Abstract:
A printing apparatus and method for capturing and formatting the content of a web page. The apparatus and method determining if a portrait formatted representation of the web page and a landscape formatted representation of the web page, include equivalent content, and outputting the portrait formatted representation of the web page if the portrait formatted representation has the equivalent content of the landscape formatted representation. Otherwise outputting a landscape formatted representation of the said web page.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    Web pages are typically formatted in a standard landscape or portrait fashion. Landscape formatted web pages provide a user with a monitor displayed content that is wider than it is high. Portrait formatted web pages provide a user with a monitor displayed content that is higher than it is wide. Most web pages are formatted in a landscape fashion to accommodate the demands of a landscape dimensioned screen. 
         [0002]    Printers typically have the ability to print in a landscape or portrait formatted fashion. However, most printers have their default format set to print in a portrait mode because this is the typical formatting requirement for word processing software applications and other similar text based software applications. 
         [0003]    To print a web page, a user typically will follow a standard procedure for printing files that does not include the selection of an appropriate formatting, i.e. either landscape or portrait. Consequently, the default printing format will be a portrait formatted print job. Because most web pages are formatted in a landscape fashion, the printed web page will normally be printed in a portrait formatted fashion and a right portion of the web page will not be printed. 
         [0004]    One way to insure all the content of a landscape formatted web page is printed involves the use of wrap around text, whereby the content of the landscape formatted web page outside of the portrait formatted margin is wrapped around to the next line within the portrait formatted margins. Some web sites are configured to provide this wrap around feature, however many do not wrap around the web content and the portrait formatted printer output excludes the right portion of the landscape formatted web page. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
       [0005]    A computer program product comprising a computer-usable data carrier storing instruction that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising capturing the content of a web page; determining if a portrait formatted representation of the said web page and a landscape formatted representation of the said web page, include equivalent content; and outputting the portrait formatted representation of the web page if the said portrait formatted representation has the equivalent content of the said landscape formatted representation, otherwise outputting a landscape formatted representation of the said web page. 
         [0006]    A printing method comprising capturing the content of a web page; determining if a portrait formatted representation of the said web page and a landscape formatted representation of the said web page, include equivalent content; and outputting the portrait formatted representation of the web page if the said portrait formatted representation has the equivalent content of the said landscape formatted representation, otherwise outputting a landscape formatted representation of the said web page. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  illustrates a flow chart according to one exemplary embodiment; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates a landscape formatted web page; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  illustrates a portrait formatted web page; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  illustrates a landscape and portrait area diagram; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  illustrates a flow chart according to another exemplary embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  illustrates a flow chart according to another exemplary embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  illustrates a flow chart according to another exemplary embodiment; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  illustrates a flow chart according to another exemplary embodiment; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Provided below is a detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. These embodiments provide a printing apparatus and method for printing a web page that includes printing the web page with the appropriate printed page format. 
         [0016]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , illustrated is a flow chart  2  representing a printing apparatus and method according to one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. This printing method can be implemented in various ways as is known to those of skill in the art. Specifically, the flow chart  2  is implemented with a computer program product, the computer program product including a computer-usable data carrier that stores computer instructions to be executed by a computer. The computer program product can be implemented via software or firmware installed on a computer or a printing device. 
         [0017]    With further reference to  FIG. 1 , the printing method and computer program product is now described. Initially, the computer program product captures  4  the content of a web page to be printed. Next, a data file is created  6  including the content of the web page outside the margins of a portrait formatted web page. At this point the computer program product determines  8  if the data file including the content of the web page outside the margins of a portrait formatted web page, includes web page content. If the data file includes web page content, the computer program outputs  12  a landscape formatted data file. If the data file does not include web page content, indicating the web page is portrait formatted, the computer program outputs  10  a portrait formatted data file. 
         [0018]    Subsequent to generating the output data file discussed in the preceding paragraph, the computer program outputs the data file to a printing device which produces a portrait or landscape formatted printed output. In effect, this printing method and apparatus provides a web page printed output which more accurately reproduces the original web page formatting. More specifically, if the web page format is portrait, the printing method and apparatus produces an output data file representative of the web page portrait formatted. If the web page portrait formatted is landscape, the printing method and apparatus produces an output data file representative of the web page landscape formatted. 
         [0019]    To better illustrate the printing method and apparatus described with reference to  FIG. 1 , further discussion is now provided with reference to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  illustrates a landscape formatted web page  20  as it would appear on a computer monitor which is operatively connected to a computer operatively connected to an internet server. The internet server provides a user, i.e. computer, with access to the web page  20  illustrated. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the landscape formatted web page  20  is wider than it is tall, which is representative of a landscape formatted page. With reference to  FIG. 2 , reference items for purposes of discussion include a “WebBoard” heading  34 , art work  26 , vertical line  28 , drop down box  40 , bolded company  32 , graphical illustration  24 , vertical line  36 , and vertical line  38 . In addition, a right area  22  of the web page is indicated. 
         [0021]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , illustrated is a portrait formatted output of a web page  50  which includes content as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the portrait formatted web page  50  output is taller than it is wide, which is representative of a portrait formatted page. With further reference to  FIG. 3 , reference items for purposes of discussion include a “WebBoard” heading  34 , art work  26 , vertical bar  56  and vertical bar  58 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  illustrates the areas covered by a landscape formatted web page for printing and a portrait formatted web page for printing. Specifically, a portrait formatted page layout includes Area  1   62  and Area  3   66 , but not Area  2   64 . A landscape formatted page layout includes Area  1   62  and Area  2   64 , but not Area  3   66 . The overlay  60  illustrated in  FIG. 4  depicts a landscape formatted page laid directly on top of a portrait formatted page. 
         [0023]    As briefly explained in the Background section of this disclosure, a problem associated with printing a web page as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , i.e. a landscape formatted web page, is computers and their associated drivers are generally configured to print a portrait formatted page unless the user specifically configures the software to print in a format different than the default format, i.e. portrait format. Consequently, a landscape formatted web page as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , will print as the portrait formatted output illustrated in  FIG. 3 . By comparing  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , it should be noted that the drop down menu  40 , the company name, vertical bar  30 , and graphical illustration  24  are not included as part of the portrait formatted web page  50  of  FIG. 3 . In effect, Area  2   64  of the overlay  60  illustrated in  FIG. 4  is omitted from the portrait formatted web page  50 . 
         [0024]    To provide a landscape formatted print output for a landscape formatted web page, and a portrait formatted print output for a web page portrait formatted, the printing method and apparatus previously described with reference to  FIG. 1  is provided. This printing method and apparatus operates as follows with reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4 . 
         [0025]    Initially, the computer program product captures the content of a web page  4  to be printed. This includes Area  1   62  and Area  2   64  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Next, a data file is created  6  including the content of the web page outside the margins of a portrait formatted web page. This content is defined by Area  2   64  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Next, the computer program determines  8  if the data file representing Area  2   64  includes web page content. If Area  2   64  includes web page content, the computer program determines the web page is landscape formatted and outputs  12  a landscape formatted data file for printing. If the computer program determines the data file representing Area  2   64  does not include web page content, the computer program outputs  10  a portrait formatted data file for printing. 
         [0026]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , illustrated is a flow chart  70  representing a printing method and apparatus according to another embodiment of this disclosure. The general principle of operation is similar to the embodiment illustrated and described with reference to  FIG. 1 . 
         [0027]    The computer program initially captures  72  the content of a web page for printing. Next, the computer program generates  74  a data file representative of the captured web page content portrait formatted, and the computer program generates  76  a data file representative of the captured web page content landscape formatted. Next, the portrait formatted data file and landscape formatted data file are compared  78  to determine  80  if the files have equivalent content. If the portrait and landscape formatted data files have equivalent content, the computer program outputs  82  a portrait data file for printing. If the portrait and landscape formatted data files do not have equivalent content, the computer program outputs  84  a landscape data file for printing. 
         [0028]    With reference to  FIG. 6 , illustrated is a flow chart  90  representative of another exemplary embodiment of a printing apparatus and method according to this disclosure. 
         [0029]    Initially, the computer program captures  92  the content of a web page for printing. Next, the computer program creates  94  a first data file including the content of the web page outside the margins of a portrait formatted web page. Next, the computer program determines  96  if the first data file includes web page content. If no web page content is included, the computer program outputs  98  a portrait formatted data file for printing. If the first data includes web page content, the computer program creates  100  a second data file of the web page portrait formatted. 
