US6161114A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Design engine for fitting content to a medium
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1999-04-14
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Granted: 2000-12-12
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Expires: 2019-04-14
Abstract
Abstract A method of fitting content elements of a composition to a media layout is disclosed. Each content element has an associated content type, and the media layout has a content rendering space for presenting information contained in the content elements. For each content type, a content scale factor is initialized and extent values are computed. If the content elements do not fit within the media layout, then non-fit factors are determined, the scale factors and extent values are recomputed and these steps are repeated until the content fits. Another method computes a layout of a composition in a recursive fashion using a design tree. Design children components of a current component in the design tree are identified, and new media components between the current component and the identified design children components are created. A media division for each media component indicates a portion of the layout for each media component. Another method computes a layout of a composition for a chosen medium. The composition is represented in a media tree that has components, each associated with a media region of the chosen medium. The method steps down through the media tree of the composition and assigns tentative media regions to each of the components. The extent of each of the components is measured to return a set of values indicating a media region of the medium that is required by each of the components. Finally, the method steps up through the media tree of the composition and assigns new media regions to each of the components.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph D. King
- 👤 Geoffrey von Limbach
- 👤 Marc B. McDonald
- 👤 Michael B. Orr
- 👤 Steven E. Weil
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 13:00
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L67/02; G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/957; G06F16/9577; G06F40/00; G06F40/10; G06F40/103; G06F40/12; G06F40/14; G06F40/143; G06F40/166; G06F40/174; G06F40/186
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
A method of fitting content elements of a composition to a media layout, said media layout having a content rendering space for presenting information contained in said content elements, said method comprising: a) grouping said content elements into a plurality of groups; b) initializing content scale factors that are indicative of a relative portion of said content rendering space utilized by said content elements, each of said groups having an associated content scale factor; c) computing extent values for said content elements using said content scale factors, said extent values indicating a portion of said content rendering space occupied by said content elements; and d) determining whether said content elements fit within said content rendering space of said media layout, wherein when it is determined that said content elements do not fit within said media layout, said method further includes determining associated non-fit factors for said groups of content elements, recomputing said content scale factors for said groups of content elements based at least in part upon said determined non-fit factors, recomputing said extent values for said content elements using the recomputed content scale factors.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
185 words
A method of fitting content elements of a composition to a media layout, said media layout having a content rendering space for presenting information contained in said content elements, said method comprising: a) grouping said content elements into a plurality of groups; b) initializing content scale factors that are indicative of a relative portion of said content rendering space utilized by said content elements, each of said groups having an associated content scale factor; c) computing extent values for said content elements using said content scale factors, said extent values indicating a portion of said content rendering space occupied by said content elements; and d) determining whether said content elements fit within said content rendering space of said media layout, wherein when it is determined that said content elements do not fit within said media layout, said method further includes determining associated non-fit factors for said groups of content elements, recomputing said content scale factors for said groups of content elements based at least in part upon said determined non-fit factors, recomputing said extent values for said content elements using the recomputed content scale factors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said extent values indicate a region within said content rendering space of said media layout reserved for each associated content element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said computing extent values includes: assigning tentative extent values to each content element; measuring each content element to determine its actual extent; and assigning final extent values to each content element.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said computing extent values further includes creating a media tree representative of said media layout, said media tree having media components and a media division associated with each media component.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said determining whether said content elements fit within said content rendering space of said media layout includes comparing the combined extent values for said content elements to said content rendering space.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising: repeating element (d) until it is determined that said content elements fit within said content rendering space of said media layout.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising: displaying said content elements in said media layout, whereby said composition appears to a user as fitting in said content rendering space of said media layout.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said element of recomputing content scale factors is performed based upon heuristics.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said element of recomputing content scale factors for one of said groups is performed relative to another one of said groups.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
126 words
A method of computing a layout of a composition in a recursive fashion using a design description, said design description including design components having associated content elements, said method comprising: determining whether a current component of said design description is a primitive, wherein when it is determined that said current component is a primitive, returning an extent for said current component; identifying design children components of said current component; creating new media components between said current component and said identified design children components, each media component having an associated media division indicating a portion of said layout for each media component; and solving for the media division of said current component in order to return an extent for said current component by recursively calling said method.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
126 words
A method of computing a layout of a composition in a recursive fashion using a design description, said design description including design components having associated content elements, said method comprising: determining whether a current component of said design description is a primitive, wherein when it is determined that said current component is a primitive, returning an extent for said current component; identifying design children components of said current component; creating new media components between said current component and said identified design children components, each media component having an associated media division indicating a portion of said layout for each media component; and solving for the media division of said current component in order to return an extent for said current component by recursively calling said method.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said creating new media components operates to create a media specification of said composition indicating said layout.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as recited in claim 11 wherein said media specification of said composition includes said media components and selected ones of said design components, each of said selected ones of said design components also having an associated media division.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said solving for the media division of said current component includes: assigning tentative media regions to child media components of said current component; determining extent values for a content element associated with each of said child media components; assigning final extent values to said content elements; and combining said final extent values to determine said extent for said current component.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as recited in claim 10 further comprising: displaying said content elements in said layout using said media components, whereby said composition appears to a user in said layout.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
184 words
A method of computing a layout of a composition for a chosen medium, said composition at least partially represented in a media specification, said media specification having a plurality of components and each component associated with a media region of said chosen medium, said method comprising: assigning a layout option to said composition, said layout option indicative of an arrangement for assigning media regions of said medium to said associated components; stepping down through said media specification of said composition and assigning tentative media regions to each of said components, said tentative media regions based in part upon said layout option; measuring the extent of said components to return a set of values for each component indicating a media region of said medium required by each component; and stepping up through said media specification of said composition and assigning new media regions to each of said components, each of said new media regions based in part upon said returned set of values for each component, whereby said new media regions of said components represent substantially said layout of said composition in said chosen medium.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
184 words
A method of computing a layout of a composition for a chosen medium, said composition at least partially represented in a media specification, said media specification having a plurality of components and each component associated with a media region of said chosen medium, said method comprising: assigning a layout option to said composition, said layout option indicative of an arrangement for assigning media regions of said medium to said associated components; stepping down through said media specification of said composition and assigning tentative media regions to each of said components, said tentative media regions based in part upon said layout option; measuring the extent of said components to return a set of values for each component indicating a media region of said medium required by each component; and stepping up through said media specification of said composition and assigning new media regions to each of said components, each of said new media regions based in part upon said returned set of values for each component, whereby said new media regions of said components represent substantially said layout of said composition in said chosen medium.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as recited in claim 15 wherein said stepping down through said media specification and stepping up through said media specification are performed in a recursive fashion.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method as recited in claim 15 wherein said composition is at least partially represented in a design description including selected ones of said components, and said stepping down through said media specification is performed by stepping down through said design description and creating components of said media specification.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method a recited in claim 15 wherein said composition includes a plurality of content elements each in association with one of said components, and said measuring the extent of said components includes measuring the extent of the content element associated with one of said components.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising: displaying said components in said chosen medium using said new media regions, whereby said composition appears to a user in said layout.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of fitting a composition to a media layout, said method comprising: a) receiving a plurality content elements that contain information to be presented in said media layout, said content elements being associated with particular regions of said media layout; b) initializing scale factors, each scale factor being associated with a region of said media layout; c) computing extent values for said content elements using the scale factor for the region in which the content element is located, said extent values indicating a portion of said media layout occupied by said content elements; d) determining whether said content elements fit within said media layout, wherein when it is determined that said content elements do not fit within said media layout, said method further includes recomputing said scale factors for said regions, and recomputing said extent values for said content elements using the recomputed content scale factors; e) displaying said content elements in said media layout, whereby said composition appears to a user as fitting in said media layout.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
169 words
A method of fitting a composition to a media layout, said method comprising: a) receiving a plurality content elements that contain information to be presented in said media layout, said content elements being associated with particular regions of said media layout; b) initializing scale factors, each scale factor being associated with a region of said media layout; c) computing extent values for said content elements using the scale factor for the region in which the content element is located, said extent values indicating a portion of said media layout occupied by said content elements; d) determining whether said content elements fit within said media layout, wherein when it is determined that said content elements do not fit within said media layout, said method further includes recomputing said scale factors for said regions, and recomputing said extent values for said content elements using the recomputed content scale factors; e) displaying said content elements in said media layout, whereby said composition appears to a user as fitting in said media layout.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising: repeating element (d) until it is determined that said content elements fit within said media layout.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
196 words
A computer-readable medium comprising computer code for fitting content elements of a composition to a media layout, said media layout having a content rendering space for presenting information contained in said content elements, said computer code of said computer-readable medium effecting the following: a) grouping said content elements into a plurality of groups; b) initializing content scale factors that are indicative of a relative portion of said content rendering space utilized by said content elements, each of said groups having an associated content scale factor; c) computing extent values for said content elements using said content scale factors, said extent values indicating a portion of said content rendering space occupied by said content elements; and d) determining whether said content elements fit within said content rendering space of said media layout, wherein when it is determined that said content elements do not fit within said media layout, said method further includes determining associated non-fit factors for said groups of content elements, recomputing said content scale factors for said groups of content elements based at least in part upon said determined non-fit factors, recomputing said extent values for said content elements using the recomputed content scale factors.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
196 words
A computer-readable medium comprising computer code for fitting content elements of a composition to a media layout, said media layout having a content rendering space for presenting information contained in said content elements, said computer code of said computer-readable medium effecting the following: a) grouping said content elements into a plurality of groups; b) initializing content scale factors that are indicative of a relative portion of said content rendering space utilized by said content elements, each of said groups having an associated content scale factor; c) computing extent values for said content elements using said content scale factors, said extent values indicating a portion of said content rendering space occupied by said content elements; and d) determining whether said content elements fit within said content rendering space of said media layout, wherein when it is determined that said content elements do not fit within said media layout, said method further includes determining associated non-fit factors for said groups of content elements, recomputing said content scale factors for said groups of content elements based at least in part upon said determined non-fit factors, recomputing said extent values for said content elements using the recomputed content scale factors.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
195 words
A computer-readable medium comprising computer code for computing a layout of a composition for a chosen medium, said composition at least partially represented in a media specification, said media specification having a plurality of components and each component associated with a media region of said chosen medium, said computer code of said computer-readable medium effecting the following: assigning a layout option to said composition, said layout option indicative of an arrangement for assigning media regions of said medium to said associated components; stepping down through said media specification of said composition and assigning tentative media regions to each of said components, said tentative media regions based in part upon said layout option; measuring the extent of said components to return a set of values for each component indicating a media region of said medium required by each component; and stepping up through said media specification of said composition and assigning new media regions to each of said components, each of said new media regions based in part upon said returned set of values for each component, whereby said new media regions of said components represent substantially said layout of said composition in said chosen medium.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
195 words
A computer-readable medium comprising computer code for computing a layout of a composition for a chosen medium, said composition at least partially represented in a media specification, said media specification having a plurality of components and each component associated with a media region of said chosen medium, said computer code of said computer-readable medium effecting the following: assigning a layout option to said composition, said layout option indicative of an arrangement for assigning media regions of said medium to said associated components; stepping down through said media specification of said composition and assigning tentative media regions to each of said components, said tentative media regions based in part upon said layout option; measuring the extent of said components to return a set of values for each component indicating a media region of said medium required by each component; and stepping up through said media specification of said composition and assigning new media regions to each of said components, each of said new media regions based in part upon said returned set of values for each component, whereby said new media regions of said components represent substantially said layout of said composition in said chosen medium.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
180 words
A computer-readable medium comprising computer code for fitting a composition to a media layout, said computer code of said computer-readable medium effecting the following: a) receiving a plurality content elements that contain information to be presented in said media layout, said content elements being associated with particular regions of said media layout; b) initializing scale factors, each scale factor being associated with a region of said media layout; c) computing extent values for said content elements using the scale factor for the region in which the content element is located, said extent values indicating a portion of said media layout occupied by said content elements; d) determining whether said content elements fit within said media layout, wherein when it is determined that said content elements do not fit within said media layout, said method further includes recomputing said scale factors for said regions, and recomputing said extent values for said content elements using the recomputed content scale factors; e) displaying said content elements in said media layout, whereby said composition appears to a user as fitting in said media layout.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
180 words
A computer-readable medium comprising computer code for fitting a composition to a media layout, said computer code of said computer-readable medium effecting the following: a) receiving a plurality content elements that contain information to be presented in said media layout, said content elements being associated with particular regions of said media layout; b) initializing scale factors, each scale factor being associated with a region of said media layout; c) computing extent values for said content elements using the scale factor for the region in which the content element is located, said extent values indicating a portion of said media layout occupied by said content elements; d) determining whether said content elements fit within said media layout, wherein when it is determined that said content elements do not fit within said media layout, said method further includes recomputing said scale factors for said regions, and recomputing said extent values for said content elements using the recomputed content scale factors; e) displaying said content elements in said media layout, whereby said composition appears to a user as fitting in said media layout.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-12-12 | 2004-06-12 | 2004-12-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-12-12 | 2008-06-12 | 2008-12-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-12-12 | 2012-06-12 | 2012-12-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |