System and method for rapid creation and display of stylized digital content items

• US 7,028,257 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): VAUGHN, GREGORY J
• Application Number:
  US09/896,166
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/517, 715/522, 715/523, 715/526
• US Class Current: 715/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets

Abstract

Stylized digital content is rapidly created by reading a first file and a plurality of second files. The first file contains a digital content item and each second file contains at least one style definition. At least one display instance of stylized digital content is created by applying the style definition of one of the plurality of second files to the digital content item of the first file. The at least one display instance is mapped to a location on the display device. A location is received from a pointing device and one of the plurality of display instances is displayed based on the received location.

Claims

1. A method for creating and displaying stylized digital content, the method comprising:

reading a first file containing a digital content item to be stylized;

reading a plurality of second files, each second file containing at least one style definition and each second file containing a different set of style definitions;

creating a plurality of display instances of stylized digital content by applying the at least one style definition from each second file to the digital content item of the first file;

mapping each of the plurality of display instances of stylized content to a different area of a display device;

receiving a selection of a location on the display device from a pointing device, the location corresponding to an area of the display device mapped to one of the plurality of display instances of stylized content;

displaying the one of the plurality of display instances of stylized content corresponding to the received selection of the location on the display device;

wherein each second file comprises a first style field containing a first style definition and a second style field containing a second style definition;

receiving a selection of a display instance;

sending a prompt to the display device indicating a status of the first style definition and second style definition;

receiving an accepted status for the first style definition and a non-accepted status for the second style definition;

selecting from the plurality of second files, a subset of second files containing the first style definition;

creating a second plurality of display instances of stylized digital content by applying the subset of second files to the content of the first file;

mapping each of the second plurality of display instances of stylized content to a different area of the display device;

receiving a selection of a second location on the display device from a pointing device, the location corresponding to an area of the display device mapped to one of the second plurality of display instances of stylized content; and

displaying the one of the second plurality of display instances of stylized content corresponding to the received selection of the second location on the display device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selected display instance having a selected style definition; and

storing an indication of the selected style definition.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

reading the stored indication; and

mapping an area of the display device to a selected one of the plurality of second files based on the indication.

4. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for creating and displaying stylized digital content, the instructions when executed on a processor, causing the processor to perform the following:

reading a first file containing a digital content item to be stylized;

reading a plurality of second files each second file containing at least one style definition and each second file containing a different set of style definitions;

creating a plurality of display instances of stylized digital content by applying the at least one style definition from each second file to the digital content item of the first file;

mapping each of the plurality of display instances of stylized content to an area of a display device;

receiving a selection of a location on the display from a pointing device, the location corresponding to an area of the display device mapped to one of the plurality of display instances of stylized content; and

displaying the one of the plurality of display instances of stylized content corresponding to the received selection of the location on the display device;

wherein each second file comprises a first style field containing a first style definition and a second style field containing a second style definition;

receiving a selection of a display instance;

sending a prompt to the display device indicating a status of the first style definition and second style definition;

receiving an accepted status for the first style definition and a non-accepted status for the second style definition;

selecting from the plurality of second files, a subset of second files containing the first style definition;

creating a second plurality of display instances of stylized digital content by applying the subset of second files to the content of the first file;

mapping each of the second plurality of display instances of stylized content to a different area of the display device;

receiving a selection of a second location on the display device from a pointing device, the location corresponding to an area of the display device mapped to one of the second plurality of display instances of stylized content; and

displaying the one of the second plurality of display instances of stylized content corresponding to the received selection of the second location on the display device.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the following:

receiving a selected display instance having a selected style definition; and

storing an indication of the selected style definition.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the following:

reading the stored indication; and

mapping an area of the display device to a selected one of the plurality of second flies based on the indication.