Document Conversion and Network Database System

Abstract

A method for providing data to clients of multiple unrelated subscribers on a distributed computer network including maintaining a main document set database including text-containing documents for clients of the multiple unrelated subscribers, forming for each unrelated subscriber a corresponding home document set comprising text-containing documents selected from the main document set database, receiving from a linked computer a request by a subscriber client for read-only access to a text-containing document from the subscriber home document set, before providing access by the client to the text-containing document from the subscriber home document set, automatically performing in the distributed computer network modifications being associated solely with the client's subscriber to the text of the text-containing document, and allowing read-only access from client computers linked to the distributed computer network by clients of each subscriber to only the text-containing documents containing the modified text of the client's subscriber.

1 . A method for providing data to clients of multiple subscribers on a distributed computer network comprising the steps of:
 (a) maintaining a main document set database comprising text-containing documents for use by multiple subscribers;   wherein, the main document set is stored on a distributed computer network;   (b) forming for each of the multiple unrelated subscribers a corresponding home document set comprising text-containing documents selected from the main document set database;   (c) automatically modifying the text of at least some of the text-containing documents of each home document set so that the modified text of at least some of the text containing documents are different from the text of the corresponding home document set selected from documents in the main document set database; and   (d) allowing access by clients of each subscriber to the modified documents of the subscriber's corresponding home document set.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of modifying comprises including client-specific data in the text. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of including client specific data comprises dynamically adding the client specific data upon client-requested access. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of modifying comprises including subscriber-specific data in the text. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step of including practitioner specific data comprises dynamically adding the practitioner-specific data upon client requested access. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of modifying comprises including both client specific data and subscriber-specific data in the text. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the step of including client specific data and subscriber-specific comprises dynamically adding the client specific data upon client-requested access. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of modifying comprises modifying all the selected documents of at least one of the home document sets. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming comprises selecting documents from the main document set database for inclusion in home document sets by areas of practice of the subscribers. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the home document sets comprises including in the plural home document sets some documents that are the same as documents in the main document set prior to modification. 
     
     
         12 . A method for a practitioner to provide access to selected text containing documents on a distributed computer network to clients of the practitioner, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) forming a home document set for storage in computer memory by identifying only a portion of documents maintained by a host in a main document set database, the identified documents including text-containing documents;   (b) providing to clients a password to access the home document set of the practitioner;   (c) enabling accessing clients to select and receive documents of the home document set;   (d) automatically modifying the text of at least some of the identified documents prior to receipt thereof by the accessing clients so that the modified documents are different than the corresponding documents in the main document set database.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least a portion of the step of automatically modifying is added dynamically upon selection by an accessing client. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of automatically modifying comprises including client-specific, practitioner-specific, or both client specific and practitioner-specific data in documents being accessed. 
     
     
         15 . A system for providing data to clients of multiple subscribers on a distributed computer network, the system comprising:
 (a) a primary computer having associated primary memory, the primary computer being programmed for receiving text data files from a provider and storing counterparts thereof in the primary memory;   (b) means for receiving, over the computer network, requests for inclusion of selected ones of the text data files in respective home document sets of the multiple subscribers;   (c) the primary computer being programmed for permitting authorized clients of the multiple subscribers to access and receive over the computer network the text counterpart data files of the home document sets of the multiple associated subscribers;   (d) means for automatically modifying the text of at least some of the text data files prior to receipt thereof by the clients wherein the modified text of at least some of the text data files documents are different from the counterpart text data files corresponding documents in the primary memory; and   (e) means for transmitting particular ones of the modified text of at least some of the data files over the computer network to requesting subscribers.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the clients are of practitioners associated with particular ones of the subscribers, the system further comprising:
 (a) means for receiving client-specific, practitioner-specific, or both client-specific and practitioner-specific data over the computer network; and   (b) the means for automatically modifying comprises the primary computer being programmed for including at least some of the client-specific and/or practitioner-specific data in transmissions of accessed data files to the clients.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of maintaining the main document database comprises receiving source document data from a source separate from the subscribers. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the main document database comprises documents not provided by any subscriber. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the step of modifying comprises including practitioner-specific data in documents being accessed. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the step of modifying comprises including practitioner-specific data in documents being accessed. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the clients are of practitioners associated with particular ones of the subscribers, the system further comprising:
 (a) means for receiving practitioner-specific data over the computer network; and   (b) the means for automatically modifying comprises the primary computer being programmed for including at least some of the practitioner-specific data in transmissions of accessed data files to the clients.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the clients are of practitioners associated with particular ones of the subscribers, the system further comprising:
 (a) means for receiving practitioner-specific data over the computer network; and   (b) the means for automatically modifying comprising the primary computer being programmed for including at least some of the practitioner-specific data in transmissions of accessed data files to the clients.   
     
     
         24 . A method for providing data to clients of multiple subscribers on a distributed computer network comprising the steps of:
 (a) maintaining a main document set comprising text-containing documents for use by multiple subscribers, wherein the main document set is stored on a distributed computer network;   and   (b) for each of the multiple subscribers, providing corresponding subscriber documents comprising modified text-containing documents by automatically modifying the text of at least some of the text-containing documents of the main document set without ever making the same modifications to the text of the main document set so that at least some of each subscriber's modified text-containing documents are different from the corresponding documents in the main document set,   wherein clients of each subscriber have access to the corresponding subscriber's modified text-containing documents.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of modifying comprises including client specific data in the text. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the step of including client specific data comprises dynamically adding the client specific data upon client-requested access. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of modifying comprises including subscriber-specific data in the text. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the step of including practitioner-specific data comprises dynamically adding the practitioner-specific data upon client-requested access. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of modifying comprises including both client specific data and subscriber-specific data in the text. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the step of including client specific data and subscriber-specific comprises dynamically adding the client specific data upon client-requested access. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of modifying comprises modifying all the selected documents of at least one of the home document sets. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled)