Presentation data-generating device, presentation data-generating system, data-management device, presentation data-generating method and machine-readable storage medium

• US 7,039,861 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yagi, Atsuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US10/395,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20030221170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/513, 715/517, 715/523, 715/526, 715/760, 715/530
• US Class Current: 715/251
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation

Abstract

A presentation data-generating device includes a first part for acquiring document data sets, each containing contents to be presented, a second part for acquiring transformation data sets, each defining a transformation rule between the document data sets and a presentation data set, and, a third part for acquiring layout data containing layout information that defines a layout of the document data sets. The device further includes a fourth part for transforming the document data sets based on the layout data and the transformation data sets to generate a unified presentation data set that presents contents of the document data sets based on the layout defined in the layout data.

Claims

1. A device for generating presentation data comprising:

a document data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of document data sets, each document data set containing contents to be presented;

a transformation data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of transformation data sets, each transformation data set defining a rule for transforming respective one of said document data sets into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets;

a layout data acquisition part for acquiring a layout data set containing layout information that defines a layout of said document data sets upon presenting contents of said document data sets, wherein the layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data set and said transformation data set corresponding to said document data set; and

a presentation data-generating part for transforming said document data sets based on said layout data set and on said transformation data sets so as to generate a unified presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets in accordance with said layout defined in said layout data set.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said presentation data-generating part further comprises:

a unified document data-generating part for generating a unified document data set by arranging said document data sets acquired by said document data acquisition part in an appropriate order and adding said layout information contained in said layout data set;

a unified transformation data generating-part for generating a unified transformation data set by arranging said transformation data sets acquired by said transformation data acquisition part in an appropriate order; and

a unified presentation data generating-part for generating a unified presentation data set by transforming said unified document data set in accordance with said unified transformation data set and said layout information added to said unified document data set.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein,

said layout data set contains acquisition reference information indicating destinations to refer to upon acquiring said document data sets and said transformation data sets for said document data sets;

said document data acquisition part includes a part for acquiring said document data sets in accordance with said acquisition source reference information; and

said transformation data acquisition part includes a part for acquiring necessary transformation data set in accordance with said acquisition source reference information.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein, said layout information contained in said layout data set indicates a layout of said document data sets in predefined blocks.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein, said layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for each of said predefined blocks, said acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data sets at a position of said predefined block, and said transformation data sets for said document data sets;

said document data acquisition part includes a part for acquiring said document data sets in accordance with said acquisition source reference information; and

said transformation data acquisition part includes a part for acquiring necessary transformation data sets in accordance with said acquisition source reference information.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein,

said transformation data acquisition part includes a part for acquiring element reference information indicating elements constituting said transformation data and a part for acquiring said elements in accordance with said element reference information and a part for acquiring necessary transformation by combining said elements, and

each of said elements indicates data defining a rule for transforming a part of said document data into presentation data that presents contents of said document data.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a representation request receiving part for receiving a display data-generation request; and

an identification information acquisition part for acquiring identification of a user sending said generation request,

wherein said layout data acquisition part acquires a layout data set corresponding to said user in accordance with said identification information.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a representation request receiving part for receiving a display data-generation request; and

an identification information acquisition part for acquiring identification of a client sending said generation request,

wherein said layout data acquisition part acquires a layout data set corresponding to said client in accordance with said identification information.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a device type acquisition part for acquiring device type information of a device on which said presentation data set is to be presented,

wherein said layout data acquisition part acquires said layout data set indicating a layout suitable for presentation on a type of device indicated by said device type information.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said document data is in an extensible markup language (XML) format;

said transformation data is in an extensible style sheet language (XSL) format; and

said presentation data is in a hypertext markup language (HTML) format.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10,

wherein said transformation data is in an extensible style sheet language (XSL) format.

12. A system for generating presentation data comprising a presentation data generating-device and a data management device connected to said presentation data generating-device via a network, wherein,

said presentation data generating-device includes:

a document data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of document data sets, each document data set containing contents to be presented;

a transformation data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of transformation data sets, each transformation data set defining a rule for transforming respective one of said document data sets into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets;

a layout data acquisition part for acquiring a layout data set containing layout information that defines a layout of said document data set upon presenting contents of said document data set, wherein the layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data set and said transformation data set corresponding to said document data set; and

a presentation data-generating part for transforming said document data sets based on said layout data set and on said transformation data sets so as to generate a unified presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets in accordance with said layout defined in said layout data set,

wherein said data management device includes;

a data storage part for storing said document data sets and said transformation data sets corresponding to said document data sets,

in said presentation data generating-device, said document data acquisition part includes a part for acquiring said document data sets from said data management device, and

said transformation data acquisition part includes a part for acquiring said transformation data sets from said data management device.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said data management device includes a document data-processing part for processing said document data sets stored in said data storage part in accordance with acquisition requests of said document data sets from said document data acquisition part of said display data presentation device.

14. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said document data acquisition part and/or said transformation data acquisition part acquires said document data sets or said transformation data sets via communications using SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol).

15. A system for generating presentation data comprising a presentation data generating-device and an identification information-acquiring device connected to said presentation data generating-device,

wherein said presentation data generating-device includes:

a document data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of document data sets, each document data set containing contents to be presented;

a transformation data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of transformation data sets, each transformation data set defining a rule for transforming respective one of said document data sets into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets;

a layout data acquisition part for acquiring a layout data set containing layout information that defines a layout of said document data sets upon presenting contents of said document data sets, wherein the layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data set and said transformation data set corresponding to said document data set; and

a presentation data-generating part for transforming said document data sets based on said layout data set and on said transformation data sets so as to generate a unified presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets in accordance with said layout defined in said layout data set,

said identification information acquiring-device including an identification information-acquiring part for acquiring identification of a user sending a generation request of a presentation data set to said presentation data-generating device,

said layout data acquisition part of said presentation data generating-device acquiring a layout data set for said user in accordance with said identification data.

16. A system for generating presentation data comprising a presentation data generating-device and an identification information-acquiring device connected to said presentation data generating-device,

wherein said presentation data generating-device includes:

a document data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of document data sets, each document data set containing contents to be presented;

a transformation data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of transformation data sets, each transformation data set defining a rule for transforming respective one of said document data sets into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets;

a layout data acquisition part for acquiring a layout data set containing layout information that defines a layout of said document data sets upon presenting contents of said document data sets, wherein the layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data set and said transformation data set corresponding to said document data set; and

a presentation data-generating part for transforming said document data sets based on said layout data set and on said transformation data sets so as to generate a unified presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets in accordance with said layout defined in said layout data set,

said identification information acquiring-device including an identification information-acquiring part for acquiring identification of a client sending a generation request of a presentation data set to said presentation data-generating device,

said layout data acquisition part of said presentation data generating-device acquiring a layout data set for said client in accordance with said identification data.

17. A system for generating presentation data comprising a presentation data generating-device and an identification information-acquiring device connected to said presentation data generating-device,

wherein said presentation data generating-device includes:

a document data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of document data sets, each document data set containing contents to be presented;

a transformation data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of transformation data sets, each transformation data set defining a rule for transforming respective one of said document data sets into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets;

a layout data acquisition part for acquiring a layout data set containing layout information that defines a layout of said document data sets upon presenting contents of said document data sets, wherein the layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data set and said transformation data set corresponding to said document data set; and

a presentation data-generating part for transforming said document data sets based on said layout data set and on said transformation data sets so as to generate a unified presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets in accordance with said layout defined in said layout data set,

said identification information acquiring-device including a device type acquisition part for acquiring device type information of a device on which said presentation data set is to be presented,

said layout data acquisition part acquiring said layout data set indicating a layout suitable for presentation on a type of device indicated by said device type information.

18. A data management device connected to a presentation data generating-device via a network, said presentation data generating-device including:

a document data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of document data sets, each document data set containing contents to be presented;

a transformation data acquisition part for acquiring a plurality of transformation data sets, each transformation data set defining a rule for transforming respective one of said document data sets into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets;

a layout data acquisition part for acquiring a layout data containing layout information that defines a layout of said document data sets upon presenting contents of said document data sets, wherein the layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data set and said transformation data set corresponding to said document data set; and

a presentation data-generating part for transforming said document data sets based on said layout data set and on said transformation data sets so as to generate a unified presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets in accordance with said layout defined in said layout data set,

said data management device comprising;

a data storage part for storing said document data sets; and

a data transmission part for acquiring said document data sets from said storage part in accordance with said request from said presentation data generating-data and transmitting said document data sets to said presentation data storage device.

19. The data management device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said request from said presentation data generating-device is transmitted using SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol).

20. A method to be implemented on a computer for generating presentation data comprising the steps of:

a) acquiring a layout data set containing layout information that defines a layout of document data sets upon presenting contents of said document data sets;

b) acquiring a plurality of document data sets, each document data set containing contents to be presented;

c) acquiring a plurality of transformation data sets, each transformation data set defining a rule for transforming respective one of said document data sets into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets, wherein the layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data set and said transformation data set corresponding to said document data set; and

d) transforming said document data sets based on said layout data set and on said transformation data sets so as to generate a unified presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets in accordance with said layout defined in said layout data set.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said presentation data-generating step further comprises the steps of:

e) generating a unified document data set by arranging said document data sets acquired by said document data acquisition part in an appropriate order and adding said layout information contained in said layout data set;

f) generating a unified transformation data set by arranging said transformation data sets acquired by said transformation data-acquiring part in an appropriate order; and

g) generating a unified presentation data by transforming said unified document data set in accordance with said unified transformation data set and said layout information added to said unified document data set.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein, said layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for each of said predefined blocks, said acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data sets at a position of said predefined block, and said transformation data sets for said document data sets;

said step b) includes a step of acquiring said document data sets in accordance with said acquisition source reference information; and

said step c) includes a step of acquiring necessary transformation data in accordance with said acquisition source reference information.

23. The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein,

said step c) includes a step of acquiring element reference information indicating elements constituting said transformation data, a step of acquiring said elements in accordance with said element reference information and a step of acquiring necessary transformation by combining said elements, and

each of said elements indicates data defining a rule for transforming a part of said document data into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets.

24. The method as claimed in claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

h) receiving a display data-generation request; and

i) acquiring identification of a user sending said generation request,

wherein, in said step a), a layout data set corresponding to said user is acquired in accordance with said identification information.

25. The method as claimed in claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

h) receiving a display data-generation request; and

j) acquiring identification of a client sending said generation request,

wherein, in said step a), a layout data set corresponding to said client is acquired in accordance with said identification information.

26. A machine-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computer to generate presentation data, comprising:

first program code means for acquiring a plurality of document data sets, each document data set containing contents to be presented;

second program code means for acquiring a plurality of transformation data sets, each transformation data set defining a rule for transforming respective one of said document data sets into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets;

third program code means for acquiring a layout data set containing layout information that defines a layout of said document data sets upon presenting contents of said document data sets, wherein the layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data set and said transformation data set corresponding to said document data set; and

fourth program code means for transforming said document data sets based on said layout data set and on said transformation data sets so as to generate a unified presentation data set that presents contents of said document data sets in accordance with said layout defined in said layout data set.

27. The machine-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein said fourth program code means further comprises:

fifth program code means for generating a unified document data set by arranging said document data sets acquired by said document data acquisition part in an appropriate order and adding said layout information contained in said layout data set;

sixth program code means for generating a unified transformation data set by arranging said transformation data sets acquired by said transformation data-acquiring part in an appropriate order; and

seventh program code means for generating a unified presentation data set by transforming said unified document data set in accordance with said unified transformation data set and said layout information added to said unified document data set.

28. The machine-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein, said layout data set contains acquisition source reference information for each of said predefined blocks, said acquisition source reference information for acquiring said document data sets at a position of predefined block, and said transformation data sets for said document data sets;

said first program code means includes program code means for acquiring said document data sets in accordance with said acquisition source reference information; and

said second program code means includes program code means for acquiring necessary transformation data in accordance with said acquisition source reference information.

29. The machine-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 26, wherein,

said second program code means includes program code means for acquiring element reference information indicating elements constituting said transformation data and program code means for acquiring said elements in accordance with said element reference information and a part for acquiring necessary transformation by combining said elements, and

each of said elements indicates data defining a rule for transforming a part of said document data into a presentation data set that presents contents of said document data.

30. The machine-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

eighth program code means for receiving a display data-generation request; and

ninth program code means for acquiring identification of a user sending said generation request,

wherein said third program code means acquires a layout data set corresponding to said user in accordance with said identification information.

31. The machine-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 26, further comprising:

tenth program code means for acquiring device type information of a device on which said presentation data is to be presented,

wherein said third program code means acquires a layout data set indicating a layout suitable for presentation on a type of device indicated by said device type information.