US5208906A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for representing bordered areas of a generic form with records
Assignee: Intuit Inc
•
Filing: 1990-09-21
•
Granted: 1993-05-04
•
Expires: 2010-09-21
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus and method for incorporating a topological two-dimensional partitioning procedure for dynamically creating, revising, storing, displaying and printing generic forms. The generic form contains a plurality of bordered areas. Each of the bordered areas may be included within a larger bordered area, and each of the bordered areas may contain a plurality of nonoverlapping smaller bordered areas, text or graphics. The text includes none, one or more lines of characters and the smaller bordered areas are arranged either vertically or horizontally with relation to each other. Each of the bordered areas of the form is associated with a record which defines the characteristics of the associated bordered area. The record indicates the larger bordered area, if any, which contains the bordered area and the record also indicates the plurality of smaller bordered areas, if any, which are included in the bordered area. The record may also contain information on whether the smaller bordered areas are arranged horizontally or vertically within the bordered area.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael W. Morgan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 20:45
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T11/00; G06T11/60; G06F; G06F40/00; G06F40/10; G06F40/166; G06F40/174
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 58
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
In a computer system having a display screen and a memory for storing data, a method for effectively representing a generic form, said representation intended to allow dynamic alteration of said generic form, said generic form characterized as a two-dimensional space comprising a plurality of non-overlapping bordered areas, each of said bordered areas including none, one or more non-overlapping smaller bordered areas or text, said text comprising none, one, or more lines of characters, each of said smaller bordered areas included within an associated larger bordered area in said bordered areas, said method comprising the steps of: storing a plurality of records defining structure of said generic form, each of said records associated with at least one of said bordered areas and including information with respect to said at least one bordered area, establishing interlinking indications in said records for identifying structural relationships between said plurality of records, said interlinking indications for identifying whether one of said bordered areas includes any of said smaller bordered areas and whether one of said bordered areas is included in any of said associated larger bordered areas.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
In a computer system having a display screen and a memory for storing data, a method for effectively representing a generic form, said representation intended to allow dynamic alteration of said generic form, said generic form characterized as a two-dimensional space comprising a plurality of non-overlapping bordered areas, each of said bordered areas including none, one or more non-overlapping smaller bordered areas or text, said text comprising none, one, or more lines of characters, each of said smaller bordered areas included within an associated larger bordered area in said bordered areas, said method comprising the steps of: storing a plurality of records defining structure of said generic form, each of said records associated with at least one of said bordered areas and including information with respect to said at least one bordered area, establishing interlinking indications in said records for identifying structural relationships between said plurality of records, said interlinking indications for identifying whether one of said bordered areas includes any of said smaller bordered areas and whether one of said bordered areas is included in any of said associated larger bordered areas.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of determining whether said included smaller bordered areas are arranged horizontally or vertically within said associated larger bordered area in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said method further includes the step of: operative when said smaller bordered area is included in said associated larger bordered area and said smaller bordered area is arranged horizontally in relation to other smaller bordered areas included within said associated larger bordered area, determining which of said other smaller bordered areas within said associated larger bordered area are immediately adjacent to said associated smaller bordered area in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said method further includes the step of: operative when said smaller bordered area is included in said associated larger bordered area and said smaller bordered area is arranged vertically in relation to other smaller bordered areas included within said associated larger bordered area, determining which of said other smaller bordered areas within said associated larger bordered area are immediately above and below said smaller bordered area.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of: operative when said associated larger bordered area includes a plurality of said smaller bordered areas, determining a quantity of said plurality of smaller bordered areas included within said associated larger bordered area in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of determining a width of one of said bordered areas in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of determining a height of one of said bordered areas in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of determining a location of one of said bordered areas within said generic form in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
91 words
The method of claim 8 wherein each of said plurality of bordered areas are rectangular in shape and each of said rectangular bordered areas is defined by two pairs of coordinates, each of said coordinate pairs defining said location within said generic form, one of said pairs of coordinates for identifying said location of top/left corner of said rectangular area and another pair of coordinates for identifying said location of bottom/right corner of said rectangular area, and said method including the step of determining said coordinate values for said coordinate pairs.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
89 words
The method of claim 9 wherein each of said plurality of bordered areas are rectangular in shape and each said rectangular bordered area defined by two pairs of coordinates, each of said coordinate pairs defining said location within said generic form, one of said pairs of coordinates for identifying said location of top/right corner of said rectangular area and another pair of coordinates for identifying said location of bottom/left corner of said rectangular area, and said method including the step of determining said coordinate values for said coordinate pairs.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said computer system includes an output means, said output means including a display means and a printer means and each of said plurality of bordered areas is defined by a nonprintable border and said method including the step of determining whether said border is to be displayed on said display means in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 11 wherein each of said plurality of bordered areas is also defined by a printable border and said method further including the step of determining whether each of said printable borders is to be displayed and printed by said display means and said printer means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 12 wherein said step further includes the step of defining one or more attributes of said border.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said one or more attributes includes a thickness, a color, and a style and said step for defining said attributes includes the step of defining said thickness, said color and said style of said border.