Annotation Versioning Policy Management for Document Consistency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing annotation systems lack a comprehensive solution for maintaining annotations across different versions of documents, as current policies either fail to apply annotations to subsequent versions or lead to inconsistencies due to changes in the document content.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that allow users to select from multiple annotation versioning policies to determine how annotations should be applied to subsequent document versions, including 'no-change', 'carry-forward', and validation-based policies, with an interface for creating and managing annotations and an executable component for applying these policies based on user specifications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If annotations are carried forward to subsequent document versions, then annotation coverage is improved, but annotation accuracy deteriorates due to document changes rendering annotations invalid

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveannotation coverageVSAvoidannotation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements dynamic annotation versioning where annotations can be automatically carried forward to subsequent document versions while maintaining version-specific validity flags. The annotation management system dynamically determines whether an annotation from a previous version remains valid in the current version, allowing the system to adapt between maintaining coverage and ensuring accuracy based on actual document changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If a no-change policy is applied to maintain annotations, then annotation consistency is improved, but annotation applicability deteriorates as annotations fail to apply to subsequent document versions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveannotation consistencyVSAvoidannotation applicability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary validation of annotations before carrying them forward to subsequent document versions. When a document is versioned, the system proactively checks whether existing annotations remain valid for the new version and either validates them, updates them, or marks them as invalid in advance, rather than waiting for user discovery of broken annotations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple annotation versioning policies are supported, then system flexibility is improved, but system complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem flexibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The annotation versioning system is segmented into distinct policy types (no-change, carry-forward, validation-based) that can be independently selected and applied. Each policy represents a discrete, manageable approach to annotation versioning, allowing the system to offer flexibility through multiple predefined strategies rather than requiring a single complex unified mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS7689578B2Dealing with annotation versioning through multiple versioning policies and management thereof

Publication Date: 2010.03.30 X CORP

AI summary

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for maintaining annotations for changing source documents are provided. For some embodiments, an annotation system may support multiple policies, with each policy dictating how (or if) an annotation created for a version of a source document should be applied to subsequent versions of the source document. For some embodiments, a user creating an annotation may select from a group of available policies to be applied to the annotation.