Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
GENERALIZED MULTI-INTERFACED EXTENSIBLE CONTENT
MANAGEMENT AND DELIVERY SYSTEM, AND ON-LINE CALENDAR
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a multi-
organizatian web content management system and a web-based
on-line calendar system.
BACKGROUND TO WEB CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The present invention establishes the mechanism,
the framework, the interfaces and ancillary methodology that
allow multiple content creators to submit content, enable
content managers to manage and expand their categories
independently, facilitate the retrieval and manipulation of
contents from multiple categories and merge them into a
media form by the content consumer, and automate the
processes where warranted.
Content management involves submission by
creators, collection, editing, and processing by managers
and re-distribution to consumers. An example of such a
system is the operation of a newspaper. A more advanced
example is a web site where feeds from various sources are
collected and re-assembled for viewing on a browser.
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A conventional static Web site consists of pages
containing information units. Anchors embedded in the unit
are used to link to logically subsequent units on other
pages. A site map can show all the pages and the links
among them. Tools abound to facilitate the production of
such Web sites, from textual HTML editors to visual page
designer like NetObjects Fusion. Programs like LinkBot
exist to validate the links among pages; even so, broken
links are commonplace on the Web given the inter-
relationship among the pages.
This conventional Web site concept becomes merely
a shell to an advanced dynamic and interactive site. At the
core of such a site are one or more application programs
that present the viewer information or functionality on
demand. The pages serve as the user interface of the
programs. It is not far-fetched to have an entire
spreadsheet program running on the Web; Web-based Quattro
Pro is available from Corel.
The Web publishing tools available on the market
can be divided into two categories: site-centric and page-
centric and are all based on the conventional page-and-link
structure. They generally facilitate the creation of whole
sites or whole pages. Microsoft FrontPage and Net Object
Fusion are two examples of the page-centric approach. A
leading content publishing package, StoryServer by Vignet,
attempts to control the entire site, leaving the site
manager little flexibility, resulting in monotonous site
designs (see www.news.com, www.cnet.com) . None of these
products treat web sites as a componentized dynamic system
where the content is isolated and treated independent of the
web page to submit content for web publication layout.
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Accordingly, there is a need for a system which:
unifies the collection-processing-storage-distribution model
across multiple platforms; establishes the mechanisms,
interfaces and methodology for the efficient and secure flow
of content from the creator to the consumer; allows multiple
content contributors; enables content section managers to
manage their sections independently; facilitates the site
manager to retrieve and place contents from multiple
sections and merge them into a site; automates the update of
Web content; and enables the syndication of user content to
multiple web sites. The present invention fulfills such
needs.
BACKGROUND TO ON-LINE CALENDAR
On-line calendars allow multiple users to remotely
and simultaneously maintain and access a shared calendar
database. One conventional approach is to allow access to
such calendars via an Internet browser and an Internet
Service Provider (ISP). However, if a user wishes to access
a plurality of different calendars from different
organizations, the user must separately access different web
sites. Likewise, if the user wishes to post the event to
plural calendars, each calendar must be individually
accessed to add the event. As more personal and
organizational calendars become managed on-line via
intranets, wide area networks, the Internet, and the like,
the problem of calendar management grows exponentially.
Accordingly, there is a need for an on-line
calendar system which can effectively and efficiently manage
calendar data from plural businesses, organizations, and the
like. The present invention fulfills such a need.
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BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
SUMMARY OF WEB CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The present invention isolates Web site management
into three distinct elements: site layout, content creation
and content placement. It therefore delegates the separated
responsibilities to respective individuals. A visually .
unified site is substantially divided into sub-sites, or
sections, independently maintained by the section managers.
As a set of Web content management tools, the present
invention is useful for a large corporate site, a community
site or a site which enables the sharing of content data
across Web sites. Any content-rich site, such as newspaper
sites, will find the present invention very helpful.
The present invention may be used in a
complementary manner with MS FrontPage to do what FrontPage
does not. FrontPage's editing capability may be used to
allow content creator to copy materials edited in FrontPage
into the content database of the present invention.
As its name suggests, the present invention
does content management. Content mainly refers to textual
and graphical information, also referred to herein as
electronic digital assets or data. The present invention
does not perform visual layout, which is best done with
abundance of other programs. In this sense, the present
invention is a post-design content management system.
Interaction with layout design, however, is beneficial and
will simplify design work.
The present invention may be used with any
programming or scripting language, Cold Fusion, ASP; C++,
Visual Basic or Perl. The present invention may serve as an
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extension, or add-on component to web development platforms
such as Cold Fusion and Active Server Pages. The present
invention may also serve as a tool set for CGI and ISAPI
programming.
The present invention may be used any site that
can access Component Object Model (COM) objects. It can be
used from within Cold Fusion, ASP, or CGI programs. It is
intended to be programming language neutral through the use
of COM-DLL, servlettes, and Java features.
For the client using the Web site as a publication
platform, the objectives of the present invention include at
least the following goals:
1. To reduce or eliminate the need to manipulate
Web site layout.
2. To deliver the power of the Web as a
publishing channel to the hands of the content creator.
For the site manager, the objectives of the
present invention include at least the following goals:
1. To modularize a Web site into replaceable
selectable .components, the objectives of the present
invention include at least the following goals:;
2. To decentralize the management of a Web site
of diverse content types by separating content and form and
distributing the control out content;
3. To streamline the publication of daily
content and expansion of content areas; and
4. To facilitate the input, administration and
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presentation of Web content access across various electronic
outlets.
SUMMARY OF ON-LINE CALENDAR
An automated, computer-implemented on-line
calendar system is provided which posts event information
associated with a plurality of entities. Each entity has
its own calendar. Depending upon the implementation, each
entity also has an apportionment of a large calendar
database, or its own database. The system includes a
calendar database and a calendar assembler. The calendar
event database accepts event entry calendar input
information from a plurality of content providers and stores
the event entries. Each event entry is associated with one
or more entities specified by the content provider. Event
entries may specify a,plurality of entities for posting.
The calendar assembler generates calendars of events for
each of the entities using the information stored in the
calendar event database. The same event entry may appear on
calendars of a plurality of entities if specified by the
calendar event database. The event entries include private
entries which appear only on the calendar of an entity
predesignated by the content provider. Event entries which
are not designated as private entries are treated as public
entries and are available for viewing by any entity
calendar.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following detailed description of preferred
embodiments of the present invention would be better
understood when read in conjunction with the appended
drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present
invention, there is shown in the drawings embodiments which
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are presently preferred. However, the present invention is
not limited to the precise arrangements and
instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:
Fig. 1 shows a content management database in
accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 2 shows a sample system configuration for .
implementing an electronic video shop using the content
management system of the present invention;
Fig. 3A shows the interconnections between the
major elements of the content management system;
Fig. 3B shows details of the content management
database associated with the content management system;
Fig. 4 shows sample end products created by the
content management system;
Fig. 5 is a screen shot from a web browser-based
interface which illustrates the hierarchical structure, as
well as the functions implemented at each level of the
content management system;
Figs. 6A-9R show sample screen shots for one
commercialized implementation of the present invention in
the form of a web content management product.
Fig. 10 shows one embodiment of a system for
managing the on-line calendar in accordance with the present
invention, and shows the interconnections between the major
elements;
Fig. 11 shows the database structure, including
the objects, used for the on-line calendar; and
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Figs. 12-22 show sample screen shots for one
preferred embodiment of the present invention in the form of
a web content management product.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Certain terminology is used herein for convenience
only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present-
invention. In the drawings, the same reference letters are
employed for designating the same elements throughout the
several figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF WEB
CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A. DEFINITIONS
Content: any textual, visual and audio materials,
or the combination thereof, including animated images, video
and audio materials. In a broader sense, the term content
covers the categorization of the actual content.
Content consumer: a person or a device that
retrieves the content from storage for consumption,
including web site, printing process, electronic mail
system.
Content consumption: reading, viewing, hearing or
redistribution of the content.
B. OVERVIEW OF PRESENT INVENTION
STRUCTURE OF WEB SITES FOR USE WITH THE PRESENT INVENTION
Content management should cover multiple web sites
such that the contents can be efficiently shared among
sites. At the top of the structure is a web, managed by a
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webmaster. The content management system supplies content
units in the form of wrapped modules. Therefore, contents
are independent of the sites while the sites are reliant on
the content system.
Ideally, a content module would have one calling
interface and be located at a site-independent URL.
Consider, for example, the following URL's:
1, http://www.regiononline.com/guild?site=Rest&Phone=1234567
2, http://www.regiononline.cm/calendar?site=2&date=4-30-98&class=2
3. http://www.regiononline.cvm/guides?site=1 §ion=edit&type=current
4. http://www.regiononline.com/images/header/headerl.gif
In this way, it is possible to eliminate the
redundancy of files and folders, simplify site management
and enhance the efficiency and performance of the server.
Physically, a site consists of "templates." A
template is a mold for Web "pages." The template generates
pages when given different "parameters." The template
defines the layout of the resultant pages while the code and
parameters determine the content of the output.
To a viewer, a Web site consist of pages, sewn
together with anchors and links, in the form of hypertext
markup language (HTML) .
To a site manager, a site consist of templates in
the form of ffiles.
In terms of content, a Web site consists of
"zones," which have "sections" under them. Zones and
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sections are logical content units, rather than placement
descriptions. A zone may not be a visual box on a web page;
it may span multiple pages; sections in one zone may not
appear together. A section may span multiple templates or
pages. A section contains articles that can be split into
"parts." Articles of a section usually need to be presented
in parallel. For example, "Local News" can be a zone, while
"Bethlehem News" can be a section, which can have five
stories for a day. Part 1's, or the titles of the stories,
can be shown as a list. Clicking on one of the list items
leads to the detailed story, which can be on a subsequent
template.
A part can have a content, an anchor and an image.
The content can be pasted in or uploaded as a file.
Splitting an article into parts enables presenting a long
article in multiple pages and attaching multiple images to
an article. It also gives the contributor flexibility in
handling the look and page transition of an article.
Besides an image that can be attached to a part of
an article, an article can have a "lead image," which
usually is needed in front of the title.
DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES (generally)
T_he site manager controls the physical placement
by placing the code that retrieves the content of a section
where it is desired to appear. The site manager can place
one or more sections in a table cell or in a frame. The
site manager does not decide on the content of a section.
The site manager's responsibilities are layout, which is
usually prefabricated, and placement.
A Webmaster oversees the site managers and the
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zone manages and sets up their user accounts. The Webmaster
decides on the server folder, URL mapping, etc. for the
sites. The Webmaster also sets up folder to store
documents, images and templates that are shared across
sites.
The zone manager's role is administrative and
includes defining sections within a zone and setting up -
section manager accounts. The section manager oversees the
content contributors and assures that the content and
appearance of the materials submitted by the contributors
are appropriate. All new articles submitted to a section
are subject to the approval of the section manager.
The terms webmaster, site manager, zone manager
and section manager pertain to the roles, rather than the
personalities. There could be one person taking all the
roles, or the roles could be delegated to different
individuals. The division of responsibilities makes it
possible for a team to split the roles and collaborate.
A portion of a section that appears on a template
is a part of the section. The parts of a section are
logically layered, in that a click on part 1 leads to part
2, much like the pages of a book. An example of a section
is Ted's Place on Region Online (ROL). Part 1 of Ted's
Place section is on home.cfm, which leads of part 2 on
Content/tedplace/tedarchl.cfm. The complete article is part 3 on
content/tedplace/date.cfin. Although the articles are present and
stored in separate files now, with the use of a database,
they can be accessed from one template. Therefore, Ted's
Place section may have 3 parts.
Tt is advantageous to deem Ted's section a module,
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with Ted responsible for its content and the site manager
for its placement. A section manager can pre-approve the
content of a contributor. It is desirable for Ted to have a
simple interface to edit, update and archive.the articles of
his section and for the site manager to be able to place the
parts of Ted's section on the templates in an easy way.
Ted will have to know that his articles consist of
3 parts. Each part has its content and some ancillary
properties, such as an anchor and an image. He does not
know where exactly the parts are placed. He just edits the
content and properties of the parts in a table.
The site manager places the parts by Ted as
objects. If the manager uses Cold Fusion, the following
code is used to put part 3 of Ted's Place where it is
desired to appear.
<CFOUPU'I>#Section.Output("TedPlace")</CFOUTPU'T>
PROGRAMMING LOGIC
Components:
1. User Interfaces: content input,
administration tasks
2. Database: save information on security and
content
3. Transfer: access host through HTTP, display
content in built-in browser
4. Server Object: enable the serve to interact
with the database content; implemented in COM, it makes the
present invention programming language-independent
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5. Security mechanism
6. Correspondence system
THE DATABASE DESIGN AND ACCESS METHODS
The database design handles all article types in
any number of parts. The type of databases to be used is
not restricted. With Active Data Object as the access
method, we can access over one hundred databases, including
MS Access, MS SQL Server, Oracle, and all ODBC data sources.
SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
Security is implemented at all levels. The
database is stored on the server and checks the user logon
and presents the current user a temporary key to access the
section he or she is authorized to work on. When the
current user is finished, the temporary key is destroyed.
STATICIZING THE PRESENTATION UNIT
The object model of article and part makes it
possible to staticize a presentation unit. When the object
outputs the content from a query, it can write the results
to a local file on the server. The next time the same
content is requested, the query need not be executed. A
scheme is needed to generate file names unique to a query.
The staticized content is cached in a file named
SectionyymmddHHAAPP.htm.
DYNAMIC LINKS
Ln order to give the server manager full control
over the placement of the parts, the links between the parts
to a section are not hard-coded by the content creator who
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does not know the exact placement. However, supply
parameters to the links are provided such that the server
manager can build a link that points to a specific content
unit . For example, Ted would put <Click here for more> for the
server manager to build a link.
THE NOTIFICATION SYSTEM
When a contributor submits an article, the section
manager is notified by e-mail. When the section manager
approves/deletes/criticizes an article, the author is
notified.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The client interface is browser-based. No special
hardware or software is required. The client needs Internet
access, dial-up or whatever, and a browser.
In one preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the server component requires Windows 95/NT and
web server,. Microsoft Data Access Components, a scripting or
programming environment to call COM objects. One embodiment
of the present invention is implemented with Cold Fusion.
Another embodiment uses ASP calls to the database.
DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES (detailed lists)
Web Master:
1. Set up a Web root directory, name and password and
specify an SMTP server, for use by the notification system.
2. Set up web site managers, allot a server folder for a
site.
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3. Set up zone managers.
Site manager:
1. Edit templates for a site, place sections on the
templates.
2. Adopt new templates.
Zone manager:
1. Set up section managers.
2. Create new sections.
Section manager:
1. Set up content writers.
2. Approve the content submitted by the writers. The
Section Manager may send comment to the writer or delete the
article.
Content writers:
1. Compose web content in his or her favorite editing
environment, decide on the content and appearance of the
articles.
2. Upload the article to the server.
When a section manager uses his or her password to
enter a particular section, the articles in the section
become accessible. The Section Manager can add an article
or pick an existing article from a list to modify. The
Section Manager logs out when he or she is done with the
article.
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The site manager uses a few lines of code to
extract the content that the content creator has submitted.
Generally the site manager needs to specify the section and
a display mode. If the site manager specifies a display of
part 1 and more than one article is available, there will be
a list of part 1's. The anchors are automatically built
such that a click on part 1 leads to part 2 of the article.
The content appears wherever the code is put in a table cell
or a frame. In other words, the present invention handles
the output of content and the navigational links between the
content units.
For example, the site manager may use a simple
command : <% .getContent(SectionID, ArticleID, PartID, NumberOfArticles %>
to retrieve the content of a section, where:
SectionID is the name of the section;
ArticleID is usually programmatically supplied. If set to
zero, the latest are retrieved;
PartID specifies either the header or body; and
NumberOf Articles: Zero means all current ones, 1 means the
latest one, etc.
USER KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS
A content contributor needs to know how to type
plain text. Special characters are automatically converted
into HTML format. If a word processor is used to generate
an HTML file and upload the file, the content contributor
must know where the file is located. Alternatively, the
content contributor needs to know how to use a word-
processor.
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The web server needs something to read CGI
parameters. CGI programming or server-side scripting tool,
such as Cold Fusion, ASP, are sufficient for this purpose.
The site manager needs to understand what this
system does and the sample implementations. The site
manager does not need to do any coding.
Graphical designers need to understand the concept
of templates and pages, and they need to make fewer
replicates of their designs.
C. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
STRUCTURE OF THE CATEGORIES
The basis for content management is the
categorical division of the content. Content may be divided
into hierarchical categories. A news organization, for
example, may categorize the news content into "sports",
"business", etc. Each category is a collection of
subcategories, such as "sports>swimming", and a sub-category
is a collection of sub-subcategories, "sports>swimming>free
style", and so on. There is no limit to the number of
levels to the hierarchy, but each branch should be unique.
One way for managing such a hierarchy is using a
relational database, such as an ANSI SQL database. The
information on the categories can be stored in data tables
while the database maintains the relationships among the
units. Another way for managing such a hierarchy is using
an object-oriented or hierarchical database, such as the
registry of. Windows-NT.
The ways cited above for managing the hierarchy
are the choice of the person implementing the system. The
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implementation person may choose another means, or devise
one of his or her own, to maintain the categorical
structure. The present invention is directed to concerns
about the functionality of such a structure that is outlined
as follows:
1. Each category may contain contents or "items".
2. Each category may contain subcategories, which in turn,
are referred to as categories. Thus, a category may be main
category with or without subcategories in one structure; a
category may be a subcategory in another structure; or a
category may be a sub-subcategory in another structure. The
individual web site designer decides how to arrange the
category structures.
3. Each category may be assigned to distinct individuals
or "contributors" to maintain.
4. The existence of a category depends on the category
immediately above it.
5. A manager of a category has control over the categories
under it.
6. A category may contain actual contents or pointers to,
or addresses of, contents.
7. Each category and each content unit are uniquely
identifiable.
Fig. 1 illustrates a content management database
10 organized in a category-type format. Note that in
category 3, one of the contents is a pointer to a web site.
This taxonomic structure for content
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classification is capable of handling any and all systems of
natural relationships. Therefore, the categorization system
can be considered a model for the content body.
The present invention achieves the implementation
of the functionality of such a structure with the use of
object-oriented databases, relational databases, computer
file systems, computer network protocols and the .
combinations or hybridization thereof.
INTERFACES THAT FACILITATE THE CREATION
'AND MAINTENANCE OF THE CATEGORIZATION
For the content managers, interfaces are devised
for the creation and maintenance of such a taxonomic
structure. As far as computer software is concerned, such
interfaces can be designed in the form of application
programming interfaces (API's), which allow the addition,
deletion and setting the properties of categories, and which
can be accessed with a programming or scripting language.
INTERFACES THAT ALLOW COLLECTION,
MAINTENANCE AND DELIVERY OF CONTENT
For the content creators, managers and consumers,
interfaces are designed for content collection, maintenance
and retrieval.
END USER INTERFACES
The end user interfaces can be implemented desktop
computer applications, web browser applications, or any
other device that can take user selection and present the
content.
STATICIZING MECHANISM
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Although the content presentation is dynamic and
in response to users' requests, the variations in the
requests are limited and the same requests are often
repeated. Staticizing provides content dynamics on an "as
S needed" basis. The bottleneck for the speed of content
delivery, as far as the server is concerned, is usually the
database search and content processing. When the server
receives a request, it is converted into a set of search
criteria and a search is conducted by the database. The
records found are processed and merged into a format, such
as HTML, that is suitable for consumption. Two ways are used
to speed this process:
1. Partial response caching. The requests are
processed into unique identities and related to the final
content units ready to be delivered. When the same request
is received, no search and process is needed and the cached
content is served out.
2. Full response caching. The fully assembled
response, such as a front page of a web site, is cached so
that majority of the processing time is saved.
SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION
Security is implemented at all levels. Only
authorized identity can access certain categories or
functionality. The authorization can be based on
organizational or corporate designation, or on financial
transactions, e.g., payment received.
EXAMPLE IMPLEMENTATIONS
1. An Electronic Video Shop
The video shop divides its content materials into
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categories such as Comic, Action, etc. A manager is assigned
to a category. The present invention allows the category
manager to retrieve video content materials from sources
(content creators, such as Universal Studio) and place them
under his or her category in a way that is described in the
following pseudo-code:
Invention.DepositVideo(Category:=Action, Source:=US,
SourceLocation:=name/Password@ftp.US.com://newRelease/ArnoldSchwart~eger1234
5, Description:=best Ever)
The present invention builds interfaces for the
end user to search for content in the content collection by
various criteria. Upon the user selection, a device, or a
program, will request the specific content to be sent to the
user in a way that is described in the following pseudo-
code:
Invention.DeliverVideo(title:=USnewAS12345, authenticated:=Yes,
Mode:=HighResolution)
Rig. 2 shows a sample system configuration for
implementing the electronic video shop. The entered search
may include one or more keywords, categories, or
combinations of keywords and categories. In Fig. 2, a web
browser 16 accepts a search input query which is routed by
an ISP 18 to an interface 20 connected to the content
management 'database 10 and the content database 14. A
search engine 22 uses the user's search input query to
search the content database 14.
2. A Web Content Management System
This system enables the collection of content from
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various sources, such as newspaper and magazine content
systems, individually written articles, and the placement of
content units on designated Web sites. It divides the
content into levels of categories and assigns an owner to
each category who has control over the content in his or her
category. Multiple content creator, or writer, can be
assigned to a category. The interfaces of the system
facilitate the submission of content materials from various
sources. For example, a desktop computer application is
compiled to help a writer fill in the category name, user
name, pass word, article header, etc. A visual what-you-see-
is-what-you-get editing environment is incorporated in the
application such that the writer needs not to know any more
than ordinary composition. The communication protocols are
built in the system such that the content can be transferred
from the creator to a server and is processed and stored in
appropriate databases or file structures. The manager of the
category will then have the chance to examine the new
content and decide whether is will be published. Once
approved, the consumer can access the content in a
presentation that is suitable for consumption on his or her
device of choice, such as a computer program, a television
set.
For efficient storage and retrieval for web
distribution, textual content is stored in HTML (hypertext
markup language) or XML (extensible markup language) and
multimedia content in its native format.
Fig. 5 is a screen shot from a Web browser-based
interface which illustrates the hierarchical structure as
well as the functions implemented at each level of the web
content management system.
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Figs. 3A, 3B and 4 illustrate one embodiment of a
web content management system in accordance with the present
invention. Fig. 3A shows the interconnections between the
major elements, Fig. 3B shows details of the content
management database 10 used in Fig. 3A, and Fig. 4 shows
sample end products as viewed at an end user interface, such
as a browser. These figures illustrate how the present
invention allows the contents of a single category to appeaf
in a plurality of unrelated web sites 24 (labeled as 1-n),
each of which may have completely different page layouts.
The same categories and their content may thus be
automatically populated in multiple web sites. The
"contributors" of Fig. 1 are equivalent to the content
providers 12 of Fig. 3A.
Referring to Figs. 3A and 3B, a central site or a
plurality of distributed sites includes a content database
14 for storing the content, and a content management
database 10 for storing instructions regarding how the
content is used and managed. A plurality of content
providers 12 (labeled as A-Z) transmit content to locations
in the content database 14. In one scheme, each content
provider 12 is permitted to submit content to one or more
preselected content numbers. There is a content number for
each category item shown in Fig. 1. For example, content 1
may be item 1 of category 1; content 2 may be item 2 of
category 1; content 3 may be item 1 of category 2,
subcategory 1, and so on. Passwords and other appropriate
security measures are used to ensure that content is
received only from the predesignated provider. To
facilitate illustration of the present invention, the
content management database 10 is shown in Fig. 3B as an
index of categories and the web site location at one or more
web sites where the content (items) should appear.
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The content provider 12 does not create the
content management database 10. Instead, individual web
site personnel and/or their authorized entities, set up and
maintain the information in the content management database
10.
Referring to Figs. 3A, 3B and 4, consider the home
page 26 of Site 1 which is arranged with five categories.
Categories 1, 3 and 4 each have two hypertext-linked items
identified with a headline or teaser line (article header).
Category 2 has two hypertext-linked subcategories. Category
5 is a single graphic item. The headline of the items in
contents 1, 3 and 4 appear in their respective locations of
the Site 1 homepage. 26, and the full-text or full version of
the items appear at the respective web site addresses shown
in Fig. 3B. For example, the full version of item 2 of
category 4 appears at-: sitel.com/category4/item2, as shown in Fig.
4.
