Method, memory, and apparatus for effectively locating an object within a compound document

• US 5,757,370 A
• Filed: 08/26/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dodson, John Paul, Amro, Hatim Yousef
• Primary Examiner(s): Katbab, A.
• Application Number:
  US08/703,218
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 395/341, 395/973, 395/350, 364/927.62, 345/123
• US Class Current: 715/787
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A method, memory, and apparatus locate a portion (e.g., page) in a compound document. The method directs a computer, having at least a display device, to locate the specific page in the compound document. Specifically, the method creates an outline for each portion of the compound document, displays a display container (e.g., mini window) in a first position on the display (e.g., at a certain position on the scroll bar), wherein the first position corresponds to a first portion (e.g., page) of the compound document, in response to invoking a command by user controls (e.g., holding down second mouse button), scrolls the display container from the first position to at least a second position on the display, and wherein the second position corresponds to a second portion (e.g., page) of the compound document, and displays the outline of the second portion of the compound document in the display container.

Claims

1. A method for directing a computer system, having at least a processor, display, and user controls to locate at least one portion of a compound document, comprising the steps of:

creating an outline for each portion of the compound document;

displaying a display container in a first position on the display, wherein the first position corresponds to a first portion of the compound document;

in response to invoking a command by user controls, scrolling the display container from the first position to at least a second position on the display, and wherein the second position corresponds to a second portion of the compound document; and

displaying the outline of the second portion of the compound document in the display container.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of creating an outline for each portion of the compound document comprises the following steps:

scanning each line of each portion of the compound document for indicators designating a beginning and end of text and object sections;

storing screen coordinates for each indicator into a database table;

defining a box around each text and object section;

storing screen coordinates for each corner of each box in the database table; and

storing a unique symbol for text and each type of object into the database table.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the step of displaying the outline comprises the step of:

(a) connecting the corners of each box; and

(b) displaying the unique symbol in each box corresponding to the type of object or text represented by the box.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein each portion corresponds to one page of the compound document.

5. An apparatus for directing a computer system, having at least a processor, display, and user controls, to locate at least one portion of a compound document, comprising:

means for creating an outline for each portion of the compound document;

means for displaying a display container in a first position on the display, wherein the first position corresponds to a first portion of the compound document;

in response to invoking a command by user controls, means for scrolling the display container from the first position to at least a second position on the display, wherein the second position corresponds to a second portion of the compound document; and

means for displaying the outline of the second portion of the compound document in the display container.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising:

means for scanning each line of each portion of the compound document for indicators designating a beginning and end of text and object sections;

means for storing screen coordinates for each indicator into a database table;

means for defining a box around each text and object section;

means for storing screen coordinates for each corner of each box in the database table; and

means for storing a unique symbol for text and each type of object into the database table.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising:

means for connecting the corners of each box; and

means for displaying the unique symbol in each box corresponding to the type of object or text represented by the box.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein each portion corresponds to one page of the compound document.

9. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means for directing a computer system, having at least a processor, display, and user controls to locate at least one portion of a compound document, the computer readable program code means comprising;

computer readable program code means for creating an outline for each portion of the compound document;

computer readable program code means for displaying a display container in a first position on the display, wherein the first position corresponds to a first portion of the compound document;

in response to invoking a command by user controls, computer readable program code product means scrolling the display container from the first position to at least a second position on the display, and wherein the second position corresponds to a second portion of the compound document; and

computer readable program code means for displaying the outline of the second portion of the compound document in the display container.