US Patent No: 5,437,008

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Method of establishing constraints and links in a distribution frame between graphical elements and resolving the constaints

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ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)
 

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Abstract

A user interface (UI) may be used in specifying spatial relationships between graphical elements in a graphics environment with drawing or graphical element manipulating functions. The UI interacts with the operating system through an application shell. A document engine, a graphics engine, and a constraint engine are coupled between the UI and operating system. A user may create a distribution frame with an area on a page of a document and a set of elements may be specified to be automatically linked by the distribution frame. Graphical elements positioned within the distribution frame are governed by alignment and distribution criteria. The user may select alignment and distribution criteria to determine the spatial relationships between the elements in the set and the distribution frame. One or more dimensions of the graphical elements in the distribution frame are a function of the area encompassed by the distribution frame where a user's edits to one may affect the other. Spatial relationships between graphical elements are established using unidirectional and bidirectional links between pairs of graphical elements. With a unidirectional link, a master/slave relationship is established where attempts to edit the slave graphical element in a way that affects the constraint are inhibited.

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First Claim

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATEDSAN JOSE, CA1810

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Gay, Jonathan L San Diego, CA 3 115
Tatsumi, Robert B Poway, CA 3 115

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
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WANG LABORATORIES, INC. (1)
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Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

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ADOBE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED (3)
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AUTODESK, INC. (3)
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CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA (3)
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