Integrated form document editor with form descriptor table, background bitmap, graphics editor and text editor, composite image generator and intelligent autofill
First Claim
1. In a computer system including a memory for form documents to be operated upon, a processor for operating on the form documents and a display for displaying the form documents, each form document containing at least one page, a form document editor for editing a page of a form document, comprising:
- a form document data structure, includinga form descriptor table defining editable graphics and text areas of the page, wherein the form descriptor table includesa definition entry for each graphics and text area of the page, each definition entry includinga location of the area on the page,an extent of the area on the page, anda definition of when the area is to contain a graphic image and when the area is to contain text, andwhen the area is to contain text, a definition of the line spacing and character size of the text.a background bitmap image of a background of the page,a graphics bitmap image of graphics appearing in a graphics area of the page, anda text buffer of text appearing in a text area of the page,a graphics editor responsive to an analog user input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the graphics bitmap image for editing the bitmap image of graphics,a text editor responsive to a user keyboard input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the text for editing the text in the text buffer, anda composite image generator responsive to the form descriptor table for receiving the background bitmap image, the graphics bitmap image and the text buffer and generating a composite page image to the display, andthe text editor and an autofill data parser for generating an area of the page to contain autofill data that includes user entered data, whereinthe description entry corresponding to the page area including autofill data contains a reference to the autofill data, andthe autofill data contains a user data import indicator that user data is to be entered into the autofill data by the user,the user data import indicator being located in the autofill data at the location the user data is to be entered by the user, andthe text editor being responsive to the description entry reference to the autofill data for,retrieving the autofill data, andinserting the autofill data into the area of the page containing the autofill data, andthe autofill data parser being responsive to the autofill data forreading the autofill data to the text editor to be entered into the text buffer by the text editor,detecting the presence of a user import data indicatorhalting the reading of the autofill data to the text editor for entry of the user data (46) by the user, andresuming reading of the autofill data to the text editor when the user has entered the user data.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A form document editor having a form descriptor table defining editable graphics and text areas with a page comprised of a background bitmap image of a background of the page, a graphics bitmap image of graphics appearing in a graphics area of the page, and a text buffer of text appearing in a text area of the page. The editor includes a graphics editor operating on the graphics bitmap image and a text editor for editing the text in the text buffer. The background and graphics bitmap images and text buffer are combined into a composite page image for display and storage of the form document. A document is retrieved from storage for editing is provided to the editor as a background bitmap. An area of a page may contain autofill data and the editor includes an intelligent autofill data import mechanism for inserting user provided data into the autofill data upon detecting a user data import indicator, with the user data replacing the indicator in the autofill data.
87 Citations
11 Claims
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1. In a computer system including a memory for form documents to be operated upon, a processor for operating on the form documents and a display for displaying the form documents, each form document containing at least one page, a form document editor for editing a page of a form document, comprising:
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a form document data structure, including a form descriptor table defining editable graphics and text areas of the page, wherein the form descriptor table includes a definition entry for each graphics and text area of the page, each definition entry including a location of the area on the page, an extent of the area on the page, and a definition of when the area is to contain a graphic image and when the area is to contain text, and when the area is to contain text, a definition of the line spacing and character size of the text. a background bitmap image of a background of the page, a graphics bitmap image of graphics appearing in a graphics area of the page, and a text buffer of text appearing in a text area of the page, a graphics editor responsive to an analog user input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the graphics bitmap image for editing the bitmap image of graphics, a text editor responsive to a user keyboard input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the text for editing the text in the text buffer, and a composite image generator responsive to the form descriptor table for receiving the background bitmap image, the graphics bitmap image and the text buffer and generating a composite page image to the display, and the text editor and an autofill data parser for generating an area of the page to contain autofill data that includes user entered data, wherein the description entry corresponding to the page area including autofill data contains a reference to the autofill data, and the autofill data contains a user data import indicator that user data is to be entered into the autofill data by the user, the user data import indicator being located in the autofill data at the location the user data is to be entered by the user, and the text editor being responsive to the description entry reference to the autofill data for, retrieving the autofill data, and inserting the autofill data into the area of the page containing the autofill data, and the autofill data parser being responsive to the autofill data for reading the autofill data to the text editor to be entered into the text buffer by the text editor, detecting the presence of a user import data indicator halting the reading of the autofill data to the text editor for entry of the user data (46) by the user, and resuming reading of the autofill data to the text editor when the user has entered the user data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 6)
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3. In a computer system including a memory for form documents to be operated upon, a processor for operating on the form documents and a display for displaying the form documents, each form document containing at least one page, a form document editor for editing a page of a from document comprising:
