism and includes any
information delivery media. The terms "modulated data signal," and
"carrier-wave signal" includes a signal that has one or more of its
characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode
information, instructions, data, and the like, in the signal. By
way of example, communication media includes wired media such as
twisted pair, coaxial cable, fiber optics, wave guides, and other
wired media and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and
other wireless media.
[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an environment for the
invention. In FIG. 1, a network environment is illustrated, but it
will be understood that the invention is also applicable to
unnetworked computing devices as well. It will be understood that
the network environment can be a local area network, a wide area
network, or any combination thereof. It will also be understood
that the network can include devices, other than those illustrated,
coupled to the network and that there may be multiple devices of
each type illustrated connected to the network. The illustrated
environment includes a network 100 to which is attached, either
directly or through other devices, one or more computing devices
104 (e.g., computers, workstations, and the like), one or more
printers 102, and one or more servers 106. Other devices can
optionally be attached to the network such as personal data
assistants (PDA's), cameras, cellular telephones, portable storage
devices (e.g., compact discs, DVDs, memory sticks, flash drives, or
other optical or magnetic storage media), and the like. Any of
these devices can be connected directly to the network or via
another device such as a computing device 104, printer 102, or
server 106. A computing device 104 typically includes a display 108
and one or more input devices 110, such a keyboard, mouse,
trackball, and the like. The computing device will also typically
include internal components, such as a processor, a mass memory,
and one or more components for reading portable computer-readable
media, as described above.
[0020] Storage and presentation of related documents together is
one method of increasing efficiency. In the office and other
environments, physical documents are often collected into physical
binders (using, for example, a ring-binder, lever-arch binder,
comb- or ring-binding) for storage and reference. Often the
documents within the binder are divided into sections, where each
section contains different classes (e.g., different subject matter
or different type) of document. As an example a home user may file
utility bills into a binder with electricity in one section,
telephone bills into another section, and so on. Similarly, an
accounts clerk may file invoices relating to different suppliers or
different date ranges into separate sections. To provide a clear
demarcation between the sections, and to allow for easy navigation
when searching for a document within the binder, dividers may be
used between the sections. Such dividers may be made from a heavier
or stiffer medium than that on which the regular pages are printed,
may be colored and may include a tab that extends beyond the edges
of the pages of the documents within the binder. Each of these
characteristics enables the division between sections to be found
more easily and quickly.
[0021] Electronic documents are increasingly ubiquitous in business
environments. When multiple documents are accessed together they
can be organized in a variety of ways, including storage in a
hierarchy of directories or folders on a computer, or by a conduit
into a content management system running at the organization or
department level. In at least some circumstances, there is value in
maintaining a single file that contains a hierarchical document
structure in a way that is easy to transfer between users while
making it difficult to accidentally separate the constituent
documents. Such a file will be referred to herein as a `binder
file`. The binder file format is described in the U.S. Provisional
Patent Application entitled "System and Method for Providing a
Representation of Hierarchical Structures of Documents", Attorney
Docket No. 03002/0212532-US0, filed on even date herewith, and
incorporated herein by reference. A method and system for updating
and extending binders is described in "System and Method for
Amending and Extending Hierarchical Structures of Documents",
Attorney Docket No. 03002/0212534-US0, filed on even date herewith,
and incorporated herein by reference.
[0022] In at least some embodiments, the file with a binder format
can be used to store multiple `documents` within `sections` within
a single `binder` file. FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates this
concept with a binder file 200 containing multiple sections 202
with documents 204 distributed within the sections. It will be
understood the three level hierarchy of document/section/binder is
not exclusive and that the binder display metaphor may be extended
to other depths, for example, by the depiction of sections and
subsections.
