Synthesizing information-bearing content from multiple channels

A computer readable medium including computer instructions for driving a digest synthesizing application, the computer instructions comprising instructions for:

• receiving a query;
• separating a plurality of information sources into individual elements of content (EOC);
• tagging each EOC with metadata;
• pattern matching each EOC;
• calculating a distance function from every EOC to every other EOC;
• providing EOC to a set of virtual buffers, each EOC being provided to one of the set of virtual buffers that is pre-defined to contain EOC with less than a given distance value between each other;
• concatenating the EOC in each virtual buffer;
• applying a comparative analysis filter to remove redundant sub-elements;
• synthesizing summary digests by extracting context-preserving EOC, the EOC having a distance function value less than a predetermined value;
• and
• presenting results as summary digests, wherein the summary digests comprise color-coded sub-elements of content based on the number of EOC containing that particular sub-element.

A system comprising:

• a digest synthesizing application, wherein the digest synthesizing application, in response to receiving a query, separates a plurality of information sources into individual elements of content (EOC), tags each EOC with metadata, pattern matches each EOC, and calculates the distance function from every EOC to every other EOC;
• a virtual buffer manager, communicatively coupled to the digest synthesizing application, for providing EOC to a set of virtual buffers wherein each EOC being provided to one of the set of virtual buffers that is pre-defined to contain EOC with less than a given distance value between each other, and for concatenating the EOC in each virtual buffer;
• a comparative analysis filter, communicatively coupled to the result set manager, adapted to remove redundant sub-elements;
• a summary digest manager, coupled to the virtual buffer manager, adapted to synthesize summary digests by extracting context-preserving EOC, the EOC having a distance function value less than a predetermined value;
• and
• a user interface, communicatively coupled to the virtual buffer manager, adapted to present results as summary digests, wherein the summary digests comprise color coded sub-elements of content based on the number of EOC containing that particular sub-element.

An apparatus comprising:

• a digest synthesizing application, wherein the digest synthesizing application, in response to receiving a query, separates a plurality of information sources into individual elements of content (EOC), tags each EOC with metadata, pattern matches each EOC, and calculates the distance function from every EOC to every other EOC;
• a virtual buffer manager, communicatively coupled to the digest synthesizing application, for providing EOC to a set of virtual buffers wherein each EOC being provided to one of the set of virtual buffers that is pre-defined to contain EOC with less than a given distance value between each other, and for concatenating the EOC in each virtual buffer;
• a comparative analysis filter, communicatively coupled to the result set manager, adapted to remove redundant sub-elements;
• a summary digest manager, coupled to the virtual buffer manager, adapted to synthesize summary digests by extracting context-preserving EOC, the EOC having a distance function value less than a predetermined value;
• and
• a user interface, communicatively coupled to the virtual buffer manager, adapted to present results as summary digests, wherein the summary digests comprise color coded sub-elements of content based on the number of EOC containing that particular sub-element.