Systems and methods for converting the format of information

• US 6,947,162 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Staelin, Carl, Smith, Kristin, Kaltenecker, Doug, Rosenberg, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US09/943,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20040205616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103.Y, 707/103, 707/103.Z, 707/104.1, 717/116, 382/100, 382/217, 358/403, 358/406, 358/462, 358/471, 715/515, 715/516, 715/517, 379/88.14
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation

Abstract

Format processing systems for converting the format of a document are disclosed. In this regard, a representative document processing system includes a file conversion system configured to receive information corresponding to a first document as well as receive information corresponding to a second format to which the information corresponding to the first document is to be converted. Additionally, the file conversion system is configured to retrieve information corresponding to a set of format rules, the set of format rules corresponding to the second format. The file conversion system converts the information corresponding to the first document to image data having at least one object group. Thereafter, the file conversion system converts the image data to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format. Methods and other systems also are provided.

Claims

1. A method for use in a computer system for converting the format of information corresponding to a first document, the first document exhibiting a first format, said method comprising:

receiving information corresponding to the first document;

receiving information corresponding to a second format to which the information corresponding to the first document is to be converted;

retrieving information corresponding to a set of format rules, the set of format rules corresponding to the second format;

converting the information corresponding to the first document to image data having at least one object group; and

converting the image data according to the format rules to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the image data exhibits an intermediate format having at least one object group.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the intermediate format comprises a TIFF format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the information corresponding to the first document, comprises:

providing a conversion library that is capable of converting information corresponding to the first document to image data;

analyzing the information corresponding to the first document with the conversion library; and

converting the information corresponding to the first document to image data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the image data to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format, comprises:

analyzing the image data;

producing enhanced image data configured to have at least one object group; and

converting the enhanced image data to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein converting the enhanced image data to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format, comprises:

identifying each of the object groups in the enhanced image data; and

applying the set of file format rules to the identified object groups of the enhanced image data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

producing a set of modified object groups that include a modified object group for each identified object group; and

producing converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format from the modified object groups.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein analyzing the image data, comprises:

converting the enhanced image data using an image analysis system, which is capable of altering the image data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the image data to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format, comprises:

identifying each of the object groups of the image data;

applying the set of format rules to the identified object groups;

producing a set of modified object groups that include a modified object group for each identified object group; and

converting the modified object groups to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first format includes TIFF, FPX, GIF, JPEG, BMP, PCX, PNG, HTML, PDF, RTF, TXT, HPD, and WMF.

11. The format processing system of claim 10, wherein the format conversion system includes a conversion library configured to converting information corresponding to the first document to image data and wherein the format conversion system is configured to analyze the information corresponding to the first document with a conversion library and convert the information corresponding to the first document to image data.

12. A format processing system for converting information corresponding to a first document, the information corresponding to the first document exhibiting a first format, the format processing system comprising:

a format conversion system configured to receive information corresponding to the first document;

receive information corresponding to a second format to which the information corresponding to the first document is to be converted;

retrieve information corresponding to a set of format rules, the set of format rules corresponding to the second format;

convert the information corresponding to the first document to image data having at least one object group; and

convert the image data according to the format rules to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

13. The format processing system of claim 12, wherein the format conversion system includes an image analysis system, configured to altering the image data.

14. The format processing system of claim 13, wherein the image analysis system is configured to analyze the image data and produce enhanced image data having at least one object group.

15. The format processing system of claim 12, wherein the format conversion system includes a converting system configured to converting the image data to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

16. The format processing system of claim 15, wherein the converting system is configured to identify each of the object groups of the image data, apply the set of format rules to the identified object groups, produce a set of modified object groups that include a modified object group for each identified object group, and convert the modified object groups to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

17. The format processing system of claim 15, wherein the converting system includes logic configured to identify each of the object groups of the image data;

logic configured to apply the set of format rules to the identified object groups;

logic configured to produce a set of modified object groups that include a modified object group for each identified object group; and

logic configured to convert the modified object groups to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

18. The format processing system of claim 12, further including means for retrieving information corresponding to a set of format rules.

19. The format processing system of claim 12, wherein the image data exhibits an intermediate format having at least one object group.

20. The format processing system of claim 19, wherein the intermediate format comprises a TIFF format.

21. The format processing system of claim 12, wherein the first format includes TIFF, FPX, GIF, JPEG, BMP, PCX, PNG, HTML, PDF, RTF, TXT, HPD, and WMF.

22. A computer readable medium for use in a computer system for converting the format of information corresponding to a first document, the first document exhibiting a first format, said computer readable medium comprising:

logic configured to enable information corresponding to the first document to be received;

logic configured to enable information corresponding to a second format to which the information corresponding to the first document is to be converted to be received;

logic configured to enable information corresponding to a set of format rules to be retrieved, the set of format rules corresponding to the second format;

logic configured to enable the information corresponding to the first document to be converted to image data having at least one object group; and

logic configured to enable the image data to be converted according to the format rules to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the image data exhibits an intermediate format having at least one object group.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the intermediate format comprises a TIFF format.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the computer system has access to a conversion library that is capable of converting information corresponding to the first document to image data, and wherein the logic configured to enable the information corresponding to the first document to be converted, comprises:

logic configured to enable the information corresponding to the first document to be analyzed with the conversion library; and

logic configured to enable the information corresponding to the first document to image data to be converted.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the logic configured to enable the image data to be converted according to the format rules to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format, comprises:

logic configured to enable the image data to be analyzed;

logic configured to enable enhanced image data configured to have at least one object group to be produced; and

logic configured to enable the enhanced image data to be converted to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the logic configured to enable the image data to be analyzed, comprises:

logic configured to enable the enhanced image data using an image analysis system to be converted, which is capable of altering the image data.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein logic configured to enable the enhanced image data to be converted according to the format rules to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format, comprises:

logic configured to enable each of the object groups in the enhanced image data to be identified; and

logic configured to enable the set of file format rules to be applied to the identified object groups of the enhanced image data.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

logic configured to enable a set of modified object groups that include a modified object group for each identified object group to be produced; and

logic configured to enable converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format from the modified object groups to be produced.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the logic configured to enable the image data to be converted according to the format rules to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format, comprises:

logic configured to enable each of the object groups of the image data to be identified;

logic configured to enable the set of format rules to be applied to the identified object groups;

logic configured to enable a set of modified object groups that include a modified object group for each identified object group to be produced; and

logic configured to enable the modified object groups to be converted to converted data representative of the first document and exhibiting the second format.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the first format includes TIFF, FPX, GIF, JPEG, BMP, PCX, PNG, HTML, PDF, RTF, TXT, HPD, and WMF.