Importing an external subordinate document into a master document, editing the “subordinate” portion of the master document and updating the external subordinate document by exporting the edit of the “subordinate” portion of the master document to the external subordinate document

• US 8,539,332 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hatakeyama, Yuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton, Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dasgupta, Soumya
• Application Number:
  US12/432,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20090276699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: 715/209, 715/208
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

Document data to be edited includes reference information to external document data corresponding to a component document constituting the document data. When the component document is selected and when an instruction is given for the reflection thereof in the external document, a chapter to be updated is identified first, and reference information corresponding to that chapter is identified. Then, the external document identified by the reference information is overwritten and updated with the selected component document.

Claims

1. A document processing apparatus, comprising:

one or more memory devices storing one or more computer-executable programs; and

one or more processors coupled to the one or more memory devices and configured to execute the one or more computer-executable programs at least to;

access an external document and a structured document stored in memory, wherein the external document is separate from the structured document;

insert the external document into a chapter of the structured document while maintaining a hierarchical structure of the external document,

wherein the structured document comprises a job folder, a print ticket, and a reference link referring to a storage location of the external document,

wherein the job folder comprises a document folder, and

wherein the document folder includes a page folder;

change the inserted external document that is at least a portion of the structured document; and

update, based on the reference link, the separate external document to reflect the change to the inserted external document that is at least the portion of the structured document.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured by the one or more programs at least to divide a first chapter of the structured document into two parts and to insert the separate external document between the two parts.

3. A document processing method performed at least by a computer of a document processing apparatus, the method comprising:

an accessing step of accessing an external document and a structured document stored in memory, wherein the external document is separate from the structured document;

an inserting step of inserting the external document into a chapter of the structured document while maintaining a hierarchical structure of the external document,

wherein the structured document comprises a job folder, a print ticket, and a reference link referring to a storage location of the external document,

wherein the job folder comprises a document folder, and

wherein the document folder includes a page folder;

a changing step of changing the inserted external document that is at least a portion of the structured document; and

an updating step of updating, based on the reference link, the separate external document to reflect the change to the inserted external document that is at least the portion of the structured document.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, in the changing step, a first chapter of the structured document is divided into two parts and the separate external document is inserted between the two parts.

5. A non-transitory medium in which a program is recorded that is executable at least by a computer of a document processing apparatus, the program comprising:

accessing instructions configured to access an external document and a structured document stored in memory, wherein the external document is separate from the structured document;

inserting instructions configured to insert the external document into a chapter of the structured document while maintaining a hierarchical structure of the external document,

wherein the structured document comprises a job folder, a print ticket, and a reference link referring to a storage location of the external document,

wherein the job folder comprises a document folder, and

wherein the document folder includes a page folder;

changing instructions configured to change the inserted external document that is at least a portion of the structured document; and

updating instructions configured to update, based on the reference link, the separate external document to reflect the change to the inserted external document that is at least the portion of the structured document.

6. The medium according to claim 5, wherein the changing instructions are configured to divide a first chapter of the structured document into two parts and to insert the separate external document between the two parts.