JP4615391B2 - Electronic book management system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic book management system, and more particularly to a means for associating managed electronic books.

  The most popular technique for associating electronic books is hyperlinks of text in contents on a homepage on the Internet using HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language).

  The hyperlink is defined in advance as address information of other content to be associated with the text in the content described in HTML. When the text portion in the content in which the hyperlink is defined on the Web browser is indicated with a mouse or the like, the hyperlink is associated. This is a technique for displaying content that matches the received address information on the screen (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-145691 (pages 4-5, page 10, FIGS. 14-18)

  In the conventional hyperlink, there is one association that can be specified for one component, and one component cannot be associated with a plurality of contents. Even if the association of the component elements is defined, the association is not further expanded mechanically from the association destination, and thus enormous manpower is required to expand the association.

  The process of associating each component in multiple electronic books with each component is difficult, and if you define the minimum necessary associations manually, the components that can be related mechanically can be associated. There is a desire to automate.

  In addition, with conventional hyperlinks, it is only necessary to refer to a component of another associated content (homepage) from a component (character string, table, figure, etc.) whose association within the content is defined in one direction. Yes, the association from the first component to the second component is one-way, and the cross-reference cannot be made unless the association from the second component to the first component is defined separately.

  When another character string related to a component in an electronic book (for example, a character string) exists in another electronic book, the two are related to each other and managed, and a request to cross-reference There is.

  Furthermore, hyperlinks are primarily intended for association with other content, and cannot be associated between multiple components included in one content, that is, one's own electronic book, and can be associated for cross-reference. could not.

  It is an object of the present invention to associate a component in an electronic book with at least one component in one electronic book, and further from an association destination between a plurality of electronic books or within one electronic book. To provide an electronic book management system including electronic book association means that expands association and further enables cross-reference of components associated among a plurality of electronic books or within one electronic book.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention sets electronic book creation means for creating an electronic book, an electronic book file for storing the created electronic book, and unique identification information for the constituent elements of the electronic book. Means for associating a book in the electronic book file with a book in the electronic book file or a book in an external electronic book file using the identification information, and an electronic book storing the association information Search the database including the component element association information table and the electronic book component element association information table, extract the identification information of the association destination associated with the same identification information as the association source, and between the identification information of the association destination Auto-association means for defining associations, and whether or not cross-reference is possible for the auto-association means, cross-reference Suggest electronic book management system including a related element cross-reference setting means for setting the number of generations to admit.

  According to the present invention, one component can be associated with a plurality of contents. By defining the minimum necessary association manually, components whose contents can be associated mechanically are further expanded mechanically from the association destination, so the association is automated and expanded. To do so, it will require minimal manpower.

  In addition, since the components in the content (books such as character strings, tables, and figures) that are defined as associations are referenced bi-directionally to the components in other related content (homepage), they are included in the electronic book. One-way association or cross-reference association can be performed between a plurality of components regardless of whether the related component is in the same electronic book as the related component or in a different electronic book.

  Next, an embodiment of an electronic book management system provided with an electronic book association apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of an embodiment of an electronic book management system according to the present invention.

  The electronic book management system of this embodiment includes a computer 10, a database 20, an electronic book (for example, drawing book) file 30, and an electronic book associating device 40. The electronic book management system according to the present embodiment can be constructed not only by a new construction but also by adding an electronic book associating device 40 to an existing electronic book management system including the computer 10, the database 20, and the electronic book file 30. .

  Although not shown in detail here, the computer 10 includes a screen display device that displays an electronic drawing and a mouse that indicates a display object on the screen, and includes electronic book creation means and components of the electronic book. Means for setting identification information.

  In the computer 10 that displays an electronic drawing, software that creates an electronic book such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) or sets identification information in a component in the electronic book is operating. The electronic book creation means may be dedicated hardware that performs the same function instead of software.

  The electronic book associating device 40 includes an electronic book component associating means 41 for associating books in an electronic book file, an automatic associating means 42 for associating unrelated books with other books, and a related book in the reverse direction. It consists of related element cross-reference setting means 43 to be associated.

  The association information is stored in the electronic book component association information table 50 in the database 20.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of display of an electronic book created by CAD as an electronic book creating means.

  On the display screen D10 of the computer 10, a circuit diagram D20, a parts table D30, a designer's comment D40, and the like are displayed.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an input screen for setting association information for each component in the electronic book.

  When setting the association information to the component in the CAD drawing, the electronic book component association unit 41 calls the association setting function 110 and displays the CAD drawing D20 as the association source on the screen.

  First, the operator designates the component (character string A01 in the book X001) to be actually associated with the mouse.

  Next, the CAD drawing D50 to be associated is displayed on the screen, and the component in the CAD drawing D50 to be associated with the character string A01 (the character string A01 in the table in the drawing X002) is similarly designated with the mouse.

  Thereafter, when the association “setting” button on the top layer screen 120 is selected, the electronic book component association unit 41 determines the association of the CAD drawing component.

