Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
An electronic document distribution system having a network communicating data processors and communication linkages between said processors, characterized in that each of the processors has means for receiving and means for transmitting a uniform data stream data representative of the content and format of a document and processing to be performed relative to said document, and the network includes higher level processors having a higher level of data processing capability with respect to said data stream and at least one lower level processor having a lower level of data processing capability with respect to said data stream, said electronic document distribution system being further characterized in that said at least one lower level processor further includes means for selecting and processing a portion of a received data stream qithin the capability of said lower level processor, and means for transmitting unchanged all of said received data stream irrespective of whether the data has been processed, whereby a single uniform data stream may be used irrespective of the varying processing capabilities or the processors in the system.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
176 words
An electronic document distribution system having a network communicating data processors and communication linkages between said processors, characterized in that each of the processors has means for receiving and means for transmitting a uniform data stream data representative of the content and format of a document and processing to be performed relative to said document, and the network includes higher level processors having a higher level of data processing capability with respect to said data stream and at least one lower level processor having a lower level of data processing capability with respect to said data stream, said electronic document distribution system being further characterized in that said at least one lower level processor further includes means for selecting and processing a portion of a received data stream qithin the capability of said lower level processor, and means for transmitting unchanged all of said received data stream irrespective of whether the data has been processed, whereby a single uniform data stream may be used irrespective of the varying processing capabilities or the processors in the system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
98 words
The electronic document distribution system of claim 1, characterized in that said at least one lower level processor further includes means for scanning a received data stream and for selecting from the data stream, parameters which said lower level processor is capable of processing, means for storing non-selected parameters which said lower level processor is not capable of processing, means for processing said selected parameters, means for merging said selected and stored parameters into a reconstituted data stream corresponding to the received data stream, and means for transmitting said reconstituted data stream to another processor in said network.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
The electronic document distribution system of claim 2 characterized in that said data stream comprises a document interchange architecture defining parameters involved in interchange of data between communicating processors in the system, and said parameters being scanned for selection are included in said document interchange architecture.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The electronic document distribution system of claim 2 characterized in that said lower level processor is a display word processor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The electronic document distribution system of claim 2 characterized in that said processor to which said reconstituted data stream is transmitted is a display word processor, and said non-selected parameters relate to display capabilities.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
73 words
The electronic document distribution system of claim 2 characterized in that a first higher level processor in said network transmits the data stream received by said lower level processor and a second higher level processor receives the reconstituted data stream, said first and second higher level processors belong to a specific class of processors, and said non-selected parameters are included in a data processing capability limited to only said specific class of processors.