Home page 28 of Site 2 is arranged with categories
1 and 2. The physical layout of category information may be
different in sites 1 and 2, depending upon the
formatting/layout of the sites and the number of different
categories. Since category 2 has two subcategories, the
home page lists the two subcategories as hypertext links.
Clicking on a subcategory link brings up a web page of
subcategory items. Clicking on the items brings up the full
versions of the item contents. Fig. 4 shows an example for
viewing subcategory 1, item 1. Site 2 does not have
categories 3-5.
In the example shown in Fig. 3B, site6.com (not
shown in the figures) includes categories 3 and 5, but not
categories 1, 2 and 5.
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In the web page structure shown in Fig. 3B, the
full version of content, as well as the clickable
subcategory listings, are located on separate web pages and
are not part of the front page web page. In an alternative
web page structure, the full version of content appears on
the same web page as the front page. For example, referring
to Fig. 4, the item 2 full content may be located at the
following address : sitel.com/frontpage?category=4&item=2
The alternative structure uses less pages and thus
,is more efficient, especially for a web site with a large
number of branches.
As illustrated by this example, the same
categories, (and thus, the same content items), may be
automatically populated in a plurality of different web
sites. In this example, when submitting the content, the
content provider 12 must indicate which portion of the
content is the headline and which portion is the full
version. A summary of the content may also be provided if
the web sites have separate locations or pages for content
summaries. If the content of a category is subsequently
changed and the change is approved by the site manager, the
new content replaces the old content in each of the
respective web sites.
As discussed above, a manager or administrator is
assigned to each category for examining newly submitted
content and deciding if it should be published.
The present invention may be used to create
electronic newspapers for a plurality of web sites. Thus, a
news article, sports article or weather report may
simultaneously become the content of a local school
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newspaper, a regional newspaper, and a national newspaper.
In the newspaper example, the content provider 12 may be a
reporter, writer, photographer, subscriber (e.g., for
letters to the editor or a feedback section), or even a
newswire service such as the Associated Press. Of course,
the electronic newspaper is only one example of an
application for the present invention and is not meant to
limit the scope of the invention.
Figs. 6A-9R show sample screen shots for one
commercialized implementation of the present invention in
the form of a web content management product called
"PublishNow," marketed by Regional Network Communications,
Inc. (RNCi), Bethlehem, PA. PublishNow works in conjunction
with other two products, "WriteNOW" and "CalendarNOW," also
marketed by RNCi. WriteNOW is a web content entry tool for
use with PublishNOW. WriteNOW uses Microsoft Word. The
screen shots illustrate exactly how a user interacts with
the product, and thus are self-explanatory. Some additional
explanation of selected figures is provided below.
Figs. 6A-6H show the article submission process
using a browser-based version of WriteNOW.
Figs. 7A-7C show the article submission process
using a non-browser version of WriteNOW software (ver.
2.25) .
Figs. 8A-8Q show PublishNOW user interface
screens. The "Site" Functions (Place Departments, Upload
Template) are performed by the Site Administration Module,
shown in Figs.
9A-9R.
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Figs. 9A-9R show user interface screens for the
Site Administration Module used with PublishNOW.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
OF ON-LINE .CALENDAR
Fig. l0 illustrates one embodiment of a system 100
for managing the on-line calendar in accordance with the
present invention, and shows the interconnections between
the major elements.
Referring to Fig. 10, a central site or a
plurality of distributed sites 1121, 112z,...112n, hosts a
master calendar 114. The master calendar includes an event
database 116 for storing all events which appear in the
organization calendars. Each organization 1, 2,...n has a
section of the event database 116. Each organization has
"public" events and "private" events. Public events are
stored as public entries in the event database 116, and
private events are stored as private entries in the event
database 116. A public event can be viewed by anyone
accessing a web site associated with the master calendar
entity. A private event is posted only to a particular
organization's calendar. Passwords and other appropriate
security measures may be used to ensure that content is
received only from the preauthorized providers 117. Users
access the organization calendars in one of two ways. The
user may access the web site of the master calendar entity
through a user computer 118 and an ISP 120. Alternatively,
the user may directly access the web site of the
organization via the user computer 118 and view the
organization's calendar through its web site 112 which
either mirrors or links to the master calendar entity.
The on-line calendar described below is preferably
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built using Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP) and
Component Object Model (COM) objects for fast response and
design flexibility. ASP allows for good integration with
the web server and system stability. COM objects make the
system more efficient. Since a COM object is an actual
compiled program (as opposed to a script that is processed)
and is bound to the web server, the COM object becomes a
natural extension of the server. Since a COM object is
compiled, it runs faster and more efficiently.
The on-line calendar is preferably hosted on a
Windows NT Server running Microsoft's IIS4 web server
software, and the database is preferably stored in a
Microsoft SQL Server.
Fig. 11 shows the database structure, including
the objects, used for the on-line calendar.
Figs. 12-22 show sample screen shots for one
preferred embodiment of the present invention in the form of
a web content management product called "CalendarNow,"
marketed by Regional Network Communications, Inc. (RNCi),
Bethlehem, PA. The screen shots illustrate exactly how a
user interacts with the product, and thus are self-
explanatory.
CALENDAR DISPLAY
The calendar display object is built using date
routines that will fill-in the events for a particular
month, defaulting to the current month. In addition to
selecting a day in the month, the object has next and prior
buttons that will scroll through the months of the year.
An automatic resizing feature is built into the
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calendar object. This allows the calendar to fluctuate in
size based on the data that surrounds it. Both the graphics
and the text are resized proportionally, the graphics in
steps of one pixel and the text in steps if one font size.
T strut (placeholder) is built in some cases to equalize
both.
Fig. 12 is an example of a Calendar Display, and
Fig. 13 is an example of a Calendar Detail. Hypertext links
are underlined.
CALENDAR SEARCH
The calendar search is full-featured with several
ways in which to view events. First, events are selected by
the time period the user defines:
Today
By Month
By day of the month
By a range of days
Second, the events are further defined by the
following parameters if someone selects specific values from
their drop-down list boxes.
location (venue)
organization or department
keyword
type of event (category)
PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE EVENTS
This application allows for events to be
designated as "Open to the Public" or "Private to your
Organization". In general, when an event is defined as
public, it will display on a calendar page that can be
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viewed by anyone using a browser. In general, when the
event is marked as private, it will only view on the
organization's Intranet calendar page. This eliminates the
need for dual entry of an event. An example of a private
event is a departmental staff meeting, while a public event
might be a charitable event held by the organization.
