Method and apparatus for formatting a communication
First Claim
1. A method for creating a communication having a desired format comprising the steps of:
- entering a text document into a computer system, said text document having an original format and including message content to be transmitted in a communication to an addressee, concise address information included in said message content to provide said addressee in said communication, and a format identifer, wherein said message content, said concise address information, and said format identifier are all located within a main body portion of the text document such that neither said concise address information nor said format identifier are provided in a heading separate from said message content;
determining a desired format for the communication based upon said format identifier and associating a format template with said desired communication format, said format template having an information slot and an information query associated with said information slot;
analyzing the text document based upon said information query to identify at least some of said concise address information that answers said query and fill in said information slot with database address information stored in and retrieved from a database separate from said text document, said database address information being referred to by said identified concise address information and being in greater amount and having greater detail than said identified concise address information; and
creating a formatted communication having said desired format in accordance with said format template, the desired format being different from said original format, said communication including a template portion and a body portion, the template portion including at least some of said database address information filled in said identification slot, the body portion including said message content to be transmitted to said addressee.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for automated preparation of a formal communication, in a format such as a facsimile transmission, a letter or a memorandum, from an text object, a graphics object or a general object received by a computer system. The computer system examines the object information and determines (1) the desired format for the communication and (2) the information to be included in the body or substance of the communication. A given format, such as a facsimile transmission, has a corresponding template and a set of associated information queries to be answered to "fill in" the template information items. The computer system determines as many answers as possible for the information queries by examining the object. Any unanswered queries may be answered by the writer or supplier of the object. The computer system then prepares the body of the communication, including identification of people, geographical locations, events, times and dates referred to in the object. A supplemental database connected to the computer system may be used to provides additional identifying information on these people, locations, events, times and dates. A replica of the formal communication may be displayed and/or edited before the communication is transmitted to the intended recipient(s).
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method for creating a communication having a desired format comprising the steps of:
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entering a text document into a computer system, said text document having an original format and including message content to be transmitted in a communication to an addressee, concise address information included in said message content to provide said addressee in said communication, and a format identifer, wherein said message content, said concise address information, and said format identifier are all located within a main body portion of the text document such that neither said concise address information nor said format identifier are provided in a heading separate from said message content; determining a desired format for the communication based upon said format identifier and associating a format template with said desired communication format, said format template having an information slot and an information query associated with said information slot; analyzing the text document based upon said information query to identify at least some of said concise address information that answers said query and fill in said information slot with database address information stored in and retrieved from a database separate from said text document, said database address information being referred to by said identified concise address information and being in greater amount and having greater detail than said identified concise address information; and creating a formatted communication having said desired format in accordance with said format template, the desired format being different from said original format, said communication including a template portion and a body portion, the template portion including at least some of said database address information filled in said identification slot, the body portion including said message content to be transmitted to said addressee. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. Apparatus for automated preparation of a communication from an object containing text and/or graphics, the apparatus comprising:
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information entry means for entering an object including text and having an original format from which a communication is to be created, said object including message content for said addressee, said message content including address information of said addressee, wherein said address information and said message content are both located within a main body portion of theobject and are not provided in a heading separate from said message content; and a computer system to receive the object, to analyze the object and automatically determine a desired communication format for said communication from information in said message content such that said desired communication format is different from said original format, to determine a template corresponding to the desired communication format, to determine a set of information queries that are associated with the template and which query for said address information in said object, to identify and place in slots of the template answers to the queries that are available from the object, wherein at least some of said answers include separate address information that is stored separate from said object and is referred to by an address identifier in said main body portion of said object that is less detailed than said separate address information, and to create said communication from the object, said communication including said address information and said message content. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for formatting a text object into a communication comprising the steps of:
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selecting a text object having an original format and having address information for determining an address of a recipient of a formatted communication and message information to be provided as message content for said recipient, said message and address information being included in a main body portion of said text object; selecting a format type for said formatted communication such that said format type is different from said original format, wherein said format type is selected from the group consisting of facsimile, letter, and memorandum; searching said text object for said message information required to complete said formatted communication and a database referred to by said text object for derailed message information required to complete said formatted communication, wherein said detailed message information on said database is referred to by abbreviated message information included in said text object; and creating said formatted communication having said format type utilizing said text object, said format type, said address information, said message information found in said text object and said detailed message information found on said database, wherein said formatted communication includes said address information in an addressee portion of said formatted communication and said message information and said detailed message information in a message portion of said formatted communication. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A computer implemented method for formatting a communication, the method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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receiving a text document into a computer system, said text document including a message portion, an address identifier and a format identifier all located within a main body portion of the text document such that neither said address identifier nor said format identifier is provided in a heading separate from said message portion; searching said text document to locate said format identifier and determining a desired communication format based upon said format identifier; associating a format template with said desired communication format, said format template having an address information slot and an address information query associated with said address information slot; analyzing said text document based upon said information query to locate said address identifier; accessing an address information database separate from said text document utilizing said address identifier as a reference and obtaining a selected address from said address information database; filling in said address information slot with said selected address obtained from said address information database; and creating a formatted communication having said desired communication format in accordance with said format template, said desired communication format being different than an original format of said text document, said communication including a template portion and a body portion, said template portion including at least a portion of said selected address and said body portion including said message portion of said text document. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification