Dynamic Font Subsetting for Electronic Documents

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for delivering content over computer networks are inefficient due to the need for complete font sets, which consume significant memory and bandwidth, especially when only a subset of characters is required, and fail to adapt to different languages and user devices with limited resources.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for analyzing electronic documents to identify unique font characters and requesting only the necessary font subsets, reducing memory usage and bandwidth by providing only the required characters, with the option to send complete sets when efficient, and using software agents to autonomously scan and manage font delivery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If complete font sets are delivered to ensure all characters are available, then font rendering reliability is improved, but memory consumption and bandwidth usage increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefont rendering reliabilityVSAvoidmemory consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the specific characters needed from complete font sets by analyzing the electronic document content to identify unique characters, then delivers only those extracted characters to the user device, eliminating the need to transmit and store entire font sets

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The font delivery process is segmented into multiple stages: first delivering a subset of commonly used characters for immediate rendering, then providing additional character subsets on-demand as the user interacts with the document, breaking down the single large font set delivery into smaller manageable portions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If complete font sets are delivered to ensure all characters are available, then font rendering reliability is improved, but bandwidth usage increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefont rendering reliabilityVSAvoidbandwidth usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The font delivery system dynamically adapts to user needs by monitoring document interaction and automatically requesting additional character subsets only when those characters are actually needed, making the font delivery process flexible and responsive rather than static

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If font subsets are delivered based on document analysis to reduce memory and bandwidth usage, then resource efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to autonomous analysis and on-demand requests

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The user device autonomously analyzes the electronic document content to identify which characters are actually used, automatically generates requests for the needed font subsets, and manages its own font rendering without requiring complex server-side processing or manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces a font subset server as an intermediary that stores complete font sets and dynamically generates appropriate subsets based on client requests, simplifying the architecture by centralizing font management while allowing client devices to remain relatively simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If complete font sets are used to support diverse languages and characters, then adaptability is improved, but memory consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelanguage support adaptabilityVSAvoidmemory consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10572574B2Dynamic font subsetting using a file size threshold for an electronic document

Publication Date: 2020.02.25 MONOTYPE IMAGING INC

AI summary

A computer-implemented method includes analyzing content of a received electronic document in an autonomous manner to identify each unique character of one or more fonts included in the content of the electronic document. The method also includes initiating a request for a subset of one or more of the fonts included in the content of the electronic document, wherein the request includes each identified unique character of the respective one or more fonts.