Distributed publishing system integrating internal and external editorial means

1 . A publishing system comprising:

a plurality of internal editorial means for editing internal digital items in a proprietary digital format, said internal digital items including internal digital objects and internal logical pages grouping pluralities of said internal digital objects;

wrapping means for encapsulating external digital items, created by external editorial means in a digital format native to said external editorial means, into digital entities provided with a common interface, said external digital items including external digital objects and external logical pages grouping pluralities of said external digital objects;

said digital entities comprising first digital data representing said external digital items in their native format and additional digital data representing said external digital item in standard formats;

at least one of said editorial means having means for accessing said internal digital items and said digital entities through said standard formats so as to turn said internal logical pages, external logical pages or combinations thereof into physical pages.

2 . The publishing system according to claim 1 , further comprising repository means for locally storing said digital items and said digital entities, said repository means being accessible by access server means, characterized in that said access server means comprise:

an internal access server means providing internal services for reading from the repository, writing to the repository and querying the repository;

middleware means bridging said external editorial means and said internal services, so as to export the functionality of said internal services.

3 . The publishing system according to claim 2 , characterized in that said internal and external digital items comprise one or more or text, images, charts, page payout information, or combinations thereof.

4 . The publishing system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said standard formats comprise one or more of the following formats:

an image format for visualizing said external digital items;

a graphical format for printing said external digital items.

5 . The publishing system according to claim 2 , characterized in that said middleware means comprise means for returning digital items from the publishing system to the external editorial means in said native format of said editorial means.

6 . The publishing system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said external editorial means comprise means for retrieving page layout information provided within said publishing system.

7 . The publishing system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said editorial means comprise one or more of:

a page design program;

a text editor or word processor;

a graphic editor;

a supervising program.

8 . The publishing system according to claim 2 , characterized in that said middleware means comprise a plurality of web services generating a format field and providing standardized connections between the internal access server and the internal and external editorial means.

9 . The publishing system according to claim 8 , characterized in that said format field is described in SOAP/XML, and HTTP is used for transmission.

10 . The publishing system according to claim 2 , characterized in that said digital entities are described in SOAP/XML and HTTP is used for transmission between said editorial means and said internal access server means.

11 . The publishing system according to claim 1 , characterized in that at least one of said editorial means comprises means for digital item manipulation, management, sizing, layout and printing.

12 . The publishing system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said editorial means comprises means for performing an inheritance process wherein at least one digital item of a first logical page is inherited by at least a second logical page.

13 . The publishing system according to claim 2 , characterized in that said middleware means comprise a tool palette made available within said external editorial means.

14 . The publishing system according to claim 1 , wherein said first digital data and said additional data comprise links to files containing actual data.

15 . The publishing system according to claim 1 , further comprising means for switching digital items between an unlocked status, indicating that the digital item is free for use by an editorial means, and a locked status, indicating that the digital item has already been reserved for use by another editorial means.

16 . A method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system comprising the steps of:

encapsulating external digital items, created by external editorial means in a digital format native to said external editorial means, into digital entities provided with a common interface, said external digital items including external digital objects and external logical pages grouping pluralities of said external digital objects;

encoding said digital entities through first digital data representing said external digital items in their native format and through additional digital data representing said external digital item in standard formats;

providing at least one editorial means with means for accessing internal digital items created by internal editorial means and said digital entities through said standard formats so as to turn internal logical pages created by said internal editorial means, said external logical pages or combinations thereof into physical pages.

17 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:

providing repository means for locally storing said digital items and said digital entities and access server means to access said repository means, said access server means comprising internal access server means providing internal services for reading from the repository, writing to the repository and querying the repository;

bridging said external editorial means and said internal services through middleware means exporting the functionality of said internal services.

18 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 17 characterized in that said internal and external digital items comprise one or more of text, images, charts, page layout information, or combinations thereof.

19 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to any of claim 16 , characterized in that said standard formats comprise one or more of the following formats:

an image format for visualizing said external digital items;

a graphical format for printing said external digital items.

20 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 17 , further comprising the step of providing, in said middleware means, means for returning digital items from the publishing system to the external editorial means in said native format of said editorial means.

21 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of providing, in said external editorial means, means for retrieving page layout information available within said publishing system.

22 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 16 , characterized in that said editorial means comprise one or more of:

a page design program;

a text editor or word processor;

a graphic editor;

a supervising program.

23 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 17 , further comprising the step of providing, in said middleware means, a plurality of web services generating a format field and providing standardized connections between the internal access server and the internal and external editorial means.

24 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 23 , further comprising the step of describing said format field in SOAP/XML and the step of using HTTP.

25 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of describing said digital entities in SOAP/XML and using HTTP for transmission between said editorial means and said internal access server.

26 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of providing means for digital item manipulation, management, sizing, layout and printing within said editorial means.

27 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of providing said editorial means with means for performing an inheritance process wherein at least one digital item of a first logical page is inherited by at least a second logical pages.

28 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 17 , further comprising a step of providing said middleware means with a tool palette made available within said external editorial means.

29 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to any of claim 16 , further comprising the step of providing said first digital data and said additional data with links to files containing actual data.

30 . The method for integrating external editorial means within a publishing system according to claim 16 , further comprising the step of switching digital items between an unlocked and locked status, the unlocked status indicating that the digital item is free for use by an editorial means, and the locked status, indicating that the digital item has already been reserved for use by another editorial means.