Patents by Inventor Alexander K. Schowtka
Alexander K. Schowtka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8713419Abstract: Automated electronic document design systems and method for designing and modifying product templates. When a user initiates a product design session, a product template is presented for user editing and a product description identifier is assigned to the product being designed. Document templates are assembled from individual composite elements. The individual identifiers of the component elements that make up the template being viewed by the user are associated with the description identifier. Tools are provided to allow a user to change one or more of the composite elements of the template. When a user changes an element, the identifier of the newly selected element is associated with the description identifier. Component elements of one template can be individually used, as appropriate, to prepare customized templates for another part of the same document or for different documents.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2009Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: VISTAPRINT SCHWEIZ GmbHInventors: Daniel R. Malone, Alexander K. Schowtka, Robert Dulaney
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Publication number: 20140089789Abstract: Electronic document design methods and computer programs allowing a user to separately control and modify layout and the design components of an electronic document. A number of possible document layouts and possible document designs are stored. A document is based on the combination of one of the stored layouts and one of the stored designs. While the user is viewing the electronic document, controls are available to the user allowing the user to view and select among alternate layouts and designs for that document. Color schemes and font schemes for the document may also be separated controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2013Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicant: Vistaprint Schweiz GmbHInventors: Alexander K. Schowtka, Eliza H. Royal, Daniel R. Malone, Robert L. Dulaney
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Patent number: 8595627Abstract: Electronic document design methods and computer programs allowing a user to separately control and modify layout and the design components of an electronic document. A number of possible document layouts and possible document designs are stored. A document is based on the combination of one of the stored layouts and one of the stored designs. While the user is viewing the electronic document, controls are available to the user allowing the user to view and select among alternate layouts and designs for that document. Color schemes and font schemes for the document may also be separated controlled.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2008Date of Patent: November 26, 2013Assignee: Vistaprint Schweiz GmbHInventors: Alexander K. Schowtka, Eliza H. Royal, Daniel R. Malone, Robert L. Dulaney
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Patent number: 7961200Abstract: Electronic document design systems and methods allowing a user engaged in customizing an electronic product to re-crop product images in a manner that is compatible with the product layout. Upon selection of an image area in the product design, the user can choose to re-crop the image currently displayed in the image area or to select and crop a different image to be used in the selected image area. A cropping indicator that can be resized and repositioned is provided to the user. The cropping indicator is automatically sized to have and retain the same height to width ratio as the selected image area. Upon completion of any resizing or repositioning operation, the selected image area of the electronic product is updated to reflect the cropping changes made by the user.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2010Date of Patent: June 14, 2011Assignee: Vistaprint Technologies LimitedInventors: Kenneth A. Walker, Jr., Alexander K. Schowtka
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Publication number: 20100165369Abstract: Electronic document design systems and methods allowing a user engaged in customizing an electronic product to re-crop product images in a manner that is compatible with the product layout. Upon selection of an image area in the product design, the user can choose to re-crop the image currently displayed in the image area or to select and crop a different image to be used in the selected image area. A cropping indicator that can be resized and repositioned is provided to the user. The cropping indicator is automatically sized to have and retain the same height to width ratio as the selected image area. Upon completion of any resizing or repositioning operation, the selected image area of the electronic product is updated to reflect the cropping changes made by the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2010Publication date: July 1, 2010Inventors: Kenneth A. Walker, JR., Alexander K. Schowtka
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Patent number: 7675528Abstract: Electronic document design systems and methods allowing a user engaged in customizing an electronic product to re-crop product images in a manner that is compatible with the product layout. Upon selection of an image area in the product design, the user can choose to re-crop the image currently displayed in the image area or to select and crop a different image to be used in the selected image area. A cropping indicator that can be resized and repositioned is provided to the user. The cropping indicator is automatically sized to have and retain the same height to width ratio as the selected image area. Upon completion of any resizing or repositioning operation, the selected image area of the electronic product is updated to reflect the cropping changes made by the user.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2003Date of Patent: March 9, 2010Assignee: VistaPrint Technologies LimitedInventors: Kenneth A. Walker, Jr., Alexander K. Schowtka
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Publication number: 20090327351Abstract: Automated electronic document design systems and method for designing and modifying product templates. When a user initiates a product design session, a product template is presented for user editing and a product description identifier is assigned to the product being designed. Document templates are assembled from individual composite elements. The individual identifiers of the component elements that make up the template being viewed by the user are associated with the description identifier. Tools are provided to allow a user to change one or more of the composite elements of the template. When a user changes an element, the identifier of the newly selected element is associated with the description identifier. Component elements of one template can be individually used, as appropriate, to prepare customized templates for another part of the same document or for different documents.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2009Publication date: December 31, 2009Inventors: DANIEL R. MALONE, Alexander K. Schowtka, Robert Dulaney