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each of said included smaller bordered areas is with an ordinal position within said associated larger bordered area, and said method including the step of identifying at least one of the first and the last said included smaller bordered area in said associated larger bordered area.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 5 further including the steps of: storing a plurality of text records, and operative when any of said bordered areas contains none of said smaller bordered areas, pointing to a text record, said text record for storing one or more characteristics of said text included within said any of said bordered areas.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said text record includes a pointer to said text and said method further including the step of pointing to said text which is included within said any of said bordered areas.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step further includes the step of determining a height of each of said none, one or more lines of characters in accordance with said text records.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step further includes the step of determining a total number of said characters included within said any of said bordered areas in accordance with said text records.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step further includes the step of determining a character style of one or more said characters in accordance with said text records.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step further includes the step of determining a font type of one or more of said characters in accordance with said text records.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step further includes the step of determining a font size of one or more of said characters in accordance with said text records.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said method further includes the steps of determining a quantity of said none, one or more lines of characters of said text in accordance with said text record.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step further includes the step of determining a position of each first character of each of said none, one or more lines of characters in accordance with said text records.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step further includes the step of determining a special justification of said text within said any of said bordered areas.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 25 including the step of justifying said text to a right, left, top, bottom or middle border of said any of said bordered areas.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: determining one or more additional characteristics of said bordered areas needed for said dynamic alteration of said generic form in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
165 words
A computer apparatus for effectively representing a generic form, said representation intended to allow dynamic alteration of said generic form, said generic form characterized as a two-dimensional space comprising a plurality of non-overlapping bordered areas, each of said bordered areas including none, one or more non-overlapping smaller bordered areas or text, said text comprising none, one, or more lines of characters, each of said smaller bordered areas included within an associated larger bordered area in said bordered areas, said computer apparatus comprising: means for storing a plurality of records defining structure of said generic form, each of said records being associated with at least one of said bordered areas and including information of said at least one of said bordered areas, means for interlinking said plurality of records, said interlinking means including means for identifying whether one of said bordered areas includes any of said smaller bordered areas, and whether one of said bordered areas is included in any of said associated larger bordered areas.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
165 words
A computer apparatus for effectively representing a generic form, said representation intended to allow dynamic alteration of said generic form, said generic form characterized as a two-dimensional space comprising a plurality of non-overlapping bordered areas, each of said bordered areas including none, one or more non-overlapping smaller bordered areas or text, said text comprising none, one, or more lines of characters, each of said smaller bordered areas included within an associated larger bordered area in said bordered areas, said computer apparatus comprising: means for storing a plurality of records defining structure of said generic form, each of said records being associated with at least one of said bordered areas and including information of said at least one of said bordered areas, means for interlinking said plurality of records, said interlinking means including means for identifying whether one of said bordered areas includes any of said smaller bordered areas, and whether one of said bordered areas is included in any of said associated larger bordered areas.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer apparatus of claim 28 further comprising means for determining whether said included smaller bordered areas are arranged horizontally or vertically within said associated larger bordered area.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
68 words
The computer apparatus of claim 29 further comprising: when said smaller bordered area is included in said associated larger bordered area and said smaller bordered area is arranged horizontally in relation to other smaller bordered areas included within said associated larger bordered area, means for determining which of said other smaller bordered areas within said associated larger bordered area are immediately adjacent to said associated smaller bordered area.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
75 words
The computer apparatus of claim 29 further comprising: when said smaller bordered area is included in said associated larger bordered area and said smaller bordered area is arranged vertically in relation to other smaller bordered areas included within said associated larger bordered area, means for determining which of said other smaller bordered areas within said larger bordered area are immediately above and below said smaller bordered area in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
48 words
The computer apparatus of claim 28 further comprising: when said associated larger bordered area includes a plurality of smaller bordered areas, means for determining a quantity of said plurality of smaller bordered areas included within said associated larger bordered area in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer apparatus of claim 28 further comprising means for determining a width of one of said bordered areas in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
19 words
The computer apparatus of claim 28 further comprising means for determining a height of one of said bordered areas.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computer apparatus of claim 28 further comprising means for determining a location of one of said bordered areas within said generic form in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
99 words
The computer apparatus of claim 35 wherein each of said plurality of bordered areas are rectangular in shape and each of said rectangular bordered areas is defined by two pairs of coordinates, each of said coordinate pairs defining said location within said form, one of said pairs of coordinates for identifying said location of top/left corner of said rectangular area and another pair of coordinates for identifying said location of bottom/right corner of said rectangular area, and said apparatus further comprising means for determining said coordinate values for said coordinate pairs in accordance with the information in said records.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
89 words
