Method of filing stapled documents with a staple relationship involving one or more application programs

Abstract

This invention relates to a method of establishing a staple relationship between two documents within a context of an application program. An end user indicates to the system that a staple relationship is to be established between two identified documents. The end user enters a definition of the staple relationship which includes any attributes to be associated with the identified documents within the staple relationship and the identity of at least one application within whose context the relationship is to exist. The system will create the staple relationship and file the identified documents in a library within the context of the specified application. The system then maintains the staple relationship between the identified documents within the context of the specified application.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. In an electronically automated information processing system having a plurality of documents stored thereon, a method for a user of said system to file documents having a directed relationship within said system, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying in said system two of said plurality of documents to have said direct relationship within said system;

defining in said system a staple relationship between said two documents and identifying a staplee document and a stapler document;

specifying in said system history attributes for said identified documents;

indicating a location within said information processing system for each of said identified documents;

specifying at least one application program operable in said system within whose context said staple relationship exists; and

creating and directly relating a data object to said identified stapler document, which data object contains a unique identifier for each document attached by staple relationship to said stapler document and any history attributes for documents attached by staple relationship to said stapler document.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further includes the step of creating within said system a data object which is related to said identified staples document and contains said unique identifier for each document attached to said staplee document and any history attributes relating said documents attached to said staplee document.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related in subject matter to the following applications filed concurrently herewith and assigned to a common assignee:

Application Ser. No. 07/277,385 filed by M. G. MacPhail entitled "Method of Filing Stapled Documents Within A Context of A Folder".

Application Ser. No. 07/277,387 filed by M. G. MacPhail entitled "Method of Filing Stapled Documents".

Application Ser. No. 07/277,390 filed by M. G. MacPhail entitled "Method of Distributing Stapled Documents".

The foregoing copending applications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to methods of managing documents in an information processing system and more particularly, to methods of filing stapled documents in the information processing system within the context of an application program.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In recent times, automation of offices is rapidly becoming a reality for an increasing number of organizations. Office automation helps the organizations integrate data files with text, store and retrieve correspondence and reports electronically, distribute documents electronically and support the day-to-day activities of administrative personnel, professionals and managers.

While some of the benefits of electronic document processing can be realized from a single, stand-alone office system, a network which connects office systems in various locations in the organization increases the productivity of the organization. Physically, a network is a combination of interconnected pieces of equipment and programs used for moving information between points where it may be generated, processed, stored and used. From the viewpoint of an user of the network, the network is a collection of services which are useful in creating, revising, distributing, filing and retrieving documents.

In today's electronic office, documents are physically grouped or stored using one of the following techniques: partition data sets, directories and folders. Partition data sets are storage areas on a disk or other form of storage medium. Documents stored in a partition data set only exist in that storage area and a partition data set can not be deleted until all of the documents included therein have been removed. Generally, the documents are filed in the partition data set in the order created and there is no other relationship regarding the order to the documents.

Directories are similar to partition data sets in that they are physical storage areas for documents for files. Documents can not exist in more that one physical storage area. The documents contained in a directory are not logically organized.

In regards to both the partition data sets and the directories, if a user filed a group of documents which are related to a general topic and wanted to review the group of documents, the user would have to first locate the partition data set or sets or the directory or directories containing the documents. In partition data sets and directories, documents have to be deleted from the bottom up. Additionally, it is very difficult to rearrange documents stored or grouped using these two techniques. The documents must be copied and then deleted. Moreover, partition data sets, except for the contents thereof, can not be distributed. Directories can not be distributed in their entirety. Linear and hierarchical groupings can not be distributed using directories or partition data sets because the groupings mechanism utilized therewith will be lost. This type of operation technique reduces the efficiency of the electronic office.

Folders are documents which form hierarchical and linear relationship between a group of documents. Folders can be nested to form the hierarchical relationship whereby the group of documents within a folder are ordered to form the linear relationship. The documents within a folder are organized sequentially by a specified descriptor or by a specified position number. Access to a folder is independent from the documents contained therein. Documents within a folder can be manipulated as a single document, as a set of documents which comprise the entire folder or as a set of documents which comprise a specified level of the folder document.

A folder can be used to form a directed or one-to-one relationship between two documents. This requires the folder to be a first document and a document contained therein to be a second document. The relationship suffers in that not all documents are folders and if any other documents are entered into the folder, the one-to-one relationship between the first and the second document becomes unclear.

The use of partitioned data sets and directories in establishing directed relationships between two documents suffers from limitations which are similar to those as a result of using a folder. There is no way to identify which document is coupled to another, when more than two documents are included in a partitioned data set or directory, the one-to-one relationship is lost and the forms of grouping documents requires the creation of a new folder, directory or partition to establish the relationship.

Consequently, what is needed is a technique for establishing a directed relationship between documents without creating additional documents or groups.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to methods of establishing a directed relationship between at least two documents stored in an information processing system within the context of an application program. An end user indicates to the system that a staple relationship is to be created between at least two identified documents stored in therein. The staple relationship is then defined by entering an indication that the staple relationship is restricted to the application program, a name of the application, stapler/staplee attributes of the at least two documents including whether or not history is to be maintained and pointers to the physical locations of the at least two documents in the system. In response to the entry of the data defining the staple relationship, an add or file request is transmitted to a library server along with copies of any documents which are not filed in a library. The server then sets data objects associated with the identified documents to reflect the staple relationship. Thereafter, the server files the identified documents into the library as specified by the staple relationship defined by the end user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a document management system in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a model of a document showing the various objects associated with a document stored in the system of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 through 6 are object structures which are employed in establishing a staple relationship within a context of an application.

FIGS. 7 through 9 are various flow charts illustrating detailed steps of the method of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a document management system 10 which controls the creation, retrieval, editing and distribution of documents within an information processing system. Moreover, the document management system 10 enables an end user (EU) to file a pair of documents in the system 10 which are coupled together in a stapled relationship within the context of an application. In essence, a stapled pair of documents to be filed consists of documents copied from the EU's local storage, the server's storage or a combination of both. Thus, the EU creates the staple relationship by interacting with a dialogue manager application 14 providing the data which is necessary to establish the staple relationship between the pair of documents. The necessary data includes addressing information for access control, contextual-search characteristics, requester/principle identifiers and a definition of the stapled pair of documents. The definition of the stapled pair includes an indication that a document is stapled by another document and pointers to the physical location of all of the documents to be filed. These documents can be directly accessible to the requester application 16 or they can be directly accessible to the requester's server 18. After the dialogue manager application 14 has gathered the above-identified information, it transmits the information to the requester application program 16.

The requester application application program 16, in response to input from the dialogue manager application 14, builds an add or a file request and transmits the request to the requester's server 18. The file request is built when at least one of the documents specified in the request to be a part of the staple relationship is not stored in a library 12. The add request is built when all of the documents specified in the request are stored in the library 12. The requester application program 16 makes a copy of each of the locally accessible documents identified by the EU which are stored in a local storage medium 20. The copies of the documents are transmitted to the requester's server 18 along with the request. Additionally, the requester application program 16 transmits pointers to the physical location of all of the documents identified in the request which are stored in the library 12 and not otherwise identified by the folder document containing the documents.

The requester's server 18 files the stapled documents into the library 12 as specified in the file request. The appropriate staple relationship will be established and maintained as specified in the file or add request.

The document management system 10 shown in FIG. 1 utilizes a uniform structure for exchanging information within the system. This structure includes an encoding scheme which is designed to convey any document, irrespective of it content, from one type of office system to another and to communicate the intent of the person creating or transmitting a document as to the method of processing thereof. One type of structure which meets all of these requirements is the Document Interchange Architecture (DIA) which is a part of a DISOSS office system marketed by the International Business Machines Corporation.

DIA is a program-to-program communication architecture which defines the protocols and data structures that enable programs to interchange information such as documents and messages in a consistent and predictable manner. DIA is independent of the type of information managed by DIA services. DIA includes document objects which contain parameters or descriptors that describe the contents of the information being transmitted. The descriptors contained in the objects include the name under which the information is filed, the authors, the subject of the information and the date the information was filed in the document history. These descriptors enable a document to be searched in a storage medium such as the server library 12.

The server library 12 performs various services for the system 10. These services are used for storing and retrieving documents electronically. Whenever a document is filed in the server library 12, a set of descriptors called a document profile is filed with it. The profile contains the descriptors noted above. Document profiles are used in searching for documents in the library 12. For purposes of illustration and not limitation, a EU can ask the system 10 to search for all documents regarding a particular subject and by a certain author which was filed in the library 12 between any two dates. Upon completing the search, the system presents the EU with a list of the documents which meet the search criteria. The EU could then ask the system 10 to retrieve a copy of a specific document on the list from the library an deliver the copy the EU for printing or viewing.

The server library 12 also provides the following services: file documents in and retrieve or delete documents from the library; update work in progress documents in the library; specify a security level to associate with the document that is being filed; allow authorized end users other than the EU who filed the document to retrieve the document from the library and perform searches for and retrieve documents in the library for other end users. The server library 12 assigns each new document filed in therein a unique name called a library-assigned document name (LADN). This name is returned to the requester and can be used to uniquely identify the document at some later time.

Referring to FIG. 2, each document stored in the server library 12 includes the objects shown therein. All of the objects shown in FIG. 2 are created in response to the processing a FILE command. A document model object contains information concerning ownership and attributes of a specific document. This object controls the access to the document during its life in the library.

An original owner object contains or points to information used by an owner of the document to control access to the document as filed.

A document content object provides for the storage of the document content and for saving information relating to the actual size of the filed document.

A document relation object describes the logical relationships between the document and other documents. If the document is a folder, each of the documents contained therein has a pointer or LADN entry in this object. If this document is in one or more folders, then each folder has a pointer or LADN entry in this object. Enter and remove history may be maintained for the document either as a folder or as a document in other folders.

An access control model object is created when the document owner authorizes other users to access the document.

Structures for all of the above-identified objects except document relations object (DRO) are a part of the DISOSS office system and will not be described herein. Every document stored in system 10 has a document relations object associated therewith. FIG. 3 shows the structure of the DRO which consists of the following: an attribute parameter set, a folder document parameter set, a document-within-a-folder (DIF) parameter set, a staplee parameter set and a stapler parameter set.

The attribute parameter set indicates whether or not the document associated with the DRO is a folder or whether or not the document is a `folder-only` document. Additionally, the attribute parameter set indicates whether or not in a stapled relationship the associated document is designated as a "staplee" or as a "stapler" with respect to another document. A staplee document is a document which is stapled by another document. A stapler document is a document which is stapled to another document. FIG. 4 illustrates the structure for the attribute parameter set. A folder attribute indicates whether or not the document associated with the document relation object is a folder. If the document is a folder, then a folder section parameter set is required. A DIF (document in folder) attribute indicates whether or not the document is contained within any folders. A folder-only attribute indicates whether or not the document can be viewed as existing on its own when it is included within a folder. Documents are viewed as folder-only when both the DIF and Folder-only attributes are positively set.

A physical document in a physical folder is a folder-only document. In essence, the physical document exists in the folder and can not stand on its own. However, electronic documents can logically exist in multiple places at the same time. Therefore, a document can appear to be in more than one folder and standing on its own all at the same time. Whether or not the document can stand on its own when it is also in a folder is indicated by the folder-only attribute. Folder-only documents are viewed as stand-alone when they are not contained by any folders.

The staplee attribute indicates whether or not the document associated with the DRO is a stapled by another document. The stapler attribute indicates whether or not the document associated with the DRO is stapled to another document.

FIG. 5 illustrates the structure for the staplee section parameters. The staplee parameters associated with the DRO is defined as a repository for information specific to a document stapled by another document. The staplee parameters are created when the document associated with the DRO is stapled by another document. The staplee parameters are preserved with the document until the document is deleted from a document library or the document is unstapled by its last document. The attributes parameter allows for the specification of a history option when the document is stapled and unstapled by another document. The history option determines the maintenance of a related document parameter set associated with the document. The related document parameter set is either deleted when the document is unstapled by another document and maintained when the document is stapled by another document. Alternatively, the related document parameter set is maintained when the document is unstapled by another document. The request date, time and requester's identification are added to the related document parameter set. When the document is restapled by the same document, the new staple date, time and the requester's identification are added to the related document parameter set.