Fig. 14 shows SQL used in a Public Calendar
Display and a Public Event Detail.
HYPERTEXT LINKS
The event detail generates several hypertext
links, thereby allowing the user to gain additional
information directly from the calendar page. Links are
generated for the organization's web site and the online
ticket house. The location name is linked out to mapping
software. Email links are provided for ease of
communications between a person viewing event information
and the person who generated the event in the calendar.
MASTER EVENTS, SUBEVENTS, AND STAND-ALONE
Events are classified into 3 types. A Master
Event is the uppermost level of an event hierarchy. All
events that are posted under the Master Event are setup as
Subevents and are grouped together by date in the calendar
display. A stand-alone event does not have a master event
and is a unique event in and of itself.
At the end of setting up a Master Event in the
"Add Wizard" the application immediately returns to the
beginning of the wizard in preparation for the entry of the
first subevent. All entry fields are preset to the values
from the Master Event for ease of use.
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Fig. 15 shows a display screen adding an event for
the Ominus Systems company calendar.
EVENT SCHEDULING
The application provides several ways for the
event to be scheduled. An event can be non-repeating and
have one end date. For a repeating event, options include _
daily, weekly, every 2, 3, or 4 weeks, monthly, every 2, 3;
or 6 months (which covers quarterly) and yearly. Based on
the start date provided, the day of the week and the week of
the month is calculated so an event can be scheduled once a
month on that specific day.
Each repeat of the application can have a
duration. An example of this would be a group meeting that
runs for 2 days each quarter. Finally, the end date defines
when the calculated repetitions should stop. The
application allows for up to 3 years in the future. When an
event is inserted into the database, the program generates a
record for each occurrence. In this way the calendar
displays the event correctly on any day or month entered in
the search criteria.
Fig. 16 shows a display screen used for adding
master event scheduling details to the Ominus Systems
calendar.
MULTI-CALENDAR.
Flexibility has been built into the application so
the event can be shown on several different calendars.
Should a particular site accommodate more than one calendar,
the person setting up the event can designate what calendars
the event will show on. The calendars are preset in a
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database table and display on the page with checkboxes.
More than one calendar can be selected.
When the event is inserted into the selected
databases, the controlling database maintains records of the
other calendar locations. If the event must be updated or
deleted, the controlling database makes calls to the other
calendars to apply the changes there as well.
Fig. 17 shows a display screen for adding an event
to plural calendars.
SECURITY LEVELS
Content-level security is provided to assure
accurate entry of events. Each calendar has an
Administrator account. This account has the capability to
add, update, and delete all components of the database. All
other levels in the security hierarchy are setup to either
approve events or enter events. There are no system limits
to the number of security levels an organization can setup.
Fig. 18 shows a security level hierarchy chart.
Fig. 19 shows a screen display which provides a
listing for the Administrator of all the accounts setup in
the database. The administrator can see what departments
have been setup and who is designated as an Administrator
and a User.
Fig. 20 shows a screen display used for updating
an account. Each account can be viewed individually. This
is where the Administrator designates an individual as
having approval security.
Fig. 21 shows a screen display used for processing
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pending events. An event submitted by a non-Approval user
is held pending review by an Administrator. The department
approval account is sent an email notification that an event
is pending approval. Upon review of the event information,
the approver can add or delete the event. Adding an event
will cause the event to display on the designated calendars.
CALENDAR HELP
The following text provides an example of "HELP"
text for the CalendarNOW product hosted by RegionOnline, in
accordance with the first embodiment of the present
invention, as shown in the display screens above (Figs. 12-
22) and discussed above. The HELP text further explains the
operation o_f the present invention from the user's
standpoint, and thereby further explains the programming
attributes of the present invention.
[BEGIN HELP TEXT]
1. Navigating through the calendar (generally)
It's~very easy to move from one day to another in
the calendar. Simply click on a day of the month in the main
calendar display and you'll see a list of all events
happening on that day. Events are always displayed to the
right of the main calendar display and they are grouped by
category. You can also click on Last and Next, which appear
to the left and right of the month respectively, to change
the month you are viewing.
To view the details for any event, simply click on
the event name. This will present you with information
about the event such as its dates and time, feature,
organization, location, description, admission fee and
contact information.
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2. Searching the calendar (generally)
In addition to browsing the calendar by day of the
month, it's possible to search for specific events. This is
done via the search form located beneath the main calendar
display. A search will always begin on the current day that
you are viewing and extends for a specified number of days.
The default search length is 7 days, but the viewer can
change that number to as many days as desired, up to 99
days. The search can be further defined by specifying
exactly what feature, organization and location should be
searched. The default search will encompass all categories,
organizations and locations, but you can be as specific as
you would like by pulling down on any of the three menus.
Finally, a search may be specified by typing a keyword in
the keyword entry field. Once you've defined your search,
click the SEARCH button to view your results. If there are
too many results, try to narrow your search criteria. If
there are too few results, try broadening the search
criteria.
3. Adding your events to the calendar (generally)
To add an event to the calendar, click on the
EVENT SETUP button on the main calendar display. This will
present a login page that gives access to the calendar
administration module. If no login is available, the page
will explain how to contact the calendar administrator for
the creation of an account.
4. Detailed HELP text
Introduction
Welcome to the administrative center of the
calendar. Using a series of simple and intuitive forms,
you'll be able to post and maintain events for your
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calendar. Since your calendar is part of the main
RegionOnline system, events you add can also be seen by all
of RegionOnline's users. Of course, you can always specify
events as private so only individuals viewing your calendar
will see them. You'll notice that the HELP button on each
page links to a specific section in this document. If you
are ever unfamiliar with a function or have a question about
what to so. Simply click on HELP for the answers you need.
Logging in
The interactive calendar system requires that all
individuals and organization who wish to add events be
authorized to do so. Once you've been authorized, a login
will be created and you will be given a logon ID and
password. This login is specific to you and your
organization. Please do not give this information to anyone
else who wishes to post events to the calendar. If you do
not have a logon ID and password or you have forgotten your
login information, please contact the Calendar
Administrator. After you've entered your logon ID and
password, click the LOGIN button to access the calendar
administration system.
Account maintenance
Updating your login information
You may update your login information at any time.
