Apparatus, system, and method for editing a region of a document intersecting multiple content component types in a single operation
View Patent ↗An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for editing a region of a document intersecting multiple content component types in a single operation. The apparatus includes an input module, a function module, an identification module, a document editing module, and an output module. The input module receives a description of a region of a document. The region intersects a plurality of content component types. The function module obtains a function to be applied to the region. The identification module identifies a set of content components intersecting the region. The document editing module processes intersecting portions of the content components using the function. The output module updates the document with processed intersecting portions of the content components. The apparatus may additionally include a format module that determines an acceptable content component format for the function and a conversion module that converts the intersecting portions of the content components to the acceptable format.
1. A computing device for editing a user-defined region of a document intersecting multiple content component types in a single operation, the computing device comprising:
an input module configured to receive a description of a region of the document, the user-defined region intersecting a plurality of content component types;
a function module configured to obtain a function to be applied to the user-defined region;
an identification module configured to identify a set of content components intersecting the user-defined region received by the input module;
a processing module configured to process intersecting portions of the content components using the function;
a format module configured to determine an acceptable content component format for the function;
a conversion module configured to convert the intersecting portions of the content components to the acceptable format; and
an output module configured to update the document with processed intersecting portions of the content components
wherein the output module updates the document when the computing device is in use.
2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein each content component has a type selected from the group consisting of text, an image, and a graphic.
3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the document comprises a scanned document held in memory.
4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises stand-alone software executing on a computer.
5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises plug-in software for use with a host software application.
6. A system for editing a user-defined region of a document intersecting multiple content component types in a single operation, the system comprising:
a scanner;
a document editing module including:
an input module configured to re a description of a user-defined region of a document scanned by the scanner and held in memory, the region intersecting a plurality of content component types;
a function module configured to obtain a function to be applied to the user-defined region;
an identification module configured to identify a set of content components intersecting the user-defined region received by the input module;
a processing module configured to process intersecting portions of the content components using the function;
a format module configured to determine an acceptable content component format for the function;
a conversion module configured to convert the intersecting portions of the content components to the acceptable format; and
an output module configured to update the document with processed intersecting portions of the content components wherein the output module updates the document when the system is in use.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the document editing module executes on the scanner.
8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the document editing module executes on a stand-alone computer.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the scanner is coupled to the stand-alone computer through a network.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the scanner is directly connected to the stand-alone computer.
11. A method for editing a user-defined region of a document intersecting multiple content component types in a single operation, the method comprising:
receiving a description of a user-defined region of a document, the region intersecting a plurality of content component types;
obtaining a function to be applied to the region;
identifying a set of content components intersecting the user-defined region received by the input module;
processing intersecting portions of the content components using the function;
determining an acceptable content component format for the function;
converting the intersecting portions of the content components to the acceptable format; and
updating the document with processed intersecting portions of the content components.
12. A computer-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform steps to edit a user-defined region of a document intersecting multiple content component types in a single operation, the steps comprising:
receiving a description of a user-defined region of a document, the region intersecting a plurality of content component types;
obtaining a function to be applied to the user-defined region;
identifying a set of content components intersecting the user-defined region;
processing intersecting portions of the content components using the function;
determining an acceptable content component format for the function;
converting the intersecting portions of the content components to the acceptable format; and
updating the document with processed intersecting portions of the content components.
13. A computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising a step of determining a plurality of acceptable content component formats for the function.
14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein each content component has a type selected from the group consisting of text, an image, and a graphic.
15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of crop, erase, deskew, despeckle, brighten, darken, color adjust, reduce red-eye, color correct, and adjust contrast.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising a step of storing the updated document in a single file.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the region intersects a plurality of content components having a plurality of types.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the document comprises a scanned document held in memory.
19. An computing device for editing a user-defined region of a document intersecting multiple content component types in a single operation, the apparatus comprising:
a means for receiving a description of a user-defined region of a document, the region intersecting a plurality of content component types;
a means for obtaining a function to be applied to the user-defined region;
a means for identifying a set of content components intersecting the user-defined region;
a means for processing intersecting portions of the content components using the function;
a means for determining an acceptable content component format for the function;
a means for converting the intersecting portions of the content components to the acceptable format;
and a means for updating the document with processed intersecting portions of the content components
wherein the apparatus updates the document when in use.