File menu option for making file templates from pre-existing files

Patent 6239802 Issued on May 29, 2001. Estimated Expiration Date:

September 15, 2017. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Apparatus and method for modifying a print job ticket
Patent #: 5718520
Issued on: 02/17/1998
Inventor: MacKay

Automatic Spreadsheet forms Patent #: 5819293
Issued on: 10/06/1998
Inventor: Comer, et al.

Inventors

Application

No. 08/929627 filed on 09/15/1997

US Classes:

715/810, Menu or selectable iconic array (e.g., palette)707/200, FILE OR DATABASE MAINTENANCE707/203, Version management715/507, Form filling715/511Version management

Examiners

Primary: Huynh, Ba

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Altera Law Group, LLC

International Classes

G06F 17/21 (20060101)
G06F 9/44 (20060101)

Abstract

A system, method, and program of this invention enable a user to create a new file that is like a pre-existing file. When a file menu option, referred to herein as "New Like", is selected by a user, an "Open" dialog is displayed to a user which enables the user to specify any pre-existing file to be opened. When the pre-existing file is opened as the new file, the new file is opened without the pre-existing file name being associated with the new file. The new file contains a subportion of the data of the pre-existing file that has been designated to be copied from the pre-existing file to the new file upon the opening of the specified pre-existing file. Upon saving the new file for the first time, the user interface requires the user to save the new file under a new file name. As such, any pre-existing file can be used as a template for a new file without any accidental modifications to the pre-existing file and without managing special template files.