Efficiently displaying information about the interrelationships between documents

Abstract

A system for displaying, on a computer screen, information concerning the interrelationships of documents. A system employing the present invention also allows for the efficient research of documents that cite a document shown on the computer screen. In one embodiment, the present invention involves displaying at least a portion of a first document and simultaneously displaying a representation of one or more citing documents. The citing documents cite some portion of the displayed document. In another embodiment, the invention involves displaying at least a portion of a first document, and displaying a representation of one or more citing documents, wherein the displayed citing documents cite the displayed portion of the first document.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method performed by one or more computers, the method comprising:
 receiving a first request for a first document from a client computer over a network, wherein the first document is a judicial opinion;   responding to the first request by transmitting the first document over the network to the client computer to be displayed in a first user interface element of a user interface on the client computer;   identifying a plurality of second documents that are different from the first document and that include references to the first document, wherein the second documents are different judicial opinions citing the judicial opinion; and   transmitting to the client computer over the network information about each of the second documents for display in the user interface, including transmitting to the client computer instructions that, when executed on the client computer, cause the client computer to:
 display the first document in the first user interface element; 
 display, in the first user interface element with the first document, a reference request user interface element for requesting information about the second documents; and 
 in response to a user selecting the reference request user interface element and without further user interaction, display a second user interface element different from the first user interface element, and display in the second user interface element a citation to one of the different judicial opinions citing the judicial opinion. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer to display the second user interface element so that it completely displaces the first user interface element. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer display the second user interface element so that it partially obstructs the first user interface element. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first user interface element is a window, and wherein the second user interface element is a different window. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first document includes first content created by a first author, and wherein the first content includes the first author's commentary about a particular topic, and wherein the first author's commentary is published in the first document so that it is widely available to those having access to the network, and wherein the second document includes second content created by a second author, and wherein the second content is published in the second document so that it is widely available to those having access to the network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second author is different from the first author, and wherein the second content is created by the second author after the first content is created by the first author. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein one of the references to the first document is used to support an opinion expressed by the second author in the second document. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the second document is not part of the first document. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the representation of the second document is a link to the second document. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising one or more computers configured to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first request for a first document from a client computer over a network, wherein the first document is a judicial opinion;   responding to the first request by transmitting the first document over the network to the client computer to be displayed in a first user interface element of a user interface on the client computer;   identifying a plurality of second documents that are different from the first document and that include references to the first document, wherein the second documents are different judicial opinions citing the judicial opinion; and   transmitting to the client computer over the network information about each of the second documents for display in the user interface, including transmitting to the client computer instructions that, when executed on the client computer, cause the client computer to:
 display the first document in the first user interface element; 
 display, in the first user interface element with the first document, a reference request user interface element for requesting information about the second documents; and 
 in response to a user selecting the reference request user interface element and without further user interaction, display a second user interface element different from the first user interface element, and display in the second user interface element a citation to one of the different judicial opinions citing the judicial opinion. 
   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer to display the second user interface element so that it completely displaces the first user interface element. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the client computer, cause the client computer display the second user interface element so that it partially obstructs the first user interface element. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first user interface element is a window, and wherein the second user interface element is a different window. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first document includes first content created by a first author, and wherein the first content includes the first author's commentary about a particular topic, and wherein the first author's commentary is published in the first document so that it is widely available to those having access to the network, and wherein the second document includes second content created by a second author, and wherein the second content is published in the second document so that it is widely available to those having access to the network. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the second author is different from the first author, and wherein the second content is created by the second author after the first content is created by the first author. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein one of the references to the first document is used to support an opinion expressed by the second author in the second document. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the second document is not part of the first document. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the representation of the second document is a link to the second document.