US Patent 7,062,705: Techniques for forming electronic documents comprising multiple information types (Cisco Technology, Inc.)

Title: Techniques for forming electronic documents comprising multiple information types
Patent Number: US Patent 7,062,705
Issued: June 13, 2006
Filed: July 18, 2001
Parent case:

This application is related to and claims domestic priority from prior U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/252,378, filed Nov. 20, 2000. This application is related to US Patent 6,665,662 (Cisco Technology, Inc.) issued December 16, 2003 and entitled "Query Translation System for Retrieving Business Vocabulary Terms" by inventors M. Kirkwood et al. This application is related to US Patent 6,983,288 (Cisco Technology, Inc.) issued on January 3, 2006 and entitled "Multiple Layer Information Object Repository" by inventors M. Kirkwood et al. This application is related to US Patent 7,007,018 (Cisco Technology, Inc.) issued on February 28, 2006 and entitled "Business Vocabulary Data Storage Using Multiple Inter-Related Hierarchies" by inventors M. Kirkwood et al. This application is related to US Patent 7,103,607 (Cisco Technology, Inc.) issued on September 5, 2006 entitled "Business Vocabulary Data Retrieval Using Alternative Forms" by inventors M. Kirkwood et al.

Inventor(s): Kirkwood, Michael J. et al.
Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
Other references at issuance: n/a
Referenced after issuance: n/a
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There were 44 references to prior patents and pending applications at issuance, including US Patent 6665662 referenced above. The remaining 43 references are unremarkable for the scope and purposes of this blog.

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Abstract:

The present invention generally relates to data processing in the field of electronic document creation. The invention relates more specifically to defining document types in terms of information types related to stored object information objects for producing consistent documents in any form of presentation.

Independent claims (as numbered):

1. A method of forming electronic documents, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of: storing a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents; storing a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types; storing a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and producing a document based on integrating a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type, a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information, wherein said step of producing the document is not performed until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

32. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for forming electronic documents, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of: storing a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents; storing a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types; storing a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and producing a document based on integrating a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type, a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information, wherein said step of producing the document is not performed until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

33. A system for forming electronic documents, comprising: a means for storing a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents; a means for storing a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types; a means for storing a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and a means for producing a document based on integrating a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type, a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information, wherein the document is not produced until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.

34. A system for forming electronic documents, comprising: a computer-readable medium carrying: a plurality of information types for describing categories of information that are capable of being used in electronic documents; a plurality of document types, each document type comprising a unique set of information types of the plurality of information types; and a plurality of units of information, each unit of information associated with an information type of the plurality of information types, wherein each unit of information of the plurality of units of information includes any of any form of markup text, an application program, a Web service, a query for a database, a vector graphic, an image, audio data, video data, and other binary data; and one or more processors configured to perform the step of producing a document based on integrating a particular document type comprising a particular set of information types, wherein the particular document type includes first data indicating a first information type of the particular set of information types as a primary information type, a first set of units of information, each unit of information of the first set associated with a corresponding information type in the particular set of information types, wherein each unit of information of the first set is among the plurality of units of information, and one or more n-ary relationships that express the particular document type and the first set of units of information, wherein the document is not produced until the first set of units of information includes a first unit of information associated with the first information type.