Patent ID: 7475334

Claim:
A method of abstracting an electronic document comprising the following steps: prompting a user to select an abstracted version of the electronic document to be created from a plurality of abstracted versions available to be created; responsive to a selection by the user of the abstracted version to be created, creating the selected abstracted version of the electronic document by executing a set of instructions corresponding to the electronic document, wherein the instructions are, before said abstracted version is selected by the user, customized to the electronic document, the customization comprising a plurality of weights pre-assigned to respective portions of the electronic document to enable creation of said plurality of abstracted versions; and outputting the abstracted version of the electronic document in a predetermined format, wherein prior to said prompting step, said user selects a set of instructions for abstracting said electronic document from a plurality of sets of instructions for abstracting the electronic document, each of said sets of instruction being customized, before selection thereof, to said electronic document, each of said sets of instructions configured to enable creation of a plurality of different abstracted versions of said electronic document.