US3626824A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Composing method and apparatus
Assignee: Harris Corp
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Filing: 1970-02-20
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Granted: 1971-12-14
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Expires: 1990-02-20
Abstract
Abstract Composing method and apparatus for publications such as newspapers in which copy from various sources is entered into a computer in coded form for use in controlling a phototypesetter to prepare a page copy. Certain copy including artwork which may be halftone or continuous tone is scanned to provide the numerical data necessary for controlling the phototypesetter while text material is first edited on an editing terminal and then stored with or without phototypesetting instructions in the computer. Each item to be included in the publication is identified by a heading and a layout department instructs the computer as to where the items are to appear. For this purpose the layout department has a layout terminal for displaying page areas with previously assigned sections outlined and identified and for entering coordinates of newly assigned sections into the computer. The terminal can display magnified portions of the page area. In reproducing continuous-tone copy, dot characters are stored in a character memory and used to provide different halftone screen sizes.
Inventors
- 👤 Edwin R Kolb
- 👤 Norman Morrison
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 18:26
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41B; B41B19/00; B41B19/01; B41B23/00; B41B25/00; B41B27/00; G; G06; G06T; G06T11/00; G06T11/60; H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/387; H04N1/3871; H04N1/3872; H04N1/3873
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
275 words
An apparatus for composing and preparing page copy for a publication comprising a phototypesetter for writing text material on a film in accordance with coded instructions supplied to the phototypesetter, first means including storage means for storing character codes for characters to be reproduced by said phototypesetter to reproduce the characters, said first means comprising a character memory for storing a font of characters each of which has an address code for selecting the character for reproduction by said typesetter on said film, computer means for selecting characters from said memory and operating said phototypesetter includIng storage means for storing text material to be printed in the form of a binary character code for specifying the character to be selected from the character memory, first computer terminal means connected to said computer means for converting the characters of text material of items to be printed into said character codes and for storing said character codes and a binary identification of each item of text material in said storage means, second memory means for storing location data including coded information concerning page number and location of the page for items to be printed, and second terminal means for entering into said second memory means a coded identification of the page of a publication on which the item is to appear and coded coordinate data indicating the location of the item on the page responsive to the stored data in said second memory means and including means controlled by said computer means for visually displaying page areas of said publication with the sections of the page which have been assigned to an item indicated on the display.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
275 words
An apparatus for composing and preparing page copy for a publication comprising a phototypesetter for writing text material on a film in accordance with coded instructions supplied to the phototypesetter, first means including storage means for storing character codes for characters to be reproduced by said phototypesetter to reproduce the characters, said first means comprising a character memory for storing a font of characters each of which has an address code for selecting the character for reproduction by said typesetter on said film, computer means for selecting characters from said memory and operating said phototypesetter includIng storage means for storing text material to be printed in the form of a binary character code for specifying the character to be selected from the character memory, first computer terminal means connected to said computer means for converting the characters of text material of items to be printed into said character codes and for storing said character codes and a binary identification of each item of text material in said storage means, second memory means for storing location data including coded information concerning page number and location of the page for items to be printed, and second terminal means for entering into said second memory means a coded identification of the page of a publication on which the item is to appear and coded coordinate data indicating the location of the item on the page responsive to the stored data in said second memory means and including means controlled by said computer means for visually displaying page areas of said publication with the sections of the page which have been assigned to an item indicated on the display.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
87 words
An apparatus for composing and preparing page copy as defined in claim 1 wherein said second terminal means includes means associated with said display for visually indicating new sections to be assigned and for storing coordinates of said new section in said memory means and said first means being operable to read out said items of said first memory means to operate said phototypesetter and to position the items on a page and in the location called for by the data stored in said second memory means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
In an apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises scanning apparatus for scanning copy and for providing coded data for operating said phototypesetter to reproduce the scanned copy and for storing said coded data in said computer means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
In an apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said scanning means comprises means for scanning said copy along line scans and for indicating by coded data the length of segments of each scan of a predetermined tone characteristics, said phototypesetter including means for reproducing said tone characteristic for a predetermined line segment in response to coded data indicating the length of a line segment to be reproduced.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
183 words
In a phototypesetting apparatus, a phototypesetter for writing text material in graphics on a recording medium in response to coded data, said apparatus including a character memory having instructions for forming the characters of a font of characters stored therein and operable in response to coded data to effect operation of said phototypesetter in response to coded data, each of said characters in said memory having an address code, said phototypesetting apparatus being operable in response to coded data indicating the length of line segments to be printed to effect the writing of a line segment, storage means for storing data for controlling said phototypesetter including means for storing coded data for providing said address codes for characters to be written and means for storing coded data indicating the length of segments to be formed by said typesetting apparatus to reproduce copy, terminal means for supplying coded characters for storage in said storage means in accordance with text to be printed and scanning means for supplying coded data representing length of scans for reproducing copy which has been scanned by said scanning means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
183 words
In a phototypesetting apparatus, a phototypesetter for writing text material in graphics on a recording medium in response to coded data, said apparatus including a character memory having instructions for forming the characters of a font of characters stored therein and operable in response to coded data to effect operation of said phototypesetter in response to coded data, each of said characters in said memory having an address code, said phototypesetting apparatus being operable in response to coded data indicating the length of line segments to be printed to effect the writing of a line segment, storage means for storing data for controlling said phototypesetter including means for storing coded data for providing said address codes for characters to be written and means for storing coded data indicating the length of segments to be formed by said typesetting apparatus to reproduce copy, terminal means for supplying coded characters for storage in said storage means in accordance with text to be printed and scanning means for supplying coded data representing length of scans for reproducing copy which has been scanned by said scanning means.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
214 words
A method for composing a page of printed material comprising entering coded layout data into a computer to allocate a page section to a particular item by visually displaying a page area on which the material is to appear with any previously allocated sections of the displayed page area blocked out, visually indicating on the display a section to be allocated to an item, converting the visual indication into coordinate data for the section to be allocated which coordinate data may be used by the computer to locate the sections on the page and to outline the page on requeSt, entering the said coordinate data and data identifying the item to appear in the allocated area into the computer, coding items to appear on the page by establishing code signals for each letter of the text material to provide coded character data, storing the coded character data in the computer with an address identification for each item so stored, and operating the computer in accordance with the layout information to control the phototypesetter in accordance with said coded character data to reproduce said items on said page at the locations specified by said coordinate data, and utilizing the computer to control a phototypesetting apparatus to generate a page having the allocated items displayed thereon.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
214 words
A method for composing a page of printed material comprising entering coded layout data into a computer to allocate a page section to a particular item by visually displaying a page area on which the material is to appear with any previously allocated sections of the displayed page area blocked out, visually indicating on the display a section to be allocated to an item, converting the visual indication into coordinate data for the section to be allocated which coordinate data may be used by the computer to locate the sections on the page and to outline the page on requeSt, entering the said coordinate data and data identifying the item to appear in the allocated area into the computer, coding items to appear on the page by establishing code signals for each letter of the text material to provide coded character data, storing the coded character data in the computer with an address identification for each item so stored, and operating the computer in accordance with the layout information to control the phototypesetter in accordance with said coded character data to reproduce said items on said page at the locations specified by said coordinate data, and utilizing the computer to control a phototypesetting apparatus to generate a page having the allocated items displayed thereon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the aforesaid steps include the steps of scanning artwork to derive digital data which is entered into the computer with the digital data being such that the computer may operate a cathode-ray tube composing machine to produce the scanned material including artwork and operating the computer in accordance with the layout information to reproduce pages which are composed with both text and artwork in the photocomposing apparatus.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
146 words
In a method as defined in claim 7, wherein the prepared copy is scanned by a scanner to provide bit signals for line and halftone copy and to provide length of scan data indicating the length of a scan across a continuous-tone artwork and the length of segments with the scan of predetermined tone densities and a tone measurement indicating the density of the continuous tone while it is being scanned, converting the continuous tone signal to a digital data and entering the digital data together with the coordinate data indicating the points in each scan where the continuous-tone artwork starts and stops into the computer and utilizing the digital tone data to control the effective halftone screen size of a halftone reproduction of the artwork on a cathode-ray tube of the photocomposing machine and the length data to control the extent of the halftone reproduction.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
155 words
A method for composing a copy page of a publication comprising allocating portions of the page to particular items by entering coded layout data into a computer programmed to control a cathode-ray tube display of page areas with assigned sections outlined when coordinate data specifying the sections is stored in the computer, deriving said coded data by calling the computer to display a selected page area on the cathode-ray tube display and operating visual indicating means separate from the computer to indicate on the visual display the sections to be assigned, establishing electrical signal representative of coordinate data in response to a positioning of said visual indicating means and applying the electrical signal to the computer to enter coordinate data defining the location of the visual indicating means to define the assigned section together with an identification of the item for the section and preparing a copy page in accordance with the stored layout information.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
155 words
A method for composing a copy page of a publication comprising allocating portions of the page to particular items by entering coded layout data into a computer programmed to control a cathode-ray tube display of page areas with assigned sections outlined when coordinate data specifying the sections is stored in the computer, deriving said coded data by calling the computer to display a selected page area on the cathode-ray tube display and operating visual indicating means separate from the computer to indicate on the visual display the sections to be assigned, establishing electrical signal representative of coordinate data in response to a positioning of said visual indicating means and applying the electrical signal to the computer to enter coordinate data defining the location of the visual indicating means to define the assigned section together with an identification of the item for the section and preparing a copy page in accordance with the stored layout information.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3267454A
Cited
US3273476A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-12-13 | 1975-06-14 | 1975-12-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-12-13 | 1979-06-14 | 1979-12-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-12-13 | 1983-06-14 | 1983-12-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |