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`US 6,779,153 B1
`(10) Patent N0.:
`(12) United States Patent
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`(45) Date of Patent:
`Aug. 17, 2004
`Kagle
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`USOO6779153B1
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`(54) CREATION OF WEB PAGES THROUGH
`SYNCHRONIZATION
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`(75)
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`Inventor:
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`*
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`.
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`) Notice:
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`(
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`Jonathan Kagle, Redmond, WA (US)
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`(73) Assignee: Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA
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`(US)
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`Subjectto any disclaimer, the term of this
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`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
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`U‘S‘C‘ 154(b) by 0 days.
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`(21) Appl. N05 09/300,141
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`(22) Filed:
`Apr. 27, 1999
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`Related US. Application Data
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`Provisional application No. 60/111,999, filed on Dec. 11,
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`1998.
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`(60)
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`7
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`Int. Cl.
`(51)
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`(52) US. Cl.
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`................................................ G06F 17/21
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`....................... 715/522; 715/517; 715/530;
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`715/513; 715/501.1
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`(58) Field Of Search ................................. 707/513, 522;
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`709/218; 715/522, 501.1, 513, 517, 523,
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`530, 531; 345/751, 733
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`(56)
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`References CitEd
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`US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`12/1998 Arora et al.
`5,845,299 A
`
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`
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`1/1999 Nestor 91 a1.
`5,804,338 A *
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`4/1999 Tya'n 6‘ a1~
`5.3937127 A
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`4/1999 FrelYald et 211'
`59898336 A
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`8/1999 Ferns et al’
`5’937’418 A
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`10/1999 Benedikt et al.
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`
`2/2000 Douglis et a1.
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`2/2000 D’Arlach et a1.
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`
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`3/2000 Naraven et a1.
`5,035,323 A *
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`9/2000 Stedman et al.
`6,122,661 A
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`6,141,666 A * 10/2000 Tobin .......................... 705/27
`6,185,587 B1
`2/2001 Bernardo et a1.
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`(List continued on next page.)
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`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 345/860
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`............. 709/200
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`..... 707/10
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`,,,,,,,,, 707/5011
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`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
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`Lemay “Teach Yourself Web Publishing With HTML in 14
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`
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`daysjia 1995, PP 381—391-*
`
`
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`
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`Mack et al., “HTML 4.0 NO Experience Required”, 1997,
`
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`pp. 542—546.*
`
`
`
`
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`
`
`Rodenthal, Adobe SiteMill 1.0: Site Managment Made Easy,
`
`
`
`
`Internet 1998, pp. 1—2.
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`Lemay, Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 3.0 in
`
`
`
`
`
`
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`a Week, Sams.net Publishing 1996, pp. 46—47.
`
`
`
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`
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`Adams et al., “Template Style Considerations for Sea—of-
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Gates Layout Generation”, 26"‘ ACM/lEhE Design Auto-
`
`
`
`
`
`mation Conference®, pp. 31—36, 1989.
`
`
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`
`
`
`
`Fernandez et 211., “Catching the Boat with Strudel: Experi-
`
`
`
`
`
`
`ences with a Web—Site Mangement System”, pp. 414—425,
`
`1998.
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`Primary Examiner—Stephen S. IIong
`
`
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`
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`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Banner & Witcoff, Ltd.
`
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
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`Creation of web pages on hand—held devices such as digital
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`cameras and personal digital assistants (PDAs) is made
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`feasible by a system for generating mark-up language based
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`on a compact template mapping file created on the hand-held
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`device. Through a user interface, a user of the hand—held
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`device creates the template mapping file, which associates a
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`selected on of the templates stored on the host computer with
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`one or more source files, which may include text, image and
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`audio files. HTML templates (files containing the actual and
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`usually lengthy formatting commands that accomplish the
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`style selected by the user) and Other large files needed to
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`create compelling web pages reside on the host computer,
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`not on the hand-held device. In a synchronization operation,
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`where the hand-held computer is operably connected to the
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`host com uter the source files are mer ed with the selected
`.
`p
`.
`. g .
`’
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`Style templates. accordmg ,tO maPPlFlg meFm‘mon 1,“ the
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`template mapping file. The invention is espeCIally applicable
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`to digital cameras having features of a PDA and provides
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`users with the capability to remotely create their own
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`websites which incorporate images they have obtained with
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`the digital camera.
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`57 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
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`Page 1 of 17
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`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1029
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`Page 1 of 17
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`GOOGLE EXHIBIT 1029
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`

`

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`US 6,779,153 B1
`Page 2
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`6,330,575 B1
`
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`6,336,210 B1
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`6,344,853 B1 *
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`6,397,387 B1
`6,429,880 B2
`
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`6,449,260 B1
`
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`6,466,970 B1
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`1 2/2001
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`1/2002
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`2/2002
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`5/2002
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`8/2002
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`9/2002
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`1 0/2002
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`Moore et al.
`
`
`'l'aima et a1.
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`
`
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`Knight
`....................... 345/629
`Rosin ct a].
`
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`Marcos et a1.
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`Sassin el 211.
`
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`Lee et al.
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`* cited by examiner
`
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`US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`
`Yasumura
`
`
`Applenlan et al.
`
`
`Ferrel et a].
`
`
`Aihara et al.
`............... 348/207
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`Ferris et a].
`
`
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`Bernardo et al.
`
`
`
`Gever et a1.
`
`
`
`Shiota et a1.
`
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`707/517
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`
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`................. 705/27
`
`
`2/2001
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`6,192,363
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`
`2/2001
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`6,195,681
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`3/2001
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`6,199,082
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`4/2001
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`6,223,190
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`6/2001
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`6,253,228
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`B1 * 10/2001
`6,304,886
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`11/2001
`6,313,835
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`6,324,521
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`Page 2 of 17
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`US. Patent
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`US. Patent
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`Sheet 5 0f 8
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`US 6,779,153 B1
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`US. Patent
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`DETERMINE THE SOURCE
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`FILES ASSOCIATED WITH
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`THE TEMPLATE IN THE
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`MAPPING FILE
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`MERGE TEXT FILES INTO
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`THE APPROPRIATE
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`PLACE IN THE SELECTED
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`TEMPLATE
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`Figure 8
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`Page 10 of 17
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`1
`CREATION OF WEB PAGES THROUGH
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`SYNCHRONIZATION
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`US 6,779,153 B1
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`sophisticated, they may tend to incorporate much of the
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`functionality of PDAs
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`One consequence of the compact designs and low weights
`consumers desire in hand-held electronic devices is that such
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`devices are limited in the amount of system resources,
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`namely memory and screen size, that they provide. Although
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`the portability of hand-held devices make them attractive as
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`web—authoring platforms,
`they have not heretofore been
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`considered as feasible platforms for web creation, primarily
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`because of their limited system resources. It would therefore
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`be desirable to provide a web-authoring system and method
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`which are suitable for
`implementation on a hand-held
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`device, such as a PDAor a digital camera. Such a system and
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`method would permit users of digital cameras, for example,
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`to create compelling web pages that
`incorporate digital
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`images they have recorded “on-thc-spot” and provide their
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`own textual information for presentation to others on the
`World Wide Web.
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`The invention provides for the creation of web pages on
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`hand-held devices such as PDAs and digital cameras. In
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`general, the invention provides for the downloading of data
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`from a hand-held device (client) while simultaneously, in a
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`one-step operation, substituting user-defined data into tem-
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`plates stored on a larger computer platform (host). Auser of
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`the invention will be able to remotely author, on their
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`hand-held device (client), a web page styled according to
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`their own preference.
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`One aspect of the invention involves the generation of
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`large HTML files on the host computer under control of a
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`compact mapping file that is a generated on a hand—held
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`client computer. The mapping file may be created using a
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`graphic user interface on the hand-held device which allows
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`the user to associate particular ones of a library of templates
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`with text and images, which may be stored on the hand-held
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`device. In a one-step synchronization operation when the
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`hand-held device is connected to a host computer,
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`mapping file controls the creation of a main HTML file.
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`Specifically, templates referenced in the mapping file are
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`retrieved from host memory and “filled in” with the appro-
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`priate information according to the mapping file. Finally, the
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`main HTML file and any source files (e.g. images, audio
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`it points to are transferred from the host
`to the
`files)
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`appropriate location on the web server to create the web
`page.
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`A primary advantage provided by the invention is that
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`HTML templates (files containing the actual and usually
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`lengthy formatting commands that accomplish the style
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`selected by the user) and other large files needed to create
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`compelling web pages reside on the host computer, not on
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`the hand-held device. Another advantage provided by the
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`invention is that web creation may occur automatically,
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`using a one-step synchronization operation, thereby elimi-
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`nating the need for a web author to manually orchestrate the
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`transfer of appropriate source files and text. In the case of a
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`digital camera, the invention provides users with the capa—
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`bility to create web page content
`incorporating digital
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`images stored in the camera and, from a location remote
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`from the host computer, present those images in a compel-
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`ling format on the World Wide Web. This solution also
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`reduces the amount of data (bandwidth) that needs to be
`transferred from the hand-held device and the main PC.
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`BRIEF DESCRlP’l‘lON OF THE DRAWINGS
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`The present invention is illustrated by way of example in
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`the accompanying Figures, which should not be construed as
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`limiting, in which:
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`This application receives the benefit of US Provisional
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`Application No. 60/111,999, filed Dec. 11, 1998.
`TECHNICAL FIELD
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`The invention relates to systems and methods for gener-
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`ating web pages to be displayed on distributed networks,
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`such as the World Wide Web. More particularly, the inven-
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`tion relates to systems and methods for providing users of a
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`hand-held device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA)
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`or digital camera, with the capability to author web pages
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`without being limited by the system resources of the hand-
`held device.
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`The distributed network known as the Internet is a global
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`array of cooperatively interconnected computer networks. It
`includes the World Wide Web, which is a collection of
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`websites defined by web servers—computers that store and
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`retrieve computer files that represent web pages that are
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`requested by and displayed to users of the Internet. Web
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`pages combine text, graphic images, animation, audio and
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`other multimedia forms for presentation to viewers. In the
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`Web environment, client machines communicate with Web
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`servers using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (IITTP), which
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`uses a standard page description language known as Hyper-
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`text Markup Language (HTML). HTML provides basic
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`document formatting and allows the developer to specify
`“links” to other servers and files.
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`It is known to provide web page authoring tools, such as
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`“FRONTPAGE” and “FRONTPAGE EXPRESS” developed
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`by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond Wash., which give
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`web page authors the ability to quickly and efficiently create
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`compelling web pages. Much of the power of these tools is
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`derived from the use of style templates, which contain
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`predefined HTML formatting commands for predetermined
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`styles. With templates, a web page author avoids the tedious
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`task of manually entering hundreds of HTML formatting
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`commands. Because of the need to store large libraries of
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`templates and other large files, such as background bitmaps,
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`state-of-the-art web-authoring tools require computer plat-
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`forms with relatively large amounts of system resources, i.e.
`memory.
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`There is a recent growing trend towards the use of
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`portable hand-held computing devices that oifer portability,
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`but which provide somewhat limited computing features.
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`Known hand-held devices, such as PDAs, provide for the
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`storage and retrieval addresses and other information, send—
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`ing and receiving of e-mail via communications link and
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`other functionality defined by resident software applications.
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`PDAs offer the capability of remote connectivity to a desk-
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`top computer or to the Internet using a communications link,
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`enabling users to upload and download information, and to
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`synchronize information stored in the PDA with information
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`on a host computer, from virtually any geographic location.
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`Hand-held devices also include rather specialized platforms,
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`such as digital cameras, which provide users with the
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`capability of instantly recording electronic images on a
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`removable storage device, such as a floppy diskette, for later
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`viewing on a desktop computer. From the desktop computer,
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`users may send the image files to their friends via e-mail,
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`post them to an existing website on the World Wide Web, or
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`incorporate them into their own website. As the user inter—
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`faces and features of digital cameras become more
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`Page 11 of17
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`Page 11 of 17
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`US 6,779,153 B1
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`FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional general-
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`purpose digital computing environment that may be used to
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`implement various aspects of the present invention;
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`FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary web page layout for
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`permitting a user to create a web page according to the
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`present invention;
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`FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface
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`(GUI) for permitting a user to select style templates for a
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`web page layout according to the present invention;
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`FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary GUI for permitting a user
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`to enter text into a style template according to the present
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`invention;
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`FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for gener-
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`ating an HTML page layout according to the present inven—
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`tion;
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`FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary format for a compact
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`mapping file created on a hand-held device according to the
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`present invention;
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`FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary control flow and file
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`transfer according to the present invention; and
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`FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram for gener-
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`ating an HTML page layout from a mapping file according
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`to the present invention.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
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`INVENTION
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`4
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`disk drive 191 are respectively connected to the system bus
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`130 by a hard disk drive interface 192, a magnetic disk drive
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`interface 193, and an optical disk drive interface 194. The
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`drives and their associated computer-readable media provide
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`nonvolatile storage of computer readable instructions, data
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`structures, program [nodules and other data for personal
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`computer 100. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the
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`art that other types of computer readable media which can
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`store data that is accessible by a computer, such as magnetic
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`cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli
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`cartridges, random access memories (RAMs), read only
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`memories (ROMs), and the like, may also be used in the
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`exemplary operating environment.
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`A number of program modules can be stored on the hard
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`disk, magnetic disk 190, optical disk 192, ROM 140 or
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`RAM 150, including an operating system 195, one or more
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`application programs 196, other program modules 197, and
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`program data 198. A user can enter commands and infor-
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`mation into computer 100 through input devices, such as a
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`keyboard 101 and a pointing device 102. Other input devices
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`(not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad,
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`satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input
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`devices are often connected to the processing unit 110
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`through a serial port interface 106 that is coupled to the
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`system bus, but may be connected by other interfaces, such
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`as a parallel port, a game port or a universal serial bus
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`(USB). A monitor 107 or other type of display device is also
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`connected to system bus 130 via an interface, such as a video
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`adapter 108. In addition to the monitor, personal computers
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`typically include other peripheral output devices (not
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`shown), such as speakers and printers.
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`Computer 100 can operate in a networked environment
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`using logical connections to one or more remote computers,
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`such as a remote computer 109. Remote computer 109, also
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`referred to as a “client,” may be a PDA or digital camera
`which includes some of the elements described above rela-
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`tive to computer 100, although only a memory storage
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`in
`device 111 has been illustrated in FIG. 1. Typically,
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`hand-held devices, the monitor 107 would be in the form of
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`a compact
`liquid crystal display (LCD) and the storage
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`devices, for example, 170 and 191 are omitted in favor of a
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`large internal memory or RAM. Moreover, the user input
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`device, such as the keyboard 101 take the form of a compact
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`keyboard interface or handwriting recognition interfaces. In
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`the case of a digital camera, storage device in the form of a
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`floppy disk drive may be provided. The logical connections
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`depicted in FIG. 1 include a local area network (LAN) 112
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`and a wide area network (WAN) 113. Such networking
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`environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise—wide
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`computer networks, intranets and the Internet.
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`When used in a LAN networking environment, computer
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`100 is connected to local network 112 through a network
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`interface or adapter 114. When used in a WAN networkng
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`environment, personal computer 100 and remote computer
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`109 may both include a modem 115 or other means for
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`establishing a communications over wide area network 113,
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`such as the Internet. Modern 115, which may be internal or
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`external,
`is connected to system bus 130 via serial port
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`interface 106. In a networked environment, program mod—
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`ules depicted relative to personal computer 100, or portions
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`thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device.
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`It will be appreciated that the network connections shown
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`are exemplary and other means of establishing a communi-
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`cations link between the computers can be used. The exist-
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`ence of any of various well-known protocols, such as
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`TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like, is presumed, and
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`the system can be operated in a client-server configuration to
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`Although not required, the invention will be described in
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`the general context of computer-executable instructions,
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`such as program modules, being executed by a personal
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`computer. Generally, program modules include routines,
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`programs, objects, components, data structures, etc.
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`data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate
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`that the invention may be practiced with other computer
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`system configurations, including hand-held devices, multi-
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`processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable
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`consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, main-
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`frame computers, and the like. The invention may also be
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`practiced in distributed computing environments where
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`tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are
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`linked through a communications network. In a distributed
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`computing environment, program modules may be located
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`in both local and remote memory storage devices.
