Dynamic document and template previews

• US 20050278625A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wessling, Cynthia Dahl, Ross, Benjamen Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,469,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for dynamically generating and displaying previews of documents or templates of interest to a user. As a user provides or selects customized designs or themes, including color themes, font types, images, and the like, previews of one or more documents or templates to which the user selected designs or themes are applied are dynamically generated and are displayed to allow the user to select an actual document or template for use.

Claims

1. A method of generating and displaying dynamic document previews, comprising:

displaying a document preview;

selecting a design for application to the document preview;

automatically generating a dynamic document preview by applying the selected design to the document preview; and

displaying the automatically generated dynamic document preview.

2. The method of claim 1, whereby automatically generating a dynamic document preview includes:

preparing a bitmap;

populating the bitmap with attributes of the selected design;

populating the bitmap with any user entered text or images; and

rendering the bitmap for display.

3. The method of claim 2, whereby populating the bitmap with attributes of the selected design includes replacing attributes of a first design applied to the document preview with attributes of the selected design.

4. The method of claim 1, whereby automatically generating a dynamic document preview includes:

storing a maximum target size for the dynamic document preview;

creating one or more replacement tables for storing attributes of a first design applied to the document preview and for storing attributes of the selected design;

creating a display record list for containing information associated with any object to be rendered in the dynamic document preview;

populating the display record list with information associated with one or more attributes of any object contained in the document preview to be rendered in the dynamic document preview;

populating the one or more replacement tables with attributes of the first design applied to the document preview, and replacing any record in the replacement tables with corresponding attributes of the selected design;

populating one or more display records with attributes contained in the replacement tables; and

rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap.

5. The method of claim 4, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in the empty bitmap, deleting any display records that if deleted from the dynamic preview will not affect a visual appearance of the dynamic preview at the maximum target size.

6. The method of claim 4, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap, eliminating any display regions that are overlapped by other display regions at the maximum target size and that will not be displayed in the dynamic document preview.

7. The method of claim 4, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap, reducing the complexity of any line paths identified in any display record by removing points in the any line paths whereby the removal of the points will not affect a visual appearance of a displayed dynamic preview containing the any line paths at the maximum target size.

8. The method of claim 4, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap, reducing the complexity of any regions identified in any display record by removing points in the any regions, whereby the removal of the points will not affect a visual appearance of a displayed dynamic preview containing the any regions at the maximum target size.

9. The method of claim 4, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap, reducing the complexity of any pictures identified in any display record, whereby reducing the complexity of any pictures includes:

rendering each of the any pictures as a bitmap at a size needed to render the dynamic preview at the maximum target size;

storing the rendered pictures in a lookup table; and

if any of the pictures stored in the lookup table is already rendered at a required size in the lookup table, referencing the previously rendered picture for rendering in the dynamic preview bitmap instead of storing a new copy of the referenced picture.

10. The method of claim 1, whereby selecting a design for application to the document preview includes selecting a color scheme for application to the document preview.

11. The method of claim 1, whereby selecting a design for application to the document preview includes selecting a font size, typeface, or attributes for application to text or images contained in the document preview.

12. The method of claim 1, whereby selecting a design for application to the document preview includes selecting pictures for application to the document preview.

13. The method of claim 1, whereby selecting a design for application to the document preview includes selecting one or more stylized objects for application to the document preview.

14. A method of generating and displaying dynamic document previews, comprising:

displaying a document preview;

selecting a design for application to the document preview;

populating a bitmap with attributes of the document preview;

in the bitmap, replacing attributes of a first design applied to the document preview with corresponding attributes of the selected design;

rendering the bitmap as a dynamic document preview of the document preview with applied attributes of the selected design; and

displaying the dynamic document preview.

15. The method of claim 14, prior to rendering the bitmap as a dynamic document preview of the document preview with applied attributes of the selected design, deleting any attributes of the first design or the selected design that if deleted from the dynamic preview will not affect a visual appearance of the dynamic preview.

16. The method of claim 14, prior to rendering the bitmap as a dynamic document preview of the document preview with applied attributes of the selected design, eliminating any display regions to be rendered in the bitmap that are overlapped by other display regions and that will not visually appear in the displayed dynamic document preview.

17. The method of claim 14, whereby selecting a design for application to the document preview includes selecting a color scheme for application to the document preview.

18. The method of claim 14, whereby selecting a design for application to the document preview includes selecting a font size, typeface, or attributes for application to text or images contained in the document preview.

19. The method of claim 14, whereby selecting a design for application to the document preview includes selecting pictures for application to the document preview.

20. The method of claim 14, whereby selecting a design for application to the document preview includes selecting one or more stylized objects for application to the document preview.

21. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of generating and displaying dynamic document previews, the method comprising:

displaying a document preview;

selecting a design for application to the document preview;

automatically generating a dynamic document preview by applying the selected design to the document preview; and

displaying the automatically generated dynamic document preview.

22. The method of claim 21, whereby automatically generating a dynamic document preview includes:

storing a maximum target size for the dynamic document preview;

creating one or more replacement tables for storing attributes of a first design applied to the document preview and for storing attributes of the selected design;

creating a display record list for containing information associated with any object to be rendered in the dynamic document preview;

populating the display record list with information associated with one or more attributes of any object contained in the document preview to be rendered in the dynamic document preview;

populating the one or more replacement tables with attributes of the first design applied to the document preview, and replacing any record in the replacement tables with corresponding attributes of the selected design;

populating one or more display records with attributes contained in the replacement tables; and

rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap.

23. The method of claim 22, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in the empty bitmap, deleting any display records that if deleted from the dynamic preview will not affect a visual appearance of the dynamic preview.

24. The method of claim 22, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap, eliminating any display regions that are overlapped by other display regions and that will not be displayed in the dynamic document preview.

25. The method of claim 22, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap, reducing the complexity of any line paths identified in any display record by removing points in the any line paths whereby the removal of the points will not affect a visual appearance of a displayed dynamic preview containing the any line paths.

26. The method of claim 22, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap, reducing the complexity of any regions identified in any display record by removing points in the any regions, whereby the removal of the points will not affect a visual appearance of a displayed dynamic preview containing the any regions.

27. The method of claim 22, prior to rendering each display record in order from bottom to top in an empty bitmap, reducing the complexity of any pictures identified in any display record, whereby reducing the complexity of any pictures includes:

rendering each of the any pictures as a bitmap at a size needed to render the dynamic preview at the maximum target size;

storing the rendered pictures in a lookup table; and

if any of the pictures stored in the lookup table is already rendered at a required size in the lookup table, referencing the previously rendered picture for rendering in the dynamic preview bitmap instead of storing a new copy of the referenced picture.