CREATING AN EMAIL OR ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT LAYOUT BASED ON VISUAL INPUT
Systems and methods of the present invention provide for one or more server computers communicatively coupled to a network and configured to receive a digital image of a hand drawn email campaign or desktop publishing layout from a client including shapes and/or symbols, and select a matching shape or symbol defined in a database, which is used to create a content component for an email campaign or desktop publishing template GUI, which a user accesses and edits. The template is then stored within the database.
1 . A system, comprising a server hardware computing device coupled to a network and comprising at least one processor executing computer-executable instructions within a memory, which, when executed, cause the system to:
receive a digital image, captured by and transmitted from a client hardware computing device coupled to the network, the digital image including a hand-drawn layout of an email campaign, or a desktop publishing document, comprising at least one received shape or symbol at a position within the hand-drawn layout;
identify, within the digital image:
an image or a text string; and
an aspect ratio according to a relative size or position of the at least one received shape or symbol within the hand-drawn layout;
select, from a database coupled to the network:
a defined shape or symbol, within a dictionary defining a plurality of shapes or symbols, matching the at least one received shape or symbol;
an industry associated in the database with the image or the text string identified; and
a content component, for incorporation into the email campaign or the desktop publishing document, associated in the database with:
the defined shape or symbol;
the industry associated with the image or the text string; and
the aspect ratio and the relative size and position of the at least one received shape or symbol;
generate a template, for the email campaign or the desktop publishing document, including the content component;
insert, into the template, a graphical user interface (GUI) including at least one GUI control configured to receive, from an operator of the client hardware computing device, at least one edit to the template;
transmit the template to the client hardware computing device;
receive, from the client hardware computing device via the GUI, a user input data from the operator; and
store the template within the database.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the digital image is captured by the client hardware computing device using a digital camera, a scanner, or a screen capture.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein, subsequent to a capture of the digital image, the instructions cause the system to sharpen the image.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the received shape or symbol and the defined shape or symbol comprises a rectangle.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hand-drawn layout comprises a plurality of shapes or symbols in a plurality of positions within the hand-drawn layout.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the received shape or symbol is identified according to a relative position within the hand-drawn layout.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the received shape or symbol represents a text content, an image, a color, or a GUI control.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user input data comprises a data indicating an approval, by the operator, of the template.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user input data comprises a data received from a GUI control within the GUI and configured to insert, into the template, a text, an image, a color, or a layout GUI control.
10 . A method, comprising:
receiving, by a server hardware computing device coupled to a network and comprising at least one processor executing computer-executable instructions within a memory, a digital image, captured by and transmitted from a client hardware computing device coupled to the network, the digital image including a hand-drawn layout of an email campaign, or a desktop publishing document, comprising at least one received shape or symbol at a position within the hand-drawn layout;
identifying, by the server hardware computing device, within the digital image:
an image or a text string; and
an aspect ratio according to a relative size or position of the at least one received shape or symbol within the hand-drawn layout;
selecting, by the server hardware computing device, from a database coupled to the network:
a defined shape or symbol, within a dictionary defining a plurality of shapes or symbols, matching the at least one received shape or symbol;
an industry associated in the database with the image or the text string identified; and
a content component, for incorporation into the email campaign or the desktop publishing document, associated in the database with:
the defined shape or symbol;
the industry associated with the image or the text string; and
the aspect ratio and the relative size and position of the at least one received shape or symbol;
generating, by the server hardware computing device, a template, for the email campaign or the desktop publishing document, including the content component;
inserting, by the server hardware computing device, into the template, a graphical user interface (GUI) including at least one GUI control configured to receive, from an operator of the client hardware computing device, at least one edit to the template;
transmitting, by the server hardware computing device, the template to the client hardware computing device;
receiving, by the server hardware computing device, from the client hardware computing device via the GUI, a user input data from the operator; and
storing, by the server hardware computing device, the template within the database.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the digital image is captured by the client hardware computing device using a digital camera, a scanner, or a screen capture.
12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps, subsequent to a capture of the digital image, of sharpening, by the server hardware computing device, the image.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the received shape or symbol and the defined shape or symbol comprises a rectangle.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the hand-drawn layout comprises a plurality of shapes or symbols in a plurality of positions within the hand-drawn layout.
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the received shape or symbol is identified according to a relative position within the hand-drawn layout.
16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the received shape or symbol represents a text content, an image, a color, or a GUI control.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the user input data comprises a data indicating an approval, by the operator, of the template.
18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the user input data comprises a data received from a GUI control within the GUI and configured to insert, into the template, a text, an image, a color, or a layout GUI control.