US 6,539,387 Bl
`a2) United States Patent
`(10) Patent No.:
` Oren et al. (45) Date of Patent: Mar.25, 2003
`
`
`
`US006539387B1
`
`(54) STRUCTURED FOCUSED HYPERTEXT
`DATA STRUCTURE
`
`(76)
`
`Inventors: Avraham Oren, Klein 1 St., B13,
`Jerusalem (IL); Rita Margulyan,
`Ha’arava 15, Givat Sharen, Beit
`Shemesh (IL); Lev Olkha, Tekoa 46,
`Tekoa (IL); Nachum Kovalsky,
`Horkania 33, Jerusalem (IL)
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`USS.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`10/1992 Trigg etal.
`5,159,669 A
`11/1993 Turtle
`5,265,065 A
`3/1994 Robertsonetal. .......... 395/160
`5,295,243 A *
`5,355,472 A * 10/1994 Lewis... eeeeeeeeeeee 395/600
`5,367,621 A
`11/1994 Cohen et al.
`ne A
`doo, palaketal
`5,408,655 A
`4/1995 Orenet al.
`5,418,948 A
`5/1995. Turtle
`5,428,731 A
`6/1995 Powers,III
`5,544,354 A *
`8/1996 Mayet al. veces 395/600
`5,553,216 A *
`9/1996 Yoshioka et al.
`........... 395/145
`5,557,722 A
`9/1996 Deroseetal.
`5,586,235 A * 12/1996 Kauffman ......eeeeeee 395/761
`5,602,025 A
`2/1997 Tabbetal.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 08/999,997
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`Jul. 7, 1997
`Related U.S. Application Data
`(63) Continuation of application No. 08/551,929,filed on Oct.
`23, 1995, now abandoned.
`Tint. C07 occceccccccccccsceceeseevscevscevevecnees GO6F 17/30
`(51)
`(52) U.S. Ch. cc ceesenseeeeenees 707/100; 707/3; 707/4;
`707/5; 707/100; 707/501; 707/515
`(58) Field of Search... 707/100, 3, 5,
`707/501, 101, 102, 515, 4, 104
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`2/1990 Garberet al.
`5/1992 Belove etal.
`
`4,905,163 A
`5,115,504 A
`
`Primary Examiner—Jean M. Corrielus
`67)
`ABSTRACT
`A structured focused hypertext data structure in which
`hypertext nodes store identifying information about source
`.
`.
`~
`and target documentsor pagesso that their relative positions
`ina hierarchy and other information can be determined by
`both a user and a quality control program. The invention
`facilitates search and navigation through a large multimedia
`database. The type of information (e.g., graphics, video,
`utility application) that is contained in a target document or
`page can also be denoted. A color coding scheme may be
`used to provide information related to a hyperlink. In a
`hierarchy, a page maybe linked to two or more chapters, or
`a paragraph maybelinked to two or more pages.
`
`13 Claims, 16 Drawing Sheets
`
`
`LinkTable betweenScreen andParagraph|4
`
`Link ID
`oO.
`
`Parent Screen ID
`26
`22
`
`Paragraph Table
`Child Paragraph 1D
`34
`Paragraph Order Num on Screen
`|
`
`Paragraph ID
`Paragraph type ID
`
`
`
`
`Hypertext Nodes
`Parameters for external Applications
`on] Header text
`
`1
`Paragraph style ID
`22) Node iD
`Paragraph body text
`co] Node 10
`Paragraph height
`Paragraph (D
`Parametet
`‘Option Paragraph for Tutorial
`HeaderiBody
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`lo
`:
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`
`Nodes’ types
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`Query can change type
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`
`
`
`
`
`27:
`
`1
`
`4
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`#
`
`
`
`Table of Chapters
`32
`Chapter ID
`Name of chapter
`
`
`Explanation
`1s This TheLast
`Type of chapter
`Contributer Screen
`
`Page Count
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
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`Indent
`Links to Screen ID
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`Heading font itatic
`Heading font color
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`Heading XE nd
`Headingjustify
`
`
`oD
`Screentable
`
`1.Screen ID #
`
`Scraen Name
`Help
`
`|SUE Default Parent Chapter HyperText NodesIn Algorithms
`Algorithms’ Place and Space after
`Locking Level
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`Locking Date
`Included in version
`Biblio Screen 1D
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`
`—22] Texto.
`Start Character
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`oo
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`Target Screen ID
`
`
`
`
`
`36
`
`
`
`\
`20
`
`Exhibit 1036
`Samsung v. DoDots
`IPR2023-00701
`
`1
`
`Exhibit 1036
`Samsung v. DoDots
`IPR2023-00701
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 25, 2003
`
`Sheet 1 of 16
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`US 6,539,387 B1
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`10
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`PRIORART
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`FIG.1
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`-14
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`12
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`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 25, 2003
`
`Sheet 2 of 16
`
`US 6,539,387 B1
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`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar.25, 2003
`
`Sheet 4 of 16
`
`US 6,539,387 B1
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`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar.25, 2003
`
`Sheet 5 of 16
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`US 6,539,387 B1
`
`serdees
`
`+ Dinastive sesters: H125}
`+ Disorders £1753
`4
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`RennerAS
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`4 palbsompeny
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`findings
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`6
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 25, 2003
`
`Sheet 6 of 16
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`US 6,539,387 B1
`
`+ Table af centents GG8)
`# immmunatisficienny ee
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`7
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Mar.25, 2003
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`Sheet 7 of 16
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`US 6,539,387 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`Mar.25, 2003
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`Sheet 8 of 16
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`US 6,539,387 B1
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Mar. 25, 2003
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`Sheet 9 of 16
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`US 6,539,387 B1
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`U.S. Patent Mar. 25, 2003—-Sheet 10 of 16 US 6,539,387 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`Mar. 25, 2003
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`Sheet 11 of 16
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`US 6,539,387 B1
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`ee
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`Mar.25, 2003
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`Sheet 16 of 16
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`US 6,539,387 B1
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`US 6,539,387 B1
`
`1
`STRUCTURED FOCUSED HYPERTEXT
`DATA STRUCTURE
`
`This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/551,929,
`filed Oct. 23, 1995 now abandoned.
`A portion of the disclosure of this patent document
`contains material which is subject to copyright protection.
`The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile
`reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it
`appears in the Patent and Trademark Office public patent
`files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights
`whatsoever.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`This invention relates generally to data structures for large
`hierarchical multimedia databases. More particularly,
`the
`present invention relates to a structured focused hypertext
`data structure in which hypertext nodes store identifying
`information about source and target documents or pages so
`that the relative positions in the hierarchy of the source and
`target documents as well as other information about the
`documents may be determined and utilized by both the user
`and a quality control computer program.
`Hypertext is a well known concept and tool by which one
`documentis linked to one or more other documents. Users
`
`from a currently
`target document
`access a desired,
`displayed, source document by selecting a portion of text
`which has some relationship to the target document and
`which has been visually distinguished as hypertext such as
`with the use of underlining or bolding. The link between
`documentsis established in advance by the use of an anchor
`inserted before or near the hyperlinked text in the source
`document which contains the address of the target docu-
`ment. Hypertext
`is widely used in many commercially
`available products, including in Windows®-based software
`products and helpfiles available from Microsoft Corporation
`of Redmond, Wash., and in the World Wide Web accessible
`through the Internet which utilizes Hypertext Markup
`Language, or HTML.
`The mannerin which hypertext is used in these and many
`other currently available software products is represented
`generally in the diagram 10 shown in FIG. 1. Each circle 12
`in this diagram represents a document or page of
`information, commonly referred to as a “node,” which
`contains one or more hypertext links to other pages, as
`shownby the lines 14 connecting the nodes. The arrows in
`the diagram 10 represent hypertext links to additional nodes
`not shownin the diagram. The diagram 10 in FIG. 1 loosely
`takes the form of a web, with hypertext links extending from
`nodes in an unorganized and unstructured manner.
`Hypertext is advantageous because it is easy to use and
`mirrors the associative thought processes of users. However,
`currently available hypertext systems contain several prob-
`lems which have prevented hypertext from becoming the
`primarysearch tool for many developers of large multimedia
`databases. One problem with existing hypertext systems is
`that users seeking a specific bit of information contained in
`one node often need to jump from node to node in an
`essentially undirected and unfocused manner until reaching
`the node containing the desired information. Users have
`little assurance that they are getting closer to the desired
`information as more jumps are made, and can easily get
`sidetracked into nodes located far from the desired node.
