Electronic Document Annotation via Superimposed Markup Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing application programs cannot effectively mark-up electronic documents in a way that allows the marked-up content to be separately viewed or modified across different operating systems without altering the underlying document, and the marked-up content is not separable from the original document.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that superimpose a second electronic document over a first electronic document, allowing it to be viewed and modified using different application programs, with the capability to save the second document independently in a standard format like PDF, enabling compatibility across various operating systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If notes are embedded directly in the word processing document using anchor objects, then the notes are displayed over the document content, but the notes cannot be separated from the document and are not viewable on different operating systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the annotation system into two independent components: the original document and the markup document. The markup document contains all annotations as a separate entity that can be independently created, viewed, and modified. This segmentation allows the markup to be platform-independent while maintaining association with the original document through coordinate data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a markup document as an intermediary layer between the user and the original document. This markup document serves as a portable container for annotations that can be transferred between different operating systems and applications, while the coordinate system acts as a mediator to map annotations back to the original document positions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the markup document is saved as a separate independent document, then it can be viewed and modified using different application programs on different operating systems, but the markup must maintain precise positioning relative to the original document
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the positioning information into a portable parameter set consisting of coordinate data and dimension information. These parameters are stored in the markup document in a format that can be interpreted by different applications on different platforms, allowing precise positioning to be maintained while achieving cross-platform compatibility.
3Productivity
If the first electronic document is modified during markup, then the annotations can be updated, but the original document structure may be altered or lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the modification operations from the original document and applies them through the markup document. All annotations, highlights, and modifications are contained within the markup document rather than being applied directly to the original document, thus preserving the original document's integrity while allowing efficient modifications through the markup.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus to mark-up an electronic document (i.e., a second electronic document) that is superimposed on a first electronic document keeping the first electronic document unchanged. The second electronic document is optionally viewed concurrently with the first electronic document. The second electronic document is capable of being viewed or modified using different application programs so long as the different application programs process the format used by the second electronic document. The second electronic document is saved as a separate document independent of the first electronic document.