Patent Abstract:
A method and apparatus are provided for constructing a composite image within an image space of a webpage. The method includes the steps of displaying a plurality of source images within a content area of the webpage and dividing the image space of the composite image into a plurality of subspaces. The method further includes the steps of designating a10 subspace of the plurality of subspaces for receipt of a selected image of the plurality of images and resizing the selected image to fit the designated subspace of the composite image.

Full Description:
FIELD  
         [0001]    The field of the invention relates to the Internet and more specifically to method of constructing and transmitting images over the Internet.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0002]    Computer networks, in general, and the Internet, in specific, have become a vast resource of information. With the aid of a personal computer (PC) and web browser, a user may connect and retrieve information on virtually any subject matter.  
           [0003]    Using the browser, a user can locate and access any of a number of search engines through the Internet. From the search engines, a webpage may be downloaded for the entry of search terms. Through the proper entry of search terms, any range of images and text may be located and downloaded to a user.  
           [0004]    Once downloaded to a user, the user may review the information on-line or print it out. Alternatively, the user may store the information to disk.  
           [0005]    While the information downloaded from the Internet is useful, it typically downloaded under a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP). While HTTP is useful for storing and printing, it is not particularly easy to manipulate and combine files. Other protocols, such as XML, are available, but have not been developed into useful applications. Accordingly, a need exists for applications which allow for the easy manipulation and combining of web based documents.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0006]    A method and apparatus are provided for constructing a composite image within an image space of webpage. The method includes the steps of displaying plurality of source images within a content area of the webpage and dividing the image space of the composite image into a plurality of subspaces. The method further includes the steps of designating a subspace of the plurality of subspaces for receipt of a selected image of the plurality of images and resizing the selected image to fit the designated subspace of the composite image. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for constructing a composite image in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is login screen that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a subject matter selection screen that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 depicts a further subject matter selection screen that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 depicts a template selection screen that maybe used by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 depicts a selected template and content area that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 depicts a floating toolbar that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 depicts details of content selection that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 depicts further details of content selection that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 10 depicts content that may be used in the composite image by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 11 depicts details of construction of the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 12 depicts details of image transfer to the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 13 depicts details the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 14 depicts details of text transfer to the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 15 depicts details of creation of the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 16 depicts a composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 17 depicts a screen for editing composite images that may be used by the system of FIG. 1.  
         [0024]    Appendix I depicts a DTD that may be used by the system of FIG. 1.  
         [0025]    Appendix II depicts a composite image file that may be generated from the composite image of FIG. 17.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0026]    [0026]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system  10 , shown generally under an illustrated embodiment of the invention, for collecting, composing and transmitting images through the Internet. As used herein, an image includes: an illustration; photo; text; multimedia components such as, but not limited to, video, hypertext, etc.; and/or the like. A composite image includes more than one image.  
         [0027]    Included within the system  10  may be an operators station  34 . The operators station  34  may include a central processing unit (CPU)  12  with an appropriate web browser  32 , a display  20  and keyboard  18 . The operators station  34  may also include a database  22  which may function as a source and also a destination of images.  
         [0028]    The operators station  34  may include a connection to the Internet  14 . Also coupled to the Internet  14  may be one or more servers (e.g., CPUs)  16 , including websites  26  and databases  24 . The servers  16  may also function as both a source and destination of images as described in more detail below.  
         [0029]    Under the illustrated embodiment, an operator (not shown) working through the operators station  34  may access a website  26  and download a webpage  28  containing the software constructs (e.g., a page building via browser (PBVB) tool  30 ) for processing composite images. The PBVB tool  30  is a configurable tool, which brings page layout functionality to the Internet. Communication between the operators station  34  and website  26  for downloading of the P 3 VB tool  30  (and subsequent communication) may occur through the standard HTTP port  80  of the operators station  34 .  
         [0030]    As described in more detail below, the PBVB tool  30  provides a facility and an intuitive interface for placing content within a template. Since it may be retrieved from a website, it is inherently simple to access from remote locations and easy to install. Further, since the PBVB tool  30  may be downloaded from a common website of an organization, the organization may more easily enforce business rules through the use of embedded templates.  
         [0031]    In general, the PBVB  30  may be written as a Java applet and run inside the browser  32 . Providing the PBVB  30  as a Java applet allows PBVB  30  to be easily used in conjunction with Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator browsers on either PC or Macintosh platforms.  
         [0032]    Further, to facilitate operation of the PBVB  30 , data may be delivered to and routed from the PBVB  30  under a common format (e.g., XML). The use of XML simplifies image manipulation and composite image construction by providing a format which is Internet compatible and which is easily adapted to both text and image processing.  
         [0033]    The preparation of composite images may be useful for any of a number of uses. For example, the operator may use the workstation  34  to retrieve text and graphical representations from any of a number of Internet or local sources and combine such information into virtually any form of instructional or sales literature (e.g., catalogs).  
         [0034]    Following is a description of a process that may be used for the creation of a catalog. While the description below is directed to a specific type of composite image, it should be understood that the described process may be extended to virtually any situation.  
         [0035]    In order to perform construction of a composite image, the operator (after accessing the website  26  and downloading webpage  28  and PBVB  30 ) may first be presented with a sign-on screen  40  (FIG. 2). The operator may enter his user name in a first box  42  and password in a second box  44 , followed by activation of a login softkey.  
         [0036]    Following sign-in to the system, the website  26  may download a webpage  50  (FIG. 3) offering a set of file choices  52 ,  54 ,  56 ,  58  from which the composite images will be created. In the example of the catalog, the operator may activate the “Spring and Summer” option  58 .  
         [0037]    In response, a further webpage  60  may be downloaded from the website offering subdivisions  62 ,  64 ,  66 ,  68  of the file selection  58 . As a further example of the catalog creation, the operator may select “Misses”  68 .  
         [0038]    In response, the website  26  may download a template selection webpage  70 . Within the template selection webpage  70 , a number of possible templates  72 ,  74 ,  76  may be provided, any one of which may be used for creation of a composite image. A scroll bar  78  may be provided to access other choices of templates. In the example provided, the operator may select the lower template  76 .  
         [0039]    The templates may be divided into a number of boxes. Larger boxes may have smaller boxes inside. The smaller boxes may be text boxes and the larger boxes may be image boxes. For convenience text boxes may be shown with diagonal lines. However, this is for convenience only, in the sense that images may later be placed in text boxes and text placed in image boxes.  
         [0040]    Upon selection of a template  76 , the PBVB  30  may divide the display  80  into a composing screen including first and second windows  82 ,  84  (FIG. 6). The first window  82  may be a content area for selecting source content for the composite image and the second window  84  displays the template within which the composite image is to be created. A floating toolbar  86  is also provided to facilitate creation of the composite image.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 7 provides further detail regarding the floating toolbar  86 . As shown, a first icon  88  of a disk, allows the user to save the composite image. A second icon  90  allows the user to print the composite image. Third and fourth curved arrows  92 ,  94  allows the user to UNDO and REDO changes. A selection tool  96  is provided to select specific boxes of the template for insertion of content into the composite image. A text tool  98  is provided to edit text in specific boxes. Zoom-in and zoom-out boxes  100 ,  102  and a zoom-to-percentage box  104  are provided to enlarge or reduce portions of the composite image. A help box  106  is also provided. Finally, a box select tool  108  and line selection tool  107  are provided to insert additional boxes and lines into the template.  
         [0042]    A user may click on the box selection tool  107  with a cursor  134  and then click on a desired location within the selected template. The location of the cursor  134  when the key on the mouse was actuated becomes the upper left corner of a new box. The user may enlarge the box by holding the actuating key on a mouse controller and dragging the new box to whatever size needed.  
         [0043]    Similarly, the line tool  107  may be selected by placing the cursor  134  on the line selection icon  107  and clicking. To create lines, the user may first click on a starting position, move the cursor  134  to an end position and click a second time.  
         [0044]    The content area  82  functions as a means for accessing source material for inclusion into the composite image. Within the content area  82 , a first pull-down menu  110  may specify a data path to a particular data source (e.g., within a local directory, related database  22 , Internet source  24 , etc.). Once a source has been identified, first and second tabs  112 ,  114  may be used to select either text or images within the source file.  
         [0045]    In the catalog example, a user may specify a specific pathname as a data source within a remote DB  24  (FIG. 1). Files identified by the pathname may be displayed in the pulldown menu  118  (FIG. 8) of content select  110 . In the catalog example, the file names may be “Specific Product”, “Special Items” and “Sale”. The user may select “Specific Product”. Some choices may require additional path information.  
         [0046]    For example, selection of the directory name “Specific Product” may not be a complete path to a file. In this case, a window  120  (FIG. 9) may be displayed requesting a specific file name. The user enters an identifier in a file identifier box  122  and activates the OK button. The information entered through the file identifier box  122  may be easily customized via a configuration file.  
         [0047]    Upon identification of a file, the contents of the file may be displayed in the content area  82 . Since the image tab  112  is highlighted in the content area  82 , images  128 ,  130 ,  132  within the file  11 SKU#;  12345 - 1211  are retrieved and displayed within the content display area  126 . To accommodate the reduced size of the content display area  126 , the images may be reduced or enlarged using standard Java commands. Alternately, a thumbnail image may be displayed which may be suggestive of the underlying image.  
         [0048]    To create the composite image, the user may place a cursor  134  on an image (e.g.,  128 ) and drag the image to a box (e.g.,  136 ). When the cursor  134  is released, the  10  PBVB  30  resizes the image  128  to occupy the box  136  using standard Java commands. The outline of the box  136  disappears and the resized image  138  appears in its place (FIG. 11).  
         [0049]    Since the image  138  was placed in a first box  136  of the larger box  142 , the PBVB  30  may now assume that the second smaller box  140  is a text box. To select text to add to the composite image, the user may either click on the box  140  or select the text tab  114 .  
         [0050]    Selection of the text tab  114  (FIG. 12) causes any text sections  142 ,  144 ,  146  associated with the file to be presented in the content area  82 . As with images, the user may place the cursor  134  over a text section and drag the text (e.g.,  144 ) to a box (e.g.,  140 ). Alternatively, the user may first click on the box  140  and then simply click on the text section  144  to affect a transfer. As with the images, the text section  144  may be resized to fit the box of the composite image (FIG. 13).  
         [0051]    Once text has been dragged to a box the user may edit the text. Alternatively, the user may edit the text  144  file in the control area  82 . The user may edit the text by selecting the text tool  98  or he may select the text by double-clicking on the text. Once the text tool has been selected, the user may place the cursor  134  in the proper location in the text and make any necessary changes.  
         [0052]    To facilitate entry of information into the composite image  148 , the user may select the zoom-in tool  150  (FIG. 14) and enlarge a particular box  152 . In response, the box  152  (FIG. 15) may be enlarged to occupy the entire right window. Image and text may be dragged and dropped as above. As each box  152  (FIG. 15) is completed, the user may return to the template by selecting the zoom-out tool  100 .  
         [0053]    Using the process described above, the entire composite image  148  may be completed as shown in FIG. 16. Upon completion, the user may select the save icon. Upon selection of the save icon  88 , the composite image  148  may be converted into an XML document and stored or printed. The XML document may be stored in a local database  22 , transmitted under XML to a website  26  or stored in a remote database  24 .  
         [0054]    The transfer of data into and out of the PBVB  30  may be accomplished under any of a number of different formats. The source information (text and images) provided to the PBVB  30  may be provided under any appropriate mark-up language (e.g., XML) from any of a number of information conversion utilities (e.g., DeskNet APS). Images may be further encoded under an appropriate image format (e.g., gif, jpeg, etc.).  
         [0055]    Composite images may be encoded by PBVB  30  into a composite image file  21 ,  29  under a webpage format for transmission, printing or storage in an appropriate database under a mark-up language structured to minimize composite file size, yet maximize file conversion efficiency. Appendix I provides an example of a document type definition (DTD) that may be used in conjunction with XML as an encoding mechanism for the composite image.  
         [0056]    As may be noted from the DTD information of Appendix I, the information of the composite image maybe encoded under XML based upon position and any of a number of text and picture elements. The x position (xpos), y position (ypos) and width and height of each box of the original template of the composite image  148  is required. Text may be attached to text boxes using conventional XML formatting. Lines, font or shading may be imparted to the composite image  148  using the DTD and conventional XML formatting.  
         [0057]    As may also be noted from the Appendix I the DTD allows images or text to be identified by a universal resource locator (URL). The utility of using a URL for an image (or for text) is that the actual image does not necessarily have to be stored within the composite image file. As such, the composite image file  21 ,  29  may simply be transferred in the form of a shell with references to source files. When the composite file reaches its destination, a browser may simply retrieve the information from the URL and insert it into the proper location of the composite image  148 .  
         [0058]    As is clear from Appendix I, the composite image file  21 ,  29  may be structured without any text or image information within the file. The composite image file  21 ,  29 , in fact, need only contain a page layout with paths to the image and text necessary for rendering the composite image into the same visual appearance presented to the original user during creation of the composite image.  
         [0059]    Within a destination (e.g., another CPU  16 ), the composite image  148  may be reconstructed based upon the composite image file  29  and the DTD  27 . To recreate the composite image  148 , a decoding processor  23  (e.g., a browser) may retrieve the composite image file  29  from a database  24 . The decoding processor  23  may reconstruct the template using the composite image file  29  and DTD  27 . Any images not contained within the file  29  may be retrieved using the URL within the composite image file  29 .  
         [0060]    [0060]FIG. 17 depicts an editing screen that may be generated by the PBVB tool  30  for editing composite screens. As with the composing screen of FIG. 6, the editing screen may include a content area  82  and an image area  84 .  
         [0061]    To facilitate editing of existing (or the generation of entirely new) composite images, the content area  82  may include tabs allowing selection of images, text or templates. In the case of the editing screen of FIG. 17, the template tab  160  may be used to retrieve pre-existing composite images.  
         [0062]    By selecting the template tag (and entry of an appropriate path identifier), a number of previously created composite images  162 ,  164 ,  166  may be displayed in the context area  82 . To select a composite image  162 ,  164 ,  166 , the user may place the cursor over the image and activate the selection switch.  
         [0063]    In response, the selected composite image  162 ,  164 ,  166  may be displayed in the image area  84 . Once an image has been selected, the user may select the image or text tab (FIG. 18) and edit the selected composite image. Editing may occur by selecting the text tool and typing in corrections, add new boxes, change box size (all as described above), or substitute new content. New content may be substituted by dragging new content into the space of existing content. When this is done, the new content completely replaces the old content.  
         [0064]    Turning now to the composite images, an example will now be provided regarding the structure and content of the composite image files  21 ,  29 . Appendix II may be representative of a CEF file  21 ,  29  that may be generated by the PBVB tool  30  from the composite image  168  of FIG. 17.  
         [0065]    For ease of understanding the content of Appendix II, line numbers have been added along the left margin of FIG. 17. Reference shall be made to the line numbers as appropriate to understanding the relationship between CEF files elements and corresponding elements of the composite image  168 .  
         [0066]    As may be noted, line  1  defines the type of CEF  21 ,  29  file by version and the term “encloding=“linin1” defines an XML character set. Line  3  provides a URL to a relevant DTD  27 ,  31 . Line  5  provides a layout delimiter. Line  6  provides a page number of the composite image and a size of the page in points (e.g., 72 points per inch).  
         [0067]    Lines  7 - 18  defines the first element  170  of the composite image  168 . As shown on line  7 , the element  170  is a text box. The x and y position (i.e., xpos and ypos) of the upper left corner of the box lies at 225 and 643.252, respectively. The width is 365.7266 and the height is 21.2385 points. The box can be edited, therefore canEdit=“true”. The term xpos=0, therefore other boxes may overlap the first element  170 . The runaround terms (e.g., runaroundleft, runaroundright, runaroundtop, runaroundbottom) specify a border space around the element  170 . Line  12  defines the end of the text properties. Lines  13 - 15  specify font and style. Lines  16 - 17  specifies the actual text to be placed within the element  170 . Line  18  defines the end of the text element  170 .  
         [0068]    Lines  20 - 27  defines the location and content of a picture box  172 . As may be noted, line  26  provides a URL to the actual image information to be inserted into the picture box  172 .  
         [0069]    Similarly, lines  28 - 35  defines image element  196  and lines  36 - 47  defines text box  182 . Line  48  to the end of page 1 and lines  1 - 6  on page 2 of Appendix II define text box  184 . Lines  8 - 19  defines empty box  178 , lines  20 - 27  defines image element  174  and lines  28 - 35  defines picture box  180 .  
         [0070]    Line  36  to the end of page 2 and lines  1 - 9  of page 3 of Appendix II defines the location and content of large text box  188 . Lines  10 - 21  defines text box  188 , lines  22 - 33  defines text box  190 , lines  34 - 45  defines text box  192 . Line  42  to the end of page 2 and lines  1 - 11  on page 4 defines text box  186 .  
         [0071]    It should be noted that elements  172  and  174  have a lower zpos value than elements  188 . The lower zpos values of elements  172  and  174  identify these elements as lying on top of (instead of underneath) element  188 .  
         [0072]    A specific embodiment of a method and apparatus for constructing composite images according to the present invention has been described for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention is made and used. It should be understood that the implementation of other variations and modifications of the invention and its various aspects will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and that the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described. Therefore, it is contemplated to cover the present invention and any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed and claimed herein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6