The related document parameter set includes the following: a related document parameter introducer, the LADN of the document by which the document is stapled, a user-assigned document name of the other document, the context in which this document was stapled by the other document, the date and time this document was stapled by the other document, the identification of the staple requester, and the date and time the document was unstapled and the identification of the unstaple requester if the history option is specified.

FIG. 6 illustrates the structure for the staplee related document subparameters. The stapler LADN is a unique name assigned to the other document by the server library when the other document was filed in the library. The document name parameter identifies the other document by its user-assigned name. The context parameter set specifies the context in which this document is stapled by the other document: the context can be all folders, a set of folders, an application, or a set of applications. The other document can appear in more than one folder. The context parameter can be used to specify in which folders this document appears to be stapled by the other document. Similarly, the context parameter can be used to specify that this document is stapled by the other document in the context of an application. For purposes of illustration and not limitation, an application used to highlight data in a document could create an overlay template and staple it to another document. When the application is used, the template highlights the data without disturbing the original document. Moreover, the template may not have any meaning outside of the context of the application.

The add data subparameter specifies the date the document was stapled by the other document, the address of the requester. The remove data subparameter specifies the date the document was unstapled by the other document and the address of the requester.

The stapler section of the DRO is defined as a repository for information specific to a document stapled to another document. The structures (not shown) associated with the stapler parameter set are identical those set forth above and in FIGS. 3 through 6 for the staplee parameter set except reference is made to the document stapled to another document.

Set out below is an illustration of an application program useable by the requester application 16 in filing stapled documents within the context of an application in the information processing system. The application program is in program design language from which source code and machine code are derivable.

