Apparatus and method for generating reusable composite components during dynamic document construction

• US 20050044494A1
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Lacagnina, Michael C., Barnes, Eric S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces

Abstract

What is disclosed is a method for creating reusable composite components from interpreted pages of rendered document during dynamic document construction. The method involves first obtaining a list of document components from the page and identifying any non-cached components. The individual reusable document components (RDCs) are cached having been rendered to their respective bounding box dimensions. These RDCs are then permuted into combinations of RDCs and each composite RDC is cached rendered relative to each other in a bounding box of sufficient size to adequately contain the combination. Then, combining RDCs to form composite RULs and caching the composite RULs rendered to full-page size. Any portion of each RDC of each composite RUL falling outside the boundary of RULs full-page size is clipped. Also disclosed is a method for rendering pages having a combination of reusable components and non-cached components has the first step of assessing the page for the possibility of having an underlay-overlay pair. Then a cache of RULs is searched for underlays having the needed RDCs. If the correct RUL is not found in cache then generating a RUL from the page'"'"'s RDCs and caching the new RUL rendered to full-page size. A full-page size overlay is rendered having the non-cached components. Lastly, given the overlay and given the correct underlay is found in cache then retrieving the underlay and rendering the page therefrom.

Claims

1. A method for creating reusable composite components from interpreted pages of rendered document during dynamic document construction comprising:

a) obtaining a list of document components from said page and identifying any non-cached components;

b) caching individual reusable document components (RDCs) rendered to their respective bounding box dimensions;

c) permuting said RDCs into composite combinations of RDCs;

d) caching each of composite RDC rendered relative to each other in a bounding box of sufficient size to adequately contain the combination;

e) combining RDCs in their relative positions to form composite RULs; and

f) caching said composite RULs rendered to full page size;

2. A method for rendering pages having a combination of reusable components and non-cached components, comprising:

a) assessing said rendered page for the possibility of having an underlay-overlay pair;

b) searching a cache of RULs for underlays having the RDCs needed by the page;

g) if the correct RUL is not found in cache then generating a composite RUL from the RDCs of said page and caching said RUL rendered to full page size;

h) creating a full page size overlay from the non-cached components that is retained until it is mated with the cached RUL;

c) if the correct underlay is found in cache then retrieving the RUL; and

along with the overlay

d) rendering the page therefrom.

3. An electro-photographic method comprising:

a) receiving a page description language (PDL) representation of a print job;

b) converting the PDL representation into a print job pixel map;

c) during the converting and responsive to identifying a reusable document component (RDC) hint, searching an RDC repository for a corresponding RDC or composite RDC pixel map, or a reusable underlay (RUL) and either integrating a found corresponding pixel map into the print job, or rasterizing the identified RDC to generate a pixel map, integrating the generated pixel map into the print job, storing the generated pixel map in the RDC repository, and generating a RUL therefrom; and

d) electro-photographically printing the print job pixel map.

4. The electro-photographic method as in claim 3, further comprising maintaining a repository index identifying contents of the RDC repository, wherein the step of searching of the RDC repository for a pixel map includes searching the repository index.

5. The electro-photographic method as in claim 3, wherein the integrating of a found corresponding pixel map into the print job pixel map includes:

marking the found corresponding pixel map in the RDC repository to prevent its deletion prior to the integrating of the found corresponding pixel map into the print job pixel map.

6. The electro-photographic method as in claim 3, wherein the converting of the PDL representation into a print job pixel map includes:

compressing the print job pixel map during the converting; and

prior to the optical drawing, decompressing the compressed print job pixel map.

7. The electro-photographic method as in claim 3, wherein the page description language is one of VIPP and PPML.

8. An apparatus for processing documents each represented by a document description encoded in a page description language supportive of reusable data, comprising:

a) a page description language interpreter that receives the document description and parses the document description into reusable document components and which combines said components into composites of reusable components and reusable underlays;

b) an imager, communicating with the interpreter, that creates image representations of received document components; and

c) a reusable document component repository that stores image representations derived from a plurality of processed documents, the reusable document component repository communicating with the interpreter and the imager to supply those ones of the image representations corresponding to selected document components of the processed documents and to receive selected image representations created by the imager during the processing of documents;

9. The apparatus for processing documents as in claim 8, further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) through which an associated user manages the reusable document component repository, the managing including selectively adjusting a repository storage size and selectively deleting image representations.

