Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-15
2001-05-29
Huynh, Ba (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06239802
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related by common inventorship and subject matter to copending patent application Ser. No. 08,929,609 entitled “Method for Creating and Organizing a Job Ticket in a Network Printing System” filed on even date herewith, assigned to the Assignee hereof and entirely incorporated herein by this reference.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a graphical user interface for creating new files and opening pre-existing files, and more specifically to creating new files by using a pre-existing file as the basis for the created new file.
2. Description of the Related Art
In word processing programs that enable a user to create and edit documents, and in other programs that enable a user to create and open files, it is desirable for a user to be able to use boilerplate data as a basis for creating other files. For example, a user may want to send the same letter to different people. In this example, the body of the letter would be the boilerplate data, while the addressee information would be unique for each letter. In another example, a user may create multiple patent application documents. In this example, the headings of the documents—“Description of the Related Art”, “Summary of the Invention”, “Description of the Preferred Embodiment”, “Claims” and “Abstract”—would be the boilerplate data used in each document, while the body of each section would be unique for each patent application document. In yet another example, an invoice form may contain boilerplate information such as the headings of the fields and the identity of the entity to which monies are owed. The unique data for each invoice may include the specific amount of money, a description of the parts or services for which the money is owed, and the identity of the person owing the money. When preparing a specific invoice, a user may wish to open an invoice template that can be used for filling in the appropriate unique data in the pre-established boilerplate form layout.
Microsoft® Word has a template function that allows one to save a file as a template. Saving a file specifically as a template is a separate menu item. These files are then saved with a special extension, e.g., such as “*.tmp”. These files can then be used as a template for future files. The template has associated with it the relevant fonts and boilerplate data. However, a separate process is involved in making a file a template. For example, a user has to invoke a function to make a file a template. Then, a user has to remember where the templates are, and which named template has the desired boilerplate data. The user also has to remember to invoke the right template when the new file is opened and to add the template to it. When a document is opened, the user specifies which templates are to be applied. In Microsoft® Word, more than one template can be applied to a same document.
In Lotus® AmiPro, when a user chooses to create a new file, e.g., document, the user is given a list of templates, referred to as style sheets, for the user to select to apply to the document.
Also, in some programs that have a template function, the templates are retrieved as the user's new document under the template name. The user then works directly with the template to create a document from the template. However, if the user forgets to save the document as a different file name than the template name, the original boilerplate template will no longer exist; i.e., the original template will have been modified with any changes and so modification made by the user.
As such, in currently existing programs, if a user desires to use certain boilerplate data in a new file, that boilerplate data has to exist in a template, or the user has to create such a template first before using it. This typically requires additional steps that are separate and distinct from creating the new file.
In general, managing templates can become cumbersome for a user. An alternative approach can be used by a user that accomplishes the same function as templates but the user does not have to invoke the template futnction. The user can open a document, use that document as the basis for another document by making additions and modifications to the opened document, and then save the opened document as a new file with a new filename. The original opened file remains as it was at the time it was first opened under its original filename while a new file, based upon the opened file, now exists under a new filename. This allows users to use existing documents over and over again by opening an old, i.e., pre-existing, document, making changes to it, and saving it under a new name. Again, if a user forgets to rename it, e.g., by clicking on a save menu option instead of a “save as” menu option, the original pre-existing document is automatically lost. The original file name now contains the user's modifications and not the original document that was being used as the boilerplate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to enable a user to easily create a new file like any pre-existing file by using the pre-existing file as a template without any of the user burdens associated with managing templates or the burden of remembering to save the new file under a new name.
The system, method, and program of this invention allows any file, e.g., document, form, etc., to be used as a template at anytime. The preferred embodiment has a new option within the choices of a “file” menu that enables a user to open a new file that is like, i.e., similar, in some respects, to another file. This enables any file to be used as a template for a new file. In a preferred embodiment, this menu option is known as “New Like”. Also, in the preferred embodiment, this menu option is displayed within the “File” menu choices between “New” and “Open”. The “New Like” option has some characteristics of creating a new file using the “File” “New” menu option function, and some characteristics of opening an already existing file using the “File” “Open” menu option function. That is, the “New Like” file option creates a new file that is like an already existing file. A user uses only a single action icon to do this.
When a user selects “File” and “New Like”, a “File Open” dialog box is displayed to the user. The user selects or specifies any file to be opened. When the file is opened, the program makes a copy of the file in working memory and removes the filename from the file. The file is displayed to the user.
In some embodiments, especially for those embodiments using a specific application that only interacts with files having a same structure or layout, the application program may dictate what parts of the file are copied over to the “new” file and which parts are left “blank” for the user of the new file to fill in. In these embodiments, the displayed file only contains the portions of data from the file that have been designated as “common” data for “New Like” files. In other, more general embodiments, the complete original file is displayed to the user along with menu options allowing the user to specify what parts of the file (such as all headings, bold type, or specific selected portions) are to be kept or deleted.
Along with the file, or portions of the file as initially displayed, a “save as” dialog is displayed that requires the user to give the “New Like” file a new name.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5718520 (1998-02-01), MacKay
patent: 5819293 (1998-10-01), Comer et al.
patent: WO9507510 (1995-03-01), None
patent: WO9707454 (1997-02-01), None
Computer Screen dumps 1-8, 1996.*
Robert Cowart, Matering Window 95, Sybex Inc, pp 41-42, 488-493,
Lahey Leonard Corning
Neuhard Deborah Elisabeth
Palmer Dwight Ross
Altera Law Group LLC
Huynh Ba
International Business Machines - Corporation
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