In the present invention, the component to be associated is stored in its own electronic book file 30 that can be connected via a LAN, or is stored in an external electronic book file that can be connected via a WAN such as the Internet. Since there is no restriction on whether or not the related source books / related destination books on the top layer screen 120 in FIG.
a. Own electronic book file / own electronic book file b. Own electronic book file / external electronic book file c. External electronic book file / external electronic book file d. Any combination of external electronic book file / own electronic book file can be specified.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data format of an electronic book component association information table that stores association information.

  The association information stored in the electronic book component element association information table 50 includes the drawing number of the association source CAD drawing, the identification information of the association element in the CAD drawing, the drawing number of the association destination CAD drawing, and the association destination. It is the identification information of the component in CAD drawing.

  These drawing numbers and identification information are unique within the managed CAD drawing, and can be reliably distinguished from the drawing numbers and identification information of other drawings. As long as the association information to be stored is information that can uniquely describe the association of the constituent elements in the drawing, it may not be the drawing number of the present embodiment or the identification information of the constituent elements.

  When the association of the constituent elements in the CAD drawing is confirmed, the association information is stored in the constituent element association information table 50 in the electronic book of the database 20. In the case of FIG. 4, up to the fourth record in the electronic book constituent element association information table 50 is the association information.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for associating each component in the electronic book.

  The automatic association means 42 in the electronic book associating apparatus 40 monitors the access to the electronic book component relation information table 50 in the database 20 and when a new association is detected (S10), the new association data is stored in the database 20. (S20), the association information is searched (S30), and it is checked whether the identification information of the association source exists as the identification information of the association source in other books (S40).

  If the existence of the same identification information can be confirmed as the association source in other books, the identification information of the association destination associated with the same identification information is extracted (S50), and the identification information of the association destinations are also extracted. When it is determined that there is a relationship, an association is also defined between these pieces of identification information (S60), and this association is continued until all the associations are completed (S70).

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the concept of associating each component in the electronic book by the processing procedure of FIG.

  In this way, when it is desired to associate a plurality of components in a CAD drawing with a component in one CAD drawing, a certain CAD drawing is associated with another CAD drawing (association 1, 2). It is possible to associate the components of the CAD drawings that are not yet connected (association 3).

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen when referring to an associated electronic book.

  When one CAD drawing component is associated with a plurality of other CAD drawing components, in CAD, the source CAD book is displayed on the screen, and the associated component is specified with the mouse. All other components in the CAD drawing associated with the component are displayed on the screen as an association list.

  When the operator selects a component in the CAD drawing of the other party that he or she wants to cross-reference from the list screen, the component in the CAD drawing can be referred to.

  However, when the automatic association means 42 determines that the identification information of the association destinations are also related as in step 60 of FIG. 5 and defines the association between these identification information, the cross-reference is made. In some cases, the relationship becomes enormous and the list of related destinations displayed on the screen becomes long, so that time may be taken instead of wasteful reference destination selection.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the related element cross-reference setting means 43 is provided to determine whether or not cross-reference is possible (whether reference is possible, cross-reference, or conventional one-way), the number of generations that allow cross-reference (one reference destination, In order to prevent the output of the waste association destination list, it is also possible to set a reference destination to allow n generations or whether to accept an infinite reference destination.

It is a block diagram which shows the system | strain structure of one Example of the electronic book management system by this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the display of the electronic book produced with CAD as an electronic book production means. It is a figure which shows an example of the input screen for setting association information to each component in an electronic book. It is a figure which shows an example of the data format of the electronic book component correlation information table 50 which stores correlation information. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the process sequence which links | relates each component in an electronic book. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a concept of associating each component in an electronic book by the processing procedure of FIG. 5. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen at the time of referring the associated electronic book.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Computer 20 Database 30 Electronic book file 40 Electronic book correlation apparatus 41 Electronic book component correlation means 42 Automatic correlation means 43 Related element cross-reference setting means 50 Electronic book component correlation information table

Claims (3)

An electronic book creation means for creating an electronic book;
An electronic book file to save the created electronic book,
Means for setting unique identification information in the component of the electronic book;
Electronic book component association means for using the identification information to associate a book in the electronic book file with a book in the electronic book file or a book in an external electronic book file;
A database including an electronic book component association information table for storing association information;
The electronic book component element association information table is searched, the identification information of the association destination associated with the same identification information as the association source is extracted, and the automatic association means for defining the association between the identification information of the association destination An electronic book management system. An electronic book creation means for creating an electronic book;
An electronic book file to save the created electronic book,
Means for setting unique identification information for a component of the electronic book;
Electronic book component association means for using the identification information to associate a book in the electronic book file with a book in the electronic book file or a book in an external electronic book file;
A database including an electronic book component association information table for storing association information;
Automatic association means for searching the electronic book component association information table, extracting identification information of association destinations associated with the same identification information as an association source, and defining association between the identification information of association destinations;
An electronic book management system comprising related element cross-reference setting means for setting whether or not cross-reference is allowed for the automatic association means and the number of generations that allow cross-reference. The electronic book management system according to claim 1 or 2 ,
An electronic book management system comprising means for designating on the screen which book to refer to when there are a plurality of related book candidates.

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