This allows you to change your name and e-mail address as
they appear in the calendar. In addition, you may change
your password. To change your password, simply type your old
password, your new password and then confirm your new
password by typing it again. When finished, click the UPDATE
button to commit login information changes to the system.
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NOTE: You cannot change your login ID or organization.
Adding accounts
Calendar users who've been granted administrative
access can create accounts, thus allowing new users to add
their events to the calendar. In order to create a new
account, you must specify the following: the user's full _
name, logon id, password, e-mail address and organization.
In addition, you must also specify whether the user should
be granted administrative privileges. Users who only need to
add events for their organization should not be granted
administrative privileges. If, however, the user is going
to add events and create accounts for individuals in her or
his organization, administrative privileges should be
granted. When finished, click the ADD button to create the
new account.
NOTE: Duplicate logon IDs are not allowed, if you
inadvertently add an account with a logon ID that is already
in use, you'll receive a warning message. Simply change the
login ID to something unique and resubmit the account. Also,
if you would like to create an account for someone and their
organization is not listed, you must first create the
organization with the "Add an organization" feature of the
calendar administration system. (See Fig. 22 for a screen
display which performs this function.)
Updating accounts
Calendar users who've been granted administrative
access can update existing accounts. You must first select
the login ID you wish to update and click the GO GET IT!
button. The user's account will then be displayed. You can
modify the user's e-mail address, active flag,
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administrative privilege and organization. By setting the
account's active flag to N, the user will no longer be
allowed to logon. Conversely, an active flag of Y gives the
user the ability to logon to the calendar system. Users who
only need to add events for their organization should not be
granted administrative privileges. If, however, the user is
going to add events and create accounts for individuals in
her or his organization, administrative privileges should be
granted. After making the desired changes to the account,
click the UPDATE button to commit the changes. Optionally,
'you can select another calendar user's login ID and click
the GO GET IT! button to make other changes.
NOTE: You cannot modify a user's login ID or name. The user
can update their name by logging in and using the "Update
your Login Information" feature of the calendar
administration system. Also, if you would like to change the
user's organization and their new organization is not
listed, you must first create the organization with the "Add
an Organization" feature of the calendar administration
system. (See Fig. 22.)
Listing accounts
Calendar users who've been granted administrative
access can list existing accounts. This list is sorted by
organization and allows the administrator to view both
administrative and general user logon IDs. In addition, full
names and activity flags are displayed. An activity flag of
Y means the user has the ability to logon to the calendar
system and an activity flag of N means the user cannot logon
to the calendar system. By clicking on any user ID, you can
modify the account. This function is identical to the update
an Account feature of the calendar administration system.
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Event maintenance
Adding events
Events can be added to the calendar system from
one form. The first section of the form defines the event
name and when the event will occur. Both the event name and
starting date must be provided. The ending date, starting _
time and ending time, however, are optional. By default, all
events are considered to be one time only. They occur once
and do not reoccur. However, the calendar system supports
reoccurring events and you can specify an event entry as
occurring daily, weekly, monthly by day, monthly by date,
quarterly by day, quarterly by date, yearly by day or yearly
by date. By providing the date on which the event last
occurred, the calendar system can accurately calculate when
the next and future occurrences will take place.
The second section of the form is used to provide
detailed information about the event itself. You must
specify the feature with which the event is associated and
the location where the event will occur. If an appropriate
feature or location is not available, you can take advantage
of the calendar's "Add a Feature" and "Add a Location"
administrative functions respectively. In addition to the
feature and location, you must also specify a contact name,
phone number and event description. Optionally, you can
specify additional location information for the event.
By default, all events are open to the public.
However, some events may be for individuals in your
organization only. In such cases, you can designate their
calendar entries as private to your organization. This
setting will ensure that the event is posted only to your
organization's calendar and not on the main RegionOnline
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calendar of events, which your calendar is section of.
When events are added, you have the option to
associate them with an event series. An event series is a
way to group similar events such as a lecture series or
football games. To associate an event with a series, simply
select the appropriate series. If you are currently entering
the first event in a series, keep the default (none) setting
and the aeries will automatically be created with the
specified event name. You should also keep the default
(none) setting if you do not wish to associate the event
with a series. While the system will treat the entry as if
IT were the first in a series, you are not obligated to add
additional events to IT. IT can exist as a stand-alone or
single event not associated with any others.
Finally, events can be flagged as having admission
charges. By default events are considered to be free of
charge, but you can designate an event as having a fee by
selecting Yes to the question "Is admission charged for the
event?" Optionally, you can specify the Internet ticket
order address (a valid URL for the web site where tickets
are being offered or sold) and any pertinent admission
information.
When you are finished adding the event's
information, click the ADD button to continue. You will then
be asked to verify the event information you just provided.
If you've designated the event to be part of an event
series, the page will specify the name of the series under
which it will be posted. If the event is the first of a
series or it is not meant to be part of a series, the page
will simply state 'This event is an Event Series. If any
information in the page is incorrect, simply click the BACK
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button on your browser to make necessary adjustments.
Otherwise, click the ADD button on the page to add the event
to the database. Your event will not be added to the
database until you verify the information and click the ADD
button.
NOTE: Events posted by administrative users will be posted
to on the calendar immediately. Events posted by general
users, however, require an administrator's approval. In such
cases notification will be sent to the administrator,
letting her or him know that a new event has been added and
requires approval.
Updating events
The first step to updating an event already posted
to the calendar is selecting it by name. Highlight the
event you wish to work with from the menu and click the GO
GET IT! button. The event's information should be displayed
and you can begin the second step, which is updating the
actual entry.
Events updated are done from one form. The first
section of the form defines the event name and when the
event will occur. The event name, starting date and ending
date must be provided. The staffing and ending times,
however, are optional. By default, all events are considered
to be one time only. They occur once and do not occur again.
However, the calendar system supports reoccurring events and
you can specify an event entry as occurring daily, weekly,
monthly by day, monthly by date, quarterly by day, quarterly
by date, yearly by day or yearly by date. By providing the
date on which the event last occurred, the calendar system
can accurately calculate when the next and future
occurrences will take place.
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The second section of the form is used to provide
detailed information about the event itself. You must
specify the feature with which the event is associated and
the location where the event will occur. If an appropriate
feature or location is not available, you can take advantage
of the calendar's "Add a Feature" and "Add a Location"
administrative functions respectively. In addition to the
feature and location, you must also specify a contact name,
phone number and event description. Optionally, you can
specify additional location information for the event.
