Encoding information into text for visual representation

• US 9,223,762 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Shropshire, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US13/595,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 715/243, 715/256, 715/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking

Abstract

The disclosed subject matter relates to computer implemented methods for encoding information into text for visual representation. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a body of text which includes one or more portions of text. The method further includes receiving a body of information to be encoded. The body of information includes one or more portions of information to be encoded. The method further includes selecting at least one of the portions of text. The method further includes formatting the selected portion(s) of text to generate a formatted body of text. Formatting the selected portion(s) of text includes applying one or more formatting schemes to the selected portion(s) of text. Formatting schemes correspond to one or more portions of the information to be encoded. The method further includes providing the formatted body of text for visual representation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for encoding information into text for visual representation, the method comprising:

receiving a body of text, wherein the body of text comprises one or more portions of text;

receiving a body of information to be encoded, wherein the body of information comprises one or more portions of non-formatting information to be encoded and is separate from the body of text;

selecting at least one of the one or more portions of text;

formatting the selected at least one portion of text to generate a formatted body of text, wherein the formatting comprises applying to the selected at least one portion of text, a plurality of formatting schemes, and wherein each of the plurality of formatting schemes corresponds to at least one of the one or more portions of non-formatting information to be encoded; and

providing for visual representation, the formatted body of text.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selecting is based on a predefined relationship between the body of information and the selected at least one portion of text.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the predefined relationship is a hyperlink, wherein the body of information to be encoded comprises a URL of the hyperlink, and wherein the selected at least one portion of text comprises a text of the hyperlink.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the body of information to be encoded comprises a URL.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the providing for visual representation comprises converting the formatted body of text into a printing language.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the providing for visual representation comprises providing for output, the formatted body of text to an output device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the output device is a printing device configured to output as printed matter, the formatted body of text.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the printed matter is visually perceivable by a computing device configured to decode the at least one of the one or more portions of non-formatting information to be encoded.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the body of information comprises a URL, and wherein the computing device is configured to display content referenced by the URL.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the body of information is an executable instruction, and wherein the computing device is configured to execute the executable instruction.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein applying the plurality of formatting schemes comprises alterations of at least two of:

font, case, size, kerning, serif, slanting, underlining, bolding, or italicization of the selected at least one portion of text.

12. A system for encoding information into text for visual representation, the system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions for encoding information into text for visual representation; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

receive a body of text, wherein the body of text comprises one or more portions of text;

receive a body of information to be encoded, wherein the body of information comprises one or more portions of non-formatting information to be encoded and is separate from the body of text;

select at least one of the one or more portions of text;

format the selected at least one portion of text to generate a formatted body of text, wherein the formatting comprises applying to the selected at least one portion of text, a plurality of formatting schemes, and wherein each of the plurality of formatting schemes corresponds to at least one of the one or more portions of non-formatting information to be encoded; and

provide for visual representation, the formatted body of text, wherein the visual representation comprises printed matter.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the body of information to be encoded comprises a URL.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the step of providing for visual representation comprises converting the formatted body of text into a printing language.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the providing for visual representation comprises providing the formatted body of text to a printing device configured to output the formatted body of text as the printed matter.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the printed matter is visually perceivable by a computing device configured to decode the at least one of the one or more portions of non-formatting information to be encoded.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the body of information comprises a URL, and wherein the computing device is configured to display content referenced by the URL.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the body of information is an executable instruction, and wherein the computing device is configured to execute the executable instruction.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the body of information is a URL associated with the selected portion of text.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the selected at least one portion of text is of an amount proportional to an amount of the body of information to be encoded.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for encoding information into text for visual representation, the method comprising:

receiving a body of text, wherein the body of text comprises one or more portions of text;

receiving a body of information to be encoded, wherein the body of information comprises one or more portions of non-formatting information to be encoded and is separate from the body of text;

selecting at least one of the one or more portions of text;

formatting the selected at least one of the portion of text to generate a formatted body of text, wherein the formatting comprises applying to the selected at least one portion of text, a plurality of formatting schemes, and wherein each of the plurality of formatting schemes corresponds to at least one of the one or more portions of non-formatting information to be encoded; and

providing for visual representation, the formatted body of text.