Flash rich textfields

• US 20080256441A1
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: New, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US11/787,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20080256441A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/256
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing full support of inline images within online instant messaging applications such as those developed for Flash. When a message contains both a text component and an image component, the image component is separated from the text component. The location of the text is measured dynamically either using an XML ruler component or a bitmap ruler component. Based upon the locations of the text, the images are placed on an invisible image layer. The text is placed on a textfield to be displayed to the user. The image or textfield layer is then placed on top of the other of the image or textfield layer so that both the text component and the image component of the message are visible to the user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a user, a request that specifies an image component and a text component;

determining a first location in a display area at which the text component will be displayed;

identifying display locations of text within the text component, wherein identifying the display locations of text within the text component further comprises (a) placing the text within the text component in a form-fitting textfield layer, and (b) determining the locations of the text within the text component based on dimensions of the form-fitting textfield layer,

placing text of the text component on a textfield layer at the first location;

determining, based on the first location, a second location at which to display one or more images of the image component relative to the text component;

placing images of the image component on an image layer at the second location;

displaying at least one of the image layer and the textfield layer on top of the other of the image layer and the textfield layer in a display area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the locations of the text within the text component based on dimensions of the form-fitting textfield layer further comprises the steps:

determine whether a width dimension on the form-fitting textfield layer is larger than a width dimension of the display area;

upon determining that the width dimension on the form-fitting textfield layer is larger than a width dimension of the display area, place the text component in a second form-fitting textfield with a width fixed to the width of the display area;

remove last words of the text component until a line number property of the second textfield decreases;

determine whether the line number property of the second textfield decreases by one line;

upon determining that line number property of the second textfield decreases by one line, replace last removed word and remove letters of last removed word until line number property of textfield decreases;

determine length of text in the last line of text by placing removed words and letters in a third form-fitting textbox and finding a width property of the third form-fitting textbox.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location is determined relative to an anchor placed at the beginning of a message.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second request from the user, wherein the second request comprises a request that alters the first location;

upon receiving the second request from the user, identifying the display locations of text within the text component, wherein identifying the display locations of text within the text component further comprises the steps;

placing the text within the text component in a form-fitting textfield layer,

determining the locations of the text based on dimensions of the form-fitting textfield layer,

placing text of the text component on the textfield layer at the third location;

determining, based on the third location, a fourth location at which to display one or more images of the image component relative to the text component;

placing images of the image component on an image layer at the fourth location;

displaying at least one of the image layer and the textfield layer on top of the other of the image layer and the textfield layer in a display area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image layer is invisible to the user.

15. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

16. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

17. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

18. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

19. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a user, a request that specifies an image component and a text component;

determining a first location in a display area at which the text component will be displayed;

identifying the display locations of text within the text component, wherein identifying the display locations of text within the text component further comprises (a) placing the text in a form-fitting textfield layer, and (b) determining the locations of the text based on the dimensions of the form-fitting textfield layer;

placing text of the text component on a text layer at the first location;

determining, based on the first location, a second location at which to display one or more images of the image component relative to the text component;

placing images of the image component on an image layer at the second location;

displaying at least one of the image layer and the textfield layer on top of the other of the image layer and the textfield layer in a display area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second location is determined relative to an anchor placed at the beginning of a message.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second request from the user, wherein the second request comprises a request that alters the first location;

upon receiving the second request from the user, identifying the display locations of text within the text component, wherein identifying the display locations of text within the text component further comprises the steps;

placing the text within the text component in a form-fitting textfield layer,

determining the locations of the text based on dimensions of the form-fitting textfield layer,

placing text of the text component on the textfield layer at the third location;

determining, based on the third location, a fourth location at which to display one or more images of the image component relative to the text component;

placing images of the image component on an image layer at the fourth location;

displaying at least one of the image layer and the textfield layer on top of the other of the image layer and the textfield layer in a display area.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the image layer is invisible to the user.

20. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

21. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

22. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

23. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a user, a request that specifies an image component and a text component;

determining a first location in a display area at which the text component will be displayed;

placing text of the text component on a text layer at the first location;

determining, based on the first location, a second location at which to display one or more images of the image component relative to the text component;

placing images of the image component on an image layer at the second location;

displaying at least one of the image layer and the textfield layer on top of the other of the image layer and the textfield layer in a display area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the image layer is invisible to the user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining dynamically the first location is performed with an XML ruler component.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining dynamically the first location is performed with a bitmap ruler component.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second request from the user, wherein the second request comprises a request that alters the first location;

upon receiving the second request from the user, determining a third location in a display area at which the text component will be displayed;

placing text of the text component on the textfield layer at the third location;

determining, based on the third location, a fourth location at which to display one or more images of the image component relative to the text component;

placing images of the image component on an image layer at the fourth location;

displaying the image layer on top of the textfield layer in a display area.

24. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 10.

25. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 11.

26. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 12.

27. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 13.

28. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 14.