`
`Furthermore, hypertext alone provideslittle guidance as
`to what type of the information users will receive after
`jumping to another document. For example, users may wish
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`to see a photograph, graphical image, or motion videorather
`than text, but have no way of knowing based on the presence
`of a hypertext link whether the target document contains
`such information. As a result they are often required to jump
`to the other document just to discover whether it contains
`useful information of a desired type, and to return to the
`source document afterwards to continue searching for a
`more appropriate hypertext connection. To convey informa-
`tion to users regarding the type of information contained in
`a target document, the author of the source document needs
`to insert additional text (such as “click here to see picture”)
`or a graphical image such as an clickable icon indicating the
`type of information contained in the target document. This
`provides additional work and inconvenience for the author,
`and the additional
`text or graphical
`image will become
`inaccurate if the information contained in the target docu-
`ment is changed.
`Another well-known problem with the hypertext system
`represented by the diagram 10 of FIG. 1 is the tendency for
`users to feel lost after several hypertext jumps. As a result,
`users are often required to backtrack through previously
`visited nodesorto refer to lists of previously visitedsites to
`find their way.
`Clearly, these problems with current hypertext systems
`grow exponentially with the numberof hypertextlinks used.
`The number of hypertext
`links appearing in any given
`document musttherefore be limited in existing systems, and
`these simple hypertext systems usually contain an average of
`about two-three links per page. Thus,in orderto effectively
`browse through a large number of separate pages of infor-
`mation (by eliminating hypertext link choices), for example,
`2000 pages, a user would need to make about seven hyper-
`text jumps (3’=2187), whereas if each page contained 10
`hypertext links, a user would only need to make about three
`or four jumps. The necessary limitation on the number of
`hypertext link in existing hypertext systems because of the
`exponential growth of the problems discussed above thus
`further limits the capability of hypertext
`to serve as a
`primary database search tool.
`These problemsare particularly prevalent in the design of
`large multimedia databases containing a large volume of
`information (e.g., 2,000-10,000 pages) ofa technical nature,
`such as medical information, which is constantly changing
`and needs to be updated on a regular basis. Doctors must be
`able to quickly access key, up-to-date medical and patient
`information while visiting with a patient, and must keep
`abreast with a vast volume of current medicalliterature. The
`best way in which to provide access to this information is in
`the form in which doctors think,i.e., by associative thinking.
`However, because of the problems described above, existing
`hypertext systems are inadequate to serve as a comprehen-
`sive search mechanism for a large medical multimedia
`database.
`
`An additional problem faces designers of a large medical
`database for use by doctors. Medical knowledge may be
`broken into types or categories (e.g., diseases, tests, and
`procedures) and each of these types may be further broken
`downinto subtypes. These types and subtypes may be useful
`in designing a hierarchical database. However, certain medi-
`cal knowledge maybe accurately categorized in many ways.
`For example, celiac disease may be categorized as both a
`digestive disorder and an immunodeficient disorder.
`Furthermore, doctors may otherwise disagree on how to
`categorize many parts of medical knowledge. Thus,
`the
`usefulness of such categorizations in a hierarchical database
`is severely limited. Applicant(s) are unaware of any existing
`medical or other type of large database which uses catego-
`rizations but accounts for possible differences in categori-
`zation.
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`US 6,539,387 B1
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`3
`The present invention substantially solves these problems
`and provides the heretofore missing data structure for a large
`multimedia database which provides for hypertext to be used
`in a structured, focused mannerso that users can quickly find
`specific bits of information using a natural associative
`thinking process.
`
`SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION
`
`invention to solve the
`is an object of the present
`It
`problemsdescribed above associated with existing hypertext
`systems.
`It is another object of the present invention to facilitate
`search and navigation through a large multimedia database.
`It is another object of the present invention to provide a
`method of informing users of a large database organized in
`a hierarchical fashionofthe relative position in the hierarchy
`of a page or document
`targeted by a hypertext
`link as
`comparedto a currently displayed source documentor page.
`It is another object of the present invention to provide a
`method of informing users of a multimedia database of the
`type of information contained in a document or page which
`is the target of a hypertext link without the need to add
`additional text or graphics to the source document.
`It is another object of the present invention to provide a
`method for automatically checking the quality of the hyper-
`text links in a large hierarchical database according to a
`predetermined set of protocols.
`It is another object of the present invention to provide a
`hierarchical data structure for a large database in which
`chapters are divided into categories and in which different
`ways of categorizing chapters are accounted for in the
`hierarchy.
`In achieving the above and other objects, the invention
`provides a hierarchical hypertext system in which one or
`more of the following may be determined:
`the relative
`positions in the hierarchy of related data units linked by a
`hypertext link; the presence of graphics in one or both of the
`data units; and the presenceof a utility application in one or
`both of the data units. In one embodiment, hypertext linked
`data units may also be linked with a database, which enables
`any desired information in the system relating to a linked
`data unit
`to be provided to the user, and provides the
`capability of performing quality control testing on the qual-
`ity of the hypertext links and database structure.