[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the binder file 200 can be created
and modified using a binder management application 302. The binder
file 200 can be displayed on a computing device 104 using a binder
display application 304. It will be understood that the binder
management application 302 and binder display application 304 can
be components of a single software application or can be separate
applications. Moreover, the binder management application 302 and
binder display application 304 may reside on the same computing
device or may reside on different devices or even divided among any
number of different application. For example, a binder file 200 may
be generated using the binder management application 302 on one
computing device or using an external server and then imported to
another computing device or server for display using the binder
display application 304. In some instances, components of either or
both of the binder management application and binder display
application may reside on different computing devices or
servers.
[0024] Within the binder file each document and section has
metadata associated with it. Additional metadata may also be
associated with the binder file as a whole. The specific set of
metadata used may vary from one embodiment to another or may be
configured by a user of an embodiment. For example, the metadata
may include one more of the following: an identifier for each
document (e.g., a number or a title for each document); an
indicator in which section a document belongs; a locator for each
document designating a defined position within a section; a label
for each section (and possibly additional identification such as a
color); or the order of sections within the binder. Other metadata
may also be included for one or more (or even each) document,
section, or binder such as creator or author name(s); creation
date; identification of the source document from which this
document within the binder was imported (as a directory/file path
or as an identifier within a content management system or other
infrastructure repository); the time/date at which the document or
section was last modified; the time/date at which the document or
section was created or added to the binder; a time/date in the
future by which some activity must be performed; a table of
contents for the binder; binder name; the storage location of one
or more copies of the binder file (e.g., to allow for automatic
updating of the copies when the binder file is altered); alternate
document or section titles; recipient name(s) or title(s);
keyword(s); and other items such as those described by the Dublin
Core Metadata Initiative or that may be desirable for a specific
use case.
[0025] There are a number of different methods for associating
metadata with a documents, section, or file. For example, metadata
items may be generated automatically at the time of creation or
editing of the binder, section or document. Metadata items may be
automatically derived from a precursor representation of a document
at the time that the binder is created or a document is added to an
existing binder. Metadata items may be entered manually by a
computer user or derived from some other external source. It will
be understood that these methods may be used exclusively or in
combination for any particular set of metadata or any particular
metadata item.
[0026] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates one embodiment of a method
of adding a new document 402 to a binder file 400 to create a
modified binder file 400' that includes the new document. Metadata
404 is included with the new document 402 in the modified binder
file 400'. The metadata for the file may be generated automatically
or manually or any combination thereof. For example, metadata such
as the time and date of addition to the binder can be automatically
generated by the application. Metadata, such as creation date,
creator(s), title, and location of the source document can be
automatically generated from the document file itself Metadata,
such as the section into which the document is placed or the
document title, may be manually entered by the user.
[0027] The availability of such metadata can allow a computer
application, such as a binder maintenance application or a binder
display application, to include useful features that utilize the
metadata. Such features may be configured to operate automatically
(e.g., periodically) or without user request or intervention
(although the frequency of such operations may be user-definable),
to operate when initiated by a user (and, at least in some
embodiments, without further user intervention), or to be performed
manually by a user. An embodiment of a binder maintenance
application or a binder display application may include one or more
of the features described herein.
[0028] One example of a useful feature is the ability to print all
documents within a binder or section that have been changed (or, in
some embodiments, added) since a revision date. The selection of
the revision date may be automatic or made by a user. This may be
useful to, for example, prepare a loose-leaf update to a physical
copy of the software binder or to provide a set of modified
documents for a meeting or presentation. This feature might be
performed periodically or at user request.
[0029] Another useful feature is the ability to delete all
documents within a binder or section that have not been changed
since a certain date. This feature can be used to, for example,
purge documents that are no longer relevant or documents that are
beyond a document retention period (e.g., four, five, six, or ten
years.) In some embodiments, a cut-off date is established. The
cut-off date can be selected automatically (e.g., a date that is a
selected period prior to the current date) or selected by a user.
Documents with a date (e.g., one or more of the date last modified
or date created or date added to the binder file) older than the
cut-off date are purged. In at least some embodiments, a user may
designate documents that are not to be purged regardless of the
date of the document. Alternatively, a user may designate those
documents that might be purged; the rest of the documents being
exempt from purging regardless of date.
