Content database for producing solution documents

Abstract

Systems and methods for a content database storing extracted content. A content manager engine executing on a computer system performs various functions in relation to the content database. The content manager engine may extract content fragments from documents of different document types and store the content fragments to content entries of the content database. The content manager engine may reproduce a selected document using the content database, allow direct modification of content entries, merge two or more documents of different types into a single document, and create a new document based on the content entries.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a merged document, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a client system, a selection of at least a first and a second documents, the first and second documents (i) being encoded in respective first and second formats of different format types, and (ii) including respective first and second metadata;   retrieving, from a storage system, the first and second documents;   extracting content of the first and second documents by removing the respective first and second metadata and the respective first and second formats to produce extracted first and second contents;   dividing the extracted first and second contents into respective first and second content fragments having respective first and second predetermined amounts of data;   storing the first and second content fragments in a respective first and second content entries, the first and second content entries being associated with a respective first and a second storage locations of a content database; and   producing a document mapping associated with a merged document containing the first and second content fragments.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the document mapping specifies that the first content entry be placed in the merged document before the second content entry. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the document mapping comprises a plurality of data fields including at least a data field for a document identifier. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the document identifier maps to the first and second content entries in the content database. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the document mapping specifies the respective first and second storage locations of the first and second content entries in the content database. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second documents comprise original documents produced by respectively different first and second document applications. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second content fragments comprises a single content fragment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second content fragments comprises a plurality of content fragments. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the document mapping to a document mapping data structure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving a document identifier for a new document;   selecting, from the document mapping data structure, a corresponding document mapping having a document identifier matching the received document identifier for the new document;   retrieving, from the content database, the first content entry and the second content entry based on the matching; and   producing the new document by inserting content fragments of the retrieved first and second content entries into the new document.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the content fragments are inserted into the new document in an order specified by the document mapping. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving, via a client user interface, a modification to at least one content fragment of the first and second content entries of the new document; and   saving the modification to the at least one content fragment to one of the first and the second content entries in the content database.   
     
     
         13 . A system for producing a merged document, the system comprising:
 a content manager engine configured for:
 receiving, from a client system, a selection of at least a first and a second documents, the first and second documents (i) being encoded in respective first and second formats having different format types, and (ii) including respective first and second metadata; 
 retrieving, from a storage system, the first and second documents; 
 extracting content of the first and second documents by removing the respective first and second metadata and the respective first and second formats to produce extracted first and second contents; 
 dividing the extracted first and second contents into respective first and second content fragments having respective first and second predetermined amounts of data; 
 storing the first and second content fragments in a first and a second content entries associated with a respective first and second storage locations of a content database; and 
 producing a document mapping associated with a merged document containing the first and second content fragments. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the document mapping specifies that the first content entry be placed in the merged document before the second content entry. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the document mapping comprises a plurality of data fields including at least a data field for a document identifier. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the document mapping specifies the respective first and second storage locations of the first and second content entries in the content database. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second documents comprise original documents produced by respectively different first and second document applications. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first and second content fragments includes one of (i) a single content fragment, and (ii) a plurality of content fragments. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the content manager engine is further configured for storing the document mapping to a document mapping data structure. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the content manager engine is further configured for:
 receiving a document identifier for a new document;
 selecting, from the document mapping data structure, a corresponding document mapping having a document identifier matching the received document identifier for the new document; 
 retrieving, from the content database, the first content entry and the second content entry based on the matching; and 
 producing the new document by inserting content fragments of the retrieved first and second content entries into the new document. 
   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the content manager engine is further configured for:
 receiving, via a client user interface, a modification to at least one content fragment of the first and second content entries of the new document; and   saving the modification to the at least one content fragment to one of the first and the second content entries in the content database.