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Patent number: 7619638Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating composite images from component images selected by a system user and incorporating the composite images into an image of a custom product. The user can select component images in any sequence and can delete, add, replace or change component images and colors during the design process. The library of component images is organized into categories and subcategories for presentation to the user.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2002Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Vista Print Technologies LimitedInventors: Kenneth A. Walker, Jr., Daniel R. Malone, Alexander K. Schowtka
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Patent number: 7607084Abstract: Automated electronic document design systems and method for designing and modifying product templates. When a user initiates a product design session, a product template is presented for user editing and a product description identifier is assigned to the product being designed. Document templates are assembled from individual composite elements. The individual identifiers of the component elements that make up the template being viewed by the user are associated with the description identifier. Tools are provided to allow a user to change one or more of the composite elements of the template. When a user changes an element, the identifier of the newly selected element is associated with the description identifier. Component elements of one template can be individually used, as appropriate, to prepare customized templates for another part of the same document or for different documents.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2003Date of Patent: October 20, 2009Assignee: Vistaprint Technologies LimitedInventors: Daniel R. Malone, Alexander K. Schowtka, Robert Dulaney
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Publication number: 20080141171Abstract: Electronic document design methods and computer programs allowing a user to separately control and modify layout and the design components of an electronic document. A number of possible document layouts and possible document designs are stored. A document is based on the combination of one of the stored layouts and one of the stored designs. While the user is viewing the electronic document, controls are available to the user allowing the user to view and select among alternate layouts and designs for that document. Color schemes and font schemes for the document may also be separated controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2008Publication date: June 12, 2008Inventors: Alexander K. Schowtka, Eliza H. Royal, Daniel R. Malone, Robert L. Dulaney
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Patent number: 7339598Abstract: Automated electronic document design systems and methods for combining identified images and layouts into electronic product templates for displaying to a user. A plurality of images and a plurality of layouts are retained. Stored images are identified based on keyword input by the user. Stored layouts contain one or more image containers and are identified based on product type and number of layout images input by the user. Images and layout image containers are designed to use pre-determined standard sizes to facilitate modularity and the ready combination of images and layouts.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2003Date of Patent: March 4, 2008Assignee: Vistaprint Technologies LimitedInventors: Alexander K. Schowtka, Eliza H. Royal, Daniel R. Malone, Eric Walker, Anatoliy V. Tsykora
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Patent number: 7322007Abstract: Electronic document design methods and computer programs allowing a user to separately control and modify layout and the design components of an electronic document. A number of possible document layouts and possible document designs are stored. A document is based on the combination of one of the stored layouts and one of the stored designs. While the user is viewing the electronic document, controls are available to the user allowing the user to view and select among alternate layouts and designs for that document. Color schemes and font schemes for the document may also be separated controlled.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2003Date of Patent: January 22, 2008Assignee: VistaPrint Technologies LimitedInventors: Alexander K. Schowtka, Eliza H. Royal, Daniel R. Malone, Robert L. Dulaney
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Patent number: 7133050Abstract: Automated electronic document design systems and methods for combining identified images and layouts into electronic product templates for displaying to a user. A plurality of images and a plurality of layouts are retained. Stored images are identified based on keyword input by the user. Stored layouts contain one or more image containers and are identified based on product type and number of layout images input by the user. Images are automatically sized and cropped to fit image containers. Sizing and cropping constraints are applying to control image quality.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2003Date of Patent: November 7, 2006Assignee: Vista Print Technologies LimitedInventor: Alexander K. Schowtka
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Patent number: 6993209Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating a WYSIWYG relationship between character strings when rendered on a relatively low resolution device, such as a computer monitor, and the same character strings when rendered on a relatively high resolution device, such as a laser printer or commercial offset printing press, involve determining the difference in the widths of each character string when rendered in both the low resolution format and the high resolution format and inserting or deleting space as required between the individual characters in the character string such that the widths of the low resolution and high resolution strings are substantially equalized.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2002Date of Patent: January 31, 2006Assignee: VistaPrint Technologies LimitedInventors: Alexander K. Schowtka, Anatoliy V. Tsykora
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Publication number: 20040243930Abstract: Electronic document design methods and computer programs allowing a user to separately control and modify layout and the design components of an electronic document. A number of possible document layouts and possible document designs are stored. A document is based on the combination of one of the stored layouts and one of the stored designs. While the user is viewing the electronic document, controls are available to the user allowing the user to view and select among alternate layouts and designs for that document. Color schemes and font schemes for the document may also be separated controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2003Publication date: December 2, 2004Inventors: Alexander K. Schowtka, Eliza H. Royal, Daniel R. Malone, Robert L. Dulaney
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Publication number: 20040085330Abstract: A system and method for automatically generating composite images from component images selected by a system user and incorporating the composite images into an image of a custom product. The user can select component images in any sequence and can delete, add, replace or change component images and colors during the design process. The library of component images is organized into categories and subcategories for presentation to the user.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2002Publication date: May 6, 2004Inventors: Kenneth A. Walker, Daniel R. Malone, Alexander K. Schowtka