Content layout for an electronic document

• US 8,479,092 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Pandey, Krishna Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton, Jr., Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): DYER, ANDREW R
• Application Number:
  US12/433,282
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 715243-249, 715252-254
• US Class Current: 715/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on one or more computer storage media, for modifying content layout for an electronic document are described. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an identification of a subset of content items identified in a first electronic document. Each content item in the subset of content items includes displayable data. A prioritization of the subset of content items is identified, and a first content item is selected based on the prioritization. A new value of a first layout property for the selected content item is calculated based at least in part on one or more initial values. A new electronic document is generated. The new electronic document includes an identification of the new value and data for generating a second graphical representation of the subset of content items based at least in part on the new value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an identification of a subset of a plurality of content items identified in a first electronic document, the first electronic document comprising data for generating a first graphical representation of the plurality of content items based at least in part on initial values of layout properties for the plurality of content items, the subset of content items comprising less than all of the plurality of content items identified in the first electronic document, each content item in the subset of content items including displayable data designated for inclusion in a new electronic document based on a user interaction;

identifying a prioritization of the subset of content items;

executing instructions on a data processing apparatus to select a first content item of the subset of content items based on the prioritization;

executing instructions on a data processing apparatus to calculate a new value of a first layout property for the selected content item based at least in part on one or more of the initial values of layout properties for the plurality of content items, wherein the first layout property comprises a width, a first object in the first electronic document includes an identification of the first content item, the first object has a parent object in the first electronic document, the parent object has a plurality of subordinate objects in the first electronic document, the plurality of subordinate objects includes the first object, and calculating the new value of the layout property for the first content item comprises;

identifying that a value of the width for the first content item is less than a value of the width for the parent object;

identifying a group of content items from the subset of content items, where each content item in the group is identified in one of the subordinate objects and vertically intersects the first content item in the first graphical representation; and

calculating the new value based on a difference between the value of the width for the parent object and a value of a combined width for the group of content items; and

executing instructions on a data processing apparatus to generate the new electronic document including;

an identification of the new value; and

data for generating a second graphical representation of the subset of content items based at least in part on the new value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first layout property comprises a size dimension, and the first content item appears larger in the second graphical representation than in the first graphical representation based on the new value of the size dimension for the first content item being greater than an initial value of the size dimension for the first content item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the second graphical representation based at least in part on the new value results in the second graphical representation defining less unused space than a graphical representation of the subset of content items generated based in part on an initial value of the first layout property for the first content item.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a prioritization of the subset of content items comprises:

identifying a two dimensional area of each content item in the subset; and

generating an ordered list of the content items according to an ordering of the identified areas.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a first content item of the subset of content items based on the prioritization comprises selecting the first content item based on the first content item having a higher priority level than other content items in the subset of content items.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, subsequent to calculating the new value for the first content item, executing instructions on a data processing apparatus to select a second content item of the subset based on the prioritization;

executing instructions on a data processing apparatus to calculate a new value of the first layout property for the second content item; and

wherein the new electronic document further includes an identification of the new value for the second content item and the second graphical representation is based in part on the new value for the second content item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying that a value of the width for the first content item is less than a value of the width for the parent object comprises identifying that a difference between the value of the width for the parent object and the value of the width for the first content item is greater than a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic document identifies a hierarchical structure including a plurality of objects that identify the plurality of content items, the hierarchical structure including a root object, the method further comprising:

executing instructions on a data processing apparatus to generate a list of the subset of content items based on the prioritization;

executing instructions on a data processing apparatus to sequentially select each content item on the list, wherein each time a content item is selected, the hierarchical structure is traversed from an object associated with the selected content item to the root object to determine whether to calculate a new value of the first layout property for one or more parent objects of the object associated with the selected content item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of content items includes at least one of an image content item or a text content item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic document comprises a web page and the new electronic document comprises a final format document.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronic document and the new electronic document include an identification of a style sheet including attribute data for generating graphical representations, and the new electronic document includes an inline style attribute that includes the identification of the new value.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating a new value of a first layout property for the selected content item includes calculating a new value of the layout property for an object in the first electronic document.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, through a graphical user interface, a user selection designating the displayable data to be included in the new electronic document, and wherein the second graphical representation includes only the displayable data designated by the user selection.

14. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program including instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving an identification of a subset of a plurality of content items identified in a first electronic document, the first electronic document including data for generating a first graphical representation of the plurality of content items based at least in part on initial values of layout properties for the plurality of content items, the subset of content items including less than all of the plurality of content items identified in the first electronic document, each content item in the subset of content items comprising displayable data designated for inclusion in a new electronic document based on a user interaction;

identifying a prioritization of the subset of content items;

selecting a first content item of the subset of content items based on the prioritization;

calculating a new value of a first layout property for the selected content item based at least in part on one or more of the initial values of layout properties for the plurality of content items, wherein the first layout property comprises a width, a first object in the first electronic document includes an identification of the first content item, the first object has a parent object in the first electronic document, the parent object has a plurality of subordinate objects in the first electronic document, the plurality of subordinate objects includes the first object, and calculating the new value of the layout property for the first content item comprises;

identifying that a value of the width for the first content item is less than a value of the width for the parent object;

identifying a group of content items from the subset of content items, where each content item in the group is identified in one of the subordinate objects and vertically intersects the first content item in the first graphical representation; and

calculating the new value based on a difference between the value of the width for the parent object and a value of a combined width for the group of content items; and

generating the new electronic document that includes;

an identification of the new value; and

data for generating a second graphical representation of the subset of content items based at least in part on the new value.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first electronic document comprises a web page and the new electronic document comprises a final format document.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first electronic document identifies a hierarchical structure including a plurality of objects that identify the plurality of content items, the hierarchical structure including a root object, the operations further comprising:

generating a list of the subset of content items based on the prioritization;

sequentially selecting each content item on the list, wherein each time a content item is selected, the hierarchical structure is traversed from an object associated with the selected content item to the root object to determine whether to calculate a new value of the first layout property for one or more parent objects of the object associated with the selected content item.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the computer program comprises at least one of a plug-in application for a web browser or a plug-in application for a wireless application protocol browser.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 14, wherein the computer program comprises an application that operates independent of a web browser application.

19. A system comprising:

a display device operable to present a graphical representation of an electronic document;

one or more data processors operable to provide data to the display device and to execute operations comprising;

receiving an identification of a subset of a plurality of content items identified in a first electronic document, the first electronic document including data for generating a first graphical representation of the plurality of content items based at least in part on initial values of layout properties for the plurality of content items, the subset of content items including less than all of the plurality of content items identified in the first electronic document, each content item in the subset of content items including displayable data designated for inclusion in a new electronic document based on a user interaction;

identifying a prioritization of the subset of content items;

selecting a first content item of the subset of content items based on the prioritization;

calculating a new value of a first layout property for the selected content item based at least in part on one or more of the initial values of layout properties for the plurality of content items, wherein the first layout property comprises a width, a first object in the first electronic document includes an identification of the first content item, the first object has a parent object in the first electronic document, the parent object has a plurality of subordinate objects in the first electronic document, the plurality of subordinate objects includes the first object, and calculating the new value of the layout property for the first content item comprises;

identifying that a value of the width for the first content item is less than a value of the width for the parent object;

identifying a group of content items from the subset of content items, where each content item in the group is identified in one of the subordinate objects and vertically intersects the first content item in the first graphical representation; and

calculating the new value based on a difference between the value of the width for the parent object and a value of a combined width for the group of content items; and

generating the new electronic document that includes;

an identification of the new value; and

data for generating a second graphical representation of the subset of content items based at least in part on the new value.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the data processors are included in at least one of a personal computer running a web browser or a mobile device running a wireless application protocol browser.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the first electronic document identifies a hierarchical structure including a plurality of objects that identify the plurality of content items, the hierarchical structure including a root object, the operations further comprising:

generating a list of the subset of content items based on the prioritization;

sequentially selecting each content item on the list, wherein each time a content item is selected, the hierarchical structure is traversed from an object associated with the selected content item to the root object to determine whether to calculate a new value of the first layout property for one or more parent objects of the object associated with the selected content item.