Tag-Based Document Management with Smart Folder Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional document management systems face challenges in efficiently organizing and accessing large volumes of documents due to the limitations of manual hierarchical systems and search-based interfaces, which fail to convey document relationships and intuitive access control policies.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes tag-based organization and access control, employing IN-tags and OUT-tags to extend search queries and allow users to manually modify smart folder contents, along with drag-and-drop functionality for intuitive document management and access control policy implementation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual hierarchical file systems are used for document organization, then document relationships and access control policies can be conveyed intuitively, but the system cannot efficiently manage and retrieve large volumes of documents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges manual organization capabilities with automated search functionality by allowing users to create smart folders that combine query-based automatic inclusion with manual addition/removal of documents. This hybrid approach preserves document relationship information through user-defined organization while maintaining high retrieval efficiency through automated search and indexing.
Solution Approach 2:
The smart folder system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both an automatic search result container and a manual organization tool. Users can define folders by search queries for automated document inclusion while also manually adding or removing documents to convey relationship information, making the system versatile for both efficiency and information preservation needs.
2Productivity
If search-based interfaces are used for document retrieval, then large volumes of documents can be managed efficiently, but the interface cannot convey information about document relationships and organization
Solution Approach 1:
The smart folder acts as an intermediary between automated search systems and manual organization needs. It translates user intent into both automated query execution and manual organization actions, preserving organizational information by allowing users to explicitly add or remove documents from smart folders based on relationship context rather than just search matching.
3Ease of operation
If access control policies are applied to individual files, then precise control can be achieved, but it is not intuitive and difficult to manage collections of documents
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges collection-level access control with individual document control by allowing access policies to be applied to smart folders (affecting all included documents) while still permitting granular control over individual documents within the folder. This enables intuitive batch management for common cases while preserving precise individual control when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A system is provided to facilitate tag-based organization of documents. During operation, the system receives an original user query. The system extends the query to include documents with an IN-tag and exclude documents with an OUT-tag. The system then performs a search based on the extended query to indicate a collection of documents which satisfy the extended query. The system further allows a user to add a document to the collection of documents or remove a document from the collection of documents. Next, the system modifies a tagging property of the document.