SBIR/STTR Phase I: Automated Linking and Metainformation Services

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will help launch the development of a Metainformation Engine. Every application could be supplemented by a rich set of links; most items on display screens should have multiple links tailored to current task and preferences. The Metainformation Engine will automatically generate links within the majority of computer applications, generate metadata about the application elements and the relationships underlying each link (which users can examine for better understanding), and provide several hypermedia-style services such as annotation. Instead of keyword search or lexical analysis on the display text, the Metainformation Engine generates links on application elements based on application structure and context. These links lead to related elements in the same application or in related applications or databases. Integration requires few or no modifications to existing applications. This product will be valuable to enterprises as they attempt to collect and integrate new and legacy information meaningfully across corporations and the entire supply chain