Method and structure for electronically transmitting a text document and linked information

Abstract

Method and structure for creating an electronically transmittable document having links therein which does not affect the integrity of the document as provided. The information is formatted to have a text portion, and an endnote portion, the endnote portion being independent of the text portion. The endnote portion includes link information for linking identified portions of the text with other ancillary link information.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A format for a linked report electronically transmittable to a terminal, the report format comprising a text section, and an endnote section, the endnote section being independent of the text section and including information for linking portions of text contained in the text section to predetermined link information.  
     
     
         2 . The format of  claim 1 , wherein said link information includes an image.  
     
     
         3 . The format of  claim 1 , wherein said endnote section comprises at least one endnote, said endnote including character information for identifying the address within the text which is to be linked and view state information, the view state information further including at least a link information address corresponding to the address from which the link information can be retrieved.  
     
     
         4 . The format of  claim 3 , wherein said view state information also includes image brightness information, image color information, annotations to an image, image overlay and transformations.  
     
     
         5 . The format of  claim 3 , wherein said view state information includes an external web site address.  
     
     
         6 . The format of  claim 3 , wherein said link information address includes the address within a repository of stored images for a predetermined image.  
     
     
         7 . The format of  claim 1 , wherein said endnote section includes a plurality of endnotes.  
     
     
         8 . The format of  claim 3 , wherein said view state information is in extensible mark up language.  
     
     
         9 . The format of  claim 3 , wherein said endnote includes a check sum.  
     
     
         10 . The format of  claim 3 , wherein said endnote includes a workflow state information portion.  
     
     
         11 . The format of  claim 1 , further comprising an end marker, said end mark being a signature.  
     
     
         12 . A method for creating a linked report which is electronically transmittable through a terminal comprising the steps of: 
 creating the text for a report;    retrieving link information to be displayed along with the text in association with a predetermined portion of the text;    creating an independent endnote containing information sufficient to link said predetermined text portion and link information; and    attaching the endnote to the report after the text.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of counting at least the characters within the text to obtain a character address for each character within the text; 
 the link information including an image, obtaining view state information for said image, the view state information including at least a link information address corresponding to the address from which the link information can be retrieved;    said endnote including the character address of the predetermined portion and the link information address.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said endnote further includes image brightness information, image color information, image annotations, and image overlay.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said endnote includes text modification instructions for modifying the display of the predetermined portion of the text to indicate that characters contained in the predetermined portions are linked.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the link information includes an image.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of providing an end of text marker after the text and attaching the endnote to the report after the end of the text marker.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the end of text marker is a signature.  
     
     
         19 . A method for reading a report electronically receivable at a terminal, the report including a text section, and an endnote section; the endnote section being independent of the text section and signature section and including information for linking predetermined portions of the text to predetermined link information comprising the steps of: 
 opening and displaying the text at a terminal;    activating the link;    identifying the appropriate endnote corresponding to the activated link;    retrieving link information at an address in accordance with information included in the endnote;    and displaying said retrieved link information.    
     
     
         20 . The method of the  claim 19 , wherein said endnote includes instructions for modifying the display of the text to indicate the portion of the text to be linked; and further comprising the step of modifying the display of the text in accordance with the instructions.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the step of retrieving said link information from a repository.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said link information is a web site.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of providing an end marker at the end of the text section and reading the text portion line by line into a temporary memory as text until the signature is read, and operating on the endnote operation so that each line of text is processed as a separate data structure.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising the step of operating upon each line of text by inserting said line of text into a Java Swing document, and modifying the text in accordance with the instructions stored in the endnote to indicate where links exist.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of providing an end marker at the end of the text section and reading the text portion character by character into a temporary memory as text until the signature is read, and operating on the endnote operation so that each line of text is processed as a separate data structure.  
     
     
         26 . A method for creating a report based upon a protocol including the steps of: 
 creating an endnote having a workflow state portion and encoding the protocol in said workflow state portion;    the endnote including a work state indicator, and storing a workflow state in the work state indicator; and;    performing a step in the protocol and changing the workflow state value stored in said workflow state indicator to indicate the performed step has been completed.    
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising the steps of modifying the endnote to contain data for identifying a patient to which the protocol is to be performed; 
 increase the workflow state value stored in the workflow state indicator;    modify the endnote to include specific protocol steps;    increment the workflow state value stored in the workflow state portion to indicate modification of the endnote;    perform the protocol; and    increment the workflow state value stored in the workflow state indicator to indicate performance of the protocol;    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the steps of creating a link to results of the performed protocol; 
 increment the workflow state value in the workflow state indicator to indicate the creation of the link;    create a report by modifying the endnote to include link and report address information; and    incrementing the workflow state value in the workflow state indicator.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the report includes text further comprising the step of creating the text; 
 counting at least the characters within the text to obtain a character address for each character within the text;    obtaining view state information for said image, the view state information including at least a link information address corresponding to the address from which the results of the performed protocol can be retrieved; and    said endnote including the character address of a predetermined portion of the text and the link information address.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said endnote further includes image brightness information, image color information, image annotations, and image overlay.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said endnote includes text modification instructions for modifying the display of the predetermined portion of the text to indicate that characters contained in the predetermined portions are linked.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the results of the performed protocol include an image.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising the step of providing an end of text marker after the text and attaching the endnote to the report after the end of the text marker.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the end of text marker is a signature.  
     
     
         35 . A format for an endnote for use with a linked report electronically transmittable to a terminal, the endnote comprising: 
 a character information portion for containing information for identifying the address within text of the report to be linked with ancillary information;    view state information directed to the view state of the ancillary information; and    a workflow state information portion for containing workflow state information.    
     
     
         36 . The format for an endnote of  claim 35 , wherein the work state information portion includes a work state indicator for storing a workflow state therein.  
     
     
         37 . The format of  claim 35 , wherein the view state information portion includes at least a link information address corresponding to the address from which the ancillary information can be retrieved.