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Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for extracting, synchronizing, displaying, and manipulating text and image documents in electronic form for display. In the Preferred embodiment of the present invention, text and image files for documents, such as for example patent documents, are initially stored on separate magnetic tape media. These data files are extracted from the respective tapes and placed onto a faster medium, such as a hard disk drive. The text and image files are synchronized to produce Equivalent Files using heuristic algorithms to create an approximate equivalence relationship between the text and the image files. The Equivalent Files and image files residing on, for example, a hard disk drive or compact disk (CD), are coupled as a resource to a computer display system. The graphic user interface of the present invention permits the user to display, manipulate, and edit the Equivalent File created using the process of the present invention, and to simultaneously view the image file on the display. Using the graphic user interface of the present invention, a user may create libraries of patent Equivalent Files and image files or documents of another type, as well as open cases to include a plurality of different patents or other documents. The Equivalent File may be selectively viewed on the display in an equivalent window. Simultaneous with the viewing of the Equivalent File within the equivalent window, the user may view any portion of an image file within one or more image windows on the display. A variety of other features and functions are provided by the present invention for the manipulation and display of patent documents and other documents on the user interface.

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First Claim