Apparatus and method for displaying font information by using preview window

• US 6,330,577 B1
• Filed: 10/15/1998
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Impact Technologies LLC (Martin Marietta Corporation), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyun-Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSSI, JEFFREY A
• Application Number:
  US09/173,183
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 345/336, 345/337, 345/338, 345/467, 345/141, 345/471, 345/788, 345/815, 345/822, 707/527, 707/531, 707/542, 707/535, 707/529
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography

Abstract

An apparatus and method for displaying font information by using a preview window, when the user makes up a document, the sample of the desirable font is promptly shown to the user through the preview window. Accordingly, the user can effectively make up the document by promptly finding the suitable font for the document.

Claims

1. A method for displaying font information by using a preview window displayed on a screen of a display device in a computer system according to a word processor, comprising steps of:

determining whether a font combo box displayed on said screen is selected;

displaying a font list corresponding to a plurality of fonts when it is determined that said font combo box is selected;

determining whether one of said fonts is selected from said font list;

determining whether the selected font corresponds to the English language or a language other than English, when it is determined that one of said fonts is selected;

generating a font sample including characters of the English language and the language other than English, when it is determined the selected font corresponds to the language other than English;

generating a font sample including characters of the English language and numerals, when it is determined the selected font corresponds to the English language;

determining whether a preview window is currently displayed on said screen;

adjusting the size of said font sample to fit said preview window, when it is determined that said preview window is currently displayed on said screen;

generating the preview window, when it is determined that said preview window is not currently displayed on said screen, said preview window being generated to fit a predetermined size of said font sample; and

displaying said generated font sample in said preview window.

2. The method as set forth and claim 1, further comprising a step of calculating said predetermined size of said font sample according to a size set in a font size controller, prior to said step of determining whether the preview window is currently displayed on said screen.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising steps of:

determining whether an end key on a keyboard of said computer system has been activated;

returning to said step of determining whether one of said fonts is selected from said font list, when it is determined that said end key has not been activated; and

ending said step of displaying the font list, when it is determined that said end key has been activated.