EP0123109A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computer system and method for page composing
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1984-03-16
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2004-03-16
Abstract
Abstract Machine-implemented text/graphics formatting is based upon a logical page area on a presentation-receiving medium, such as a CRT face, sheet of paper and the like. named text and graphics receiving areas (222, 225, 233, 234, 236) are selectively assignable to the logical pages (65) of a document being formatted for visual presentation and are addressable and formattable independent of other formatting in any logical page. The named areas are machine defined such that one area can have portions thereof automatically assigned to and presented with any arbitrary number of logical pages. Such areas are managed in a text formatting machine to facilitate formatting headers based upon text contained in a succession of logical pages that are outside the named area. A first class of such named areas is placed upon the page when formatting to the page is ended, while a second class of such named areas is placed on the page in response to a command. The placement ofthe second class on a page can result in starting formatting new pages. Bleed tabs, annotations, and other typographic niceties are machine formattable using such named areas.
Inventors
- 👤 Geoffrey Mcswain Bartlett
- 👤 James Pierson Hofmeister
- 👤 Edward John Pring
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 02:51
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T11/00; G06T11/60
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
250 words
A computer system for page composing having means (14, 20, 21) to receive coded text digital signals including means to receive formatting commands with said text signals and formatting means (22) coupled to said receiving means for formatting a page (65) of text using said received text digital signals in accordance with said received formatting commands, characterized by: first means (212, 213) in said formatting means coupled to said receiving means and being capable of receiving said text digital signals and said formatting commands for assigning said received text digital signals to successive pages of text and indicating ending formatting of each page whereby a document having a plurality of pages of text can be created from said received text digital signals; said first means including format limiting means for sequentially placing text on each of said successive pages such that successively vertical portions of each page sequentially receive text;and named area control means coupled to said first means and said receiving means for sequentially receiving said text digital signals and said formatting commands and being responsive to named area ones (240, 241) of said formatting commands to select predetermined ones of said text digital signals for insertion onto predetermined ones of said pages of text independently of said first means and said sequence of receipt whereby text inserted by said named area means has a format and page location independent of the said first means sequentially created text format and the sequence of receipt of said text digital signals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
250 words
A computer system for page composing having means (14, 20, 21) to receive coded text digital signals including means to receive formatting commands with said text signals and formatting means (22) coupled to said receiving means for formatting a page (65) of text using said received text digital signals in accordance with said received formatting commands, characterized by: first means (212, 213) in said formatting means coupled to said receiving means and being capable of receiving said text digital signals and said formatting commands for assigning said received text digital signals to successive pages of text and indicating ending formatting of each page whereby a document having a plurality of pages of text can be created from said received text digital signals; said first means including format limiting means for sequentially placing text on each of said successive pages such that successively vertical portions of each page sequentially receive text;and named area control means coupled to said first means and said receiving means for sequentially receiving said text digital signals and said formatting commands and being responsive to named area ones (240, 241) of said formatting commands to select predetermined ones of said text digital signals for insertion onto predetermined ones of said pages of text independently of said first means and said sequence of receipt whereby text inserted by said named area means has a format and page location independent of the said first means sequentially created text format and the sequence of receipt of said text digital signals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
287 words
The system set forth in claim 1 further including, define area means in said named area control means and being coupled to said receiving means to be responsive to second ones (240) of said embedded commands to create named areas (222, 225, 233, 234, 236) for receiving text and graphic digital signals and indicating location thereof, said created named areas including section named areas to be located with respect to predetermined ones of said predetermined portions and page named areas for receiving text and graphic digital signals for text and graphics to be located anywhere on a page being formatted independently of said portions; section named area means in said named area control means having said section named areas (233, 234) and being coupled to said receiving means to be responsive to first ones (241) of said embedded commands to format received predetermined text and graphic digital signals to section named areas; page named area means in said named area control means and having page named areas (222, 236) and being coupled to said receiving means to be responsive to said first ones (241) of said embedded commands to format predetermined received text and graphics digital signals to said page named areas;and named area placement means (215) coupled to said page and section named area means and to said first means for being responsive to said first means indicating end of formatting said portions on a page to place text formatted to any of said page named areas on said page just ended and being further responsive to received third ones of said embedded commands to place text formatted to any of said section named areas to said page being formatted to a one of said portions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
255 words
