Arranging graphic objects on a page with relative position based control

• US 8,862,986 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Co. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Atkins, C. Brian, Vondran, Gary L., Lin, Xiaofan
• Primary Examiner(s): TAPP, AMELIA L
• Application Number:
  US11/865,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,570 Days
• Field of Search: 715/243
• US Class Current: 715/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

A user-specified layout of graphic objects is received. A relative layout specification is derived from the user-specified layout. The relative layout specification describes relative positions of the graphic objects. A final layout of the graphic objects is determined in accordance with the relative layout specification. The final layout includes a specification of size dimensions and positions of the graphic objects on a page. The final layout of graphic objects is output.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computer, comprising a

processor and a memory, the method comprising:

deriving a relative layout specification from the user-specified layout, wherein the relative layout specification describes relative positions of the graphic objects, the deriving comprises ascertaining divisions between the graphic objects in the user-specified layout, and the ascertaining comprises determining horizontal and vertical histogram profiles of the user-specified layout and determining partitions that separate the graphic objects from each other;

determining a final layout of the graphic objects in accordance with the relative layout specification, wherein the final layout comprises a specification of size dimensions and positions of the graphic objects on a page; and

outputting the final layout of graphic objects.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving from the user a mapping of the graphic objects to respective locations on a page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving from the user commands constructing the user-specified layout in a graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving from the user:

an image of a layout of representations of the graphic objects on a page; and

a mapping between the representations and respective ones of the graphic objects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ascertaining comprises generating a binary tree structure having leaf nodes representing ones of the graphic objects and interior nodes representing respective ones of the partitions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises calculating the size dimensions of the graphic objects in accordance with the relative layout specification.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determining comprises generating a specification of the positions of the graphic objects on the page in accordance with the relative layout specification based at least in part on the calculated size dimensions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting comprises outputting a specification of the final layout.

9. A computer-readable memory for arranging graphic objects on a page, the computer-readable memory storing computer-readable instructions, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a user-specified layout of graphic objects;

deriving a relative layout specification from the user-specified layout, wherein the relative layout specification describes relative positions of the graphic objects, the deriving comprises ascertaining divisions between the graphic objects in the user-specified layout, and the ascertaining comprises determining horizontal and vertical histogram profiles of the user-specified layout and determining partitions that separate the graphic objects from each other;

determining a final layout of the graphic objects in accordance with the relative layout specification, wherein the final layout comprises a specification of size dimensions and positions of the graphic objects on a page; and

outputting the final layout of graphic objects.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer to perform operations comprising receiving from the user a mapping of the graphic objects to respective locations on a page.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer to perform operations comprising receiving from the user commands constructing the user-specified layout in a graphical user interface.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer to perform operations comprising generating a binary tree structure having leaf nodes representing ones of the graphic objects and interior nodes representing respective ones of the partitions.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer to perform operations comprising calculating the size dimensions of the graphic objects in accordance with the relative layout specification.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable instructions cause the computer to perform operations comprising generating a specification of the positions of the graphic objects on the page in accordance with the relative layout specification based at least in part on the calculated size dimensions.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer-readable memory;

a processing apparatus unit operable to perform operations comprising

receiving a user-specified layout of graphic objects,

deriving a relative layout specification from the user-specified layout, wherein the relative layout specification describes relative positions of the graphic objects, the deriving comprises ascertaining divisions between the graphic objects in the user-specified layout, and the ascertaining comprises determining horizontal and vertical histogram profiles of the user-specified layout and determining partition that separate the graphic objects from each other;

determining a final layout of the graphic objects in accordance with the relative layout specification, wherein the final layout comprises a specification of size dimensions and positions of the graphic objects on a page; and

outputting the final layout of graphic objects.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a user-specified layout of graphic objects;

means for deriving a relative layout specification from the user-specified layout, wherein the relative layout specification describes relative positions of the graphic objects, the means for deriving operations comprising ascertaining divisions between the graphic objects the user-specified layout, and in the ascertaining the means for deriving performs operations comprising determining horizontal and vertical histogram profiles of the use-specified layout and determining partitions that separate the graphic objects from each other;

means for determining a final layout of the graphic objects in accordance with the relative layout specification, wherein the final layout comprises a specification of size dimensions and positions of the graphic objects on a page; and

means for outputting the final layout of graphic objects.