`In the preferred embodiment,
`the relational or other
`information provided by the system is visually indicated on
`a displayed hypertext link by a color coding scheme, which
`may take any suitable form,or by a bolding, highlighting or
`other suitable visual scheme.
`
`Other visual (or audio-visual) schemeswill be apparent to
`those of skill in the art from the disclosure herein.
`
`The invention provides a data structure, methods and
`systems as described herein. In a hypertexted data structure
`according to the invention, the data structure is stored on a
`computer readable memory device organized in a hierarchy
`of at least two levels, and comprises a plurality of data units,
`such as paragraphs, screens or pages, or chapters, positioned
`at different levels in the hierarchy, each containing at least
`some textual information and a plurality of hypertext links
`each linkingat least part of the textual information in a given
`source data unit to a target data unit. At least one of the
`hypertext linksis linkedto at least one hypertext node which
`contains information relating at
`least
`to both the given
`source data unit and the target data unit. According to one
`embodiment, the linking is such that the relative positions in
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`the hierarchy of the given source and target data units linked
`by the hypertext
`link may be determined.
`In another
`embodiment, the data structure comprises a database con-
`taining information relating to the data units; and the linking
`is such that the at least one hypertext node is linked to the
`data base.
`
`the hierarchical data structure
`In another embodiment,
`comprises a plurality of first data units representing pages
`positioned at different levels in the hierarchy, each contain-
`ing information,a plurality of second data units representing
`chapters positioned at different levels in the hierarchy, each
`containing at least one page or other chapter, and a plurality
`of links linking each ofa plurality of pages simultaneously
`to two or more chapters, one chapter of which is labeled as
`a default chapter for each page.
`The at least one hypertext node may be, for example, a
`data record in a database file or a separate file. Preferably,
`there are a plurality of hypertext node types each linked to
`a hypertext node, the hypertext node types including at least
`one of the following node types: (a) a node type linked to
`each hypertext node determined by therelative positions of
`the given source data unit and target data unit; (b) a node
`type linked to each hypertext node determined by the
`presence of graphics in the given source data unit, in the
`given target data unit, or in both the given source and target
`data units; and (c) a node type linked to each hypertext node
`determined by the presence of a utility application in the
`given source data unit, in the given target data unit, or in
`both the given source and target data units.
`In the preferred embodiment, the hypertext node types
`comprise a set of visual indicators to be displayed on a
`display device connected to a computer reading the memory
`device, each visual indicator representing a different node
`type, for example, different colors displayed in association
`with textual information displayed at least as part of the
`respective data unit.
`The data units may comprise pages and chapters, each
`chapter being linked to one or more pages. At least one
`hypertext link may link each chapter to each of the one or
`more pageslinked to that chapter. Further, at least one page
`may be linked simultaneously to two or more chapters, one
`chapter of which is labeled as a default chapter for the at
`least one page.
`The data structure may be organized in a hierarchy more
`than twolevels, e.g., three or more levels. In a three level
`hierarchy, the data units may further comprise paragraphs,
`each paragraph being linked to one or more pages, and
`wherein at least one paragraph is simultaneously linked to
`two or more pages.
`A method according to the invention structures a database
`whichis stored in a memory device organized in a hierarchy
`of at least two levels such that the hierarchical relationship
`may be automatically retained when the database is
`changed. The method comprises positioning a plurality of
`data units at different levels in the hierarchy, each containing
`at
`least some textual
`information, creating a data base
`containing information relating to the data units, hypertext
`linking at least part of the textual information in a given
`source data unit
`to a target data unit such the relative
`positions in the hierarchy of the given source and target data
`units which are hypertext linked link may be determined,
`and further linking the linked source andtarget data units to
`the database.
`
`Another method according to the invention structures a
`database stored in a memory device so as to provide a user
`the ability to quickly locate desired information stored
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`US 6,539,387 B1
`
`5
`within the database. This method comprises establishing a
`hierarchical structure for the information in the database, the
`hierarchical structure comprising one or more chapter levels
`and a plurality of pages, each page containing textual
`information, hypertext linking at least part of the textual
`information in every page in the database with at least one
`chapter level such that the relative positions in the hierarchy
`of given page and a given chapter level
`linked by the
`hypertext link may be determined, and hypertext linking at
`least part of the textual informationin at least one page with
`at least one other page.
