Method and system for merging scan files into a color workflow
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- providing a print device for printing on sheets of paper coupled with a graphical user interface (GUI) said GUI further comprising a pointing device;
providing at least a first and second document files each comprising a plurality of pages, wherein at least one document file from among the first document file and the second document file comprises a scan file;
providing a merge template for creating a merged print file comprising a plurality of said pages, wherein the merge template comprises tools for specifying pagination in said merged print file and imposition of multiple pages on one or more of the sheets of paper;
displaying a thumbnail page image of each of the pages and a visual representation of said merge template on the GUI;
providing a user a drag-and-drop selection means via the GUI for;
selecting at least one thumbnail page image from the first document file by clicking on the thumbnail page image with the pointing device and dropping said at least one thumbnail page image into said visual representation of a merge template; and
selecting at least one additional thumbnail page image from the second document file by clicking on the at least one thumbnail page image with the pointing device and dropping said at least one additional thumbnail page image into said visual representation of a merge template, wherein the at least one thumbnail page image and the at least one additional thumbnail page image comprise selected page images;
combining the selected page images using said merge template, wherein the merge template incorporates scripted merging instructions for precisely re-sizing one or more of the selected pages and layout options for the precise placement of one or more of the selected pages in a multiple pages per sheet format, forming combined page images;
graphically re-arranging the combined page images within the merge template according to any desired order to create a new document file; and
printing said new document file using said print device.
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Abstract
A method and system for scanning documents in a network environment and merging the resulting scan files with other documents into a printing workflow provides a user interface in which the user merges a scan file and a document file on a page basis by selecting thumbnail images of the desired pages and dragging and dropping the thumbnails so that a new merged document results. An alternative embodiment allows the user to apply predefined merge templates to the selected pages. The predefined merge templates may include printing and formatting instructions such as color settings and a page layout.
35 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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providing a print device for printing on sheets of paper coupled with a graphical user interface (GUI) said GUI further comprising a pointing device; providing at least a first and second document files each comprising a plurality of pages, wherein at least one document file from among the first document file and the second document file comprises a scan file; providing a merge template for creating a merged print file comprising a plurality of said pages, wherein the merge template comprises tools for specifying pagination in said merged print file and imposition of multiple pages on one or more of the sheets of paper; displaying a thumbnail page image of each of the pages and a visual representation of said merge template on the GUI; providing a user a drag-and-drop selection means via the GUI for; selecting at least one thumbnail page image from the first document file by clicking on the thumbnail page image with the pointing device and dropping said at least one thumbnail page image into said visual representation of a merge template; and selecting at least one additional thumbnail page image from the second document file by clicking on the at least one thumbnail page image with the pointing device and dropping said at least one additional thumbnail page image into said visual representation of a merge template, wherein the at least one thumbnail page image and the at least one additional thumbnail page image comprise selected page images; combining the selected page images using said merge template, wherein the merge template incorporates scripted merging instructions for precisely re-sizing one or more of the selected pages and layout options for the precise placement of one or more of the selected pages in a multiple pages per sheet format, forming combined page images; graphically re-arranging the combined page images within the merge template according to any desired order to create a new document file; and printing said new document file using said print device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system comprising:
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a print device coupled with a graphical user interface (GUI) including a pointing device; means for providing at least a first and second document file each comprising a plurality of pages, wherein at least one document file from among the first document file and the second document file comprises a scan file; providing a merge template for creating a merged print file comprising a plurality of said pages, wherein the merge template comprises tools for specifying pagination in said merged print file and imposition of multiple pages on one or more of the sheets of paper, means for displaying a thumbnail page image of each of the pages and a visual representation of a merge template on the GUI; a drag-and-drop selection means provided to the user via the GUI, the drag-and-drop selection means further comprising; means for selecting at least one thumbnail page image from the first document file by clicking on the thumbnail page image with the pointing device and dropping said at least one thumbnail page image into said visual representation of a merge template; and a means for selecting at least one additional thumbnail page image from the second document file by clicking on the at least one thumbnail page image with the pointing device and dropping said at least one thumbnail page image into said visual representation of a merge template, wherein the at least one thumbnail page image and the at least one additional thumbnail page image form selected page images; means for combining the selected page images using said merge template, wherein the merge template incorporates scripted merging instructions for the precise placement of one or more of the selected pages in a multiple pages per sheet format, forming combined page images; a means for graphically re-arranging the combined page images within the merge template using the pointing device according to any desired order to create a new document file; and a means for printing the new document file by said print device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification