Device and method for processing and printing information

• US 7,259,880 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oce Printing Systems GmbH (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oce Printing Systems GmbH (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Wiedemer, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II; Jerome
• Application Number:
  US09/937,845
• Time in Patent Office: 2,699 Days
• Field of Search: 358/401, 358/402, 358/404, 358/426.05, 707/3, 707/102, 707/4, 705/34
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method by means of which personalized printed items can be produced and printed out. The invention permits a user inexperienced in carrying out research to compile information in accordance with personal search criteria. The information found is automatically adjusted to the dimensions of the printed item set by the user so that said user is able to compile a personalized book containing numerous ample passages without first having to familiarize himself with a search algorithm or data bank structures. The invention is designed especially for use in the non-fiction domain since large volumes of scientific data are already stored in electronically readable data banks. Other applications of the invention include the compilation of sample passages from fiction books or the production of a customized travel guide.

Claims

1. A device for processing and printing information, comprising:

at least one information storage device in which is stored information;

at least one search device for searching the information stored in said at least one information storage device;

a printer device for printing a printed copy that contains the information identified by the search device;

a data network connecting said at least one information storage device and said at least one search device and said printer device to one another;

said at least one search device includes a search criterion module having an input for search terms and a print copy scope module for defining a scope of print copy so that a search is implemented according to a criterion of search terms that have been input and a given scope of print copy.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a formatting device connected to format information identified with said at least one search device for printout at said printer device.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said printer device is a printing station in which said formatting device and a printer are integrated.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said printing station includes an accounting module for billing usage fees for use of said at least one information storage device.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data network is one of the Internet or an intranet.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data network is an area network.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one information storage device includes a data bank.

8. A method for processing and printing information, comprising the steps of:

searching information at a search station that is connected via a data network to at least one information storage device, said searching step searching the information in said information storage device according to a criterion of search terms prescribed by a user as well as according to a scope of a printed product defined by the user;

formatting the information searched in said searching step in a form suitable for a printer device; and

printing the information at the printer device to produce a printed product.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

defining a lower and an upper limit value for a data quantity to be searched according to a criterion of a defined scope of the printed product; and

setting a searched data quantity such that it lies between said lower and upper limit values.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said lower limit value is approximately 10% through 20% smaller than said upper limit value.

11. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

outputting a message of an anticipated cost of a printed copy order following implementation of the search at the search station; and

receiving a confirmation from a user of said printed copy order.

12. A method as claimed in claims 8, further comprising the step of:

binding said printed copy.

13. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

disregarding search results which are beyond a scope defined for the printed product after complete exhaustion of the search.

14. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

determining a match criteria of individual results in a search event, said match criteria being proportional to a hit precision; and

disregarding the individual results having a low match criterion in a compilation of a final search result.

15. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

automatically excluding ambiguities of search terms in a search event in order to achieve a search with a small data quantity.

16. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

considering synonyms of search terms for achieving a larger data quantity of the search result.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

evaluating the search results in the search station.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said evaluating step includes identifying data quantity and match criteria.

19. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

sending identified search results completely from said at least one information storage device to said search station from which an interrogation was generated following an interrogation of said information storage devices with given search terms.

20. A method as claimed in claims 8, further comprising the steps of:

sending a message to said search station from said information storage device by which the search had been generated following interrogation of the individual information storage devices with the search terms prescribed by the user, the message contains a particular about at least one of identified data quantity, anticipated costs and a match criterion for the individual results, but the information to be printed are not contained therein.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising the step of:

sending print information directly from said information storage device to said printer device after an order confirmation has been placed.

22. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

displaying an input mask that includes a plurality of pairs of fields at the search station for inputting the search terms;

accepting the search criterion as input in one field of the pairs of fields and a search term for an input search criterion as input in another of the two fields.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the fields of the search terms are fundamentally operated with a logical “

and”

operation, and at least one further field is provided with which the logical “

and”

operation can be modified into a logical “

or”

operation.