Document processing apparatus for extracting a format from one document and using the extracted format to automatically edit another document

• US 5,438,657 A
• Filed: 03/11/1993
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakatani, Eisaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BURWELL, JOSEPH RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US08/029,827
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 395/144-149, 364/419.1, 364/419.19
• US Class Current: 715/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/416 Extracting the logical structure, e.g. chapters, sections or page numbers; Identifying elements of the document, e.g. authors

Abstract

Document data stored in a document storage area are extracted line by line to analyze the structure of the document data. The document layout information is extracted from the analysis result. The extracted layout information is stored, as learning data, in a document layout information learning area. In format conversion, the document data to be output, which is extracted in the same manner as described above, is converted on the basis of the learning data. Document data having a consistent layout is output to a CRT or a printer in accordance with the converted layout information.

Claims

1. A document processing apparatus comprising:

means for extracting a format of a stored document used as a standard;

means for storing the extracted format in order to automatically edit another document; and

document data storage means for storing document data representing said document used as the standard, said document data including character data and delimiter information;

said extracting means further comprising juxtaposition information extracting means for reading out the document data stored in said document data storage means, and for detecting said delimiter information so as to identify document blocks separated by said delimiter information, and for extracting position information representing positions of the document blocks on said document; and

said storing means further comprising juxtaposition information storing means for storing, for each document block, the detected delimiter information and the extracted position information, said another document being edited with reference to the delimiter information and the position information stored in said juxtaposition information storing means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said delimiter information includes at least a plurality of space codes and a linefeed code, and said position information includes information indicating start positions and end positions of the document blocks on said document.

3. A document processing apparatus comprising:

means for extracting a format of a stored document used as a standard;

means for storing the extracted format in order to automatically edit another document; and

document data storage means for storing document data representing said document used as the standard, said document data including character data and modification information;

said extracting means further comprising modification information extracting means for reading out the document data from said document data storage means, with said document data being divided in units of constituent element information into document blocks, and for extracting the modification information from said document blocks; and

said storing means further comprising modification information storing means for storing, for each document block, the extracted modification information together with the constituent element information, said another document being edited with reference to the constituent element information and the modification information stored in said modification information storing means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said constituent element information includes at least date and information indicating sender and destination, and said modification information includes at least character size and information representing underlining.

5. A document processing apparatus comprising:

document data storage means for storing, in a predetermined data format, first document data representing a first document which has a first document format, said first document data including character data and delimiter information;

juxtaposition information extracting means for reading out the first document data stored in said document data storage means, and for detecting said delimiter information so as to identify document blocks separated by said delimiter information, and for extracting position information representing positions of the document blocks on said first document;

juxtaposition information receiving means for receiving position information representing positions of document blocks forming a second document which has a second document format and said predetermined data format;

juxtaposition information altering means for altering the position information extracted by said juxtaposition information extracting means, in accordance with the position information received by said juxtaposition information receiving means; and

document data outputting means for outputting the document blocks of said first document data so as to be arranged in the positions represented by the position information altered by said juxtaposition information altering means.

6. A document processing apparatus comprising:

document data storage means for storing, in a predetermined data format, first document data representing a first document which has a first document format, said first document data including character data and modification information;

modification information extracting means for reading out the first document data from said document data storage means, with said first document data being divided in units of constituent element information into document blocks, and for extracting the modification information from said document blocks;

modification information receiving means for receiving modification information contained in document blocks forming a second document which has a second document format and said predetermined data format;

modification information altering means for altering the modification information extracted by said modification information extracting means, in accordance with the modification information received by said modification information altering means; and

document data outputting means for outputting said first document data in accordance with the modification information altered by said modification information altering means.

7. A document processing apparatus for extracting a format of a first document used as a standard from said first document, and for automatically editing a second document, said apparatus comprising:

document data storage means for storing, in a predetermined data format, first document data representing said first document and second document data representing said second document, each of said first and second document data including character data and delimiter information;

first juxtaposition information extracting means for reading out the first document data stored in said document data storage means, and for detecting the delimiter information in said first document data so as to identify document blocks separated by said delimiter information, and for extracting position information representing positions of the document blocks on said first document;

juxtaposition information storing means for storing, for each document block, the delimiter information detected by said first juxtaposition information extracting means and the position information extracted by said first juxtaposition information extracting means, said juxtaposition information storing means storing the detected delimiter information and the extracted position information as learning data;

second juxtaposition information extracting means for reading out the second document data stored in said document data storage means, and for detecting the delimiter information in said second document data so as to identify document blocks separated by said delimiter information, and for extracting position information representing positions of the document blocks on said second document;

juxtaposition information altering means for reading out the learning data stored in said juxtaposition information storing means, and for altering the position information extracted by said second juxtaposition information extracting means, in accordance with the position information included in said learning data; and

output means for outputting the document blocks of said second document data so as to be arranged in the positions represented by the position information altered by said juxtaposition information altering means.

