Modular document format

• US 20050268221A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Shur, Andrey, Jones, Brian, Pollock, Josh, Foehr, Oliver, Sheth, Sarjana, Dunietz, Jerry, Hillberg, Mike, Paoli, Jean, Emerson, Daniel, Ornstein, David, Kim, Young Gah
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/114 Pagination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

Modular content framework and document format methods and systems are described. The described framework and format define a set of building blocks for composing, packaging, distributing, and rendering document-centered content. These building blocks define a platform-independent framework for document formats that enable software and hardware systems to generate, exchange, and display documents reliably and consistently. The framework and format have been designed in a flexible and extensible fashion. In addition to this general framework and format, a particular format, known as the reach package format, is defined using the general framework. The reach package format is a format for storing paginated documents. The contents of a reach package can be displayed or printed with full fidelity among devices and applications in a wide range of environments and across a wide range of scenarios.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a package that defines a document, wherein the document includes a plurality of parts that make up the document, wherein each of the plurality of parts has an associated name and an associated content type; and

providing a plurality of drivers associated with the package, wherein the plurality of drivers are also associated with different document formats, and wherein the plurality of drivers allow multiple applications to access the package regardless of a document format associated with each of the multiple applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the name associated with each part is unique.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the name associated with each part includes a hierarchical address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the name associated with each part includes a local portion of a uniform resource identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content type associated with each part includes a description of the type of information contained in the part.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of parts maps to a particular file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parts are stored in a single file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the drivers is further associated with different communication protocols.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of drivers allow the multiple it applications to access the package regardless of a communication format associated with each of the multiple applications.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of drivers allow the multiple applications to access the package regardless of a file format associated with each of the multiple applications.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of parts further has an associated set of relationships.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parts that make up the document include a first part having a first associated content type and a second part having a second associated content type.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein content type data is stored in a file associated with the package.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the package onto a medium from which the package can be consumed by a consumer.

15. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed, implement the method of claim 1.

16. A computing system embodying the computer-readable media of claim 15.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a package including a plurality parts, wherein each of the plurality of parts is uniquely identified and addressable through an associated name;

identifying a driver associated with the received package; and

processing the received package, by an application program, using the driver associated with the received package.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of parts is identified by a local portion of a uniform resource identifier.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of parts has an associated content type that includes a description of the type of data contained in the part.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the driver associated with the received package is also associated with a particular communication protocol.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the driver associated with the received package is also associated with a particular file format.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising identifying a set of relationships associated with the received package.

23. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed, implement the method of claim 17.

24. A computing system embodying the computer-readable media of claim 23.

25. An application program interface embodied on one or more computer-readable media, comprising:

exposing a first method to create a package, wherein the package holds together a plurality of parts;

exposing a second method to add a first part to the package;

exposing a third method to retrieve a second part from the package; and

exposing a fourth method to identify a stream of data.

26. An application program interface as recited in claim 25, wherein the package has an associated uniform resource identifier.

27. An application program interface as recited in claim 25, wherein the first method has associated file access parameters.

28. An application program interface as recited in claim 25, wherein the first method has associated file sharing parameters.

29. An application program interface as recited in claim 25, wherein the stream of data has an associated content type.

30. An application program interface as recited in claim 25, further comprising a fifth method to delete an existing part from the package.

31. An application program interface embodied on one or more computer-readable media, comprising:

calling a first method to identify a plurality of parts contained in a package;

calling a second method to add a new part to the package;

calling a third method to identify a stream of data associated with one of the parts contained in the package.

32. An application program interface as recited in claim 31, further comprising calling a fourth method to retrieve one of the plurality of parts contained in the package.

33. An application program interface as recited in claim 31, wherein the package has associated file access parameters and file sharing parameters.

34. An application program interface as recited in claim 31, further comprising calling a fourth method to identify a content type associated with the stream of data.