Interactive system and method for graphical document generation

• US 20040133846A1
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Published: 07/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Software Design, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Integrated Software Design, Inc.
• Inventors: Bodge, Michael P., Ramos, Mark P., Khoshatefeh, Ramin, Rabinovich, Pavel A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/500
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A system and method is provided for generating customized documents, such as labels, in a client-server computing environment. A server is communicably accessed by a client, which then retrieves a dynamic link library module configured for use by a client-based application. The client also retrieves an ActiveX control module configured for controlling operational aspects of the application; and retrieves a document structure file. The application generates a document using the dynamic link library and the label structure file. A user may then modify the document using the ActiveX control module, and print the document.

Claims

1. A method for generating customized labels in a client-server computing environment, said method comprising:

(a) with a client, communicably accessing a server;

(b) retrieving a document editing application from the server;

(c) retrieving a dynamic link library module configured for use by a client-based application;

(d) retrieving an ActiveX control module configured for controlling operational aspects of the application;

(e) retrieving a label structure file;

(f) generating a label with the application, the dynamic link library, and the label structure file;

(g) interacting with the label, using the ActiveX control module; and

(h) printing the label.

2. A computer implemented method in an interactive medium for generating customized graphical documents, said method comprising:

(a) with a client, communicably accessing a server;

(b) opening a client-based application;

(c) retrieving document information from the server;

(d) retrieving from the server, an ActiveX control module configured for controlling operational aspects of the application;

(e) at the client, generating a graphical document with the application, the dynamic link library, and the graphical document information;

(f) at the client, interacting with the graphical document, using the ActiveX control module; and

(g) printing the graphical document.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said retrieving (c) comprises retrieving a document structure file from the server.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(h) retrieving from the server, a document editing application; and

(i) retrieving from the server, a dynamic link library module configured for use by the application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said retrieving (c) comprises retrieving document data from a database at the server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the document editing application uses the ActiveX control module and the document data to generate a document structure file.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said retrieving (c) comprises generating at least one prompt screen at the client, to elicit at least one document reference.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the document reference is selected from the group consisting of document name, document type, part name, part number, shipping address, and combinations thereof.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said document comprises a pre-formatted label.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said interacting (f) comprises incorporating user-supplied information into the label.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user-supplied information comprises user-supplied configuration information.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein said printing (g) comprises printing the graphical document with pre-determined and user-defined content.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein said interacting (f) comprises merging user-supplied data into the graphical document.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said interacting (f) comprises re-formatting the graphical document.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said interacting (f) comprises re-imaging the graphical document.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said interacting (f) comprises re-positioning the graphical document on print stock.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising effecting said interacting in real-time.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the graphical document is selected from the group consisting of labels, signs, coupons, tickets, forms, and combinations thereof.

19. A computer implemented method in an interactive medium for generating customized interactive graphical documents, said method comprising:

(a) loading a graphical document information file on a server;

(b) loading on the server, a dynamic link library module configured for use by a client-based application;

(c) loading on the server, an Activex control module configured for controlling operational aspects of the application;

(d) communicably coupling the server to a client;

(e) transmitting the dynamic link library module to the client;

(f) transmitting the ActiveX control module to the client;

(g) transmitting the graphical document information file to the client;

(h) configuring the dynamic link library, and the graphical document information file, to interoperate with a client-based application for generating a graphical document at the client;

(i) configuring the ActiveX control module to enable interaction with the graphical document at the client.

20. A computer implemented method in an interactive medium for generating customized graphical documents, said method comprising:

(a) communicably coupling a server to a client;

(b) transmitting a dynamic link library module to the client;

(c) transmitting a graphical document information file to the client;

(d) the dynamic link library, and graphical document information file, being configured to interoperate with a client-based application for generating a graphical document at the client;

(e) transmitting an ActiveX control module to the client;

(f) the ActiveX control module being configured to enable interaction with the graphical document at the client.

21. The method of claim 20,

(g) loading a graphical document information file on a server;

(h) loading a document editing application on the server;

(i) loading on the server, a dynamic link library module configured for use by the application;

(j) loading on the server, an ActiveX control module configured for controlling operational aspects of the client-based application.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the graphical document information file comprises pre-determined configuration information for the graphical document.

23. A computer system in an interactive medium for generating customized graphical documents, said system comprising:

a server including;

a graphical document information module configured for being transmitted to a client;

a dynamic link library module configured for being transmitted to the client;

an ActiveX control module configured for controlling operational aspects of a client-based application, and configured for being transmitted to the client;

a client communicably couplable to the server;

said client being configured to;

download the dynamic link library module, the ActiveX control module, and the graphical document information file;

operate the application, the dynamic link library module, the ActiveX control module, and the graphical document information file, to generate a graphical document; and

operate the ActiveX control module to enable modification of the content of the graphical document.

24. A computer system in an interactive medium for generating customized graphical documents, said system comprising:

a server being communicably couplable to a client, said server including;

a graphical document information module configured for being transmitted to the client;

a dynamic link library module configured for being transmitted to the client; and

an ActiveX control module configured for controlling operational aspects of a client application, and configured for being transmitted to a client.

25. A computer system in an interactive medium for generating customized graphical documents, said system comprising a client communicably couplable to a server;

said client including;

a dynamic link library module;

an ActiveX control module;

a graphical document information file; and

an application configured to interoperate with the dynamic link library module, the ActiveX control module, and the graphical document information file, to generate a graphical document;

wherein the ActiveX control module is configured to enable modification of the content of the graphical document at the client.

26. An article of manufacture for generating customized graphical documents, said article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for:

providing a server with a graphical document information module configured for being transmitted to a client;

providing a server with a dynamic link library module configured for being transmitted to the client;

providing a server with an ActiveX control module configured for controlling operational aspects of a client-based application, and configured for being transmitted to the client;

communicably coupling the server to a client; and

transmitting to the client the dynamic link library module, the ActiveX control module, and the graphical document information file;

wherein the client may operate the application, the dynamic link library module, the ActiveX control module, and the graphical document information file, to generate, modify content of, and print, the graphical document.

27. Computer readable program code for generating customized graphical documents, said computer readable program code configured for:

providing a server with a graphical document information module configured for being transmitted to a client;

providing a server with a dynamic link library module configured for being transmitted to the client;

providing a server with an ActiveX control module configured for controlling operational aspects of a client-based application, and configured for being transmitted to the client;

communicably coupling the server to a client; and

transmitting to the client the dynamic link library module, the ActiveX control module, and the graphical document information file;

wherein the client may operate the application, the dynamic link library module, the ActiveX control module, and the graphical document information file, to generate, modify content of, and print, the graphical document.