Iterative Page Number Resolution in Electronic Documents
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electronic documents, references to other parts of the document may not accurately identify the referenced items during printing, as the document is processed linearly and page layout is not explicitly defined, leading to inaccuracies in referencing.
Innovation Solution
A system and method where references in electronic documents are substituted with previously recorded page numbers before processing by a layout engine, allowing for iterative comparison to ensure accurate placement of referenced items, with the process repeating if necessary until the correct page number is determined.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the document is processed linearly during printing, then the processing sequence is simple and efficient, but the references to items occurring after the current position cannot accurately identify the referenced items
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a first rendering pass to generate initial page numbers for all references before the final print processing. This preliminary rendering establishes placeholder page numbers that are then refined in a second pass, allowing the linear processing to maintain efficiency while achieving accurate reference resolution through the pre-established page number framework
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by comparing the initially assigned page numbers with the actual page numbers determined during layout processing. When discrepancies are found, the system iteratively adjusts the reference page numbers based on this feedback, repeating the comparison and adjustment process until convergence is achieved, thus resolving references accurately while maintaining linear processing efficiency
2Measurement precision
If the entire document is available for processing at any given time, then reference resolution is straightforward, but the processing complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the document processing into distinct passes: a first rendering pass that processes the document structure and assigns initial page numbers, and a second pass that resolves references using the established page numbers. This segmentation allows reference resolution accuracy to be achieved without requiring the entire document to be simultaneously available in memory, reducing processing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary action by performing the first rendering pass to establish the document structure and page number assignments before processing references. This preliminary structuring creates a framework that simplifies subsequent reference resolution, avoiding the need to maintain the entire document in an unresolved state and reducing overall processing complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for resolving references in electronic documents (EDs), including: obtaining an ED having a reference to an item; generating, based on the ED, an intermediate document (ID) for input to a layout engine; identifying an entry having an initial value for the reference; calculating, during a first rendering of the ED, a first page having the item based on the ID and the initial value substituted for the reference; populating the entry with a first page number corresponding to the first page; calculating, during a second rendering of the ED, a second page having the item based on the first page number substituted for the reference; populating the entry with a second page number corresponding to the second page; and generating, in response to the first page number equaling the second page number, a first rendered document based on the second page number substituted for the reference.