Method and system for identifying a selectable portion of a digital version of a mass-produced printed paper

• US 6,850,260 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2000
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LSC Communications Book LLC
• Original Assignee: Newsstand, Inc. (LSC Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taylor, Billy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/690,680
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 345/744, 345/745, 345/839, 345/901, 345/835
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40

Abstract

A computing device stores a version of a mass-produced printed paper. The version is displayable on a display device as a likeness of the paper. Within a part of the version, the part being displayed on the display device at a particular moment, the computing device identifies a portion of the displayed part that is selectable by a user for copying, the portion being less than all of the displayed part, while preventing a different portion of the displayed part from being selectable by the user for copying.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computer system, the method comprising:

on a display device, displaying at least a part of a likeness of a mass-produced printed paper; and

while first and second predetermined portions of the displayed part of the likeness are being concurrently displayed on the display device, highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by a user for copying, and preventing the second predetermined portion from being selectable by the user for copying.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the highlighting comprises:

highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by the user for printing a copy of the first predetermined portion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the highlighting comprises:

highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by the user for pasting a copy of the first predetermined portion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the highlighting comprises:

highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by the user for storing a copy of the first predetermined portion in a computer-readable medium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

on the display device, displaying the first predetermined portion as a likeness of an advertisement within the paper.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying comprises:

on the display device, displaying the first predetermined portion as a likeness of an article within the paper.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the highlighting comprises:

while the first and second predetermined portions are being concurrently displayed in a same window on the display device, highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by a user for copying, and preventing the second predetermined portion from being selectable by the user for copying.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second predetermined portions are specified by a publisher of the paper.

9. The method of claim 1, and comprising:

from the user, receiving a selection of the first predetermined portion; and

copying the selected portion.

10. The method of claim 9, and comprising:

printing the copied portion.

11. The method of claim 9, and comprising:

pasting the copied portion.

12. The method of claim 9, and comprising:

storing the copied portion in a computer-readable medium.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined portion includes third and fourth predetermined portions, and wherein the highlighting comprises highlighting the third and fourth predetermined portions as being selectable by the user for copying, and comprising:

from the user, receiving a selection of one of the third and fourth predetermined portions; and

copying the selected portion.

14. The method of claim 13, and comprising:

printing the copied portion.

15. The method of claim 13, and comprising:

pasting the copied portion.

16. The method of claim 13, and comprising:

storing the copied portion in a computer-readable medium.

17. A system, comprising:

a computing device for;

on a display device, displaying at least a part of a likeness of a mass-produced printed paper; and

while first and second predetermined portions of the displayed part of the likeness are being concurrently displayed on the display device, highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by a user for copying, and preventing the second predetermined portion from being selectable by the user for copying.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is for:

highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by the user for printing a copy of the first predetermined portion.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is for:

highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by the user for pasting a copy of the first predetermined portion.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is for:

highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by the user for storing a copy of the first predetermined portion in a computer-readable medium.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is for:

on the display device, displaying the first predetermined portion as a likeness of an advertisement within the paper.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is for:

on the display device, displaying the first predetermined portion as a likeness of an article within the paper.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is for:

while the first and second predetermined portions are being concurrently displayed in a same window on the display device, highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by a user for copying, and preventing the second predetermined portion from being selectable by the user for copying.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the first and second predetermined portions are specified by a publisher of the paper.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is for:

from the user, receiving a selection of the first predetermined portion; and

copying the selected portion.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the computing device is for:

printing the copied portion.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the computing device is for:

pasting the copied portion.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the computing device is for:

storing the copied portion in a computer-readable medium.

29. The system of claim 17, wherein the first predetermined portion includes third and fourth predetermined portions, and wherein the computing device is for:

highlighting the third and fourth predetermined portions as being selectable by the user for copying;

from the user, receiving a selection of one of the third and fourth predetermined portions; and

copying the selected portion.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the computing device is for:

printing the copied portion.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the computing device is for:

pasting the copied portion.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the computing device is for:

storing the copied portion in a computer-readable medium.

33. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer program processable by a computer system for causing the computer system to;

on a display device, display at least a part of a likeness of a mass-produced printed paper; and

while first and second predetermined portions of the displayed part of the likeness are being concurrently displayed on the display device, highlight the first predetermined portion as being selectable by a user for copying, and prevent the second predetermined from being selectable by the user for copying; and

apparatus from which the computer program is accessible by the computer system.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

highlight the first predetermined portion as being selectable by the user for printing a copy of the first predetermined portion.

35. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

highlighting the first predetermined portion as being selectable by the user for pasting a copy of the first predetermined portion.

36. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

highlight the first predetermined portion as being selectable by the user for storing a copy of the first predetermined portion in a computer-readable medium.

37. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

on the display device, display the first predetermined portion as a likeness of an advertisement within the paper.

38. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

on the display device, display the first predetermined portion as a likeness of an article within the paper.

39. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

while the first and second predetermined portions are being concurrently displayed in a same window on the display device, highlight the first predetermined portion as being selectable by a user for copying, and prevent the second predetermined portion from being selectable by the user for copying.

40. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the first and second predetermined portions are specified by a publisher of the paper.

41. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

from the user, receive a selection of the first predetermined portion; and

copy the selected portion.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

print the copied portion.

43. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

paste the copied portion.

44. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

store the copied portion in a computer-readable medium.

45. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the first predetermined portion includes third and fourth predetermined portions, and wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

highlight the third and fourth predetermined portions as being selectable by the user for copying;

from the user, receive a selection of one of the third and fourth predetermined portions; and

copy the selected portion.

46. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

print the copied portion.

47. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

paste the copied portion.

48. The computer program product of claim 45, wherein the computer program is processable by the computer system for causing the computer system to:

store the copied portion in a computer-readable medium.