Patent ID: 7870500
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for positioning a floating object within an electronic document, the method comprising: determining a plurality of available portions within a workspace of the electronic document operable to accept floating objects; determining a set of undesirable positioning characteristics associated with the positioning of floating objects in the workspace; setting a recorded score equal to one count above the number of undesirable positioning characteristics included in the set of undesirable positioning characteristics; determining a priority-based schedule for assigning an evaluation order to each available portion of the plurality of available portions; selecting a first available portion of the plurality of available portions for evaluation based on the priority schedule; evaluating placement of the floating object into the first available portion against the set of undesirable positioning characteristics, wherein each undesirable positioning characteristic in the set of undesirable positioning characteristics is associated with a predetermined tolerability score from a plurality of tolerability scores, and wherein each tolerability score is based on a predetermined level of tolerability of the associated undesirable positioning characteristic relative to the other undesirable positioning characteristics in the set of undesirable positioning characteristics; when placement of the floating object into the first available portion would not result in any of the undesirable positioning characteristics, setting the first available portion as an optimal position for the floating object in the workspace and inserting the floating object in the workspace according to the optimal position; when placement of the floating object into the first available portion would result in at least one undesirable positioning characteristic, repeating the evaluating placement of the floating object for the next available portion against the set of undesirable positioning characteristics to determine the available portion of the plurality of available portions to be set as the optimal position for inserting the floating object in the workspace.