US Patent 4,962,475: Method for generating a document utilizing a plurality of windows associated with different data objects (IBM Corporation)

Title: Method for generating a document utilizing a plurality of windows associated with different data objects
Patent Number: US Patent 4,962,475
Issued: October 9, 1990
Filed: March 15, 1988
Parent case: This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 686,565 filed Dec. 26, 1984, now abandoned.
Inventor(s): Hernandez, Irene H. et al.
Assignee: IBM Corporation
Referenced at issuance: n/a
Referenced after issuance: US Patent 5,107,443 (Xerox Corporation) Φ and US Patent 5,655,130 (Unisys Corporation)
Blogger comment:

There were 8 references to prior US patents at issuance, none of which are remarkable for the scope and purposes of this blog. There is also reference to a prior Japanese patent 59-125425 (Jul., 1984) but no comment is made in that regard at this time.

An advanced search at USPTO online on May 9, 2008 for distinguishing references to this patent after its issuance using ref/4962475 reveals 88 references. Another more advanced search of the claims of the 89 referenced patents reveals US Patent 5,107,443 and US Patent 5,655,130.

Abstract:

A method for tailoring a master document to obtain a special document. The master document is made up of data objects and portions of the data objects. Included in the portions are pointers to corresponding data objects. The portions are windowed and displayed. Selection of a window will result in a view port being opened through the window into a corresponding data object. The data object can then be scrolled to obtain a desired portion to be included in the special document. As each desired portion is obtained, it is stored and becomes part of the special document.

Independent claims (as numbered):

1. In a computer system having a display screen, a method of generating a tailored document from data objects making up a master document within said computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating, responsive to operator control, computer system signals to display a portion of a plurality of said data objects of said master document in a plurality of windows on said display screen, respectively, with different portions in each of said plurality of windows thereby forming view ports into each of said plurality of data objects when selected;

(b) generating, responsive to operator control, computer system signals to scroll said portion of a selected one of said plurality of data objects in one of said plurality of windows corresponding thereto to position a desired portion of said selected one of said plurality data objects viewable in said one of said plurality of windows for inclusion in said tailored document;

(c) repeating step (b) until a desired portion of each of the remaining ones of said plurality of data objects is positioned within a respective one of said plurality of windows; and

(d) generating, responsive to operator control, computer system signals to include each desired portion of said plurality of the respective data objects in said tailored document stored in said computer system upon a termination of the display of said plurality of windows while maintaining a link between said desired portions and said master document.

4. In a computer system having a display screen, a method of generating a tailored document from a collection of data objects making up a master document and a corresponding collection of portions of said data objects within said computer system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) generating, responsive to operator control, computer system signals to window a plurality of said portions of said master document and displaying said plurality on said display screen;

(b) generating, responsing to operator control, computer system signals to select one of said displayed portions for creating a view port into a corresponding data object;

(c) generating, responsive to operator control, computer system signals to scroll said corresponding data object in said view port to obtain a desired portion of said corresponding data object positioned within said view port for inclusion in said tailored document;

(d) generating, responsive to operator control, computer system signals to store said desired portion in said computer system to build said tailored document within said computer system in response to the selection of another one of said displayed portions; and

(e) generating, responsive to operator control, computer system signals to include each desired portion of said collection of data objects in said tailored document in the order each of said desired portions is stored upon a termination of the display of said plurality of said portions.