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a form document data structure, including a form descriptor table defining editable graphics and text areas of the page, a background bitmap image of a background of the page, a graphics bitmap image of graphics appearing in a graphics area of the page, and a text buffer of text appearing in a text area of the page, a graphics editor responsive to an analog user input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the graphics bitmap image for editing only the bitmap image of graphics, a text editor responsive to a user keyboard input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the text for editing only the text in the text buffer, a composite image generator responsive to the form descriptor table and connected from the background bitmap image, the graphics bitmap image and the text buffer for receiving the background bitmap image, the graphics bitmap image, and the text buffer, generating a composite bitmap image of the page wherein the composite bitmap image is comprised of the background bitmap image, the graphics bitmap image and the text buffer, and providing the composite bitmap image of the page to the mass storage device for storage as a new background bitmap image of the page for a next editing of the document, wherein the new background bitmap image of the page incorporates all text and graphics data entered by a user in a present editing of the document and is unchangeable in any subsequent editing of the document, wherein the new background bitmap image is provided to the form document editor as the background bitmap image of the page when the page is retrieved from the mass storage device for editing and the graphics editor can edit only the graphics bitmap image and the text editor can edit only the text buffer. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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7. In a computer system including a memory for form documents to be operated upon, a processor for operating on the form documents and a display for displaying the form documents, each form document containing at least one page, a method for editing a page of a form document, comprising the steps of:
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storing a form document data structure, including a form descriptor table defining editable graphics and text areas of the page, the form descriptor table including a definition entry for each graphics image and text area of the page, each definition entry including a location of the area on the page, an extent of the area on the page, a definition of when the area is to contain a graphic image and when the area is to contain text, and when the area is to contain text, a definition of the line spacing and character size of the text, a background bitmap image of a background of the page, a graphics bitmap image of graphics appearing in a graphics area of the page, and a text buffer of text appearing in text area of the page, editing the graphics bitmap image by operation of a graphics editor responsive to an analog user input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the graphics bitmap image. editing the text buffer by operation of a text editor responsive to a user keyboard input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the text buffer, and generating a composite page image by receiving the background bitmap image, the graphics bitmap image and the text buffer and responsive to the form descriptor table combining the background bitmap image, the graphics bitmap image and the text buffer into a composite page image to the display, and inserting autofill data including user entered data into an area of the page by inserting a reference to the autofill data into the description entry corresponding to the page area including the autofill data, and inserting a user data import indicator into the autofill data, the user data import indicator indicating that user data is to be entered into the autofill data by the user, and being located in the autofill data at the location the user data is to be entered by the user, and by operation of the graphics and text editors in response to the description entry reference to the autofill data, retrieving the autofill data, and inserting the autofill data into the area of the page containing the autofill data, including, by operation of an autofill data parser reading the autofill data to the text editor to be entered into the text buffer by the text editor, detecting the presence of a user import data indicator, halting the reading of the autofill data to the text editor for entry of the user data by the user, and resuming reading of the autofill data to the text editor when the user has entered the user data. - View Dependent Claims (8, 11)
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9. In a computer system including a memory for form documents to be operated upon a processor for operating on the form documents and a display for displaying the form documents, each form document containing at least one page, a method for editing a page of a form document, comprising the steps of:
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storing a form document data structure including, a form descriptor table defining editable graphics and text areas of the page, a background bitmap image of a background of the page, a graphics bitmap image of graphics appearing in a graphics area of the page, and a text buffer of text appearing in a text area of the page, editing the graphics bitmap image by operation of a graphics editor responsive to an analog user input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the graphics bitmap image, editing the text buffer by operation of a text editor responsive to user keyboard input device and to the form descriptor table and having an output to the text buffer, and generating a composite image of the page by receiving the background bitmap image, the graphics bitmap image appearing in a graphics area of the page, and the text buffer appearing in a text area of the page, generating a composite bitmap image of the page, and providing the composite bitmap image of the page to mass storage device for storageas a new background bitmap image of the page for a next editing of the document, wherein the new background bitmap image of the page incorporates all text and graphics data entered by a user in a present editing of the document and is unchangeable in any subsequent editing of the document, wherein the new background bitmap image is provided to the form document editor as the background bitmap image of the page when the page is retrieved from the mass storage device for editing and the graphics editor can edit only the graphics bitmap image and the text editor can edit only the text buffer.
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10. The method for editing a page of a form document of claim 13, further comprising the steps of compressing and decompressing the page image for storing the page image in and retrieving the page image from the mass storage device by:
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receiving the composite bitmap image of the page and compressing the composite bitmap image of the page into a compressed format for storage in the mass storage device as the new background bitmap image of the page, and receiving a compressed new background bitmap image of a page retrieved from the mass storage device, decompressing the compressed new background bitmap image of the retrieved page to generate a decompressed new background bitmap image of the stored page, and providing the decompressed new background bitmap image of the retrieved page to the editors as the background bitmap image of the page for editing of the page.
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Specification