Document composition system using named formats and named fonts
First Claim
1. In a data processing system for composing documents, said data processing system including means for entering data and commands relating to a document to be composed, data processor means for processing said data and for executing commands, and a plurality of output means for presenting the document, a method for composing a document comprising multiple lines of alphanumeric characters, said document having portions in which there is need for a plurality of distinct, data presentation characteristic defining formats, each format defining a geometric and topological structural arrangement of alphanumeric textural data, said method for composing a document comprising the steps of:
- a. associating a first abstract format name with a first format upon entry of said first abstract name via said means for entering;
b. defining by an operator a first set of data presentation characteristics for a first output means for at least a first portion of the document and associating said first set of data presentation characteristics with said first abstract format name during an abstract format name characteristic specification by an operator;
c. defining by an operator a second set of data presentation characteristics, which are independent from said first set of data presentation characteristics for a second output means for at least a first portion of the document, without affecting the data presentation characteristics defined for said first output means, and associating said second set of data presentation characteristics with said first abstract format name during said abstract name characteristic specification;
d. associating with every line in the document an abstract format name which is linked to a data presentation characteristic defining format;
e. using said abstract format name characteristic specification to display the document during composition in a form substantially the same as the final format display; and
f. responding to the entry of said first abstract format name during document production by formatting the lines in the document on the first output means to have said first set of data presentation characteristics associated with said first abstract format name and formatting the lines in the document on the second output means to have said second set of data presentation characteristics associated with said first abstract format name.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive data processing implemented method and apparatus for composing and editing a document in which a user is afforded great flexibility in defining the document geometry and in changing the data presentation characteristics associated with non-continguous portions of the document. According to the present invention, each of the distinct line formats in the document is assigned an abstract format name (i.e., a Named Format) and each line in the document is associated with a distinct format. A Names Format is associated with each fragment of the text in the document. Likewise, an abstract means, referred to as a Named Font, is associated with a wide range of specificable data presentation characteristics which operate over a range of the document defined by the user. The same Named Format and Names Font is used to simultaneously specify different data presentation characteristics for the output device of the system. By a single change in the specification for a Named Format or Named Font, all the underlying data throughout the text which is associated with a Named Format or Font is automatically changed to reflect the modified characteristic specification.
69 Citations
88 Claims
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1. In a data processing system for composing documents, said data processing system including means for entering data and commands relating to a document to be composed, data processor means for processing said data and for executing commands, and a plurality of output means for presenting the document, a method for composing a document comprising multiple lines of alphanumeric characters, said document having portions in which there is need for a plurality of distinct, data presentation characteristic defining formats, each format defining a geometric and topological structural arrangement of alphanumeric textural data, said method for composing a document comprising the steps of:
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a. associating a first abstract format name with a first format upon entry of said first abstract name via said means for entering; b. defining by an operator a first set of data presentation characteristics for a first output means for at least a first portion of the document and associating said first set of data presentation characteristics with said first abstract format name during an abstract format name characteristic specification by an operator; c. defining by an operator a second set of data presentation characteristics, which are independent from said first set of data presentation characteristics for a second output means for at least a first portion of the document, without affecting the data presentation characteristics defined for said first output means, and associating said second set of data presentation characteristics with said first abstract format name during said abstract name characteristic specification; d. associating with every line in the document an abstract format name which is linked to a data presentation characteristic defining format; e. using said abstract format name characteristic specification to display the document during composition in a form substantially the same as the final format display; and f. responding to the entry of said first abstract format name during document production by formatting the lines in the document on the first output means to have said first set of data presentation characteristics associated with said first abstract format name and formatting the lines in the document on the second output means to have said second set of data presentation characteristics associated with said first abstract format name. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In a data processing system for composing documents having multiple lines of alphanumeric data comprising:
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means for entering data and commands relating to a document to be composed; data processor means for processing said data and for executing commands; memory means for storing data and commands; a plurality of data presentation output means for presenting the document in a final form; means for selecting a first format for defining data presentation characteristics for at least a first portion of the document and for associating a first abstract format name with the first format upon entry of said first abstract format name via said means for entering; means for defining a first set of data presentation characteristics for a first data presentation output means and for associating said first set of characteristics with said first abstract format name; means for defining a second set of data presentation characteristics, which are independent from said first set of data presentation characteristics, for a second data presentation output means without affecting the data presentation characteristics defined for said first data presentation output means and for associating said second set of data presentation characteristics with said first abstract format name; means for associating with every line in the document an abstract format name which is linked to a data presentation characteristic defining format; means responsive to the entry of said first abstract format name for formatting the lines in the document on said first data presentation means to correspond with said first set of data presentation characteristics and for formatting the lines on said second data presentation output means to correspond with said second set of data presentation characteristics; and means for displaying the document during composition in a form substantially the same as the final form display. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. In a data processing system for composing documents, said data processing system including means for entering data and commands relating to a document to be composed, data processor means for processing said data and executing commands, and at least one output means for presenting the document, said at least one output means including a first display device, a method for composing on a display device by a document composer a document comprising multiple lines of alphanumeric characters comprising the steps of:
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a. assigning a first name to represent and be associated with data presentation characteristics for a predetermined portion of said document upon entry of said first name via said means for entering; b. selecting by a document composer a first set of data presentation characteristics to be associated with a first field associated with said first name and defining the text character attributes used to produce the text characters appearing in said first field, said first field being associated with one part of said predetermined portion; c. selecting by a document composer an independent second set of data presentation characteristics to be associated with a second field associated with said first name and defining the text character attributes used to produce the text characters appearing in said second field, said second field being associated with another part of said predetermined portion; and d. responding to the entry of said first name by presenting the data in said one part of said predetermined portion with said first set of characteristics on the composer'"'"'s display device and presenting the data in said other part of said predetermined portion with said second set of data presentation characteristics on the composer'"'"'s display device, whereby the document composer may independently define a set of data presentation characteristics to be associated with each of a plurality of fields associated with said first name. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 51, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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- 49. A method according to clam 39 further including the step of assigning a hierarchical level to the assigned first name.
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64. In a data processing system for composing documents having multiple lines of alphanumeric data, means for entering data and commands relating to a document to be composed by an operator, data processor means for processing said data and executing commands, memory means coupled to said data processor means for storing data and commands, and at least one output means for presenting the document, said at least one output means including a display device, said data processing system comprising:
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a. means for assigning a first name to represent and be associated with a first set of data presentation characteristics upon entry of said first name via said means for entering; b. means for selecting a first et of data presentation characteristics to be associated with said first name; c. means for displaying on the display device a portion of the text; d. means for defining a beginning and ending of at least one range delineating document portions for which the first set of characteristics are desired by associating place marks with the document text which are not displayed with the text to the document composer during composition and which define at least the range beginning and the range ending; and e. means responsive to the entry of said first name for interactively presenting the data in the defined range with said first set of characteristics on the operator'"'"'s display device; and f. means for insuring that all other document portions previously associated with said first name ar presented having said first set of data presentation characteristics, and wherein said operator'"'"'s display device is a CRT and wherein said means for selecting a first set of data presentation characteristics includes means for displaying on the CRT a detailed specification for said first name, said detailed specification containing a plurality of characteristic selection areas, and means for independently selecting data presentation characteristics for each of at least a plurality of output means including said CRT such that the data presentation characteristics selected for any one of said output means do not affect the data presentation characteristics selected for another of said output means, to thereby associate data presentation characteristics with said first name. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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Specification