Method, system, and apparatus for providing a document preview
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for providing a document preview on a computer, the method comprising:
- calling a preview handler by an electronic mail client application running on the computer;
receiving a request at the preview handler from the electronic mail client application to generate a visual preview of an attached document of an electronic mail message;
in response to receiving the request, the preview handler transmitting a query including a file extension of the attached document to the electronic mail client application, receiving a response to the query from the electronic mail client application, and identifying a previewer for a document type of the attached document for generating the visual preview of the attached document from a plurality of separately executable previewers based on a response to the query received from the electronic mail client application, wherein;
each previewer of the plurality of previewers is separately executable from each other previewer and is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of a particular document type, andthe plurality of previewers includes at least one of a word processor application program and a spreadsheet application program that is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of the document type of the attached document, capable of providing the visual preview of the attached document, and capable of being launched by the electronic mail client application for editing the attached document;
in response to identifying the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as the previewer for the document type of the attached document, the preview handler loading the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as the previewer for the document type of the attached document for providing the visual preview of the attached document;
in response to the preview handler loading the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as the previewer for the document type of the attached document, the electronic mail client application designating the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as a loaded previewer for generating visual previews of other documents of the document type of the attached document; and
transmitting a request from the preview handler to the loaded previewer instructing the loaded previewer to load the attached document and to generate the visual preview of the attached document, wherein the loaded previewer provides one or more interfaces for receiving user input and allowing the visual preview of the attached document to be paged through and navigated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for generating a document preview. According to the method, a preview handler provides an interface to one or more previewers. The previewers are software components capable of generating a visual preview for one or more document types. In response to a request from a host application to generate a preview for a document, the preview handler is operative to identify the appropriate previewer for generating a preview for the document. The preview handler may then call the previewer and instruct the previewer to load the document and to show the preview in a sub-window of a window provided by the calling host application.
88 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for providing a document preview on a computer, the method comprising:
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calling a preview handler by an electronic mail client application running on the computer; receiving a request at the preview handler from the electronic mail client application to generate a visual preview of an attached document of an electronic mail message; in response to receiving the request, the preview handler transmitting a query including a file extension of the attached document to the electronic mail client application, receiving a response to the query from the electronic mail client application, and identifying a previewer for a document type of the attached document for generating the visual preview of the attached document from a plurality of separately executable previewers based on a response to the query received from the electronic mail client application, wherein; each previewer of the plurality of previewers is separately executable from each other previewer and is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of a particular document type, and the plurality of previewers includes at least one of a word processor application program and a spreadsheet application program that is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of the document type of the attached document, capable of providing the visual preview of the attached document, and capable of being launched by the electronic mail client application for editing the attached document; in response to identifying the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as the previewer for the document type of the attached document, the preview handler loading the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as the previewer for the document type of the attached document for providing the visual preview of the attached document; in response to the preview handler loading the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as the previewer for the document type of the attached document, the electronic mail client application designating the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as a loaded previewer for generating visual previews of other documents of the document type of the attached document; and transmitting a request from the preview handler to the loaded previewer instructing the loaded previewer to load the attached document and to generate the visual preview of the attached document, wherein the loaded previewer provides one or more interfaces for receiving user input and allowing the visual preview of the attached document to be paged through and navigated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 22)
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10. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to expose a preview handler interface to an electronic mail client application, the preview handler interface to expose at least one method for initializing a preview handler and loading a previewer for generating a document preview, the preview handler to:
