Data presentation methods and apparatus to facilitate printing and reviewing

• US 20080043256A1
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: McGraw, Kimberly, Broda, Tal
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• 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 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A method of creating a printable representation of data elements as displayed in a browser, including a set of frames. The method includes determining an optimal height distance X of each frame of the set of frames, wherein the frame can be printed without a page break. The method further includes retrieving from a data source a first set of data rows, from a row 1 to a row N, wherein each row further comprises a set of data elements; determining a row height for each row of the first set of data rows, based in part, on a set of device display configuration indicia; and determining a row M from the first set of data rows, wherein a summation of the row height of the row 1 to the row M is smaller than X, and a summation of the row height of the row 1 to a row M+1 is larger than X. The method also includes discarding from the row M+1 to the row N; rendering the row 1 to the row M in the browser frame; and, if necessary, retrieving a second set of data rows beginning with the row M+1.

Claims

1. A method of creating a printable representation of data elements of a webpage displayed in a web browser, the webpage comprising a set of frames, each frame comprising a subset of data elements including a set of frames, the method comprising:

determining print boundary dimensions which identify a printable area of the web page in screen pixels the print boundary dimensions comprising an optimal height distance X;

retrieving from a data source a first frame of the set of frames, the first frame including a first set of data rows, from a row 1 to a row N, wherein each row further comprises a set of data elements;

determining a subset of data rows of the first set of data rows of the first frame that fits inside the print boundary dimensions, wherein determining the subset of data rows comprises;

determining a row height for each row of said first set of data rows, based in part, on a set of device display configuration indicia; and

determining a row M from said first set of data rows, wherein a summation of said row heights of said row 1 to said row M is smaller than X, and a summation of said row heights of said row 1 to a row M+1 is larger than X;

discarding from said row M+1 to said row N of the first set of data rows that do not fit inside the print boundary dimensions;

rendering at least one row of said row 1 to said row M on the web browser as the printable representation the at least one row of said row 1 to said row M is identified as fitting within the print boundary dimensions;

rendering at least one row of said row M+1 to said row N on the web browser the at least one row of said row M+1 to said row N is displayed as being outside of the print boundary dimensions; and

if necessary retrieving a second set of data rows beginning with said row M+1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a printing guide is displayed on a boundary defined by said printable area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a frame number is displayed in said printable area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a user can change a spatial position of a data element of said set of data elements within said browser.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a user can change a format of a data element of said set of data elements within said browser.

2. (canceled)

7. A method of creating a printable representation of a set of data elements of a webpage displayed in a web browser, the webpage comprising a set of frames, each frame comprising a subset of data elements, the method comprising:

retrieving the set of frames of the web page from a data source the set of frames including a set of data rows, from a row 1 to a row N;

determining print boundary dimensions which identify a printable area of the web page in screen pixels the print boundary dimensions comprising an optimal height and an optimal width;

determining a first subset of data rows of the set of data rows of the set of frames that fits inside the print boundary dimensions by determining a row height for each row of said data rows, based in part, on a set of device display configuration indicia;

rendering in said web browser, said set of data rows in a first frame of the set of frames based on the print boundary dimensions, wherein the first subset of said set of data rows is viewable in the web browser, and a second subset of said set of data rows and a third subset of said set of data rows are not viewable in the web browser;

receiving a user-provided selection of a fourth subset of said set of data rows comprising data rows from said first subset and said second subset and said third subset, where row 1 is a first viewable row and row K is a last viewable row, wherein the first viewable row and the last viewable row fit inside the print boundary dimensions;

hiding a fifth subset of said set of data rows from said row 1 to a row I-1, and hiding a sixth subset of said set of data rows from a row K+1 to said row N, wherein the fifth subset and sixth subset do not fit inside the print boundary dimensions;

printing said row 1 to said row K of the selected fourth subset of the set of data rows;

showing previously hidden said fifth subset and said sixth subset.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a user can change a spatial position of a data element of said set of data elements, within said browser.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a user can change a format of a data element of said set of data elements, within said browser.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said browser further comprises a second frame including a graphical display object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said graphical display object further comprises a pie graph.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said graphical display object further comprises a line graph.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said graphical display object further comprises a scatter graph.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said graphical display object further comprises a gauge graph.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said graphical display object further comprises an office web component.

16. An apparatus for creating a printable representation of data elements of a webpage displayed in a web browser, the webpage comprising a set of frames, each frame comprising a subset of data elements, the method comprising:

a means of determining print boundary dimensions which identify a printable area of the web page in screen pixels, the print boundary dimensions comprising an optimal height distance X;

a means of retrieving from a data source a first frame of the set of frames, the first frame including a first set of data rows, from a row 1 to a row N, wherein each row further comprises a set of data elements;

means of determining a subset of data rows of the first set of data rows of the first frame that fits inside the print boundary dimensions, wherein determining the subset of data rows comprises;

a means of determining a row height for each row of said first set of data rows, based in part, on a set of device display configuration indicia; and

a means of determining a row M from said first set of data rows, wherein a summation of said row heights of said row 1 to said row M is smaller than X, and a summation of said row heights of said row 1 to a row M+1 is larger than X;

a means of discarding from said row M +1 to said row N of the first set of data rows that do not fit inside the print boundary dimensions;

a means of rendering at least one row of said row 1 to said row M on the web browser as the printable representation the at least one row of said row 1 to said row M is identified as fitting within the print boundary dimensions;

a means of rendering at least one row of said row M+1 to said row N on the web browser the at least one row of said row M+1 to said row N is displayed as being outside of the print boundary dimensions; and

a means of retrieving a second set of data rows beginning with said row M+1 if necessary

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a printing guide is displayed on a boundary defined by said printable area.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a frame number is displayed in said printable area.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a user can change a spatial position of a data element of said set of data elements within said browser.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a user can change a format of a data element of said set of data elements within said browser.

17. (canceled)

22. An apparatus for creating a printable representation of a set of data elements of a webpage displayed in a web browser, the webpage comprising a set of frames, each frame comprising a subset of data elements, the method comprising:

a means of retrieving the set of frames of the web page from a data source, the set of frames including a set of data rows, from a row 1 to a row N;

means of determining print boundary dimensions, which identify a printable area of the web page in screen pixels, the print boundary dimensions comprising an optimal height and an optimal width;

a means of determining a first subset of data rows of the set of data rows of the set of frames that fits inside the print boundary dimensions by determining a row height for each row of said data rows, based in part, on a set of device display configuration indicia;

a means of rendering, in said web browser, said set of data rows in a first frame of the set of frames based on the print boundary dimensions, wherein the first subset of said set of data rows is viewable in the web browser, and a second subset of said set of data rows and a third subset of said set of data rows are not viewable in the web browser;

a means of receiving a user-provided selection of a fourth subset of said set of data rows comprising data rows from said first subset and said second subset and said third subset, where row I is a first viewable row and row K is a last viewable row, wherein the first viewable row and the last viewable row fit inside the print boundary dimensions;

a means of hiding a fifth subset of said set of data rows from said row 1 to a row I-1, and hiding a sixth subset of said set of data rows from a row K+1 to said row N, wherein the fifth subset and sixth subset do not fit inside the print boundary dimensions;

a means of printing said row I to said row K of the selected fourth subset of the set of data rows;

a means of showing previously hidden said fifth subset and said sixth subset.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a user can change a spatial position of a data element of said set of data elements, within said browser.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein a user can change a format of a data element of said set of data elements, within said browser.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said browser further comprises a second frame including a graphical display object.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said graphical display object further comprises a pie graph.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said graphical display object further comprises a line graph.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said graphical display object further comprises a scatter graph.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said graphical display object further comprises a gauge graph.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said graphical display object further comprises an office web component.