The system set forth in claim 2 further including, named area galley means (83, 85, 86) coupled to said define area means and to said page and section named area means for indicating defined named areas and indicating whether or not either said page or section named area means have formatted text or graphics to the indicated respective named areas; named area chain means having first chain means (350) for chaining all of said page named areas and second chain means (351) for chaining all of said section named areas and being coupled to said page and section named area means for receiving indications of text being formatted to said page and section named areas, respectively;and scan means coupled to said first and second means and to said named area chain means for being responsive to said first means indicating placement of text and graphics from said page named areas on a page to scan said first chain means for finding all of said page named areas having text or graphics formatted thereto and being coupled to said named area placement means to activate same in response to said scan means finding any page named areas having text or graphics to place such found page named areas to the page and being further responsive to said second means indicating placement of said section named areas to scan said second chain means for activating said named area placement means to place on the page being formatted any section named areas having text or graphics formatted therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
88 words
The system set forth in claim 2 wherein said section named area means includes means for limiting placing text digital signals onto a page and further having means coupled to said first means for ending placing of said text signals onto a page for starting a new page based upon text digital signals from a section named area such that a plurality of pages can be formatted via said first means and said section named area means using text signals of said section named areas for determining pagination.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
72 words
The system set forth in claim 4 wherein said section named area means includes maximum depth means (137) for each section named area and having placement means for placing a plurality of text signals from a plurality of section named areas to a single one of said vertical portions on a page and determining the maximum depth of said portion as being the largest maximum text depth of said section named areas.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
The system set forth in claim 5 wherein said named area placement means includes means for placing text signals from a plurality of said section named areas including means for enabling overlay of such text signals within any single portion (421, 426) of a page and inhibiting overlay of such text signals from said section named areas in diverse ones of said portions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
The system set forth in claim 2 wherein said named area control means includes page specifying means coupled to said receiving means and to said named area placement means for responding to a page one of said formatting commands for assigning text signals in a corresponding one of said named areas to a specific page (481) within the document.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system set forth in claim 7 wherein said section named area means includes said page specifying means for specifying text signals from specific ones of said section named areas to specific ones of said pages (441-451).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
86 words
The system set forth in claim 2 wherein said define area means includes means for defining a plurality of named areas and said named area means includes means for formatting text signals to a plurality of said named areas and including means in said named area placement means coupled to said receiving means for determining when said text signals formatted to the respective named areas are to be placed on a page including formatting in a sequence other than the sequence of the received text signals.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
66 words
The system set forth in claim 9 further including means in said first means for terminating formatting to a page; said named area control means being coupled to said terminating means and responsive thereto for scanning predetermined ones of said named areas for identifying formatted text signals stored therein and then placing predetermined portions thereof on the page which said first means had just terminated formatting.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
94 words
The system set forth in claim 9 further including means in said section named area means and coupled to said first means for being responsive to first ones of said embedded commands for terminating the formatting of text signals to any portion of said page currently being formatted and for placing text signals from predetermined ones of said section named areas onto said page beginning at the end of said just-terminated portion and then placing pages said text signals onto said page and ensuing pages from said predetermined ones of said section named areas.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
116 words
The system set forth in claim 11 further including page end means in said section named area means coupled to said placement means and to said first means for monitoring the placement of said text signals onto said page and upon determining terminating placement of said formatted text signals from all of said predetermined ones of said section named areas to said page and actuating said first means to initiate a new page and then to continue placement of said formatted text signals from said predetermined ones of said section named areas until all of the formatted text and graphic signals in the predetermined ones of said section named areas have been placed on said pages.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
55 words
The system set forth in claim 12 further including means in said page named area means coupled to said page end means in said section named area means for being responsive to termination of a page for placing predetermined portions of formatted text signals stored in said page named areas onto the page just terminated.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
119 words
The system set forth in claim 11 wherein said first ones of said embedded commands include one of three possible parameters an ON parameter, OFF parameter and a PUT parameter and said section named area means being responsive to said ON parameter to begin formatting text signals to a section named area and further means being responsive to the OFF parameter to stop formatting text signals to a section named area and further means in said section named area means responsive to said PUT parameter to place the formatted text and graphic signals formatted to a given section named area to a page irrespective of the time said ON and OFF parameters were placed in the received text signals.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
138 words
The system set forth in claim 14 wherein said first ones embedded commands further include a REPLACE, DELETE and TOP parameters and said named area means including means responsive to the REPLACE parameter to delete the predetermined text signals of a predetermined named area and replace same with ensuing text signals received in said text data stream and DELETE means responsive to said delete parameter to erase the formatted text and graphic signals from predetermined named areas and further means coupled to said named area placement means responsive to said TOP parameter to first format ensuing text and graphic signals to a pseudo-named area and then actuating said named area placement means upon completion of said formatting to place the formatted text signals in the pseudo-named area at the top of a predetermined one of said named areas.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
The system set forth in claim 9 further including means in said named area means coupled to said receiving means for receiving other ones of said embedded commands for concatenating text and graphics formatted to predetermined ones of said named areas when placing same onto a page.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
153 words
The system set forth in claim 1 wherein said named area control means includes section named area control means coupled to said first means and said receiving means for formatting received text signals to section named areas and for placing same onto a page within predetermined ones of said vertical portions;and page/body named control area means in said named area control means coupled to said first means and said receiving means for formatting text signals to an indeterminate length in page or body named areas and having first placement means for placing predetermined ones of said named areas anywhere on the page independent of said portions and having second placement means for placing text signals formatted to body ones of said named areas to body ones of said portions;and means in said first means coupled to said named area control means for indicating which of said portions are body ones of said portions.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
267 words
A method for page composing in a computer system comprising, receiving a stream of sequential text/graphics representing digital signals having embedded control words defining composing functions to be performed, in response to said embedded control words; dividing each page into a plurality of mutually-exclusive-vertically-separate portions, making each such portion being a mutually-exclusive text/graphics-receiving vertical portion of each page, characterized by establishing a plurality of first named areas for having text/graphics placeable anywhere on each page independently of said portions and having a location on the page specific to each such first named area and with each named area being capable of receiving text/graphics signals independently of said portions, each such first named area being capable of receiving an indeterminate extent of said text/graphics signals, assigning a predetermined text/graphics extent from any one of said first named areas to any one of the pages being composed; while composing predetermined ones of said pages, selectively interleaving formatting said received text/graphics signals to predetermined ones of said first named areas independently of said portions, determining that a page being composed is to receive text/graphics signals from said first named areas, and in response to said determination, scanning all of said first named areas and then placing text/graphics signals composed to any of said first named areas on said page up to said predetermined extent for each respective first named areas; ejecting the page of formatted text/graphics signals and conversion to visual presentation;and starting a new page to be composed and repeating all of the above recited steps until all text/graphics signals have been formatted to a plurality of such pages.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
267 words
A method for page composing in a computer system comprising, receiving a stream of sequential text/graphics representing digital signals having embedded control words defining composing functions to be performed, in response to said embedded control words; dividing each page into a plurality of mutually-exclusive-vertically-separate portions, making each such portion being a mutually-exclusive text/graphics-receiving vertical portion of each page, characterized by establishing a plurality of first named areas for having text/graphics placeable anywhere on each page independently of said portions and having a location on the page specific to each such first named area and with each named area being capable of receiving text/graphics signals independently of said portions, each such first named area being capable of receiving an indeterminate extent of said text/graphics signals, assigning a predetermined text/graphics extent from any one of said first named areas to any one of the pages being composed; while composing predetermined ones of said pages, selectively interleaving formatting said received text/graphics signals to predetermined ones of said first named areas independently of said portions, determining that a page being composed is to receive text/graphics signals from said first named areas, and in response to said determination, scanning all of said first named areas and then placing text/graphics signals composed to any of said first named areas on said page up to said predetermined extent for each respective first named areas; ejecting the page of formatted text/graphics signals and conversion to visual presentation;and starting a new page to be composed and repeating all of the above recited steps until all text/graphics signals have been formatted to a plurality of such pages.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
119 words
The method set forth in claim 18 further including the steps of: establishing a plurality of second named areas for receiving text/graphics signals of indeterminate text/graphic extent; while formatting text/graphics signals to said vertically-separate portions interleaving formatting of said received text/graphics signals to said second named areas, then continuing to format received text/ graphics signals to said vertically-separate portions after interleaving formatting of text/graphics signals to one or more of said second named areas;and receiving a first one of said embedded control words for transferring all of the formatted text/graphics signals in said second named areas to a successive ones of said vertically-separate portions beginning at the last vertically-separate portion formatted previously to said received first embedded control word.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
102 words
The method set forth in claim 19, further including the steps of: when establishing said second named areas specifying which page the section named areas are to be placed upon; and when placing text/graphics signals from a second named areas selecting those text/graphics signals from all of the named areas which do not have a page specifier while limiting the selection of twxt/graphics signals from the page specified second named areas to said specified pages whereby placement of text and graphics onto a page within a document being composed has a sequence indepandent of the sequence of receipt of said text/graphics signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method set forth in claim 20 further including the steps of: detecting an end of a page being formatted and in response to said detection, placing text/graphics signals from said first named areas onto said page up to predetermined maximum text/graphics extents for the respective first named areas.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method set forth in claim 21 wherein said division of the page into a plurality of mutually exclusive vertically-separate portions includes a plurality of vertically-adjacent body portions; and establishing said first named areas into page named areas which can be placed anywhere on the page independent of said mutually exclusive vertically-separate portionand having body named areas ones of said first named areas for placement of text/graphics signals onto body ones of said mutually exclusive vertically-separate portions.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.