URL Anchor Identifier for Precise Data Portion Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) cannot reference specific regions or portions of documents, limiting their functionality and granularity in pointing to document locations.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an anchor associated with a URL to point to a particular portion of data, which is encapsulated in a microformat that defines its boundaries, allowing for precise location and access of the data using a labeling tag server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an anchor identifier is used in a URL to point to a specific location in a document, then the document location can be referenced, but the anchor cannot reference a particular region or portion of the document, limiting the reference granularity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document reference capability into two levels: the anchor identifier provides the base document location, while the microformat encapsulates the specific portion or region within that document. This segmentation allows URLs to reference both the overall document and precise portions within it, resolving the contradiction between location reference and portion-level granularity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where the microformat (containing portion identification) is embedded within the anchor identifier (containing document location). This nested approach allows the URL to carry multiple layers of information - the outer layer identifies the document, while the inner layer identifies the specific portion, thereby achieving both document-level and portion-level referencing capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the anchor only points to a specific location in the document, then the URL structure remains simple, but the functionality for applications needing detailed document portions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the anchor identifier multi-functional by having it serve dual purposes: indicating the document location (traditional function) and encapsulating microformat information that identifies specific portions (extended function). This universality allows the same URL structure to support both simple document linking and detailed portion referencing, enhancing application functionality without requiring fundamentally different structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The microformat acts as an intermediary layer between the anchor identifier and the document content. It translates the anchor's location information into precise portion identification, enabling applications to access detailed document portions while maintaining compatibility with the existing anchor-based URL structure. This intermediary approach extends functionality without directly modifying the core anchor mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for locating a portion of data is provided. In this method, a request for a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with data is transmitted. The request comprises a labeling tag that is associated with the data. As a result of the request, an URL that comprises an anchor identifier is received and the data located at the URL are retrieved. An anchor within the data is located based on the anchor identifier and a portion of data is located based on the location of the anchor.