Method and system to facilitate workflow data submission

• US 8,239,752 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2008
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Perelman, Roberto, Fu, Yuan Sheng, Stromfeld, David, Brown, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US12/019,563
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 715/221, 715/222, 715/223, 715/224, 715/226, 715/229, 715/273, 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

A method and system to facilitate workflow data submission is provided. The system may include a communications module to receive a request to generate an electronic form such that the electronic form is suitable for viewing with a first version of a viewer application and a compatibility module to respond to the request by configuring the electronic form to include a functional feature, the functional feature being available with the first version of the viewer application and being not available with a second version of the viewer application.

Claims

1. A system to generate adaptive electronic documents, the system comprising:

a memory;

at least one processor coupled to the memory;

a communications module to receive a request to generate an electronic form, the electronic form being suitable for viewing with a first version of a viewer application; and

a compatibility module to respond to the request by configuring the electronic form, using the at least one processor, to include a functional feature, the functional feature to be activated in response to detecting that the electronic form is opened with the first version of the viewer application and to be suppressed in response to detecting that the electronic form is opened with a second version of the viewer application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the compatibility module comprises a visual control creator to add to the electronic form a visual control associated with the functional feature.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the visual control associated with the functional feature is a “

Submit”

button.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the compatibility module comprises a detector to detect a version of the viewer application used to open the electronic form.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the compatibility module comprises a detector to:

detect that the electronic form was opened with the second version of the viewer application; and

activate the functional feature.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the compatibility module comprises a detector to:

detect that the electronic form was opened with the first version of the viewer application; and

suppress the functional feature.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic form is in a Portable Document Format (PDF).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the functional feature is related to a mechanism by which the electronic form can be submitted in response to a workflow request.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the functional feature is implemented utilizing a Java script.

10. A method to generate adaptive electronic documents, the method comprising:

receiving a request to generate an electronic form, the electronic form being suitable for viewing with a first version of a viewer application; and

responding to the request by configuring the electronic form to include a functional feature, the functional feature to be activated in response to detecting that the electronic form is opened with the first version of the viewer application and to be suppressed in response to detecting that the electronic form is opened with a second version of the viewer application.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising adding to the electronic form a visual control associated with the functional feature.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the visual control associated with the functional feature is a “

Submit”

button.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising configuring the electronic form to include a detector, the detector being to detect a version of the viewer application used to open the electronic form.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising configuring the electronic form to include a detector, the detector being to:

detect that the electronic form was opened with the second version of the viewer application; and

activate the functional feature.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

displaying a visual control associated with the functional feature;

detecting an event associated with activating of the visual control provided with the electronic form; and

invoke the functional feature associated with the visual control.

16. The method of claim 10, comprising configuring the electronic form to include a detector, the detector being to:

detect that the electronic form was opened with the first version of the viewer application; and

suppress the functional feature.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the functional feature is related to a mechanism by which the electronic form can be submitted in response to a workflow request.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium may be provided having instruction data to cause a machine to:

receive a request to generate an electronic form, the electronic form being suitable for viewing with a first version of a viewer application; and

respond to the request by configuring the electronic form to include a functional feature, the functional feature to be activated in response to detecting that the electronic form is opened with the first version of the viewer application and to be suppressed in response to detecting that the electronic form is opened with a second version of the viewer application.