The computer apparatus of claim 36 wherein each of said plurality of bordered areas are rectangular in shape and each said rectangular bordered area defined by two pairs of coordinates, each of said coordinate pairs defining said location within said form, one of said pairs of coordinates for identifying said location of top/right corner of said rectangular area and another pair of coordinates for identifying said location of bottom/left corner of said rectangular area, and said apparatus further comprising means for determining said coordinate values for said coordinate pairs.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
66 words
The computer apparatus of claim 28 wherein said computer system includes an output means, said output means including a display means and a printer means and each of said plurality of bordered areas is defined by a nonprintable border and said apparatus further comprising means for determining whether said border is to be displayed on said display means in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
57 words
The computer apparatus of claim 38 wherein each of said plurality of bordered areas is also defined by a printable border and said apparatus further comprising means for determining whether each of said printable border is to be displayed and printed by said display means and said printer means in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
The computer apparatus of claim 39 further comprising means for defining one or more attributes of said border.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
42 words
The computer apparatus of claim 40 wherein said one or more attributes includes a thickness, a color, and a style and said means for defining said attributes further comprising means for defining said thickness, said color and said style of said border.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
61 words
The computer apparatus of claim 28 wherein each of said included smaller bordered areas is with an ordinal position within said associated larger border area, and said apparatus further comprising means for identifying at least one of the first and the last said included smaller bordered area in said associated larger bordered area in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
57 words
The computer apparatus of claim 28 further comprising: means for storing a plurality of text records, and when any of said bordered areas contains none of said smaller bordered areas, means for pointing to a text record, said text record for defining one or more characteristics of said text included within said any of said bordered areas.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
37 words
The computer apparatus of claim 43 wherein said text record includes a pointer to said text and said apparatus further comprises means for pointing to said text which is included within said any of said bordered areas.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer apparatus of claim 43 further comprising means for determining a height of each of said none, one or more lines of characters.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computer apparatus of claim 43 further comprising means for determining a total number of said characters included within said any of said bordered areas.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
20 words
The computer apparatus of claim 43 further comprising means for determining a character style of one or more said characters.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
21 words
The computer apparatus of claim 43 further comprising means for determining a font type of one or more of said characters.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
21 words
The computer apparatus of claim 43 further comprising means for determining a font size of one or more of said characters.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computer apparatus of claim 43 further including means for determining a quantity of said none, one or more lines of characters of said text.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer apparatus of claim 43 further comprising means for determining a position of each first character of each of said none, one or more lines of characters.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer apparatus of claim 43 further comprising means for determining a special justification of said text within said any of said bordered areas.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
29 words
The computer apparatus of claim 52 further comprising means for justifying said text to a right, left, top, bottom or middle border of said any of said bordered areas.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
39 words
The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising the step of: means for determining one or more additional characteristics of said bordered areas needed for said dynamic alteration of said generic form in accordance with said information in said records.
Claim 57
Independent Claim
241 words
A method for using a computer system for representing a generic form, said representation intended to allow dynamic alteration of said generic form, said generic form characterized as a two-dimensional space comprising a plurality of non-overlapping bordered areas, each of said bordered areas including none, one or more non-overlapping smaller bordered areas or text, said text comprising none, one, or more lines of characters, each of said smaller bordered areas included within an associated larger bordered area in said bordered areas, said method comprising the steps of: building a hierarchical structure for said generic form in said computer system, said building step including: storing a plurality of records defining said hierarchical structure, each of said records being associated with one of said bordered areas or text, said hierarchical structure including a record for a top level bordered area of said generic form and records for one or more lower level bordered areas or text of said generic form, establishing interlinking indications in said records for identifying said hierarchical structural relationships between said bordered areas, said interlinking indications identifying whether one of said bordered areas includes any of said smaller bordered areas and whether one of said bordered areas is included in any of said associated larger bordered areas, whereby said bordered areas and said text can be effectively represented by said computer system from said top level bordered area to said lower level bordered areas and text of said generic form.
Claim 58
Independent Claim
241 words
A method for using a computer system for representing a generic form, said representation intended to allow dynamic alteration of said generic form, said generic form characterized as a two-dimensional space comprising a plurality of non-overlapping bordered areas, each of said bordered areas including none, one or more non-overlapping smaller bordered areas or text, said text comprising none, one, or more lines of characters, each of said smaller bordered areas included within an associated larger bordered area in said bordered areas, said method comprising the steps of: building a hierarchical structure for said generic form in said computer system, said building step including: storing a plurality of records defining said hierarchical structure, each of said records being associated with one of said bordered areas or text, said hierarchical structure including a record for a top level bordered area of said generic form and records for one or more lower level bordered areas or text of said generic form, establishing interlinking indications in said records for identifying said hierarchical structural relationships between said bordered areas, said interlinking indications identifying whether one of said bordered areas includes any of said smaller bordered areas and whether one of said bordered areas is included in any of said associated larger bordered areas, whereby said bordered areas and said text can be effectively represented by said computer system from said top level bordered area to said lower level bordered areas and text of said generic form.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
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