Systems and methods for comparing documents containing graphic elements
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for comparing first and second documents, the first and second documents containing corresponding first and second pluralities of graphic elements, the method comprising assigning a plurality of unique identifiers to the graphic elements of the first and second pluralities of graphic elements wherein each graphic element is assigned an identifier and wherein, upon determining that a first graphic dement of the first plurality of graphic dements is sufficiently similar to a second graphic dement of the second plurality of graphic dements, the method comprises associating the same one of the unique identifiers with both the first and second graphic elements;
- associating a unique identifier with each graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements;
comparing each one of the second plurality of graphic elements with the first plurality of graphic elements;
associating a unique identifier with a graphic element of the second plurality of graphic elements if the graphic element is not sufficiently similar to any graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements;
associating an existing identifier with the graphic element of the second plurality of graphic elements if the graphic element is sufficiently similar to the first graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements wherein the first graphic element is associated with the existing identifier;
wherein comparing the second plurality of graphic elements with the first plurality of graphic elements comprises performing a plurality of element-wise comparisons based on a plurality of similarity rules;
wherein the plurality of similarity rules include rules that identify two graphic elements as being sufficiently similar if any differences in their corresponding attribute values result in the two graphic elements being visually similar when printed; and
wherein a similarity rule is based on at least one graphic element attribute accuracy value wherein two graphic elements are considered sufficiently similar if, for each at least one graphic element attribute accuracy value, the corresponding values of the two graphic element attributes differ by less than the corresponding accuracy value.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and methods for comparing two documents comprising graphic elements is described. Attributes of graphic elements amongst the two documents are examined to identify sufficiently similar graphic elements. A merged document can be automatically produced based on the comparison. The merged document advantageously preserves the investment made in modifying a first document during a production phase. A means for viewing the comparison results and overriding the automatically generated merge actions is provided.
27 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for comparing first and second documents, the first and second documents containing corresponding first and second pluralities of graphic elements, the method comprising assigning a plurality of unique identifiers to the graphic elements of the first and second pluralities of graphic elements wherein each graphic element is assigned an identifier and wherein, upon determining that a first graphic dement of the first plurality of graphic dements is sufficiently similar to a second graphic dement of the second plurality of graphic dements, the method comprises associating the same one of the unique identifiers with both the first and second graphic elements;
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associating a unique identifier with each graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements; comparing each one of the second plurality of graphic elements with the first plurality of graphic elements; associating a unique identifier with a graphic element of the second plurality of graphic elements if the graphic element is not sufficiently similar to any graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements; associating an existing identifier with the graphic element of the second plurality of graphic elements if the graphic element is sufficiently similar to the first graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements wherein the first graphic element is associated with the existing identifier; wherein comparing the second plurality of graphic elements with the first plurality of graphic elements comprises performing a plurality of element-wise comparisons based on a plurality of similarity rules; wherein the plurality of similarity rules include rules that identify two graphic elements as being sufficiently similar if any differences in their corresponding attribute values result in the two graphic elements being visually similar when printed; and wherein a similarity rule is based on at least one graphic element attribute accuracy value wherein two graphic elements are considered sufficiently similar if, for each at least one graphic element attribute accuracy value, the corresponding values of the two graphic element attributes differ by less than the corresponding accuracy value.
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2. A computer-implemented method for comparing first and second documents, the first and second documents containing corresponding first and second pluralities of graphic elements, the method comprising assigning a plurality of unique identifiers to the graphic elements of the first and second pluralities of graphic elements wherein each graphic element is assigned an identifier and wherein, upon determining that a first graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements is sufficiently similar to a second graphic element of the second plurality of graphic elements, the method comprises associating the same one of the unique identifiers with both the first and second graphic elements;
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associating a unique identifier with each graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements; comparing each one of the second plurality of graphic elements with the first plurality of graphic elements; associating a unique identifier with a graphic element of the second plurality of graphic elements if the graphic element is not sufficiently similar to any graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements; associating an existing identifier with the graphic element of the second plurality of graphic dements if the graphic element is sufficiently similar to the first graphic element of the first plurality of graphic elements wherein the first graphic element is associated with the existing identifier; and organizing the unique identifiers into a first list and a second list, entries of the first list corresponding to a display order of the graphic elements from the first document, and entries of the second list corresponding to a display order of the graphic elements from the second document. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification