Abstract: In an apparatus for and a method of processing document information, according to a requirement of a writer of document information, the document information is generated, referenced, and re-constructed. Further, according to a requirement of a reader of the document information, the information is referenced and re-constructed. The apparatus includes a reader terminal including means for inputting a requirement of a reader of document information and means for outputting document information referenced and re-constructed according to the requirement, and a writer terminal for inputting therefrom a requirement of a writer of document information and creating document information. The apparatus further includes a document processing unit connected to the reader terminal and the writer terminal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for re-drawing a transparent window on at least one display device of a computer based system having a central processor and a memory is disclosed. Having a transparent window and an underlying second window, it is determined whether the underlying second window is active. If the underlying second window is active, the transparent window is hidden. The underlying second window is re-drawn and the transparent window is shown. Otherwise, the transparent window is maintained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying words described in a page description file. A computer device stores a page description language file which includes characters that have not been identified as words by the page description language. A word identifying mechanism reads the page description language file and groups characters to form at least one word from the characters. The system preferably transfers words to a client process capable of processing words at a request of the client process. In a method for identifying words from a page description file, characters are read from the file and are stored in a word buffer until a word break is detected based upon character position data stored in the file. The contents of the word buffer are then provided to a client process as an identified word. The method can also sort the characters from the file into a display order prior to storing the characters in the word buffer.

Abstract: An improved method and system for selecting text is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method and system is provided for selecting text utilizing two text selection modes. In the first text selection mode, text is selected with a minimum granularity of a letter. In the second text selection mode, the text is selected with a minimum granularity of a word. The preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes both text selection modes and determines whether and when to switch between each text selection mode. The preferred embodiment of the present invention determines whether to switch between text selection modes based on user input, mouse movement, and the mouse remaining stationary for more than a predetermined amount of time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying words stored in a portable electronic document. A digital computation apparatus stores a page of a document including characters in text segments that have not been identified as words. A word identifying mechanism analyzes the text segments of the page and stores the text segments as text objects in a linked list. The word identifying mechanism identifies words from the text objects in the linked list by analyzing the text objects for word breaks and by analyzing gaps between text objects using position data associated with the text segments. The identified words are stored in a word list and are sorted if necessary. A method of the present invention receives a text segment from a page of a document having multiple text segments and associated position data, including x and y coordinates for each text segment. A text object is created for each text segment, and the text objects are entered into a linked list.

Abstract: A computer animation display system and process for smoothly displaying information containing text and moving picture images is disclosed in which animations are played back smoothly by localizing the area of moving picture display so as to reduce the memory space required on a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory) and allow a greater number of animation frames to be stored on a single CD-ROM. The computer animation display process plays animations on a background bitmap relative to arbitrary screen elements called anchors. The computer animation display process further provides dynamic positioning of animation during playback to maintain alignment between the animation and its corresponding anchor should the anchor's position change. The computer animation display process also provides for dynamic display of independent, separately stored text during animation playback. Modification of the text alone, without the need to modify the underlying animated graphics, is also provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for automatically converting documents from a first hypertext format that supports multi-layered backgrounds to a second hypertext format that does not support multi-layered backgrounds, such as HyperText Markup Language (HTML). According to the method, a target file is generated that stores all non-background elements of the document in the second hypertext format. A mechanism that reads the first hypertext format is used to display a current page of the document. A screen dump is made of the displayed page after removing or hiding the non-background elements. This process is repeated for all of the pages of the document. References to the graphics files generated by the screen dumps are embedded in the target file. The references cause the background elements of a page to be displayed behind non-background elements of the page when the document is displayed based upon the target file by a mechanism that reads the second hypertext format.

Abstract: A user-friendly text editor for structurally represented computer programs is disclosed. The present editor combines advantages of text editors and structure editors by transforming, as the user types, the text stream entered by the user into a token stream, where the tokens of the token stream constitute the words of the program being entered. Each of the tokens is classified by the editor as one of a group of extended lexemes defined by the language in which the program being edited is written. These extended lexemes are defined similar to lexemes that might be used in a batch lexer, but are more numerous as the present editor must account for the incomplete and ill-formed lexemes that arise as the user types the program. Before performing lexical analysis, the present editor separates program statements from program comments.

Abstract: A tape printing assembly for editing input data of up to `n` lines which includes a main display formed to display the edited input data in `p` lines, where `p` is an integer between 1 to at most `n`-1. A display controller is adapted to control the editing procedure and display of the input data of a line currently being edited on the main display, while simultaneously indicating on an auxiliary display the line currently edited.

Abstract: The system synchronizes, displays, and manipulates text and image documents in electronic form for display. The text and image files are synchronized to produce Equivalent Files using heuristic algorithms to create an approximate equivalence relationship between the text and the image files. The graphic user interface of the present system allows a user to selectively view an Equivalent File in a window while simultaneously viewing an image file within one or ore image windows on the display. The user may also create and manipulate notes and subnotes as annotations to document objects or document portions. The notes and subnotes may be linked to text documents, image documents, text objects, or other non-text objects or documents, such as images, audio clips, etc. The user may create new subnotes associated with selected objects or selected portions, and the user may enter information pertaining to the selected objects in the new subnote.

Abstract: A system and method of manipulating notes linked to data objects, and of manipulating the data objects. The method operates by displaying a note including one or more first sub-notes and one or more second sub-notes. The first sub-notes are linked to portions of a first data object associated with a first application. At least some of the first portions may be partially overlapping. The second sub-notes are linked to portions of a second data object associated with a second application. The second application is different from the first application. A request is received from a user viewing the note to display a portion of the first data object linked to a particular one of the first sub-notes. The first application is invoked, if the first application is not already invoked. The first application is caused to load the first data object and present the portion of the first data object linked to the particular one of the first sub-notes.

Abstract: A method for dynamically sharing an application in a conference system while maintaining state regardless of whether the application is under execution in all conference devices. The conference system includes a plurality of conference devices with at least one conference device executing an application program.

Abstract: A highly reliable display control apparatus and method suitable for use in a computer control system which is required to have high degree of reliability, such as control systems for railroad traffic or a nuclear power station. A meaningful symbol is divided into a plurality of sections and these sections are independently input to either one of the inputs of an interactive man-machine system through different systems so that these sections of the meaningful symbol are displayed in the same frame of the man-machine system, thus enabling the operator to visually detect any abnormality as to whether the displayed meaningful symbol is complete or not, whereby a high degree of reliability of the display is obtained.

Abstract: The embedding of parts within one another, and synchronization of their various views, is implemented by means of a data structure consisting of two major components. One component, a display list, comprises a list of frames, or other container structures, in which a part of interest is displayed. The second component of the data structure is a proxy run, run identifies each part that is embedded in the part of interest. Together, these two data components define a matrix structure, in which there is a row for each embedded frame in a part, and a column for each frame within which the part is displayed, or vice versa. This structure provides a mechanism to keep the size and shape of corresponding embedded frames, which are displayed in different views, synchronized with one another.

Abstract: A link specification and an electronic manual is provided to an auto linker which in conjunction with a run-time media engine provides hyperlinked manuals. The auto linker comprises a link generator for generating links and a link verifier for checking and modifying the links that are generated. The run-time media engine comprises an event handler and a script interpreter and handles the user interaction. Through the interaction of the hyperlinks from the auto linker with the run-time media engine the hyperlinked manuals are produced.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for highlighting information between conference participants in a computer conferencing system is disclosed. In a computer conferencing system including a first participant coupled to a second participant via a communication medium, the first participant having a first display, a first cursor control device, and a first signal generation device, the second participant having a second display, a second cursor control device, and a second signal generation device, a process and apparatus is disclosed for highlighting information on a remote display.

Abstract: A system (10) for programming and performing applications programs in computer systems (70) using data in Structured Query Language ("SQL") data bases (32). Formulas (16) representing user defined tasks are constructed out of a formula sequence (18) of formula steps (20). Individual formula steps (20) are defined out of operand tokens (22 and 26), operation tokens (24), and result tokens (28). Operand tokens (22, 26) and result tokens (28) represent constants, variables, or SQL business objects, while operation tokens (24) represent precompiled members of a code modules library (36) that are capable of carrying out basic mathematical and data transfer operations on such operands (22, 26).

Abstract: An outline character drawing apparatus comprising a font dictionary, a path forming unit, a rule storage unit and a bit map developing unit. The font dictionary stores a plurality of outline data for geometrically defining character outlines. The path forming unit forms in a common memory a geometrically expressed graphic path by performing such processes as extracting the data corresponding to each character code sent by a client, transforming the data coordinates into an apparatus coordinate system, adjusting the width of stems making up characters, and approximating curve portions by use of broken lines. The outline data include identifiers representing bit map development rules envisaged at the time of defining the characters in question. The rules are used to develop into bit map format the characters expressed in graphic paths. One such rule stipulates that each pixel be located on a lattice point formed by coordinates.

Abstract: A method and apparatus creates and plays objects and sound synchronously after eliminating the silent segments of the sound. The method inserts sequence marks into the object and sound data, deletes silent segments of the sound data including the sequence marks that reside in the silent segments, and re-inserts the last deleted sequence mark back into the sound data. In so doing, the system detects the silent segments of the recorded sound stream data and deletes the silent portions from the recorded data. Upon replay of an object and its associated sound, any drawing done during the silent segments are played at the computer's full graphics drawing speed, only slowing down to real-time again when more sounds are encountered. Thus, the system plays "fast while silent" and slows to real-time when sounds are played. This saves the space required to stored the recorded sound, and the user does not have to wait through the silent periods.

Abstract: An electronic mail system that allows a party receiving electronic mail to designate a desired format for displaying electronic mail messages. For example, the receiving party may designate that all electronic mail messages received from their boss be displayed with the title in bold and in the color blue. For further illustration, the receiving party may designate that all mail marked as high priority be displayed with an enlarged and colored title and comment section.