Methods and apparatus for fixed canvas presentations detecting canvas specifications including aspect ratio specifications within HTML data streams

• US 5,897,644 A
• Filed: 09/25/1996
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Jakob
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Young, John L.
• Application Number:
  US08/719,858
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 345/340, 345/335, 345/326, 395/200.48, 395/200.6, 395/682, 382/161, 382/229, 706/12, 707/513
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for displaying fixed canvas presentations, defined using HTML data, on computer output devices of unknown sizes. The invention transforms the fixed canvas image to fit within a display view that of a size other than that of the display view used to construct the original image. This transformation maintains a page layout similar to that of the original but magnified or reduced to fit the available display area.

Claims

1. A computer controlled method for presenting a hypertext markup language (HTML) data stream on a device, said HTML data stream formatted to a fixed canvas, said method comprising steps of:

(a) detecting a canvas specification within said HTML data stream, said canvas specification containing information from which a height dimension, a width dimension, and an aspect ratio of said fixed canvas are determined;

(b) constructing a view having said aspect ratio on said device to present said HTML data stream;

(c) determining a transformation to map said HTML data stream onto said view, said transformation preserving said aspect ratio; and

(d) presenting said HTML data stream onto said view in accordance with said transformation.

2. The computer controlled method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises extracting said canvas attributes from an HTML <

BODY>

element.

3. The computer controlled method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises sizing said view to said canvas specification.

4. The computer controlled method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises maximizing said view.

5. The computer controlled method of claim 1 wherein step (b) further comprises:

(b1) maximizing a window having a plurality of window elements;

(b2) determining an accessible area in said window; and

(b3) maximizing said view in said accessible area.

6. The computer controlled method of claim 5 wherein step (b1) further comprises removing one of said plurality of window elements from said window.

7. The computer controlled method of claim 1 wherein step (c) further comprises selecting a transformed font point size by operating on an original font point size of a character using said transformation, and step (d) further comprises presenting said character at said transformed font size.

8. The computer controlled method of claim 7 wherein step (d) further comprises rounding said transformed font size to a nearest integer font point size.

9. The computer controlled method of claim 8 further comprising:

(e) detecting an aspect ratio violation; and

(f) adjusting said transformation.

10. The computer controlled method of claim 7 wherein step (d) further comprises truncating said transformed font size to an integer font point size.

11. The computer controlled method of claim 1 wherein said fixed canvas has a canvas coordinate space, said method further comprising steps of:

(e) receiving a view coordinate corresponding to a user selection operation within said view;

(f) performing an inverse transformation on said view coordinate to transform said view coordinate into a canvas coordinate in said canvas coordinate space; and

(g) applying said canvas coordinate.

12. An information display system for presenting a hypertext markup language (HTML) data stream on a computer controlled device, said HTML data stream formatted to a fixed canvas, said system comprising:

a determination mechanism configured to detect a canvas specification within said HTML data stream, said canvas specification containing information from which a height dimension, a width dimension, and an aspect ratio of said fixed canvas are determined;

a view construction mechanism configured to construct a view having said aspect ratio on said computer controlled device, said view used to present said HTML data stream;

a transformation determination mechanism configured to determine a transformation that maps said HTML data stream onto said view, said transformation preserving said aspect ratio of said fixed canvas; and

a presentation mechanism configured to present said HTML data stream onto said view in accordance with said transformation.

13. The information display system of claim 12 wherein the determination mechanism further comprises a parsing mechanism configured to extract said canvas attributes from an HTML <

BODY>

element.

14. The information display system of claim 12 wherein the view construction mechanism further comprises a sizing mechanism configured to size said view to said canvas specification.

15. The information display system of claim 12 wherein the view construction mechanism further comprises a maximization mechanism configured to maximize said view on said computer controlled device.

16. The information display system of claim 12 wherein the view construction mechanism further comprises:

a window maximization mechanism configured to maximize a window having a plurality of window elements;

an area determination mechanism configured to determine an accessible area in said window; and

a view maximization mechanism configured to maximize said view in said area.

17. The information display system of claim 16 wherein the window maximization mechanism further comprises an element removal mechanism configured to remove one of said plurality of window elements from said window.

18. The information display system of claim 12 wherein the transformation determination mechanism further comprises a selection mechanism configured to select a transformed font point size based on said transformation of an original font point size of a character, and the presentation mechanism further comprises a character presentation mechanism configured to present said character at said transformed font size.

19. The information display system of claim 18 wherein the presentation mechanism further comprises a rounding mechanism configured to round said transformed font size to a nearest integer font point size.

20. The information display system of claim 19 further comprising:

(e) an aspect violation detection mechanism configured to detect an aspect ratio violation; and

(f) a transformation adjustment mechanism configured to adjust said transformation responsive to said aspect ratio violation.

21. The information display system of claim 18 wherein the presentation mechanism further comprises a truncation mechanism configured to truncate said transformed font size to an integer font point size.

22. The information display system of claim 12 wherein said fixed canvas has a canvas coordinate space, said system further comprising:

(e) a coordinate reception mechanism configured to receive a view coordinate corresponding to a user selection operation within said view;

(f) an inverse transformation mechanism configured to perform an inverse transformation on said view coordinate to transform said view coordinate into a canvas coordinate in said canvas coordinate space; and

(g) an application mechanism configured to apply said canvas coordinate.

23. An information display apparatus for presenting a hypertext markup language (HTML) data stream on a computer controlled device, said HTML data stream formatted to a fixed canvas, said apparatus having a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and further comprising:

a determination mechanism configured to detect a canvas specification within said HTML data stream, said canvas specification containing information from which a height dimension, a width dimension, and an aspect ratio of said fixed canvas are determined;

a view construction mechanism configured to construct a view having said aspect ratio on said computer controlled device, said view used to present said HTML data stream;

a transformation determination mechanism configured to determine a transformation that maps said HTML data stream onto said view, said transformation preserving said aspect ratio of said fixed canvas; and

a presentation mechanism configured to present said HTML data stream onto said view in accordance with said transformation.

24. The information display apparatus of claim 23 wherein the determination mechanism further comprises a parsing mechanism configured to extract said canvas attributes from an HTML <

BODY>

element.

25. The information display apparatus of claim 23 wherein the view construction mechanism further comprises a sizing mechanism configured to size said view to said canvas specification.

26. The information display apparatus of claim 23 wherein the view construction mechanism further comprises a maximization mechanism configured to maximize said view on said computer controlled device.

27. The information display apparatus of claim 23 wherein the view construction mechanism further comprises:

a window maximization mechanism configured to maximize a window having a plurality of window elements;

an area determination mechanism configured to determine an accessible area in said window; and

a view maximization mechanism configured to maximize said view in said area.

28. The information display apparatus of claim 27 wherein the window maximization mechanism further comprises an element removal mechanism configured to remove one of said plurality of window elements from said window.

29. The information display apparatus of claim 23 wherein the transformation determination mechanism further comprises a selection mechanism configured to select a transformed font point size based on said transformation of an original font point size of a character, and the presentation mechanism further comprises a character presentation mechanism configured to present said character at said transformed font size.

30. The information display apparatus of claim 29 wherein the presentation mechanism further comprises a rounding mechanism configured to round said transformed font size to a nearest integer font point size.

31. The information display apparatus of claim 30 further comprising:

(e) an aspect violation detection mechanism configured to detect an aspect ratio violation; and

(f) a transformation adjustment mechanism configured to adjust said transformation responsive to said aspect ratio violation.

32. The information display apparatus of claim 29 wherein the presentation mechanism further comprises a truncation mechanism configured to truncate said transformed font size to an integer font point size.

33. The information display apparatus of claim 23 wherein said fixed canvas has a canvas coordinate space, said system further comprising:

(e) a coordinate reception mechanism configured to receive a view coordinate corresponding to a user selection operation within said view;

(f) an inverse transformation mechanism configured to perform an inverse transformation on said view coordinate to transform said view coordinate into a canvas coordinate in said canvas coordinate space; and

(g) an application mechanism configured to apply said canvas coordinate.

34. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to present a hypertext markup language (HTML) data stream on a computer controlled device, said HTML data stream formatted to a fixed canvas, said computer readable code comprising;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a determination mechanism configured to detect a canvas specification within said HTML data stream, said canvas specification containing information suitable from which a height dimension, a width dimension, and an aspect ratio of said fixed canvas are determined;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a view construction mechanism configured to construct a view having said aspect ratio on said computer controlled device, said view used to present said HTML data stream;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a transformation determination mechanism configured to determine a transformation that maps said HTML data stream onto said view, said transformation preserving said aspect ratio of said fixed canvas; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a presentation mechanism configured to present said HTML data stream onto said view in accordance with said transformation.

35. The computer program product of claim 34 wherein the determination mechanism further comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a parsing mechanism configured to extract said canvas attributes from an HTML <

BODY>

element.

36. The computer program product of claim 34 wherein the view construction mechanism further comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a sizing mechanism configured to size said view to said canvas specification.

37. The computer program product of claim 34 wherein the view construction mechanism further comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a maximization mechanism configured to maximize said view on said computer controlled device.

38. The computer program product of claim 34 wherein the view construction mechanism further comprises:

computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a window maximization mechanism configured to maximize a window having a plurality of window elements;

computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect an area determination mechanism configured to determine an accessible are in said window; and

computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a view maximization mechanism configured to maximize said view in said area.

39. The computer program product of claim 38 wherein the window maximization mechanism further comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect an element removal mechanism configured to remove one of said plurality of window elements from said window.

40. The computer program product of claim 34 wherein the transformation determination mechanism further comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a selection mechanism configured to select a transformed font point size based on said transformation of an original font point size of a character, and the presentation mechanism further comprises computer readable program cod e devices configured to cause said computer to effect a character presentation mechanism configured to present said character at said transformed font size.

41. The computer program product of claim 40 wherein the presentation mechanism further comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a rounding mechanism configured to round said transformed font size to a nearest integer font point size.

42. The computer program product of claim 41 further comprising:

(e) computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect an aspect violation detection mechanism configured to detect an aspect ratio violation; and

(f) computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a transformation adjustment mechanism configured to adjust said transformation responsive to said aspect ratio violation.

43. The computer program product of claim 40 wherein the presentation mechanism further comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect to truncation mechanism configured to truncate said transformed font size to an integer font point size.

44. The computer program product of claim 34 wherein said fixed canvas has a canvas coordinate space, said system further comprising:

(e) computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect a coordinate reception mechanism configured to receive a view coordinate corresponding to a user selection operation within said view;

(f) computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect an inverse transformation mechanism configured to perform an inverse transformation on said view coordinate to transform said view coordinate into a canvas coordinate in said canvas coordinate space; and

(g) computer readable program code devices configured to cause said computer to effect an application mechanism configured to apply said canvas coordinate.