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`FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional general-
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`purpose digital computing environment that can be used to
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`implement various aspects of the invention. Computer 100
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`includes a processing unit 110, a system memory 120 and a
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`system bus 130 that couples various system components
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`including the system memory to the processing unit 110.
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`System bus 130 may be any of several types of bus struc—
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`tures including a memory bus or memory controller, a
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`peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus
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`architectures. System memory 120 includes a read only
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`memory (ROM) 140 and a random access memory (RAM)
`150.
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`A basic input/output system (BIOS) 160 containing the
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`basic routines that help to transfer information between
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`elements within the computer 100, such as during start-up,
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`is stored in ROM 140. Computer 100 also includes a hard
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`disk drive 170 for reading from and writing to a hard disk
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`(not shown), a magnetic disk drive 180 for reading from or
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`writing to a removable magnetic disk 190, and an optical
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`disk drive 191 for reading from or writing to a removable
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`optical disk 192, such as a CD ROM or other optical media.
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`Hard disk drive 170, magnetic disk drive 180, and optical
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`Page 12 of 17
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`Page 12 of 17
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`US 6,779,153 B1
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`5
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`permit a user to retrieve web pages from a web-based server.
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`Any of various conventional web browsers can be used to
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`display and manipulate data on web pages.
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`One aspect of the invention provides a method and system
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`for generating web pages based on a compact mapping file
`created and stored on the hand-held device or remote
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`computer 109. Another aspect of the invention relates to a
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`simplified layout for a web page suitable for implementation
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`on a hand-held device. The simplified HTML layout will
`first be described with reference to FIGS. 2—5 to illustrate
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`one method of creating a template mapping file according to
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`the invention. With reference to FIGS. 6—8, the method and
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`system for generating a web page according to a template
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`mapping file will then be described. It will be recognized
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`that the simplified layout described below is intended to
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`illustrate one possible method and user interface for creating
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`the mapping file. Other methods of creating the mapping file
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`will be apparent to those of ordinary skill upon a reading of
`this disclosure.
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`FIG. 2 provides a schematic overview of an exemplary
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`web page layout scheme according to an aspect of the
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`invention. Aweb page 200 is divided into horizontal rows or
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`regions 201. Each of these horizontal regions 201a—g is
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`associated with a particular style template, selected by a
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`user. Exemplary style templates include templates for titles,
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`text, audio, pictures, parallel column and navigational bars.
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`For example, a title style template may be associated with
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`the top horizontal region 201a. Region 2011) may be asso-
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`ciated with a style template for presenting a centered image.
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`Region 201C may be associated with a style template for
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`presenting caption text for the centered image above. Each
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`style template includes HTML codes for the particular style
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`of the template and blank spaces for information, such as
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`text or pictures.
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`One or more source files, which may include text, image,
`audio or other multimedia files, are also associated with each
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`horizontal region 201, and thus associated with the style
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`template designated for that region. For example, a source
`file named “Title1.txt” that contains text for a title is
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`associated with region 20111. Similarly, an image file
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`“Pic1.jpg” is associated with region 201b. Style templates
`can also be associated with more than one source file. For
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`example, the style template assigned to region 201d accepts
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`both an image file and a text file and is therefore associated
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`with text file “Text2.txt” and image file “Pic2.jpg. Similarly,
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`the style template associated with region 201a is associated
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`with text file “Text3.txt” and image file “Pic3.jpg.” As
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`represented by regions 201f and 201g, style templates for
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`audio files and navigational links may also be provided.
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`Thus, the simplified page layout according to the invention
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`provides for the association of one or more source files with
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`a selected one of a plurality of style templates.
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`FIG. 3 shows an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI)
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`300 for permitting a user to associate selected style terri-
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`plates with one or more source files. GUI 300 may be
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`implemented on a small consumer electronic device having
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`limited memory and display area, such as a Windows®
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`CE-based digital camera or a Windows® CE-based personal
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`digital assistant (PDA). In FIG. 3, GUI 300 is shown divided
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`into two display regions 31