[0030] Yet another useful feature is the ability to update a single
document, all documents in a section, or all documents in a whole
binder from later versions of the source documents from which they
were originally imported. This feature can be used automatically or
upon user initiation to maintain an updated set of documents. In
some embodiments, the application may also replace one or more
copies of the binder files stored on other computing devices or
servers. In at least some embodiments, a user may designate
documents that are not to be updated regardless whether an updated
version of the document exists. Alternatively, a user may designate
those documents that might be updated; the rest of the documents
being exempt from updating regardless of date.
[0031] Another useful feature is the ability to generate a change
history for the binder, or for a section within it. This ability
may be automatic when the binder file is altered (e.g., when one or
more documents are added, updated, or modified or when metadata is
added or modified) or may be initiated by a user.
[0032] Yet another useful feature is the ability to create or
update a table of contents for the binder as a whole using tables
of contents within each document and knowledge of the binder
hierarchy. Again, this ability may be automatic when the binder
file is altered (e.g., when one or more documents are added,
updated, or modified or when metadata is added or modified) or may
be initiated by a user.
[0033] Another useful feature is the ability to hide all documents
within a binder or section that are older than a set time
(optionally with a feature that enables them to be revealed again.)
The selection of the set time may be automatic or made by a user.
This can be useful, for example, in review of the binder or in
meetings or presentations to highlight more recent information.
[0034] The binder file, or portions of the binder file such as
individual documents, sets of documents, or and sections, may have
business rules associated with it. These business rules may enable
automated processing of documents within the binder. For example,
the business rules may include automated rules utilizing the
features described above. Business rules may be utilized to
reminding a user that a deadline for an activity such as filling in
and submitting a form or the whole binder is approaching. Business
rules may be used to hide all pre-existing documents within a
section when a new document is added to that section (optionally
with a mechanism to enable the hidden documents to be revealed
again, thus holding a secure audit trail of updates to that
section.) Business rules can be used to automatically update a
document within the binder from later versions of the source
document from which it was originally imported at some defined time
interval.
[0035] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of one such rule based
on the addition of a new document 502 and metadata 504 to the
binder file 500 to form a modified binder file 500'. In this
example the pre-existing binder file 500 has business rules
attached to at least section 508 that instruct the binder
maintenance application to retain, but hide, all pre-existing
documents (e.g., document 506) in that section when a new document
is added. In this schematic representation, the user requests that
a new document 502 is added into section 508. The binder
maintenance application inserts the new document 502 into section
508 and hides old document 506.
[0036] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a rule based on the
updating of the binder file 600 to form a modified binder file 600'
by updating, if allowed, documents corresponding to source
documents that have been modified since a particular date. The
metadata associated with the documents Doc 1A, Doc 1B, Doc 2A, Doc
3A, and Doc 3B includes a source file location and a date when the
document in the binder file was last modified (or when it was added
to the binder file if the document was never modified.) In this
particular example, document Doc 3B has metadata tag indicating
that it never be updated within the binder file.
[0037] When a user requests that the binder file be updated (or
when a binder file update is triggered as a part of an automated
process) the current versions of the source documents are compared
with the document metadata within the binder. Documents within the
binder that were derived from source documents that have been
modified since they were originally inserted are replaced with the
later source documents, as indicated in FIG. 6 by shading of
documents Doc 1A, Doc 1B, and Doc 3A. If the source file of a
document has not been modified (e.g., Doc 3B) or the document is
tagged to not be updated (e.g., Doc 2A), then the document is not
updated.
[0038] The benefit of many of these features is the ability to
simultaneously manage all documentation associated with a task or
project using a binder file and its associate computer applications
while also using the binder file as a dashboard for managing the
task or project itself There are many instances where a user
creates similar documents for distribution many times, or where the
user delivers a complex, structured document in a very short time.
The ability to update a binder from the latest versions of external
documents enables these scenarios to be addressed very easily by
the user.
[0039] The above specification, examples and data provide a
description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the
invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the
invention also resides in the claims hereinafter appended.
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