By default, all events are open to the public.
However, some events may be for individuals in your
organization only. In such cases, you can designate their
calendar entries as private to your organization. This
setting will ensure that the event is posted only to your
organization's calendar and not on the main RegionOnline
calendar of events, which your calendar is section of.
When events are added, you have the option to
associate them with an event series. An event series is a
way to group similar events such as a lecture series or
football games. To associate an event with a series, simple
select the appropriate series. If you are currently entering
the first event in a series, keep the default (none) setting
and the series will automatically be created with the
specified event name. You should also keep the default
(none) setting if you do not wish to associate the event
with a series. While the system will treat the entry as if
it were the first in a series, you are not obligated to add
additional events to it. It can exist as a stand-alone or
single event not associated with any others.
Finally, events can be flagged as having admission
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charges. By default events are considered to be free of
charge, but you can designate an event as having a fee by
selecting Yes to the question "Is admission charged for the
event?" Optionally, you can specify the Internet ticket
order address (a valid URL for the web site where tickets
are being offered or sold) and any pertinent admission
information.
When you are finished updating the event's
information, click the ADD button to continue. You will then
be asked to verify the event information you just provided.
If you've designated the event to be part of an event
series, the page will specify the name of the series under
which it will be posted. If the event is the first of a
series or it is not meant to be part of a series, the page
will simply state "This event is an Event Series." If any
information in the page is incorrect, simply click the BACK
button on your browser to make necessary adjustments.
Otherwise, click the UPDATE button on the page to add the
event to the database. Your event will not be updated in the
database until you verify the information and click the
UPDATE button.
Deleting events
Removing an event from the calendar is a two-step
process. First, you must select the event that you would
like to delete from the list and click the GO GET IT!
button. The event's information is displayed, but the event
has not been removed from the calendar yet. The second step
is to confirm your deletion by clicking the DELETE button at
the bottom of the page. This will remove the entry from the
system and return you to the main calendar administration
screen. If you do not want to delete the current record, you
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can optionally select another record to delete and click on
the GO GET IT! button to continue the process.
Processing pending events
Calendar administrators have the responsibility to
approve calendar entries added by non-administrative users.
Once the user adds an entry, you will receive notice that an
event is awaiting your approval. The entry will not be
posted to the calendar until it is approved. Within the
administration system, you'll be shown the pending events
.and given the option to either ADD or DELETE them. If you
wish to approve the pending event, click the ADD button. If
you wish to deny the pending event, click the DELETE button.
Events that are added/approved to the system will be visible
to all calendar users and denied events will be removed from
the system. If there are more than one event pending
approval, you will see the next pending entry after
approving the first. This continues until there are no
additional pending entries.
Organization maintenance
Adding organizations
Main calendar administrators can create new
organizations. These are functional groupings within your
organization with which users and events are associated. To
add a new organization, you must provide the following
information: organization name, contact name, street
address, city, state, zip code and phone number. Optionally,
you may also specify a fax number, Internet address (a valid
URL for the organization's web site) and a brief
description. After completing the form, click the ADD button
to add the new organization to the calendar system.
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Updating organizations
Main calendar administrators can update existing
organizations. You must first select the organization you
wish to update and click the GO GET IT! button. The
organization's information will then be displayed. An active
flag of Y means the organization's events are to be
displayed in the calendar and an active flag of N means the-
organization's events are not shown. When updating the
organization, the following information must be provided:
contact name, street address, city, state, zip code and
phone number. Optionally, you may also specify a fax number,
Internet address (a valid URL for the organization's web
site) and a brief description for the organization. After
updating the organization's information, click the UPDATE
button to commit the changes. Optionally, you can select
another organization and click the GO GET IT! button to make
other changes.
NOTE: You cannot change the organization name.
Location maintenance
Adding locations
Locations are the physical sites within your
organization where events occur. An executive board room,
theater or lecture hall are all examples of possible
locations. Events are associated with locations to provide
more specific directions to users who wish to attend. To add
a new location, the following information must be provided:
location name, street address, city, state and phone number.
Optionally, you may also specify the Internet address (a
valid URL for the location's web site) when creating a new
location. Once you've defined the new location, click the
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ADD button.
NOTE: Once you've added a new location, anyone
else from your organization can add events to it. This
includes individuals from other organizations.
Updating locations
All calendar users can update existing locations.
You must first select the location you wish to update and
click the GO GET IT! button. The location's information will
then be displayed. An active flag of Y means the location is
available for calendar event entry and an active flag of N
means the location is not available. When updating the
location, the following information must be provided:
location name, street address, city, state, zip code and
phone number. Optionally, you may also specify an Internet
address (a valid URL for the organization's web site) for
the location. After updating the location's information,
click the UPDATE button to commit the changes. Optionally,
you can select another location and click the GO GET IT1
button to make other changes.
Feature maintenance
Adding Features
Main calendar administrators can create new
categories. Categories are descriptive groupings with which
all events are associated. For example, events could be
categorized as Sports, Business or Entertainment. In order
to create a new feature, you must first associate it with an
existing Re~gionOnline feature. This is necessary because
your calendar makes use of the main RegionOnline calendar
system and your events can also appear on RegionOnline. You
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do not have to use the RegionOnline feature names -- you
merely have to associate your organization's feature names
to one of those already defined by RegionOnline. After
you've selected the RegionOnline feature, click the GO GET
IT! button. You can then enter the feature name that you'd
like to use on your calendar and click the ADD button.
Optionally, you can select another RegionOnline feature and
click the GO GET IT! button to add other categories.
Deleting Features
Main calendar administrators can delete
categories. Because categories for your organization are
related to RegionOnline categories, you must first specify
the RegionOnline feature with which the feature to be
deleted is associated. After selecting the RegionOnline
feature and clicking the GO GET IT! button, you'll be
presented with a Iist of categories defined by your
organization. To delete a feature, simply click on it.
Optionally, you can select another RegionOnline feature and
click the GO GET IT! button to delete other categories.
[END OF HELP TEXT]
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art
that changes could be made to the embodiments described
above without departing from the broad inventive concept
thereof. Lt is understood, therefore, that this invention
is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but
it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and
scope of the present invention as defined by the appended
claims.
What is claimed is:
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