Method and system for referencing, archiving and retrieving symbolically linked information

A computerized method for the archival of symbolically linked information comprising the steps of:

• receiving, at a computer, an information element and at least an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol to generate a normalized symbol, said normalized symbol being in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure;
• searching a master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and linked parent identifier;
• storing at least the parent identifier and the information element so that the parent identifier is linked to the information element;
• searching a contributor database to find a predominant use segment if the normalized symbol contains an unresolved segment, and assigning the predominant use segment from searching the contributor database to the unresolved segment;
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A computerized method for the retrieval of symbolically linked information, comprising the steps of:

• receiving, at a computer, an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol to generate a normalized symbol, said normalized symbol being in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure, the step of normalizing including applying one of a set of character rules and a set of process rules to the input symbol to generate the normalized symbol;
• providing a master symbol database containing a set of master symbols and a set of parent identifiers, wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment;
• searching the master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and a parent identifier linked to the master symbol;
• searching an information element database to find an information element linked with the parent identifier;
• and
• retrieving the information element linked to the parent identifier,
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A computerized method for the retrieval of symbolically linked information, comprising the steps of:

• receiving, at a computer, an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol to generate a normalized symbol in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure;
• searching a master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and a parent identifier linked to the master symbol;
• searching an information element database to find an information element linked with the parent identifier;
• retrieving the information element linked to the parent identifier;
• determining whether the input symbol includes an unresolved segment;
• and
• searching a client database to find a client preference segment if the input symbol contains an unresolved segment, and assigning the client preference segment from searching the client database to the unresolved segment;
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A document repository system allowing electronic retrieval of documents using an input symbol, comprising:

• a storage device storing a master symbol database and a document database, the master symbol database storing master symbols, wherein each master symbol is linked to a parent identifier, and the document database storing documents linked to a parent identifier;
• a network interface;
• a processor performing steps comprising:
• receiving an input symbol via the network interface,
• normalizing the input symbol to obtain a normalized input symbol, said normalized input symbol being a standardized form according to a predetermined structure, the step of normalizing including applying one of a set of character rules and a set of process rules to the input symbol to generate the normalized input symbol,
• searching the symbol database using the normalized input symbol to find a matching master symbol and a linked parent identifier, and
• retrieving documents from the document database that are linked to the parent identifier,
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A computerized method for the archival of symbolically linked information, comprising:

• receiving, at a computer, an information element and at least an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol, based on a historical pattern of a contributor of the information element, to generate a normalized symbol, said normalized symbol being in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure;
• providing a master symbol database containing a set of master symbols and a set of parent identifiers, wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment;
• searching the master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and linked parent identifier;
• and
• storing at least the parent identifier and the information element so that the parent identifier is linked to the information element,
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A computerized method for the archival of symbolically linked information, comprising:

• receiving, at a computer, an information element and at least an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol, based on a preference of a contributor of the information element, to generate a normalized symbol, said normalized symbol being in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure;
• providing a master symbol database containing a set of master symbols and a set of parent identifiers, wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment;
• searching the master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and linked parent identifier;
• and
• storing at least the parent identifier and the information element so that the parent identifier is linked to the information element,
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A computerized method for the retrieval of symbolically linked information, comprising:

• receiving, at a computer, an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol, based on a historical pattern of a submitter of the input symbol, to generate a normalized symbol, said normalized symbol being in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure;
• providing a master symbol database containing a set of master symbols and a set of parent identifiers, wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment;
• searching the master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and a parent identifier linked to the master symbol;
• searching an information element database to find an information element linked with the parent identifier;
• and
• retrieving the information element linked to the parent identifier,
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A computerized method for the archival of symbolically linked information, comprising:

• receiving, at a computer, an information element and at least an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol, based on an identification of a contributor of the information element, to generate a normalized symbol, said normalized symbol being in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure;
• providing a master symbol database containing a set of master symbols and a set of parent identifiers, wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment;
• searching the master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and linked parent identifier;
• and
• storing at least the parent identifier and the information element so that the parent identifier is linked to the information element,
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A computerized method for the retrieval of symbolically linked information, comprising:

• receiving, at a computer, an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol, based on an identification of a submitter of the input symbol, to generate a normalized symbol, said normalized symbol being in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure;
• providing a master symbol database containing a set of master symbols and a set of parent identifiers, wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment;
• searching the master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and a parent identifier linked to the master symbol;
• searching an information element database to find an information element linked with the parent identifier;
• and
• retrieving the information element linked to the parent identifier,
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A computerized method for the retrieval of symbolically linked information, comprising:

• receiving, at a computer, an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol, based on a preference of a submitter of the input symbol, to generate a normalized symbol, said normalized symbol being in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure;
• providing a master symbol database containing a set of master symbols and a set of parent identifiers, wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment;
• searching the master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and a parent identifier linked to the master symbol;
• searching an information element database to find an information element linked with the parent identifier;
• and
• retrieving the information element linked to the parent identifier,
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.

A computerized method for the retrieval of symbolically linked information, comprising:

• receiving, at a computer, an input symbol;
• normalizing the input symbol, based on a context of the input symbol, to generate a normalized symbol, said normalized symbol being in a standardized form according to a predetermined structure;
• providing a master symbol database containing a set of master symbols and a set of parent identifiers, wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment;
• searching the master symbol database using the normalized symbol to find a matching master symbol and a parent identifier linked to the master symbol;
• searching an information element database to find an information element linked with the parent identifier;
• and
• retrieving the information element linked to the parent identifier,
• wherein each master symbol is structured according to a symbol template containing at least one symbol field and wherein each master symbol includes at least one symbol segment corresponding respectively to the at least one symbol field defined by the symbol template.