10. The apparatus for processing documents as in claim 8, further comprising a compressor that receives and compresses image representations created by the imager, and communicates the compressed image representations to the reusable document component repository.

11. The apparatus for processing documents as in claim 10 wherein the compressor is integrated into the imager.

12. The apparatus for processing documents as in claim 8, further comprising a random access memory cache communicating with the interpreter and the reusable document component repository, the random access memory storing at least one most recently used image representation retrieved by the interpreter.

13. The apparatus for processing documents as in claim 8, further comprising a repository index that indexes image representations stored in the reusable document component repository, the repository index communicating with the interpreter to identify images to be retrieved.

14. The apparatus for processing documents as in claim 13, further comprising a ping path between the interpreter and the reusable document component repository by which the interpreter pings the reusable document component repository responsive to the repository index indicating that a selected image representation is contained in the reusable document component repository, the pinging directing the reusable document component repository not to delete of the selected image representation.

15. The apparatus for processing documents as in claim 14, wherein the repository index is integrated into the page description language interpreter.

16. The apparatus for processing documents as in claim 8, further comprising a printing station that includes the page description language interpreter, the imager, and the reusable document component repository;

and an electronic network by which the printing station receives documents for processing.

17. A document construction method comprising:

a) receiving a document description including at least one selected reusable document component and combining said components into composites of reusable components and reusable underlays;

b) querying a reusable document component repository containing stored image representations of reusable document components to locate a selected stored image representation corresponding to the selected reusable document component;

c) conditional upon the querying,

(i) identifying one of the stored image representations as corresponding to the selected reusable document component and retrieving the selected stored image representation corresponding to the selected reusable document component, or,

(ii) not identifying one of the stored image representations as corresponding to the selected reusable document component, generating an image representation for the selected reusable document component, and storing the generated image representation in the reusable document component repository; and

d) converting the document description to a document image representation, the converting including incorporating the selected or generated image representation corresponding to the selected reusable document into the document image representation.

18. The document construction method as in claim 17, wherein the step of storing the generated image representation in the reusable document component repository includes associating a life span parameter with the generated image representation;

and responsive to an expiration of the life span parameter, removing the corresponding generated image representation from the reusable document component repository.

19. The document construction method as in claim 18, wherein the step of associating a life span parameter with the generated rasterized image includes associating one of a temporal life span and an indication of permanence with the generated image representation.

20. The document construction method as in claim 18, wherein the life span parameter is such that the generated image representation remains available in the reusable document component repository for reuse in the construction of subsequent documents.

21. The document construction method as in claim 17, responsive to a selected user input, further comprising removing the generated image representation from the reusable document component repository.

22. The document construction method as in claim 17, wherein the querying includes tracking previously generated image representations;

and

conditional upon the tracking indicating that a previously generated image representation corresponds to the selected reusable document component, verifying the previously generated image representation currently resides in the reusable document component repository.

23. The document construction method as in claim 22, wherein the querying further includes conditional upon a successful verifying, marking the previously generated image representation to prevent a removing thereof.

24. The document construction method as in claim 17, wherein the storing of the generated image representation in the reusable document component repository includes, prior to the storing, compressing the image.

25. The document construction method as in claim 17, further comprising storing at least a portion of the reusable document component repository in a random access memory (RAM) cache.

26. The document construction method as in claim 17, further comprising storing the reusable document component repository on a permanent storage device;

and storing most recently accessed image representations in a random access memory (RAM) cache.

27. The document construction method as in claim 17, further comprising identifying the selected reusable document component as reusable by detecting a reusable document component hint associated with the reusable document component.

28. The document construction method as in claim 27, wherein the document description is encoded in a Variable data Intelligent Postscript Printware language (VIPP).

29. The document construction method as in claim 27, wherein the document description is encoded in a Personalized Print Markup Language (PPML).