`Acomputer system with which the present invention may
`be used includes computer hardware comprising at least one
`each of a processor, memory device, display, and input
`device. In a preferred embodiment, the hardware comprises
`a central processing unit, a plurality of memory devices of
`different
`types including one or more RAM memory
`devices, ROM memory devices, and other magnetic or
`optical memory devices and readers such as hard disks and
`hard disk drives, floppy disk drives, or CD-ROM drives, a
`display monitor, and a plurality of possible input devices
`including a keyboard, mouse,electronic stylus with digitizer
`tablet, microphone with voice recognition software, or touch
`screen. All of these elements and the manner in which they
`are connected are well-known in the art. In addition, one
`skilled in the art will recognize that it is not necessary forall
`of these elements to be connected in a single unit such as a
`personal computer, but may be connected in a mainframe
`environmentor over a network or via other communications
`
`links. The computer system is operated by any conventional
`operating system, including the MS-DOS® or Windows®
`operating systems available from Microsoft or the System 7
`operating system available from Apple Computer of
`Cupertino, Calif.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`least one drawing
`The file of this patent contains at
`executed in color. Copies of this patent with color drawing
`(s) will be provided by the Patent and Trademark Office
`upon request and paymentof the necessary fee.
`The invention is illustrated in the figures of the accom-
`panying drawings which are meant to be exemplary and not
`limiting, in which like referencesrefer to like or correspond-
`ing parts, and in which:
`FIG. 1 is a diagram representing the structure of prior art
`hypertext systems;
`FIG. 2 is a diagram representing a hierarchical, multi-
`parent data structure of the present invention;
`FIG. 3 showsthe relationships between the database files
`in the data structure of one preferred embodiment of the
`present invention;
`FIGS. 4-8 are examples of screen displays of a medical
`database in accordance with a preferred embodimentof the
`resent invention, in which:
`FIG. 4 is a page titled “Celiac disease”;
`FIG. 5 is a table of contents screen displayed after a user
`has clicked on the “Table of Contents” icon in the toolbar of
`
`the screen shownin FIG. 4 and then onthe icon selecting the
`advanced table of contents;
`FIG. 6 is a table of contents screen displayed after a user
`has clicked on the chapter titled “Secondary deficiency of
`complement” in the upper left box in the screen shown in
`FIG. 5, which box containsa list of all chapters that contain
`the chapter Celiac disease;
`FIG. 7 is a page titled “Celiac disease—Etiology and
`pathogenesis”; and
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`FIG. 8 is a pagetitled “Celiac disease—Signs”;
`FIGS. 9-14 are screen displays demonstrating the process
`of creating and editing a hierarchical data structure in
`accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
`invention, in which:
`FIG. 9 is a “Paragraph Form”screen in which paragraphs
`can be created and edited and in which hypertext links are
`established;
`FIG. 10 is a “Page—Paragraphlistings” screen in which
`the page structure can be created and edited;
`FIG. 11 is a “Page Editor” screen in which are presented
`the options for placing a page within the hierarchy of the
`database structure;
`FIG. 12 is a “Chapter Editor” screen presenting the
`options for placing a chapter within the hierarchy of the
`database structure;
`FIG. 13 is a “Move/Copy a Node” screen in which users
`may moveor copy a chapter from onepart of the database
`hierarchy to another; and
`FIG. 14 is a “Delete Node with children and 1 parent”
`screen in which users may delete a chapter from the database
`hierarchy;
`FIG. 15 is an “Algorithm Editor” screen display of a
`preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
`FIG. 16 is a “Paragraph Form” screen display of a
`preferred embodiment of the present invention in which
`Algorithms can be placed within or removed from the data
`structure.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
`
`The preferred embodiments of the present invention will
`be described herein with reference to the drawings in the
`figures and the computer program listings contained in the
`Source Code Appendix. The Source Code Appendix con-
`tains source code written in the Visual Basic programming
`language, a compiler for which is available from Microsoft
`Corporation of Redmond Wash. The Source Code Appendix
`formspart of this application and is incorporated herein, and
`contains pages which are numbered separately according to
`the scheme “An” where n goes from 1 until the end of the
`Source Code Appendix. Those skilled in the art will recog-
`nize that many other programming languages may be uti-
`lized to implement the present invention, such as C++ and
`Delphi.
`A preferred embodimentof the present inventionis incor-
`porated in a medica