Web Content Selection Copying via Canvas Image Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users are unable to copy content selections, such as cropped image regions or interactive content, from web applications rendered within a web browser to a system clipboard, limiting the ability to paste these selections into other content areas.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that detect the intent to copy a selected region, draw an image representing the selection into an image canvas, store it in a data structure referenced by a browser image element, and change the browser selection range to point to this data structure, allowing the image to be copied to a system clipboard and embedded into distinct content areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If web applications are rendered using HTML and scripts to enable rich in-browser functionality, then the capability to view and edit content within the browser is improved, but the ability to copy content selections to a system clipboard deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that intercepts the copy command between the user action and the browser's native copy function. This intermediary detects the copy intent, converts the selected region into an image on a canvas, and manipulates the selection range to point to this image data structure, thereby enabling clipboard copying of web content selections that would otherwise be inaccessible
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter state of the browser selection range from pointing to text content to pointing to an image data structure. By drawing the selected region onto a canvas and storing it as an image, the selection range is redirected to reference this image data, which can then be copied to the clipboard as a valid image format
2Reliability
If the browser selection range is used for text selection, then text copying functionality is maintained, but copying of image regions and interactive content deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the selection range parameter from a text-based reference to an image-based reference. By drawing the selected content onto a canvas element, the selection range now points to image data stored in the canvas's data structure, enabling the clipboard to receive and store image content while maintaining the existing copy command interface
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy of the selected region by drawing it onto a canvas. This canvas-based image serves as a copy representation that can be referenced by the selection range and subsequently copied to the clipboard, effectively creating a replicable image version of the selected content
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to copying web content selections. An embodiment includes detecting an intent to copy a selected region in a web content area, drawing an image representing the selected region into an image canvas, the image canvas based on dimensions of the selected region, storing the image in a data structure referenced by a browser image element, and changing a browser selection range to point to the data structure storing the image representing the selected region, wherein the image can be embedded into at least one content area distinct from the web content area.