Method and apparatus for printing worldwide web pages in accordance with operator selected formatting

• US 6,185,588 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Olson-Williams, Lonny R., Obey, Jay Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUNG, JOHN L
• Application Number:
  US08/777,866
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.48, 395/200.75, 395/200.32, 707/10, 707/13, 707/15
• US Class Current: 715/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/17 Web printing

Abstract

A method and apparatus prints copies of internet pages from the worldwide web, in accordance with operator-selected formatting instructions. A plurality of internet page record locators are selected and recorded in memory of the data processing system, preferably grouped in a directory such as a Bookmark, Favorite, or Hotlist directory. Operator-specified formatting instructions are then obtained. The formatting instructions may relate to attributes such as page headers, page footers, page break location, pagination, cover sheets, table of contents, the content allocation and placement among the printed pages, as well as the presence or absence of internet identification titles, and the presence or absence of visually perceptible internet links or internet icons from the Internet pages. Finally, the formatted internet pages are printed, utilizing the printer associated with the data processing system, in accordance with the particular operator-selected format requirements which are associated with the selected internet pages.

Claims

1. A method for generating presentation-ready documents from web pages in accordance with operator-specified presentation instructions, said method comprising:

obtaining a list identifying one or more web pages containing a plurality of elements;

retrieving a copy of each identified web page;

obtaining presentation parameters specifying which of said plurality of elements are to be presented in a document and specifying a format in which said specified elements are to be presented; and

in response to a first presentation request, producing a presentation-ready document in accordance with said presentation parameters.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said identified web pages includes at least one tag associated with an element among said plurality of elements to define a characteristic of said element according to a web page definition language, and wherein said step of producing said presentation-ready document comprises:

searching each retrieved copy for said at least one tag to identify all of said plurality of elements having said characteristic; and

applying said presentation parameters to said identified elements to produce said presentation-ready document in accordance with said presentation parameters.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said presentation parameters identify at least one element as a web-specific element, and wherein said step of producing said presentation-ready document comprises:

copying said specified elements but not said web-specific element from said identified web pages to said presentation-ready document.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said at least one tag includes a title tag defining an element as a web page title, and wherein said step of producing said presentation-ready document comprises:

searching each retrieved copy for said title tag to identify said web page title; and

producing a table of contents including said web page title.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein:

said step of obtaining presentation parameters comprises receiving instructions identifying content for a leading page; and

said step of producing said presentation-ready document comprises producing at least one presentation-ready leading page including said identified content.

6. A method according to claim 2, wherein said presentation-ready document comprises one or more hardcopy pages, each page having a main text area and a border area, and wherein said step of producing said presentation-ready document comprises:

printing specified information within said border area.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said border area includes a top margin and a bottom margin, and wherein said step of producing said presentation-ready document comprises:

printing pagination information in an operator-specified format within in at least one of said top margin and said bottom margin.

8. A method according to claim 2, wherein said presentation-ready document occupies two or more pages, and wherein said step of producing said presentation-ready document comprises:

presenting a first operator-specified portion of said plurality of elements together on a page of said presentation-ready document, and

presenting a second operator-specified portion of said plurality of elements on one or more other pages of said presentation-ready document.

9. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

saving said list and said presentation parameters; and

thereafter, in response to a second presentation request received after an alteration to at least one of said plurality of elements;

automatically retrieving a current copy of each web page identified in said list;

automatically searching each current copy for said at least one tag to identify all of said plurality of elements having said characteristic; and

automatically applying said presentation parameters to said identified elements to produce said presentation-ready document in accordance with said presentation parameters, despite said alteration.

10. A data processing system for generating presentation-ready documents from web pages in accordance with operator-specified presentation instructions, said data processing system comprising:

a processor and data storage in communication with said processor;

a web page formatter residing in said data storage and executable by said processor, said web page formatter including;

a source page selection mechanism for obtaining a list identifying one or more web pages containing a plurality of elements;

a web page retrieval mechanism for obtaining a copy of each identified web page;

a presentation parameter selection mechanism for obtaining presentation parameters from said operator, said presentation parameters specifying which of said plurality of elements are to be presented in a document and specifying a format in which said specified elements are to be presented; and

a document producer for producing a presentation-ready document in accordance with said presentation parameters in response to a first presentation request.

11. A data processing system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said identified web pages includes at least one tag associated with an element among said plurality of elements to define a characteristic of said element according to a web page definition language, and wherein said document producer comprises:

an element parser for searching each retrieved copy for said at least one tag to identify all of said plurality of elements having said characteristic; and

a presentation formatter for applying said presentation parameters to said identified elements to produce said presentation-ready document in accordance with said presentation parameters.

12. A data processing system according to claim 11, wherein said presentation parameters identify at least one element as a web-specific element, and wherein said document producer comprises:

an element filter for copying said specified elements but not said web-specific element from said identified web pages to said presentation-ready document.

13. A data processing system according to claim 11, wherein said at least one tag includes a title tag defining an element as a web page title, and wherein said document producer comprises:

a title identifier for searching each retrieved copy for said title tag to identify said web page title; and

a table-of-contents generator for producing a table of contents including said web page title.

14. A data processing system according to claim 11, wherein:

said presentation parameter selection mechanism includes means for identifying, obtaining, and storing leading page content; and

said document producer includes a leading page generator for producing at least one presentation-ready leading page including said leading page content.

15. A data processing system according to claim 11, wherein said presentation-ready document comprises one or more hardcopy pages, each page having a main text area and a border area, and wherein said document producer comprises:

a header and footer generator for printing specified information within said border area.

16. A data processing system according to claim 15, wherein said border area includes a top margin and a bottom margin, and wherein said document producer comprises:

a page number generator for printing pagination information in an operator-specified format within in at least one of said top margin and said bottom margin.

17. A data processing system according to claim 11, wherein said presentation-ready document occupies two or more pages;

and wherein said document producer comprises;

a page allocator for presenting a first operator-specified portion of said plurality of elements together on a page of said presentation-ready document and presenting a second operator-specified portion of said plurality of elements on one or more other pages of said presentation-ready document.

18. A data processing system according to claim 11, wherein said web page formatter stores said list in a web page directory, stores said presentation parameters in a parameter table, and includes reproductions means responsive to a second presentation request received after said first presentation request and after an alteration to at least one of said plurality of elements, said reproductions means including:

means for automatically causing said web page retrieval mechanism to obtain a current copy of each web page identified in said list in said web page directory;

means for automatically causing said element parser to search each current copy for said at least one tag to identify all of said plurality of elements having said characteristic; and

means for automatically causing said document producer to apply said presentation parameters to said identified elements to produce a presentation-ready document in accordance with said presentation parameters, despite said alteration.

19. A program product for use with a data processing system, wherein the program product generates presentation-ready documents from web pages in accordance with operator-specified presentation instructions, said program product comprising:

a source page selection mechanism for obtaining a list from an operator, said list identifying one or more web pages containing a plurality of elements;

a web page retrieval mechanism for obtaining a copy of each web page in said list;

a presentation parameter selection mechanism for obtaining presentation parameters from said operator, said presentation parameters specifying which of said plurality of elements are to be presented in a document and specifying a format in which said specified elements are to be presented;

a document producer for producing a presentation-ready document in accordance with said presentation parameters in response to a first presentation request; and

a computer usable medium encoding said source page selection mechanism, said web page retrieval mechanism, said presentation parameter selection mechanism, and said document producer.

20. A program product according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said identified web pages includes at least one tag associated with an element among said plurality of elements to define a characteristic of said element according to a web page definition language, and wherein said document producer comprises:

an element parser for searching each retrieved copy for said at least one tag to identify all of said plurality of elements having said characteristic; and

a presentation formatter for applying said presentation parameters to said identified elements to produce said presentation-ready document in accordance with said presentation parameters.

21. A program product according to claim 20, wherein said presentation parameters identify at least one element as a web-specific element, and wherein said document producer comprises:

an element filter for copying said specified elements but not said web-specific element from said identified web pages to said presentation-ready document.

22. A program product according to claim 20, wherein said at least one tag includes a title tag defining an element as a web page title, and wherein said document producer comprises:

a title identifier for searching each retrieved copy for said title tag to identify said web page title; and

a table-of-contents generator for producing a table of contents including said web page title.

23. A program product according to claim 20, wherein:

said presentation parameter selection mechanism includes means for identifying, obtaining, and storing leading page content; and

said document producer includes a leading page generator for producing at least one presentation-ready leading page including said leading page content.

24. A program product according to claim 20, wherein said presentation-ready document comprises one or more hardcopy pages, each page having a main text area and a border area, and wherein said document producer comprises:

a header and footer generator for printing specified information within said border area.

25. A program product according to claim 24, wherein said border area includes a top margin and a bottom margin, and wherein said document producer comprises:

a page number generator for printing pagination information in an operator-specified format within in at least one of said top margin and said bottom margin.

26. A program product according to claim 20, wherein said presentation-ready document occupies two or more pages;

and wherein said document producer comprises;

a page allocator for presenting a first operator-specified portion of said plurality of elements together on a page of said presentation-ready document and presenting a second operator-specified portion of said plurality of elements on one or more other pages of said presentation-ready document.

27. A program product according to claim 20, wherein said web page formatter stores said list in a web page directory, stores said presentation parameters in a parameter table, and includes reproduction means responsive to a second presentation request received after said first presentation request and after an alteration to at least one of said plurality of elements, said reproduction means including:

means for automatically causing said web page retrieval mechanism to obtain a current copy of each web page identified in said list in said web page directory;

means for automatically causing said element parser to search each current copy for said at least one tag to identify all of said plurality of elements having said characteristic; and

means for automatically causing said document producer to apply said presentation parameters to said identified elements to produce a presentation-ready document in accordance with said presentation parameters, despite said alteration.