Easily accessible formating of computer printouts
First Claim
1. A process for electronically generating a format for a computer printout according to commands of a user communicating with a processor, the processor having a memory and further communicating with a long-term memory, the long-term memory storing a set of generic default format commands, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) reproducing the default format commands in the processor memory;
(b) modifying the default format commands reproduced in the processor memory according to prompted user format commands to create a set of custom default format commands;
(c) recording data in the processor memory;
(d) converting the custom default format commands and data recorded in the processor memory into electrical impulses to direct a printer to represent the data according to the format specified by the commands.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process for allowing non-programmers to generate customized formats for computer printouts according to user specifications. The process allows a user to create a report or other formatted representation of data by responding to a sequence of prompting stimuli. Each stimulus is presented to the user by a computer processor in combination with a menu of command choices or in combination with instructions for responding by alphanumeric command or designation. The sequence of prompting stimuli is dependent on previous command choices to present only relevant stimuli to the user. A list of generic default format commands specifies parameters not specified by the user. Consequently, the user needs to respond only to a few stimuli in order to generate a completely formatted representation of data. The generic default format commands may be changed and stored in the long-term memory as custom default format commands for easy and quick retrieval and regeneration of desired formats with updated data or with other variations. The process is accomplished by a transfer of default format commands from the long-term memory to the processor memory followed by modification of the default format commands by the user'"'"'s commands given in response to the prompting stimuli. The series of commands are converted to electrical impulses suitable to direct a printer to print out the designated data according to the specifications of the user.
39 Citations
52 Claims
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1. A process for electronically generating a format for a computer printout according to commands of a user communicating with a processor, the processor having a memory and further communicating with a long-term memory, the long-term memory storing a set of generic default format commands, the process comprising the steps of:
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(a) reproducing the default format commands in the processor memory; (b) modifying the default format commands reproduced in the processor memory according to prompted user format commands to create a set of custom default format commands; (c) recording data in the processor memory; (d) converting the custom default format commands and data recorded in the processor memory into electrical impulses to direct a printer to represent the data according to the format specified by the commands. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A process for electronically generating a format for a computer printout from a series of commands comprising the steps of:
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(a) prompting a series of commands by a user, the commands defining the format; (b) recording the series of user commands; (c) incorporating a series of generic default format commands with the user commands; (d) recording data designated by the user; and (e) converting the recorded commands and data into electrical impulses to direct a printer to represent the data according to the format specified by the commands. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A process for electronically generating a format for a computer printout according to commands of a user, the user communicating with a processor having a memory, the process comprising the steps of:
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(a) presenting a sequence of prompting stimuli to the user; (b) presenting a menu of command choices in combination with the prompting stimuli; and (c) the user selecting commands from the menus; wherein the sequence of prompting stimuli comprises; first, presenting the user with prompting stimuli indicating that a choice of operations is to be made, the stimuli is presented in combination with a menu of command choices including to input new commands, to change commands already stored in the processor memory and to print out according to commands already stored; and second, a further prompting stimulus dependent upon the command choice selected by the user. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A system for electronically generating a format for a computer print out according to commands of a user communicating with a processor, the processor having a memory and further communicating with a long-term memory, the long term memory storing a set of generic default format commands, the system comprising:
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(a) means for reproducing the generic default format commands in the processor memory; (b) means for modifying the generic default format commands reproduced in the processor memory according to prompted user commands to create a set of custom default commands wherein each command is selected from a menu of command choices presented in combination with each of a sequence of prompting stimuli; (c) means for recording data with the default format commands on the processor memory; and (d) means for converting the custom default format commands and data recorded on the processor memory into electrical impulses to direct a printer to print out the data according to the commands.
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49. A method for designating lines of text, to be printed by a computer controlled printer, the user communicating with a computer and computer further communicating with a printer, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) the computer requesting that the user designate text for the first line to be printed; (b) the user communicating a designation of text to the computer; (c) the computer responding to every user designation of text by requesting that the user designate text for the next line to be printed. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
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Specification