Desktop, stream-based, information management system

Abstract

A steam-based document storage and retrieval system accepts documents that are in diverse formats and come from diverse application, automatically creates document model objects describing these documents in a consistent format and associating time stamps with the documents to automatically create a main stream in chronological order. The stream, or sub-streams meeting selected search criteria, are displayed in a variety of forms, including a receding, partly overlapping stack with aids that facilitate user interaction.

1 . A method of operating a desktop system comprising: 
 creating document object models comprising selected information from and about information assets of diverse types, created by diverse software, said document object models having a consistent structure;    displaying browse cards related to respective ones of the information assets in a time-ordered stream, together with glance views related to the document object models of the respective displayed documents, said glance views being displayed essentially in real time in response to passing a cursor over respective ones of the browse cards.