Method for aligning a modified document and an original document for comparison and difference highlighting

1. A method for aligning a modified document and an original document for emphasizing differences, the method comprising:

receiving a first bitmap representative of the modified document including a first anchor, and a second bitmap representative of the original document including a second anchor, the first and second bitmaps each being defined by a plurality of pixels arranged in ordered rows and columns from a left side to a right side, each of the pixels having pixel coordinates associated therewith;

deriving a set of first vertex coordinates of the first anchor and a set of second vertex coordinates of the second anchor;

transforming the first bitmap to a common reference based upon the first set of vertex coordinates; and

transforming the second bitmap to the common reference based upon the second set of vertex coordinates;

wherein deriving the set of first vertex coordinates further includes:

storing in a first set of comprehensive coordinates lists the pixel coordinates of a leftmost pixel matching a trigger value and a rightmost pixel matching the trigger value in every row of the first bitmap;

storing in a sample coordinates list a subset of the pixel coordinates in the first set of comprehensive coordinates lists; and

assigning average pixel coordinates of the sample coordinates list to a one of the set of first vertex coordinates when attributes of the sample coordinates list satisfy a predefined condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attributes include the average pixel coordinates of the sample coordinates list and a standard deviation of the pixel coordinates in the sample coordinates list.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predefined condition is the average pixel coordinates of the sample coordinates list being within two standard deviations of the pixel coordinates in the first comprehensive coordinates list.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the predefined condition is the standard deviation of pixel coordinates in the sample coordinates list is sufficiently small.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample coordinates list includes at least twenty pixel coordinates.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the triggering value is a non-white pixel value.

7. A method for aligning a modified document and an original document for emphasizing differences, the method comprising:

receiving a first bitmap representative of the modified document including a first anchor, and a second bitmap representative of the original document including a second anchor, the first and second bitmaps each being defined by a plurality of pixels arranged in ordered rows and columns from a left side to a right side, each of the pixels having pixel coordinates associated therewith;

deriving a set of first vertex coordinates of the first anchor and a set of second vertex coordinates of the second anchor;

transforming the first bitmap to a common reference based upon the first set of vertex coordinates; and

transforming the second bitmap to the common reference based upon the second set of vertex coordinates;

wherein deriving the set of second vertex coordinates further includes:

storing in a second set of comprehensive coordinates lists the pixel coordinates of a leftmost pixel matching a trigger value and a rightmost pixel matching the trigger value in every row of the second bitmap;

storing in a sample coordinates list a subset of the pixel coordinates in the second set of comprehensive coordinates lists; and

assigning average pixel coordinates of the sample coordinates list to a one of the set of second vertex coordinates when attributes of the sample coordinates list satisfy a predefined condition.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the attributes include the average pixel coordinates of the sample coordinates list and a standard deviation of the pixel coordinates in the sample coordinates list.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the predefined condition is the average pixel coordinates of the sample coordinates list being within two standard deviations of the pixel coordinates in the second comprehensive coordinates list.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the predefined condition is the standard deviation of pixel coordinates in the sample coordinates list is sufficiently small.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the sample coordinates list includes at least twenty pixel coordinates.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the triggering value is a non-white pixel value.