         [0030]    The web content of a second data file is then compared  102  with the web content of the first data file. If the second data file does not include the web content of the first data file, the computer program outputs  110  a landscape formatted data file. It should be noted that comparing the portrait formatted web page content, i.e. second data file, with the content of the web page outside the margins of a portrait formatted web page, i.e. first data file, provides a basis for determining if web content is omitted form the portrait formatted web page. If the computer program determines the second data file includes the web content of the first data file, then the computer program creates  104  a third data file representative of the web page landscape formatted. 
         [0031]    Next, the computer compares  106  the second data file with the third data file to determine if the portrait formatted web page content, i.e. second data file, includes the content of the landscape formatted web page, i.e. third data file. If the second data file does not include the web content of the third data file, the computer program outputs  110  a landscape formatted data file for printing. If the second data file does include the web content of the third data file, the computer program outputs  108  a portrait formatted data file for printing. 
         [0032]    With reference to  FIG. 7 , illustrated is a flow chart  120  representative of another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. 
         [0033]    Initially, the computer program captures  122  the content of a web page to be printed. Next, the computer program determines  124  if there is an image within Area  2  of the captured web content. If there is no image within Area  2  of the captured web content, the computer program outputs  126  a portrait formatted data file. If there is image within Area  2  of the captured web content, the computer program goes to an image type comparison  128  step. 
         [0034]    The computer program determines  128  the image types included within Area  2  of the landscape formatted web page. Image types could include half tone, line graphics, etc. The computer program also determines  128  if Area  1  of a portrait formatted web page includes the image types of Area  2  of the landscape formatted web page. If Area  2  of the landscape formatted web page includes image types not within Area  1  of the portrait formatted web page, the computer program outputs  130  a landscape formatted data file. Alternatively, if Area  1  of the portrait formatted web page includes the image types within Area  2  of the landscape formatted web page, the compute program counts  132  the number of occurrences of the image types within each respective area. 
         [0035]    If the number of occurrences of each image type within the respective areas are equal, the computer program outputs  134  a portrait formatted data file. Alternatively, if the number of occurrences of each image type within the respective areas are not equal, the computer program outputs  130  a landscape formatted data file. 
         [0036]    With reference to  FIG. 8 , illustrated is a flow chart representative of another exemplary embodiment of a printing apparatus and method according to this disclosure. This exemplary embodiment operates identically to the exemplary embodiment described with reference to  FIG. 7 , except the image features, not the image types, within Area  2   64  of the landscaped formatted web page and Area  1   62  of the portrait formatted web page are compared. Image features include blocks of a specific color, etc. 
         [0037]    Initially, the computer program captures  142  the content of a web page to be printed. Next, the computer program determines  144  if there is an image within Area  2  of the captured web content. If there is no image within Area  2  of the captured web content, the computer program outputs  146  a portrait formatted data file. If there is image within Area  2  of the captured web content, the computer program goes to an image feature comparison  148  step. 
         [0038]    The computer program determines  148  the image features included within Area  2  of the landscape formatted web page. The computer program also determines  148  if Area  1  of a portrait formatted web page includes the image features of Area  2  of the landscape formatted web page. If Area  2  of the landscape formatted web page includes image features not within Area  1  of the portrait formatted web page, the computer program outputs  154  a landscape formatted data file. Alternatively, if Area  1  of the portrait formatted web page includes the image features within Area  2  of the landscape formatted web page, the compute program counts  150  the number of occurrences of the image features within each respective area. 
         [0039]    If the number of occurrences of each image feature within the respective areas are equal, the computer program outputs  152  a portrait formatted data file. Alternatively, if the number of occurrences of each image feature within the respective areas are not equal, the computer program outputs  154  a landscape formatted data file. 
         [0040]    Other techniques for comparing the content of a portrait formatted data file and landscape formatted data file, representative of a captured web page image, include vertical line comparison, pixel value summation comparison and accessing a knowledge base. 
         [0041]    A vertical line comparison printing apparatus and method determines if the number of web content dividing vertical lines within the portrait formatted data file is equivalent to the number of content dividing vertical lines within the landscape formatted data. 
         [0042]    A pixel value summation comparison printing apparatus and method determines if the sum of the pixel values within the portrait formatted data file is approximately equal to the sum of the pixel values within the landscape formatted data file. 
         [0043]    A knowledge base printing apparatus and method accesses a knowledge base to determine if the portrait formatted data file is equivalent to the landscape formatted data file. 
         [0044]    It will be appreciated that various of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.