FYI... Sun gets SGML=>HTML patent

>Date: 8/15/96 8:32 PM
>From: Gregory Aharonian
>!19960816  First of the Web/HTML software patents issues
>
>    If you wishfully thought the Internet/Web was going to escape the threat
>and headaches of this country's software patenting problems, think again.
>No, I don't mean those retro-patents now trying to be asserted against the
>Internet (like the E-data and Elkins patent).  I mean Internet specific
>patents, those filed in the mid-1990s with the Internet in mind.  One such
>patent has issued, and I am not sure if it is first in its genre, but it is
>first in some genre, so I call it first.
>
>    The patent, 5,530,852, was issued to Sun Microsystems on June 25, 1996
>(filed Dec 20, 1994), and is titled:
>
>	"Method for extracting profiles and topics from a first
>	file written in a first markup language and generating
>	files in different markup languages containing the
>	profiles and topics for use in accessing data described
>	by the profiles and topics"
>
>which basically is an SGML to HTML converter, where content sources in SGML
>format are received by a server, which converts them to HTML for use as Web
>pages and to be searchable (the equivalent technology being to pass the SGML
>and HTML grammars to some YACC/LEX system).  The claims are attached at the
>end.
>
>    I don't know, but it is kind of a wimpy novel and unobvious idea to be
>claiming, and even though some non-patent prior art is cited, it is kind of
>a paltry prior art collection for a patent filed in December 1994 (not
>citing,
>for example, Abraxas Software's PCYACC/PCLEX which has been able to handle
>at least SGML for many years, and probably HTML as long).
>
>    If this is the quality of Internet/Web software patents that are going to
>issued more and more frequently, expect more and more legal headaches.
>
>Greg Aharonian
>Internet Patent News Service
>(for info on free subscription, send 'help' to   patents@world.std.com )
>(for prior art search services info, send 'prior' to patents@world.std.com )
>
>                              ====================
>
>
>1. A computer-implemented method of retrieving information comprising the 
>following steps:
>
>a. receiving a first file of information which includes a first markup 
>language to identify contents of said information;
>
>b. responsive to said receiving said first file of information, parsing 
>said first file of information to generate a list of profiles, and at 
>least one corresponding topic for each of said list of profiles;
>
>c. generating a second file in a second markup language containing said 
>list of said profiles and at least one corresponding third file in a third 
>markup language for said at least one corresponding topic for each of said 
>list of profiles, wherein said second file contains anchors referencing 
>each at least one corresponding third file, and first markup instances in 
>said first file of information are converted to second markup instances in 
>either said second file or said third file;
>
>d. parsing said first file of information to determine said at least one 
>article, if any, for said each at least one corresponding topic for said 
>each of said list of profiles, and a corresponding brief for said at least 
>one article; and
>
>e. generating a fourth file and a fifth file for said at least one 
>article, if any, for said each at least one corresponding topic for said 
>each of said list of profiles, said fourth file including a brief of each 
>said at least one article in said first file of information and an anchor 
>to said fifth file, said fifth file including text for said at least one 
>article, if any, for said each at least one corresponding topic for said 
>each of said list of profiles.
>
>2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of generating a sixth 
>file which contains a plurality of anchors referencing a plurality of said 
>fifth files, wherein said anchors in said sixth file are arranged by each 
>said profile and corresponding topic.
>
>3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving said first file of 
>information includes receiving an electronic mail (e-mail) message.
>
>4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating a 
>directory for each of said list of said profiles and at least one 
>subdirectory for said at least one corresponding topic for each of said 
>list of profiles, and storing said third and fifth file for said at least 
>one article, if any, for said each at least one corresponding topic for 
>said each of said list of profiles in said subdirectory.
>
>5. The method of claim 1 wherein said generating said at least one 
>corresponding third file for said at least one corresponding topic for 
>each of said list of profiles, includes generating a first level heading 
>for each of said list of profiles, and generating a second level heading 
>for said at least one corresponding topic for each of said list of 
>profiles.
>
>6. The method of claim 5 wherein said second level heading for said at 
>least one corresponding topic for each of said list of profiles comprises 
>an anchor referencing said fifth file.
>
>7. A computer-implemented method of retrieving information comprising the 
>following steps:
>
>a. parsing a first file of information to generate a list of profiles, and 
>at least one corresponding topic for each of said list of profiles;
>
>b. generating a second file containing said list of said profiles and said 
>at least one corresponding topic for each of said list of profiles;
>
>c. parsing said first file of information to determine said at least one 
>article, if any, for said each at least one corresponding topic for said 
>each of said list of profiles;
>
>d. generating a third file for said at least one article, if any, for said 
>each at least one corresponding topic for said each of said list of 
>profiles, said third file including text for said at least one article, if 
>any, for said each at least one corresponding topic for said each of said 
>list of profiles; and
>
>e. inserting an anchor in said second file referencing said third file for 
>said at least one article, if any, for said each at least one 
>corresponding topic for said each of said list of profiles.
>
>8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of receiving said 
>first file of information in an electronic mail (e-mail) message.
>
>9. The method of claim 7 wherein said inserting an anchor in said second 
>file referencing said third file for said at least one article, if any, 
>for said each at least one corresponding topic for said each of said list 
>of profiles includes generating a first level heading for each of said 
>list of profiles, and generating a second level heading for said at least 
>one corresponding topic for each of said list of profiles, wherein said 
>second level heading includes a first anchor referencing said third file.
>
>10. A computer-implemented method of retrieving information comprising the 
>following steps:
>
>a. using a hypertext transfer protocol, displaying to a user a display 
>generated from a first markup language, containing a list a profiles, and 
>at least one corresponding topic for each of said list of profiles;
>
>b. allowing a user to select via said hypertext transfer protocol a first 
>plurality of said at least one corresponding topic for a second plurality 
>of said list of profiles:
>
>c. allowing said user to enter via said hypertext transfer protocol at 
>least one search term: and
>
>d. executing a search using said search term in a first database of 
>information, said first database of information organized by said list of 
>said profiles, and said at least one corresponding topic for each of said 
>list of profiles, wherein said search is performed in locations in said 
>first database of information which correspond with each of said first 
>plurality of said at least one corresponding topic for said second 
>plurality of said list of profiles.
>
>11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of displaying, via 
>said hypertext transfer protocol, results of said search using said search 
>term in said first database, said results of said search including a first 
>display generated from a first markup language file representing said 
>results of said search, said first markup language file including at least 
>one anchor, wherein said each at least one anchor references a second file 
>containing text which includes said search term for each article for one 
>of said first plurality of said at least one corresponding topic for said 
>second plurality of said list of profiles.
>
>12. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of executing said search 
>using said search term in said first database of information includes 
>performing a FreeWAIS search of said first database.
>
>(Claim 12 is weird for being overly specific "performing a FreeWAIS search"
>- why not a WAIS or any other search engine - Markush it?)
>==============================================================
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| Mike Doyle                             email: miked@eolas.com |
| Eolas Technologies Inc.                   voice: 312.337.8748 |
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Received on Monday, 19 August 1996 19:12:59 UTC