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receive a request from the electronic mail client application to generate a visual preview of an attached document of an electronic mail message; transmit a query including a file extension of the attached document to the electronic mail client application in response to the request; receive a response to the request from the electronic mail client application; identify a previewer for the document type of the attached document for generating the visual preview of the attached document from a plurality of separately executable previewers based on the response to the query provided by the electronic mail client application, wherein; each previewer of the plurality of previewers is separately executable from each other previewer and is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of a particular document type, and the plurality of previewers includes at least one of a word processor application program and a spreadsheet application program that is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of the document type of the attached document, capable of providing the visual preview of the attached document, and capable of being launched by the electronic mail client application for editing the attached document; load the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as the previewer for the document type of the attached document for providing the visual preview of the attached document, wherein the word processor application or the spreadsheet application is designated by the electronic mail client application as a loaded previewer for generating visual previews of other documents of the document type of the attached document when loaded; and transmit a request to the loaded previewer instructing the loaded previewer to load the attached document and to generate the visual preview of the attached document, wherein the loaded previewer provides one or more interfaces for receiving user input and allowing the visual preview of the attached document to be paged through and navigated. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer-implemented method for providing a document preview on a computer, the method comprising:
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exposing a preview host interface at an electronic mail client application running on the computer, the preview host interface comprising; a get previewer method through which a preview handler transmits a query to the electronic mail client application and receives a response to the query from the electronic mail client application, the preview handler transmitting the query in response to receiving a request from the electronic mail client application to generate a visual preview of an attached document of an electronic mail message, the query including a file extension of the attached document for requesting the electronic mail client application to identify a previewer designated by the electronic mail client application for generating the visual preview of the attached document based on the file extension of the attached document, the response to the query from the electronic mail client application comprising an identity of a previewer if the electronic mail client application designates a previewer for the document type of the attached document, a get previewer class identifier method through which the preview handler may transmit a subsequent query to the electronic mail client application if the get previewer method does not return an identity of a previewer, the response to the subsequent query from the electronic mail client application comprising a previewer class identifier if the electronic mail client application does not designate a previewer for the document type of the attached document, wherein; the preview handler is to identify a previewer for the document type of the attached document for generating the visual preview of the attached document from a plurality of separately executable previewers based on the response from the electronic mail client application, each previewer of the plurality of previewers is separately executable from each other previewer and is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of a particular document type, and the plurality of previewers includes at least one of a word processor application program and a spreadsheet application program that is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of the document type of the attached document, capable of providing the visual preview of the attached document, and capable of being launched by the electronic mail client application for editing the attached document, a get interface method through which the preview handler may obtain pointers to other interfaces provided by the electronic mail client application, and a done loading method through which the preview handler may inform the electronic mail client application that the attached document to be visually previewed has been loaded; and loading the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as the previewer for the document type of the attached document for providing the visual preview of the attached document, wherein; the word processor application or the spreadsheet application is designated by the electronic mail client application as a loaded previewer for generating visual previews of other documents of the document type of the attached document when loaded, and the loaded previewer provides one or more interfaces for receiving user input allowing the visual preview of the attached document to be paged through and navigated. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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23. A computer-implemented method for providing a document preview on a computer, the method comprising:
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providing a preview handler callable by an electronic mail client application running on the computer, the preview handler to; receive a request from the electronic mail client application to generate a visual preview of the attached document, transmit a query including a file extension of the attached document to the electronic mail client application, receive a response to the query from the electronic mail client application, identify a previewer for a document type of the attached document for generating the visual preview of the attached document from a plurality of separately executable previewers based on the response to the query received from the electronic mail client application, wherein; each previewer of the plurality of previewers is separately executable from each other previewer and is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of a particular document type, and the plurality of previewers includes at least one of a word processor application program and a spreadsheet application program that is registered with the preview handler as a previewer for previewing documents of the document type of the attached document, capable of providing the visual preview of the attached document, and capable of being launched by the electronic mail client application for editing the attached document, and load the word processor application or the spreadsheet application as the previewer for the document type of the attached document for providing the visual preview of the attached document, wherein; the word processor application or the spreadsheet application is designated by the electronic mail client application as a loaded previewer for generating visual previews of other documents of the document type of the attached document when loaded, and the loaded previewer provides one or more interfaces for receiving user input allowing the visual preview of the attached document to be paged through and navigated; and launching the word processor application or the spreadsheet application that was loaded as the previewer for the document type of the attached document in order to edit the attached document in response to user input received while the visual preview of the attached document is displayed. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification