Reformatting a document using fuzzy matching

• US 6,892,348 B1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Christopher D., Lee, Wai On, Truelove, Benjamin N., Ricard, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc A.
• Application Number:
  US09/726,956
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/503, 715/517, 715/526, 715/527, 715/529, 715/542, 345/471, 345/472, 382/224
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography

Abstract

Reformatting a previously formatted document. A unique interface allows preview and selection of both a color set and a font set. A color set comprises a plurality of colors defining a color scheme. The font set comprises a plurality of fonts defining a font theme. A format set is defined by the selection of a color set and a font set. A format set comprises a plurality of formats, each format comprising a format font name, a format font size, a format font color, and other properties. Once a format set is determined, the document is reformatted in such a way as to largely maintain the proportionality and integrity of its previous formatting. In so doing, each discrete portion of text in the document is analyzed to determine its format properties. Each format in the format set is then compared to the text format. Points are added to a match quality value associated with the format when it is determined that a property of the format matches a property of the existing text format. The match quality values for each format in the format set are compared and the format having the greatest associated match quality value is applied to the discrete portion of text.

Claims

1. A method for reformatting a previously formatted electronic document comprising a plurality of discrete portions of text using a computing device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving user-selections of a color set and a font set;

determining a format set based on the user selections of the color set and the font set, the format set comprising a plurality of formats, each format comprising a format font name, a format font color and a format font size; and

for each discrete portion of text in the electronic document;

analyzing the discrete portion of text to determine a text font name, a text font color and a text font size,

for each format in the format set;

if the format font name matches the text font name, adding a first determined number to a match quality value associated with the format,

if the format font color matches the text font color, adding a second determined number to the match quality value,

if the format font size is greater than the text font size, multiplying the ratio of the text font size to the format font size by a third determined number to determine a first product and adding the first product to the match quality value, and

if the format font size is not greater than the text font size, multiplying the ratio of the format font size to the text font size by the third determined number to determine a second product and adding the second product to the match quality value, and

reformatting the discrete portion of text such that the format having the greatest associated match quality value is applied to the discrete portion of text.

2. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing the discrete portion of text further comprises the step of:

if other formatting properties of the text have been analyzed and another property matches a corresponding property of the text, adding a determined number to the match quality value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the color set comprises a plurality of colors defining a color scheme.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the colors are pre-selected by a trained designer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the font set comprises a plurality of fonts defining a font theme, each font having a font name and a font size.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the fonts are predefined by a trained designer based on their aesthetic appeal in relation to each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selections of the color set and the font set are provided through a single integrated user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface includes a preview window for displaying a color sample and a text sample from the format set, the color sample comprising various colors included in the color set and the text sample comprising several portions of text that are formatted according to the font set.

10. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 9.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface comprises a floating window that hovers above the electronic document.

12. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 11.

13. A system for reformatting a previously formatted electronic document comprising a plurality of discrete portions of text, the system comprising:

a display device for displaying the previously formatted electronic document and a user interface for selection of a selected color set and a selected font set;

a memory for storing a plurality of color sets and a plurality of font sets;

an input device for generating commands corresponding to selection of the selected color set and the selected font set;

a processor in communication with the display device, the memory and the input device for receiving the commands and determining a format set based on the selected color set and the selected font set, the format set comprising a plurality of formats, each format comprising a format font name, a format font color and a format font size; and

for each discrete portion of text in the electronic document the processor further operable for;

analyzing the discrete portion of text to determine a text font name, a text font, color and a text font size,

for each format in the format set;

if the format font name matches the text font name, adding a first determined number to a match quality value associated with the format,

if the format font color matches the text font color, adding a second determined number to the match quality value,

if the format font size is greater than the text font size, multiplying the ratio of the text font size to the format font size by a third determined number to determine a first product and adding the first product to the match quality value, and

if the format font size is not greater than the text font size, multiplying the ratio of the format font size to the text font size by the third determined number to determine a second product and adding the second product to the match quality value,

if every other formatting property of the text, the property matches the corresponding property of the text, adding a determined number to the match quality value, and

reformatting the discrete portion of text for display on the display device, such that the format having the greatest associated match quality value is applied to the discrete portion of text.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of analyzing the discrete portion of text further comprises the step of:

if other formatting properties of the text have been analyzed and another property matches a corresponding property of the text, adding a determined number to the match quality value.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the color set comprises a plurality of colors defining a color scheme.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the colors are pre-selected by a trained designer.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the font set comprises a plurality of fonts defining a font theme, each font having a font name and a font size.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the fonts are predefined by a trained designer based on their aesthetic appeal in relation to each other.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface includes a preview window for displaying a color sample and a text sample from the format set, the color sample comprising various colors included in the color set and the text sample comprising several portions of text that are formatted according to the font set.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface comprises a floating window that hovers above the electronic document.

21. A user interface for reformatting a previously formatted electronic document comprising a plurality of discrete portions of text with a computing device, the user interface comprising:

a first control for selection of a color set;

a second control for selection of a font set;

a preview window for displaying a plurality of text samples formatted according to a format set defined by the selected color set and the selected font set, the format set comprising a plurality of formats, each format comprising a format font name, a format font color and a format font size; and

a third control for applying the format set to the electronic document according to the method comprising;

for each discrete portion of text in the electronic document;

analyzing the discrete portion of text to determine a text font name, a text font, color and a text font size,

for each format in the format set;

if the format font name matches the text font name, adding a first determined number to a match quality value associated with the format,

if the format font color matches the text font color, adding a second determined number to the match quality value,

if the format font size is greater than the text font size, multiplying the ratio of the text font size to the format font size by a third determined number to determine a first product and adding the first product to the match quality value, and

if the format font size is not greater than the text font size, multiplying the ratio of the format font size to the text font size by the third determined number to determine a second product and adding the second product to the match quality value,

if every other formatting property of the text, the property matches the corresponding property of the text, adding a determined number to the match quality value, and

reformatting the discrete portion of text, such that the format having the greatest associated match quality value is applied to the discrete portion of text.

22. The user interface of claim 21, further comprising a fourth control for undoing the step of applying the format set to the electronic document.