    ______________________________________
    BEGIN REQUESTER PROC
        INPUT
              ACCESS CONTROL INFORMATION
              CONTEXTUAL-SEARCH CHARACTERISTICS
              DO FOR EACH DOCUMENT SPECIFIED IN
              THIS
                   REQUEST:
                      A POINTER TO THE PHYSICAL
                      DOCUMENT (PPTR) WHICH WILL BE
                      EITHER THE LOCAL POINTER
                      OR THE LIBRARY IDENTIFIER.
                      A UNIQUE IDENTIFIER (DID) FOR THIS
                      DOCUMENT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS
                      REQUEST.
                      A REFERENCE IDENTIFIER (RID) FOR
                      EACH STAPLER BY WHICH THIS
                      DOCUMENT IS ATTACHED.
                      AN INDICATOR SHOWING THAT THE
                      DOCUMENTS ARE STAPLED WITHIN THE
                      CONTEXT OF ONE OR MORE
                      APPLICATIONS.
                      NAMES OF THE APPLICATIONS IN WHOSE
                      CONTEXT THE STAPLE RELATION IS
                      DEFINED.
                      HISTORY ATTRIBUTES FOR THE
                      DOCUMENTS.
                   ENDDO
        PROCESS
                   SET THE ACCESS CONTROL, CONTEXTUAL-
                   SEARCH CHARACTERISTICS, AND
                   IDENTIFIERS.
                   DO FOR EACH DOCUMENT (IDD OR RDD)
                      EXPLICITLY SPECIFIED IN THE
                      REQUEST:
                   IF THE DOCUMENT DOES NOT EXIST IN
                      THE LIBRARY, THEN
                         COPY THE DOCUMENT.
                         SET THE DOCUMENT ADDRESS (PPTR)
                         TO POINT TO THE POSITION OF THE
                         DOCUMENT IN THE REQUEST UNIT.
                         SET UP THE DATA OBJECT (DRO)
                         WHICH WILL CONTAIN THE UNIQUE
                         LIBRARY IDENTIFIER FOR THE
                         DOCUMENTS WHICH WILL BE STAPLED
                         TO THIS DOCUMENT (STETOC).
                         SET THE STAPLEE ATTRIBUTES
                         (HISTORY) IN THE (DRO) AS
                         SPECIFIED.
                         SET UP THE DATA OBJECT (DRO)
                         WHICH WILL CONTAIN THE UNIQUE
                         LIBRARY IDENTIFIER FOR THE
                         DOCUMENTS WHICH WILL BE STAPLED
                         BY THIS DOCUMENT (STRTOC).
                         SET THE STAPLER ATTRIBUTES
                         (HISTORY) IN THE (DRO) AS
                         SPECIFIED.
                   ENDIF
                   SET SPECIFIED IDENTIFIER FOR THIS
                   DOCUMENT (DID).
                   DO FOR EACH DOCUMENT (RID) STAPLED
                      TO THIS DOCUMENT:
                         SET THE RID FOR THE STAPLER FOR
                         THIS IDD OR RDD.
                         SET THE RELATIONSHIP TO STAPLE FOR
                         THIS IDD OR RDD.
                         DO FOR EACH APPLICATION IN WHOSE
                            CONTEXT THE PAIR IS STAPLED:
                               SET THE ACON FOR THIS RID SET
                               TO THE NAME OF THE
                               APPLICATION.
                            ENDDO
                         ENDDO
                      ENDDO
                   OUTPUT
                      SEND COMPLETED REQUEST TO
                      LIBRARY SERVER.
    END REQUESTER PROC
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    BEGIN LIBRARY SERVER PROC
        INPUT
              ACCESS CONTROL INFORMATION.
              CONTEXTUAL-SEARCH CHARACTERISTICS.
              REQUESTER/PRINCIPLE IDENTIFIERS.
              DO FOR EACH DOCUMENT SPECIFIED IN
                   THIS REQUEST, BUILD AN IDD OR A RDD
                   OPERAND WHICH INCLUDES:
                      A POINTER TO THE PHYSICAL
                      DOCUMENT (PPTR) WHICH WILL BE
                      EITHER THE LOCAL POINTER (IDD
                      OPERAND) OR THE LIBRARY
                      IDENTIFIER (RDD OPERAND).
                      AN UNIQUE IDENTIFIER (DID) FOR THIS
                      DOCUMENT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS
                      REQUEST.
                      A REFERENCE IDENTIFIER (RID) FOR
                      EACH DOCUMENT STAPLED TO THIS
                      DOCUMENT.
                      A NAME FOR EACH APPLICATION (ACON)
                      IN WHOSE CONTEXT THE PAIR IS
                      STAPLED.
                      A DOCUMENT RELATION OBJECT (DRO)
                      CONTAINING THE FOLLOWING:
                         DOCUMENT RELATION ATTRIBUTES.
                         A STAPLER ATTRIBUTE.
                         A STAPLER TABLE-OF-CONTENTS
                         (STRTOC) AREA WHICH WILL BE SET
                         UP BUT WILL NOT CONTAIN ANY
                         ENTRIES.
                         A STAPLEE ATTRIBUTE.
                         A STAPLEE TABLE-OF-CONTENTS
                         (STETOC) AREA WHICH WILL BE SET
                         UP BUT WILL NOT CONTAIN ANY
                         ENTRIES.
        ENDDO
    PROCESS
        CALL BUILD TABLES PROC TO BUILD DID/LADN
        AND RID/DID TABLES.
        DO FOR EVERY STAPLER (RID ENTRY):
              DO FOR EVERY STAPLEE (DID) TO BE
                   STAPLED BY THIS STAPLER:
                      PUT THE LADN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
                      DID IN THE STAPLER'S
                      TABLE-OF-CONTENTS.
                      IF HISTORY IS SPECIFIED FOR THIS
                         STAPLER, THEN
                            SET THE REQUESTER'S ID IN THE
                            HISTORY PORTION OF THE ENTRY.
                            SET THE PRINCIPLE'S ID IN THE
                            HISTORY PORTION OF THE ENTRY.
                            SET THE CURRENT DATE AND TIME
                            IN THE HISTORY PORTION OF THE
                            ENTRY.
                      ENDIF
                      DO FOR EVERY APPLICATION IN WHOSE
                         CONTEXT THE STAPLE RELATION IS
                         DEFINED:
                            SET THE APPLICATION'S NAME
                            INTO THE APPLICATION CONTEXT
                            SECTION FOR THIS STAPLER
                            ENTRY.
                            SET THE APPLICATION NAME
                            INTO THE APPLICATION CONTEXT
                            SECTION FOR THIS STAPLEE
                            ENTRY.
                      ENDDO
                      PUT THE LADN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
                      STAPLER (RID) IN THE STAPLEE
                      TABLE-OF-CONTENTS.
                      IF HISTORY IS SPECIFIED FOR THIS
                         STAPLEE, THEN
                            SET THE REQUESTER'S ID IN THE
                            HISTORY PORTION OF THE ENTRY.
                            SET THE PRINCIPLE'S ID IN THE
                            HISTORY PORTION OF THE ENTRY.
                            SET THE CURRENT DATE AND TIME
                            IN THE HISTORY PORTION OF THE
                            ENTRY.
                         ENDIF
                      ENDDO
                   ENDDO
              END PROCESS
    END LIBRARY SERVER PROC
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 1
    ______________________________________
           DID  LADN
    ______________________________________
           1    LADN1
           2    LADN2
           3    LADN3
           4    LADN4
           5    LADN5
           6    LADN6
           7    LADN7
           8    LADN8
           9    LADN9
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 2
    ______________________________________
           RID  DID(ACON)
    ______________________________________
           1    3(A,B)/2/4
           4    5/2/6(C)
    ______________________________________

                  TABLE 3
    ______________________________________
    DID=1
    DID=2,(RID=1,RELATION=STAPLE),(RID=4,
    RELATION=STAPLE)
    DID=3,(RID=1,RELATION=STAPLE,ACON=A,
    ACON=B)
    DID=4,(RID=1,RELATION=STAPLE)
    DID=5,(RID=4,RELATION=STAPLE)
    DID=6,(RID=4,RELATION=STAPLE,ACON=C)
    ______________________________________

    ______________________________________
    BEGIN BUILD TABLES PROC
        DO FOR EACH DOCUMENT SPECIFIED IN THE
        REQUEST:
              IF THE DOCUMENT DOES NOT EXIST IN THE
                   LIBRARY, THEN
                      COPY THE DOCUMENT AND ITS
                      RELATED OBJECTS INTO THE LIBRARY.
                      ASSIGN AN UNIQUE LIBRARY
                      IDENTIFIER (LADN) TO THIS DOCUMENT.
              ELSE
                      OBTAIN THE UNIQUE LIBRARY
                      IDENTIFIER (LADN) FOR THIS
                      DOCUMENT.
              ENDIF
              SAVE THE UNIQUE IDENTIFIER (DID) FOR
              THE REQUEST WITH THE UNIQUE LIBRARY
              IDENTIFIER (LADN) IN DID/LADN TABLE.
              DO FOR EACH STAPLER REFERENCED (RID)
                   BY THIS DOCUMENT OPERAND:
                      IF THERE IS NO ENTRY IN THE RID/DID
                         TABLE, THEN
                            CREATE AN ENTRY FOR THIS RID IN
                            THE TABLE.
                      ENDIF
                      SET DID IN THE RID/DID TABLE.
                      IF THIS STAPLE RELATION IS IN THE
                      CONTEXT OF AN APPLICATION, THEN
                         SET THE APPLICATION'S NAME INTO
                         THE ACON FIELD FOR THIS STAPLER
                         ENTRY.
                      ENDIF
                   ENDDO
              ENDDO
    END BUILD TABLES PROC
    ______________________________________

• Inventors
  MacPhail, Margaret G.;
• Assignee
  International Business Machines Inc. (Armonk, NY)
• Published
  Mar-31-1992
• Current US Classes:
  707/1
  715/531
  715/533
• Application #
  277369
• International Classes
  G06F 007/20
• Field of Search
  364/200
• Examiner
  Lee; Thomas C.
• Agent
  Salys; Casimer K., St. Julian; H.
• US Patent References:
  4121196
  4358016
  4404649
  4445195
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