Apparatus and method for creating a link and checking link validity for objects by storing a timestamp in a validity check field for linking to a multimedia document
View Patent ↗An apparatus and method for checking a link validity in a computer network, wherein, for the linking and referencing from one multimedia document to a different multimedia document in the computer network, desired information of the different multimedia document, such as last modified timestamp information indicative of a last modification time of the different multimedia document and latest version information of the different multimedia document, are stored in a validity check field, thereby assuring a link consistency. Therefore, the number of system errors can be cost-effectively reduced when referencing a multimedia document, and the reliability of searching and browsing can be increased.
1. A method for creating a link in a computer network, comprising the step of storing last modified timestamp information indicative of a last modification time of each object and/or latest version information of each object in a validity check field for linking to a multimedia document.
2. A method for checking a link validity in a computer network, comprising the steps of:
a) storing last modified timestamp information indicative of a last modification time of each object and/or latest version information of each object in a validity check field upon creating a link;
b) reading location data pre-stored in a location data field and determining whether a multimedia document for referencing is present at a location indicated by the read location data; and
c) extracting predetermined information from the multimedia document if it is determined at said step b) that said multimedia document is present at said location, determining whether the extracted information is the same as that pre-stored in said validity check field, performing a referencing process if the extracted information is the same as that pre-stored in said validity check field and performing a referencing error process if the extracted information is not the same as that pre-stored in said validity check field.
3. The method as set forth in claim 2 , further comprising the step of:
d) storing a linked Internet address, an object index number, an object class number or an object locator in said location data field.
4. An apparatus for checking a link validity in a computer network, comprising storage means having a validity check field for storing last modified timestamp information indicative of a last modification time of each object and/or latest version information of each object, whereby said apparatus is adapted to check the validity of a link using information pre-stored in said validity check field upon creating the link.
5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 4 , wherein said information pre-stored in said validity check field includes last modified timestamp information indicative of a last modification time of each object and/or latest version information of each object.