Column layout information processing system

• US 5,537,525 A
• Filed: 11/02/1994
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Gotoh, Shinya, Hosokawa, Naohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cliff N.
• Application Number:
  US08/334,005
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 395/144, 395/145, 395/146, 395/147, 395/148
• US Class Current: 715/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/177 of tables; using ruled lines

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a keyboard for inputting data representing information to be processed and for inputting data representing tab information including the location of tabs between two margins, a memory for storing the data representing the tab information inputted by the keyboard, and a central processing unit. The central processing unit defines areas in which the inputted data representing the information to be processed is to be located according to the inputted data representing the location of the tabs between the margins. The central processing unit also assigns an identification mark to each of the defined areas. In addition, the central processing unit specifies an area identified by an identification mark and processes information in the specified area.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

inputting means for inputting processable data representing information to be processed and for inputting tab data representing tab information including a location of tabs between two margins;

tab storing means for storing the tab data inputted by said inputting means;

defining means for automatically defining columns between the tabs represented by the tab data into which the processable data is placed or in which the processable data is edited in response to only depressing an element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the processable data is to be input;

assigning means for assigning an identification mark to each of the defined columns defined by said defining means; and

processing means for specifying a column identified by an identification mark assigned by said assigning means and for processing information in the specified column in response to only depressing the element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the processable data is to be input.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising identification mark storing means for storing data representing identification marks assigned by said assigning means.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for storing the data representing the information to be processed.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising displaying means for displaying the inputted data representing the information to be processed.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises copying means for copying the inputted data representing the information to be processed.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising displaying means for displaying the inputted data representing the information to be processed and representing the tab information.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said inputting means comprises means for defining columns on a basis of the inputted data representing the tab information.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying the inputted data representing the tab information stored in said tab storing means.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying the identification marks and for preventing display of the data representing the tabs in response to said assigning means assigning identification marks to the defined columns.

10. An information processing method, comprising the steps of:

inputting tab data into an information processing apparatus representing information including a location of tabs between two margins and processable data representing information to be processed;

storing the tab data representing the tab information inputted in said inputting step;

defining columns between the tabs represented by the tab data into which the processable data is placed or in which the processable data is edited in response to depressing an element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the processable data is to be input;

assigning an identification mark to each of the defined columns; and

specifying a column identified by an identification mark assigned in said assigning step and copying the information in the specified column in response to depressing the element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the character data is to be input.

11. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

inputting means for inputting character data representing characters to be processed and tab data representing tab information including a location of tabs between two margins;

tab storing means for storing the tab data representing the tab information inputted by said inputting means;

defining means for defining columns between the tabs represented by the tab data into which the character data is placed or in which the character data is edited in response to only depressing an element indicating the inputting or editing of character data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the character data is to be input;

assigning means for assigning an identification mark to each column defined by said defining means;

displaying means for displaying the characters inputted by said input means and for displaying the identification marks assigned by said assigning means; and

processing means for specifying a column identified by an identification mark assigned by said assigning means and for processing data representing characters inputted by said inputting means in the specified column in response to only depressing the element indicating the inputting or editing of character data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the character data is to be input.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising identification mark storing means for storing identification marks assigned by said assigning means.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for storing the data representing the characters to be processed.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for displaying the inputted data representing the characters to be processed.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said processing means comprises copying means for copying the inputted data representing the characters to be processed.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said inputting means comprises means for defining columns on the basis of the inputted tab data representing the tab information.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for displaying identification marks and for preventing display of the tab data representing the tabs in response to said assigning means assigning identification marks to the defined areas.

18. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

inputting means for inputting character data representing characters to be processed and tab data representing tab information and decimal tab information including a location of tabs and decimal tabs between two margins;

tab storing means for storing the tab data representing tab information and decimal tab information inputted by said inputting means;

defining means for defining columns between the tabs represented by the tab data into which the character data is placed or in which the character data is edited in response to only depressing an element indicating the inputting or editing of character data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the character data is to be input;

assigning means for assigning an identification mark for each column defined by said defining means;

displaying means for displaying the identification marks, the tabs, and the decimal tabs; and

processing means for specifying a column identified by an identification mark assigned by said assigning means and for processing data representing characters inputted by said input means in the specified column in response to only depressing the element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the character data is to be input.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising identification mark storing means for storing identification marks assigned by said assigning means.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means for storing the data representing the characters to be processed.

21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said processing means comprises copying means for copying the input data representing the characters to be processed.

22. The information processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said inputting means comprises means for defining columns on the basis of the inputted data representing the tab information.

23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means for displaying identification marks and for preventing display of the data representing the tabs in response to said assigning means assigning identification marks to the defined columns.

24. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

inputting means for inputting character data representing characters to be processed, numeric data, and tab data representing tab information including a location of tabs between two margins;

tab storing means for storing the tab data representing tab information;

defining means for defining columns between the tabs represented by the tab data into which the character data is placed or in which the character data is edited in response to depressing an element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the character data is to be input;

assigning means for assigning an identification mark for each column defined by said defining means;

displaying means for displaying the identification marks and the tabs; and

processing means for specifying a column identified by an identification mark assigned by said assigning means and for copying characters inputted by said input means in the specified column in response to depressing the element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the character data is to be input.

25. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising identification mark storing means for storing identification marks assigned by said assigning means.

26. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising means for storing the data representing the characters to be processed.

27. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said processing means comprises copying means for copying the input data representing the characters to be processed.

28. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said inputting means comprises means for defining columns on the basis of the inputted data representing the tab information.

29. The information processing apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising means for displaying the identification marks and for preventing display of the data representing the tabs in response to said assigning means assigning identification marks to the defined columns.

30. An information processing method, comprising the steps of:

inputting tab data into an information processing apparatus representing tab information including a location of tabs between two margins;

storing the data representing the tab information inputted in said inputting step;

defining columns between the tabs represented by the tab data into which processable data is placed or in which processable data is edited in response to depressing an element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the processable data is to be input;

assigning an identification mark to each defined column; and

specifying a column identified by an identification mark assigned in said assigning step and copying the processable data in the specified column in response to depressing an element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which the processable data is to be input.

31. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

inputting means for inputting character data representing characters to be processed, numeric data, and tab data representing tab information including a location of tabs between two margins;

tab storing means for storing the tab data representing the tab information;

defining means for defining columns between the tabs represented by the tab data into which the character and/or numeric data is placed or in which character and/or numeric data is edited in response to depressing an element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which data is to be input;

assigning means for assigning an identification mark for each column defined by said defining means;

display means for displaying an identification mark assigned to a column by said assigning means; and

processing means for specifying a column identified by the displayed identification mark assigned by said assigning means and for copying the numeric data inputted by said input means in the specified column in response to depressing the element indicating the inputting or editing of data in a column is to be performed and depressing an element indicating the column to be edited or into which data is to be input.