Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Character generating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-22
2001-11-27
Zimmerman, Mark (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Character generating
C707S793000, C358S001110
Reexamination Certificate
active
06323865
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to improvements in computer systems and, more particularly, to a system and methods for automatically managing fonts in an operating system environment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In practice, software application programs typically assign fixed fonts to a document created within that application. Later, in the process of editing and/or printing, these fonts are requested from the operating environment and applied to the document. In some cases, however, a particular font may not be available as requested, in which case the operating system may automatically substitute what it considers to be a suitable alternative. Frequently, however, the substituted font looks sufficiently different from the requested font to be unacceptable to the user.
A requested font may be unavailable for several reasons. For example, a user may uninstall seldom-used fonts in an effort to conserve system resources. Alternatively, the document containing the unavailable font may have been received from another user to whom the font was available. In such circumstances, increasing the selection of fonts available to a user, without requiring the actual installation of such fonts in the operating environment in advance, would improve the user's chances of seeing the document in its original format without unnecessary consumption of system resources. In general, automatic management of such a font selection process, where possible, would be preferable to existing techniques.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly, this invention provides a font user with automated access to a wider range of fonts than those actually installed in the computer system at a particular instant in time. Another objective of the invention is to provide such functionality without requiring modification to the user's application programs. Accordingly, the invention allows a number of fonts to be “virtually installed,” that is, to be made available to the user even if unrecognized by the operating system, so that no additional memory is consumed by the virtually installed fonts.
An embodiment of the invention substitutes its own functionality for portions of the operating system to accomplish these objectives. In an operating environment wherein the invention is not installed, an application desiring font information typically initiates functionality (e.g., makes a function call) to the operating system or a related software module to obtain such information. In an operating environment having an embodiment of the invention installed, the same application attempts to initiate the same functionality, but because of the functionality substitution, the request is received by the embodiment, which processes these application's request with the enhanced capability of handling the virtually installed fonts.
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Cao Huedung X.
Gifford Krass Groh Sprinkle Anderson & Citkowski PC
Zimmerman Mark
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