Masking partial text data in digital document

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9378649-B2
Application number	US-201113281999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2011
Priority date	Nov 12, 2010
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

Displaying digital document data with partial text data therein replaced with unreadable mask data. A designation is made of partial text data to be replaced within digital document data with the unreadable mask data. Replacement document data is generated. A selection of one of the plurality of rule information pieces is accepted. Then, based on the replacement information extracted by using a selection-accepted rule information piece, the unique identification information included in the replaced document data is replaced with either the unreadable mask data or the partial text data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of displaying digital document data with partial text data therein replaced with mask data, the method comprising:
acquiring, on a computer, digital document data;
accepting, on the computer, a selection of an instance of partial text data to be replaced, the partial text data located within the digital document data;
generating, on the computer, replacement document data that comprises a copy of the digital document data in which the instance of the partial text data is replaced with an identification information uniquely associated with said instance of the partial text data;
storing, by the computer, a replaced document data, which comprises the replacement document data and an identification of a region of the replacement document data that includes the identification information corresponding to the instance of the partial text data, wherein the replacement document data comprises more than one region;
accepting selection of one of a plurality of rule information pieces, which comprises a replacement information that associates the identification information with a mask pattern; and
replacing, based on the replacement information, the identification information of the instance of the partial text data included in the replaced document data with the mask pattern.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein two or more of the plurality of rule information pieces are selected.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
accepting an application cancellation request for one of the plurality of rule information pieces; and
replacing associated unique identification information included in the replaced document data with one of the mask data or the partial text data for all of the plurality of rule information pieces, except for the one of the plurality of rule information pieces that has been canceled, responsive to accepting the application cancellation request.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing an association between the instance of the partial text data and the identification information.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising storing, for each of the plurality of rule information pieces, the replacement information, the replacement information indicating whether or not to replace the associated unique identification information included in the replaced document data with the mask pattern, the plurality of rule information pieces indicating a rule for replacing the associated unique identification information.

6. An apparatus configured to display digital document data with partial text data therein replaced with mask data, the apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising modules executable by the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises:
a data acquisition module configured to acquire the digital document data;
a designation acceptance module configured to accept designation of an instance of the partial text data to be replaced, the partial text data located within the digital document data;
a replaced document data generating module configured to generate replacement document data that comprises a copy of the digital document data in which the instance of the partial text data is replaced with an identification information corresponding to said instance of the partial text data;
a replaced document data storage unit configured to store a replaced document data, which comprises the replacement document data and an identification of a region of the replacement document data that includes the identification information corresponding to the instance of the partial text data, wherein the replacement document data comprises more than one region;
a selection acceptance module configured to accept selection of a rule information piece from a plurality of rule information pieces, which comprises a replacement information that associates the identification information with a mask pattern, the rule information piece corresponding to said instance of the partial text data; and
a replacing module configured to replace, based on the replacement information, the identification information of the instance of the partial text data included in the replaced document data with the mask pattern.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the selection acceptance module is further configured to accept selection of two or more of the plurality of rule information pieces, each corresponding to separate instances of the partial text data.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprises:
a cancellation request acceptance module configured to accept an application cancellation request for one of the plurality of rule information pieces; and a
re-replacing module configured to replace identification information included in the replaced document data with one of the mask data or the partial text data for all of the plurality of rule information pieces, except for the one of the plurality of rule information pieces that has been canceled, responsive to accepting the application cancellation request.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprises an identification information storage module configured to store therein the partial text data of the designation in association with unique identification information.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprises a replacement information storage module configured to store, for each of the plurality of rule information pieces indicating a rule for replacing the identification information, replacement information indicating whether or not to replace the identification information included in the generated replaced document data with the mask pattern, the plurality of rule information pieces indicating a rule for replacing the identification information.

11. A server configured to transmit digital document data with partial text data therein replaced with mask data to a client system, the server comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising modules executable by the processor, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprises:
a partial text data receiver module configured to receive a selection of an instance of the partial text data designated as a subject of replacement in the digital document data;
a replaced document data generating module configured to generate replacement document data that comprises a copy of the digital document data in which the instance of the partial text data in the digital document data is replaced with a unique identifier corresponding to said instance of the partial text data;
a replaced document data storage unit configured to store a replaced document data, which comprises the replacement document data and an identification of a region of the replacement document data that includes the unique identifier corresponding to the instance of the partial text data, wherein the replacement document data comprises more than one region;
a rule information receiver module configured to receive a selection-accepted rule information piece that is representative of a replacement information for the unique identifier in the replaced document data, the replacement information associating the unique identifier with a mask pattern; and a replacement information transmitter module configured to send to a client computer the replaced document data and the replacement information,

Assignees

• Kanzaki Eisuke
• Nakayama Yasutomo
• IBM

Inventors

• Kanzaki Eisuke
• Nakayama Yasutomo

Classifications

• G09B7/02

  of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student · CPC title

• G09B5/02 Primary

  with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip · CPC title