Abstract: Information relating to an exclusion zone to be provided on a page is received (102), where the exclusion zone defines a corresponding area of the page that is free of content to be inserted in the page. A layout defining plural partitions on the page is produced (104), where the layout includes the exclusion zone and the content having a plurality of elements that are inserted by recursively defining the plural partitions on the page, where the exclusion zone and content elements are provided in respective ones of the plural partitions, and where recursively defining the plural partitions considers presence of the exclusion zone.

Abstract: A user interface that includes a catalog area, a collage mock-up area, and a mode select interface control operable to select an operational state of the user interface is displayed. Thumbnails of respective images are shown in the catalog area. A layout of a subset of the images is presented in the collage mock-up area. In response to the receipt of a user input gesture and a determination that the user interface is in a first operational state, a first action type is performed based on the type of the received user input gesture and the object type of the target object. In response to the receipt of the user input gesture and a determination that the user interface is in a second operational state, a second action type is performed based on the type of the received user input gesture and the object type of the target object.

Abstract: A user-specified layout of graphic objects is received. A relative layout specification is derived from the user-specified layout. The relative layout specification describes relative positions of the graphic objects. A final layout of the graphic objects is determined in accordance with the relative layout specification. The final layout includes a specification of size dimensions and positions of the graphic objects on a page. The final layout of graphic objects is output.

Abstract: A method for arranging a plurality of graphic elements on a page into a final page layout is described. The method includes identifying a maximum cropping factor (CF) that determines the maximum amount by which a graphic element on the page can be cropped, obtaining a preliminary layout for the graphic elements on the page by, assigning a final area on the page to the preliminary layout, allocating a final area on the page for each graphic element; and fitting each graphic element to its allocated final area.

Abstract: Information relating to an exclusion zone to be provided on a page is received (102), where the exclusion zone defines a corresponding area of the page that is free of content to be inserted in the page. A layout defining plural partitions on the page is produced (104), where the layout includes the exclusion zone and the content having a plurality of elements that are inserted by recursively defining the plural partitions on the page, where the exclusion zone and content elements are provided in respective ones of the plural partitions, and where recursively defining the plural partitions considers presence of the exclusion zone.

Abstract: Methods, machines, and machine-readable media for arranging images on pages of an album are described. In one aspect, an album has multiple potential states each corresponding to a respective arrangement of the images on the pages. In accordance with one method, the album is received in an initial state. A series of successive states from the initial state to an end state is determined. Each of the successive states is selected from candidate states in a respective neighborhood of a corresponding preceding one of the states in the series based on a heuristic evaluation of the candidate states.

Abstract: A candidate layout of frames on a page is ascertained, where the frames define respective size dimensions and positions of respective views of the graphic objects (including at least one block of text) on the page. If the target size dimensions are not accommodated by the size dimensions of the frame of the text block presentation, the candidate layout is modified by changing the size dimensions of the frame of the text block presentation to accommodate the target size dimensions and adjusting the size dimensions of the other frames in the candidate layout based on the changed size dimensions of the frame of the text block presentation. Also, different layouts of the frames on a page are determined from a different respective set of aspect ratios and nominal sizes subject to a set of layout constraints.

Abstract: Methods, machines, systems and machine-readable instructions for producing marketing items are described. In one aspect, a user is prompted to specify campaign parameters, including one or more campaign topics, defining a scope of the campaign. The user is prompted to specify for each of the one or more campaign topics a corresponding set of one or more attributes of intended recipients of the marketing campaign. The one or more specified campaign topics are associated to respective sets of targeted recipients selected from a database of records of potential recipients based on mappings of the respective sets of recipient attributes to the campaign topics and the specified campaign parameters defining the scope of the marketing campaign. For each of the targeted recipients, a respective marketing item containing a respective set of one or more contents matched to the campaign topic associated to the targeted recipient is composed.

Abstract: A method for quickly and efficiently locating objects, such as images having fixed aspect ratios, within a predefined space, such as a printed page, is provided. The method comprises generating a binary tree containing a first image. The system generates a second tree, where the second tree modifies the first tree by inserting a second image at a location or position on the first tree. This iterative process of inserting images one at a time continues until the system generates a final tree including all images. In each iteration, the position in the binary tree where the system inserts each subsequent image can be either a leaf or a node. The system generates a series of candidate trees, one for each subsequent image inserted into each and every location in the preceding tree, and the candidate tree having a highest score indicates the selected location for the subsequent image and the new baseline, preferred binary tree.

Abstract: A candidate layout of frames on a page is ascertained, where the frames define respective size dimensions and positions of respective views of the graphic objects (including at least one block of text) on the page. If the target size dimensions are not accommodated by the size dimensions of the frame of the text block presentation, the candidate layout is modified by changing the size dimensions of the frame of the text block presentation to accommodate the target size dimensions and adjusting the size dimensions of the other frames in the candidate layout based on the changed size dimensions of the frame of the text block presentation. Also, different layouts of the frames on a page are determined from a different respective set of aspect ratios and nominal sizes subject to a set of layout constraints.

Abstract: A user interface that includes a catalog area, a collage mock-up area, and a mode select interface control operable to select an operational state of the user interface is displayed. Thumbnails of respective images are shown in the catalog area. A layout of a subset of the images is presented in the collage mock-up area. In response to the receipt of a user input gesture and a determination that the user interface is in a first operational state, a first action type is performed based on the type of the received user input gesture and the object type of the target object. In response to the receipt of the user input gesture and a determination that the user interface is in a second operational state, a second action type is performed based on the type of the received user input gesture and the object type of the target object.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically producing a page using frames of a video stream. A plurality of video frames from a video stream or clip are read, and multiple frames are extracted from the video stream, based on the content of each frame. Frames which neighbor the extracted frames in the video stream are also extracted, with the number of neighboring frames to be extracted being controlled by parameters provided to the page production system. The resolution of the images in the extracted video frames is enhanced, based on the information in each extracted frame and each respective extracted neighboring frame. The enhanced images are automatically cropped to enhance the important features in each image, and the cropped images are composed into one or more pages that are representative of the content of the video stream.

Abstract: A method for locating objects, such as images having fixed aspect ratios, within a predefined space, such as a printed page, is provided. The method comprises generating a binary tree structure comprising at least one node and a plurality of leaves, each leaf corresponding to an image and being associated with one node. The method further comprises characterizing a bounding box for each node in the binary tree structure, the bounding box establishing a boundary for all leaves associated with the node. The method also comprises manipulating bounding boxes to fit within the predefined space. The method may be selectively repeated to reposition images within the binary tree structure or to reform the binary tree structure and characterize and manipulate using the reformed binary tree structure. The end result is at least one potential layout having all images located within the predefined space.

Abstract: Methods, machines, systems and machine-readable instructions for albuming graphic elements are described. In one aspect, candidate relative layouts of graphic elements on a page are identified. Each of the candidate relative layouts describes a respective set of layout relationships among the graphic elements. A respective set of constraints describing the corresponding set of layout relationships among the graphic elements is generated for each of the candidate relative layouts. A respective determinate layout of the graphic elements on the page is determined from each set of constraints. One of the determinate layouts is selected as a final layout of the graphic elements on the page.

Abstract: Candidate tree structures, each of which includes a current tree structure and a respective node defining a respective relative location on the selected page for another graphic object selected from a set, are generated. Initial size dimensions are determined for the graphic objects in each of the candidate tree structures. Respective scores are computed for the candidate tree structures based at least in part on the corresponding initial size dimensions. One of the candidate tree structures is selected as the current tree structure based on the computed scores. The process is repeated until relative locations on the page are defined for all of the graphic objects in the set. Next, final size dimensions are calculated for the graphic objects in accordance with the current tree structure. Respective positions of the graphic objects on the selected page are specified in accordance with the current tree structure.

Abstract: A user-specified layout of graphic objects is received. A relative layout specification is derived from the user-specified layout. The relative layout specification describes relative positions of the graphic objects. A final layout of the graphic objects is determined in accordance with the relative layout specification. The final layout includes a specification of size dimensions and positions of the graphic objects on a page. The final layout of graphic objects is output.

Abstract: In one aspect, respective target rendering sizes of graphic objects to be arranged on a page are ascertained based on a respective nominal size assigned to the graphic objects. Different candidate layouts of the graphic objects on the page are constructed. A final layout of the graphic objects is determined based on comparisons of ones of the actual rendering sizes of the graphic objects in the candidate layouts with their target rendering sizes. In another aspect, two or more different candidate assignments of respective nominal sizes to the graphic objects are determined. A respective set of one or more candidate layouts of the graphic objects on the page is constructed in accordance with each of two or more of the candidate assignments.

Abstract: A method for arranging a plurality of graphic elements on a page into a final page layout is described. The method includes identifying a maximum cropping factor (CF) that determines the maximum amount by which a graphic element on the page can be cropped, obtaining a preliminary layout for the graphic elements on the page by, assigning a final area on the page to the preliminary layout, allocating a final area on the page for each graphic element; and fitting each graphic element to its allocated final area.

Abstract: A system and method for paginating objects, such as graphical images, within a predefined space, such as a viewable or printed page, is provided. The system and method includes substantially evenly distributing graphical images on a selected number of pages. Alternately, the system and method may determine remainders based on supplied numbers of graphical images per page and total number of pages, and redetermine and reassign depending upon the remainders, or may employ a page layout technique using scoring to establish a best layout for available graphical images and assign graphical images to pages using the page layout technique, or may determine pagination based on expected viewing conditions. The system and method may also receive specific hard page breaks establishing chapters and compute soft page breaks based on certain criteria.

Abstract: A method for image scaling. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for image scaling that begins by selecting an input pixel from a first image. An input edge characteristic is determined from an input window associated with the input pixel. The input edge characteristic is determined from a plurality of predetermined edge characteristics that are associated with sets of filter coefficient vectors. An output window is generated by filtering the input window with a corresponding set of filter coefficients associated with the input edge characteristic. An output image is generated by repeating the above for a plurality of input pixels associated with the first image.