System for altering elements of a text file to mark documents

Claim 3

A method of generating documents, according to claim 1 comprising the further step of repeating said steps b, c and d using, for each said repeating, a different marking code.

Claim 4

A method of generating documents according to claim 2 wherein said different marking codes are input as alpha-numeric strings.

Claim 5

A method of document marking according to claim 1 wherein said marking is indicative of an identity of a user accessing said first text file.

Claim 6

A method of generating documents, according to claim 1 comprising the further step of repeating said steps b, c and d using, for each said repeating, a different marking code, said different marking codes being stored in predetermined memory locations within said data processing system, said marking code including data representative of alpha-numeric strings.

Claim 7

A data processing system for generating documents, comprising: a. means for obtaining a code which will be used to mark a document; b. means for obtaining a first text file; c. means for generating a sequence of value based on said marking code; d. means for successively, for each inter-word space in at least a portion of said first text file, determining one of said values according to said sequence of values and changing each said space based on said value to generate space lengths including at least first and second space lengths, said first space length being a longer space than said second, space length; and e. means for producing a second text file representing a marked version of said document.

Claim 8

A data processing system for generating documents, comprising: a. means for obtaining a code which will be used to mark a document; b. means for obtaining a first text file; c. means for generating a sequence of value based on said marking code; d. means for successively, for each inter-word space in at least a portion of said first text file, determining one of said values according to said sequence of values and changing each said space based on said value to generate space lengths including at least first and second space lengths, said first space length being a longer space than said second, space length; and e. means for producing a second text file representing a marked version of said document.

Claim 9

Means for generating documents, according to claim 6, wherein said obtaining code means generates a sequence of distinct marking codes; and said means d) includes means for generating third and subsequent marked text files, each said marked text file being marked using a different one of said distinct marking codes.

Claim 10

Means for generating documents according to claim 6, wherein said obtaining code means comprises a. means for generating a first marking code that is based on data stored in pre-determined memory locations within said data processing system, said memory locations containing data representative of alpha-numeric strings, said strings being representative of at least one of: a. a name of an author of a document, b. a number of a document indicating a number of times it has been revised, c. a current date and time, d. a name of a file in which the data representing the document is stored, and e. a name of an intended recipient of a document, who is to receive said document; b. means for changing said marking code each time the contents of said memory locations are changed; and c. means for generating third and subsequent marked versions of said document, each said marked version being marked using a different one of said marking codes.

Claim 11

Means for generating documents according to claim 6 and further comprising: a. means for receiving input of a sequence of alpha-numeric strings; b. means for forming a separate marking code corresponding to each of said alpha-numeric strings; and c. means for generating third and subsequent marked versions of said document, each said marked version being marked using a different one of said marking codes.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 6, and further comprising: a. means for associating indicating data with said first text file data which indicates that said file is to be marked when printed; b. means for detecting whether said indicating data is associated with a document; and c. means for causing said means d to mark said document if said indicating data is present.

Claim 13

Document printer means comprising: a. text receiving means for receiving a data stream representative of a text of a document; b. marking code generating means for generating a marking code to be encoded into a document; c. controller means for forming information indicative of words to be printed including altering spaces between said words to printed, based on said generated marking code; and d. printing means for rendering a permanent image of the words as altered by said controller means.

Claim 14

Document printer means comprising: a. text receiving means for receiving a data stream representative of a text of a document; b. marking code generating means for generating a marking code to be encoded into a document; c. controller means for forming information indicative of words to be printed including altering spaces between said words to printed, based on said generated marking code; and d. printing means for rendering a permanent image of the words as altered by said controller means.

Claim 15

Document printer means comprising: a. text receiving means for receiving a data stream representative of a text of a document; b. marking code receiving means for receiving data representative of a marking to be encoded into a document; c. controller means for altering spaces between words based on said received marking code; and d. printing means for rendering a permanent image of the text data altered by said controller means.

Claim 16

Document printer means comprising: a. text receiving means for receiving a data stream representative of a text of a document; b. marking code receiving means for receiving data representative of a marking to be encoded into a document; c. controller means for altering spaces between words based on said received marking code; and d. printing means for rendering a permanent image of the text data altered by said controller means.

Claim 17

A marked document identifying method comprising the steps of: a. examining spacing between successive words of a document; b. classifying said spaces as being a first or second type, said first type being longer than said second type; and c. matching the resulting sequence of spaces with predetermined sequences said predetermined sequences representing alpha-numeric characters.

Claim 18

A marked document identifying method comprising the steps of: a. examining spacing between successive words of a document; b. classifying said spaces as being a first or second type, said first type being longer than said second type; and c. matching the resulting sequence of spaces with predetermined sequences said predetermined sequences representing alpha-numeric characters.

Claim 19

Marked document identifying means comprising: a. document scanning means; b. computing means for: i. receiving data from said scanning means; ii. measuring relative spacing between successive words of a document; iii. classifying said spaces as longer or shorter, and iv. correlating a sequence of longer and shorter spaces from said classifying operation with predetermined sequences, said sequences representing alpha-numeric characters; and c. means for outputting signals representative of said alpha-numeric characters.

Claim 20

Marked document identifying means comprising: a. document scanning means; b. computing means for: i. receiving data from said scanning means; ii. measuring relative spacing between successive words of a document; iii. classifying said spaces as longer or shorter, and iv. correlating a sequence of longer and shorter spaces from said classifying operation with predetermined sequences, said sequences representing alpha-numeric characters; and c. means for outputting signals representative of said alpha-numeric characters.