8. A document processing apparatus for extracting a format of a first document used as a standard from said first document, and for automatically editing a second document, said apparatus comprising:

document data storage means for storing, in a predetermined data format, first document data representing said first document and second document data representing said second document, each of said first and second document data including character data and modification information;

first modification information extracting means for reading out the first document data from said document data storing means, with said first document data being divided in units of constituent element information into document blocks, and for extracting the modification information from said document blocks;

modification information storing means for storing, for each document block, the modification information extracted by said first modification extracting means, together with the constituent element information, said modification information storing means storing said modification information and said constituent element information as learning data;

second modification information extracting means for reading out the second document data from said document data storage means, with said second document data being divided in units of constituent element information into document blocks, and for extracting the modification information from said document blocks;

modification information altering means for reading out the learning data stored in said modification information storing means, and altering the modification information extracted by said second modification information extracting means, in accordance with the modification information included in said readout learning data; and

output means for outputting said second document data in accordance with the modification information altered by said modification information altering means.

9. A document processing method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

extracting a format of a stored document used as a standard;

storing the extracted format in order to automatically edit another document;

reading out stored document data , said read out document data representing said document used as the standard, and said read out document data including character data and delimiter information; and

detecting the delimiter information in the read out document data;

said extracting step further comprising identifying document blocks separated by said delimiter information, and extracting position information representing positions of the document blocks on said document; and

said storing step further comprising storing, for each document block, the detected delimiter information and the extracted position information, said another document being edited with reference to the stored delimiter information and the stored position information.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said delimiter information includes at least a plurality of space codes and a linefeed code, and said position information includes information indicating start positions and end positions of the document blocks on said document.

11. A document processing method comprising the computer implemented steps of:

extracting a format of a stored document used as a standard;

storing the extracted format in order to automatically edit another document; and

reading out stored document data, said read out document data representing said document used as the standard, said document data including character data and modification information, and said document data being read out with said document data being divided in units of constituent element information into document blocks;

said extracting step further comprising extracting the modification information from said document blocks; and

said storing step further comprising storing, for each document block, the extracted modification information together with the constituent element information. said another document being edited with reference to the stored constituent element information and the stored modification information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said constituent element information includes at least date and information indicating sender and destination, and said modification information includes at least character size and information representing underlining.

13. A document processing method comprising the steps of:

reading out first document data stored in a predetermined data format in document data storing means and representing a first document which has a first document format, said first document data including character data and delimiter information;

detecting the delimiter information in the readout first document data so as to identify document blocks separated by said delimiter information, and extracting position information representing positions of the document blocks on said first document;

receiving position information representing positions of document blocks forming a second document which has a second document format and said predetermined data format;

altering the extracted position information in accordance with the received position information; and

outputting the document blocks of said first document data so as to be arranged in the positions represented by the altered position information.

14. A document processing method comprising the steps of:

reading out first document data stored in a predetermined format in document data storing means and representing a first document which has a first document format, said first document data including character data and modification information, and being read out with said document data being divided in units of constituent element information into document blocks;

extracting the modification information from said document blocks;

receiving modification information contained in document blocks forming a second document which has a second document format and said predetermined data format;

altering the extracted modification information in accordance with the received modification information; and

outputting said first document data in accordance with the altered modification information.

15. A document processing method for extracting a format of a first document used as a standard from said first document, and for automatically editing a second document, said method comprising the steps of:

storing, in a predetermined data format, first document data representing said first document and second document data representing said second document, each of said first and second document data including character data and delimiter information;

reading out the stored first document data, detecting the delimiter information in said first document data so as to identify document blocks separated by said delimiter information, and extracting position information representing positions of the document blocks on said first document;

storing, for each document block, the detected delimiter information and the extracted position information as learning data;

reading out the stored second document data, detecting the delimiter information in said second document data so as to identify document blocks separated by said delimiter information, and extracting position information representing positions of the document blocks on said second document;

reading out the stored learning data, and altering the extracted position information representing the positions of the document blocks on said second document, in accordance with the position information included in said learning data; and

outputting the document blocks of said second document data so as to be arranged in the positions represented by the altered position information.

16. A document processing method for extracting a format of a first document used as a standard from said first document, and for automatically editing a second document, said method comprising the steps of:

storing, in a predetermined format, first document data representing said first document and second document representing said second document, each of said first and second document data including character data and modification information;

reading out the stored first document data, with said first document data being divided in units of constituent element information into document blocks, and extracting the modification information from said document blocks;

storing, for each document block, the extracted modification information together with the constituent element information as learning data;

reading out the stored second document data, with said second document data being divided in units of constituent element information into document blocks, and extracting the modification information from said document blocks;

reading out the stored learning data, and altering the modification information extracted from the document blocks of said second document data, in accordance with the modification information included in said learning data; and

outputting said second document data in accordance with the altered modification information.