Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-09
2004-11-02
Nguyen, Cao (Kevin) (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06812941
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computers, and more particularly to computer systems and networks which access a document and present the document to a user.
2. Description of Related Art
Relatively small computing devices and/or communication devices are becoming increasingly common. Examples of such relatively small devices include palmtop computers, handheld computers, and wireless communication devices such as cellular telephones. Such relatively small devices may not have display devices, or the display devices may be relatively small. Such relatively small devices may also have limited memory and/or processing capability.
The World Wide Web, known simply as the “Web”, is a network of Internet servers that provide specially formatted electronic documents to various “client” machines. Web servers currently support documents formatted in a text-based markup language called hypertext markup language (HTML).
In order to provide Web access to “client machines” with limited capabilities (e.g., palmtop or handheld computers), a “transcoder proxy” is typically positioned between the client machine and an Internet server. The transcoder proxy may, for example, provide selected portions of a requested Web document to the client machine based upon the capabilities of the client machine. In doing so, the transcoder proxy may translate one or more selected portions of the Web document from one digital format to another.
FIG. 1
is a block diagram of a system
10
currently used to provide an electronic document
12
to a client machine
14
. Electronic document
12
may be, for example, a Web page or an interactive application program (e.g., an electronic form to be filled out by a user in order to obtain user information). System
10
includes an internet server
16
and a transcoder proxy
18
interposed between client machine
14
and internet server
16
. Transcoder proxy
18
forwards a request for document
12
from client machine
14
to internet server
16
. Such a request typically includes a uniform resource locator (URL) of document
12
specifying the internet protocol (IP) address of document
12
and the name of the file containing document
12
.
Internet server
16
fetches document
12
and provides document
12
to transcoder proxy
18
. Transcoder proxy
18
translates document
12
from one digital format (e.g., hypertext markup language or HTML) to a script written in a scripting language understood by a Web browser application program running within client machine
14
. The Web browser program may use information conveyed by the script to display document
12
upon a display device of client machine
14
. Alternately, the Web browser program may use information conveyed by the script to output the contents of document
12
as speech through a speaker of client machine
14
.
A problem arises when client machine
14
has limited memory, processing capability, and/or display capability, and document
12
is large enough to exceed one or more of the limited capabilities of client machine
14
. Client machine
14
may be, for example, a palmtop or handheld computer with limited memory, processing capability, and/or display capability. Much effort is being expended to develop methods for transforming or adapting the content of large documents to the capabilities of limited client machines
14
. Known content transformation methods include displaying short text descriptions in place of images, converting images to links, converting tables to bulleted lists, removing features not supported by a device (e.g., JAVASCRIPT™ applets), removing references to image types not supported by a device, converting joint photographic experts group (JPEG) images to graphics interchange format (GIF) images for devices supporting only GIF images, transcoding GIF and JPEG images by reducing scale and/or color level, and summarizing text elements.
It would be desirable to have a system and method for delivering an electronic document
12
(e.g., a Web page) to a client machine
14
based upon a structure of document
12
and/or the capabilities of client machine
14
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Several different methods for presenting (e.g., displaying) a hierarchical structure are presented. The hierarchical structure includes multiple elements, and defines hierarchical relationships between the elements. The hierarchical structure may be embodied within an electronic document such as a Web document, an interactive application program, or a map divided into sections. Each element has a “presentation property” which may be a value or a function. A single one of the elements has “focus” (e.g., in accordance with the coding of the document by an author, by default, etc.).
A first embodiment of a “view depth” method for presenting the hierarchical structure includes forming a model (e.g., a tree structure) of the hierarchical structure. The model includes multiple levels ranked with respect to one another, multiple nodes, and at least one branch. Each node represents a single one of the elements. One of the nodes is a root node and occupies a highest level in the hierarchical structure. A given branch connects a first node in a first level to a second node in a level directly below the first level. Each branch represents a hierarchical relationship between the nodes connected by the branch.
The term “focus node” is used to describe the node representing the element receiving focus. The presentation property of each element represented by a node in the same level of the model as the focus node is presented. The presentation property of each element represented by a node in a selected number of levels higher than the level of the focus node may also be presented. Further, the presentation property of each element represented by a node in a selected number of levels lower than the level of the focus node may also be presented.
An embodiment of an electronic document delivery system is described including a client machine coupled to (i.e., in wired or wireless communication with) a transcoder proxy. The client machine may be, for example, a palmtop or handheld computer or a wireless communication device with limited memory and/or processing capability. The transcoder proxy is coupled to receive electronic documents. Each electronic document includes one or more elements, and is expressed in a first digital format (e.g., a text-based markup language such as HTML or extensible markup language, XML).
A second embodiment of the view depth method, which may be embodied within the transcoder proxy, includes receiving the hierarchical structure (e.g., as an electronic document) expressed in the first digital format (e.g., a text-based markup language such as HTML or extensible markup langauge/XML). A tree model of the hierarchical structure is formed as described above. The tree model is used to produce an “original” script expressed in a second digital format (e.g., a scripting language). The original script includes the presentation properties of the elements represented by nodes in: (i) the same level as an “original” focus node, and (ii) a selected number of levels higher than the level of the original focus node. The original script is then provided (e.g., to the client machine).
The method may also include receiving an event, wherein the event signals a change in the element having focus. In response to the event, the tree model may be used to produce a new script expressed in the second digital format. The new script includes the presentation properties of the elements represented by nodes in: (i) the same level as a “new” focus node, and (ii) a selected number of levels higher than the level of the new focus node. The new script is then provided (e.g., to the client machine).
A third embodiment of the view depth method, which may be embodied within the client machine, includes receiving the original script derived from the tree model of the hierarchical structure as described above. The presentation properties within the original script are presented
Brown Frances C.
Schwerdtfeger Richard S.
Weiss Lawrence F.
Conley & Rose, P.C.
Daffer Kevin L.
International Business Machines Corp.
Marilyn S. Dawkins
Nguyen Cao (Kevin)
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