Method and system for formatting messages into stylized messages for print out
Methods for formatting messages into stylized templates for delivery to a printer. The templates include a variety of different formats to accommodate the various elements of the message. The available templates can include themed templates, calendars, to-do lists, address books, stationary, and the like. The system and methods format the message by parsing the elements of the message into component parts and fitting them within a template.
1. A method of delivering a message comprising:
receiving a message via a short messaging service, a multimedia messaging service, facsimile or a website directed to a preselected recipient at a central service, wherein the recipient is specified by an account associated with the recipient, and wherein the message comprises one or more elements;
resolving the elements of the message into one or more categories of elements;
formatting the message into a printer-friendly format for delivery of the message to the recipient's printer by placing the elements of the message into a selected template, wherein the template comprises a plurality of spaces configured to receive a preselected category of elements and the template is selected based on the elements of the message;
transmitting the formatted message to the recipient's printer over a network, wherein the recipient's printer comprises a printing device owned or possessed by the recipient; and
sending instructions to print the formatted message at the recipient's printer for direct receipt by the recipient.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the website is a social networking site.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the website is a photo sharing site.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elements include a plurality of photographs, attached to the message, the template includes one or more photo spaces, and the formatting step comprises:
placing one or more of the plurality of the photographs attached to the message into the one or more photo spaces of the template.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein formatting comprises placing the plurality of photographs into a series of formatted messages.
6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
adjusting dimensions of the photo spaces based on the size or aspect ratio of the photographs attached to the message.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the formatting step comprises selecting the template from a template family comprising a set of related templates.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the related templates in the template family are designed to accommodate different sizes of photos, and the selecting step comprises selecting the template from the template family based on the size of the photo attached to the message.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the related templates in the template family are designed to accommodate different numbers of photos, and the selecting step comprises selecting the template from the template family based on a number of photos attached to the message.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the related templates in the template family have a common theme.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the templates in the template family have spaces of different dimensions for the elements of the message.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the related templates include a preferred template, and the selecting step comprises:
if the elements fit into the space of the preferred template from the set of related templates, selecting the preferred template; and
if the elements do not fit into the space of the preferred template, selecting a template from the set of related templates having a space large enough to fit the elements.
13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the related templates are a prioritized list of templates, and the selecting step comprises:
selecting the template with the highest priority that fits the elements of the message.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting the template from a set comprising a preferred template and a fallback template, wherein the fallback template has greater flexibly in accommodating an element of the message than the preferred template.
15. The method of 14 , wherein the selecting step comprises:
determining whether the element of the message needs to be retained on a single page of the formatted message; and
if the element needs to be retained on a single page of the formatted message and it cannot fit on the preferred template, selecting the fallback template.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein if all of the elements do not fit onto a single page, placing the elements on one or more overflow pages.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of spaces have predefined initial dimensions, and the formatting step comprising:
if the element fits within the initial dimensions of the space of the template, placing the element into the space; and
if the element does not fit within the initial dimensions of the space, increasing the dimensions of the space to accommodate the element.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the dimensions of the space can be increased within a boundary constraint, and the formatting step comprises:
if the element does not fit within the initial dimensions of the space, calculating dimensions required to fit the element; and
if the calculated dimensions are within the boundary constraint, increasing the dimensions of the space according to the calculated dimensions.
19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
reordering the placement of the elements in the template to save paper.
20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
returning a formatted version of the message to a sender of the message.
21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying to a sender of the message a preview version of the formatted version of the message prior to transmitting the formatted message.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the template comprises a selection from a family of templates, wherein the selection of a particular template is dependent on the date of the message.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the template is selected by the system from a family of templates.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the template is selected based on optimizing ink utilization.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the template is selected based on an attribute of the destination printer.
26. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a set of user preferences at the central service; and
applying one or more user preferences to the formatted message.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the user preference is specified by a person other than the user.
28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the user preference relates to a default template family used for formatting incoming messages.
29. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sender specifies a particular template.
30. The method of claim 1 , wherein the formatted message includes information regarding the sender.
31. The method of claim 1 , wherein the elements include a universal resource locator (URL), and wherein the step of placing the elements into a template involves resolving the URL and placing the contents of the resulting resource into the template.