WO2006101287A1

WO2006101287A1 - System and method for providing translated font image data using multi-language font servers

Info

Publication number: WO2006101287A1
Application number: PCT/KR2005/001144
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hyun Sik Kong
Original assignee: Incube Technologies. Inc.
Priority date: 2005-03-24
Filing date: 2005-04-21
Publication date: 2006-09-28
Also published as: KR100632701B1; KR20060102614A

Abstract

A method and system for transmitting various font data, provided by font servers distributed on the network, applicable to the corresponding foreign language in the form of the vector or bitmap data to the terminal of the user carrying out a design and a document work in real time and simultaneously providing a translation of a foreign language in a unit of sentence or word. The present invention comprises a font database; a font URL database for receiving and registering a font ID and a sample typeface data of the font data, wherein the font ID and the sample typeface data are stored to correspond to a URL of other font servers; a sample typeface providing module for transmitting the sample typeface data of the fonts extracted from the font URL database to a user terminal so as for a user to make a selection; and a multi-language font management module for receiving a font selection signal from the user terminal to lookup the font database, and then looking up the font URL database to transmit a data request signal to one of the font servers having a corresponding font data .

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING TRANSLATED FONT IMAGE DATA

USING MULTI-LANGUAGE FONT SERVERS

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and a system

for providing a font image data which is translated and converted into a multi-language using font servers connected

through a network, and more particularly to a method and a system wherein the provision of various font data, which is a

main factor in a design and document editing process, may be achieved, at the same time of a translation by a sentence or

word, in a vector or bitmap form through font servers distributed among a network to be transmitted in real time to a terminal of a user performing the design and document

process, the provision of the font data stored in the font

server to other font servers may be achieved in real time when there is a request, and a payment according to an exchange of an information between servers may be efficiently carried out to relieve the user's inconvenience.

2. Description of the background Art

As a computer is popularized, a standardized method for expressing a text data has been developed. Code systems such as ASCII, EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal

Interchange Code) , and Unicode are widely used as a code system for representing characters, and various fonts for representing a character shape have been widespread. A font refers to an information on a size, a form and a property for representing the character shape. The fonts may be classified

into a bitmap font and a vector font. The bitmap font refers to a font wherein pixels are painted according to a shape of

a desired character on a bitmap consisting of square-shaped pixels. The bitmap font is disadvantageous in that the character becomes coarse by jagged edges when the character

is enlarged. The vector font, also referred to as a TrueType font, is a font that may be easily varied in shape by changing a value of a variable of a function since an outline of the character is expressed through the mathematical function, and that maintains an original shape of a character when enlarged.

Such fonts are centrally managed by an operating system of a user's computer, and, under Windows 95 environment for instance, multiple Korean fonts such as Batang, Gulim and Gungsuh, and multiple English fonts such as

Arial, Times Roman are provided. Different types of fonts may be registered with the operating system according to a user' s need and application programs. That is, generally, various font data are usable only when the font data is installed in

the computer system of the user and registered with the

operating system of the user's computer.

As an availability of a distributed resource is increased due to a progress in networks such as Internet,

when a document transmitted through the network includes a

font that is not installed in the computer system, a system wherein a character ID and a font ID are transmitted to a font server connected to a network to be provided with a corresponding font data so as to allow an opening or a printing the document has been proposed (US Patent No.

6,073,147). In addition, in case of installing and running an application program by the user' s need other than the opening or printing the document received through the network, a system wherein a font data is provided in real time from a server associated with the application program through the

network even when the various font data is not installed in the system with the application program has been proposed (Korean Patent Publication No. 2002-61862) . However, the above-described conventional system has a

limitation in that the conventional system cannot be applied

to a graphic design or a document work using a multi- language. Generally, a work of developing various fonts having improved a character shape is carried out by a developer in a corresponding country by a demand according to

market circumstances of the country wherein a corresponding language is used as a native language, and accordingly, new fonts are continuously developed. Therefore, a quality of the

graphic design or the document work using the multi-language

may be by far improved if the fonts may be used by a foreign worker at the right moment through the network.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a system wherein the provision of various font

data, which is a main factor in a design and document editing process, may be achieved, at the same time of a translation by a sentence or word, in a vector or bitmap form through font servers distributed among a network to be transmitted in

real time to a terminal of a user performing the design and document process, the provision of the font data stored in the font server to other font servers may be achieved in real time when there is a request, and a payment according to an exchange of an information between servers may be efficiently carried out to relieve the user's inconvenience.

In order to achieve the above-described object of the present invention, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing a font image data using font servers connected through a

network, the system comprising: a font database for storing

one or more font data; a font URL database for receiving and registering, from the one or more font servers connected through the network, a font ID and a sample typeface data of the font data stored therein, wherein the font ID and the

sample typeface data are stored such that the font ID and the

sample typeface data correspond to a URL of the one or more font server; a sample typeface providing module for transmitting the sample typeface data of one or more fonts extracted from the font URL database to a user terminal

connected through the network so as for a user to make a selection; and a multi-language font management module for receiving a font selection signal from the user terminal to

lookup the font database, and then looking up the font URL

database to transmit a data request signal to the one or more font servers having a corresponding font data stored therein when the corresponding font data selected by the user is not stored in the font database. Preferably, the system for providing a font image data in accordance with the present invention further comprises a translation module for receiving one or more text codes in a first language from the user terminal, and for converting the one or more text codes in the first language to one or more text codes in a second language corresponding to a meaning of

the one or more text codes in the first language, and wherein the sample typeface providing module extracts the sample typeface data applicable to the second language

from the font URL database to be transmitted to the user

terminal .

In addition, preferably, the data request signal being transmitted to the font server having the selected font data stored therein comprises the one or more text codes in the

second language.

More preferably, the system for providing a font image data further comprises a font image generation module, wherein the font image generation module internally generates an image data according to a bitmap data or a vector data

according to the text code in the second language when the selected font data is stored in the font database, and

wherein the font image generation module requests the generation of the image data according to the bitmap data or the vector data according to the text code in the second language to the font server when the selected font data is not stored in the font database.

In order to simplify a payment process, the font URL database stores therein a charge payment condition according to a utilization of the font data when the font ID and the sample typeface data of the font data stored in the font servers are registered, and the system for providing a font image data further comprises a charge module for receiving a

payment from the user according to an amount of the utilization of the font data by the user; and a mutual payment processing module for processing a payment for the

font server with respect to a portion of the payment made by the user corresponding to the font data stored in the font

server utilized by the user, wherein the payment is adjusted according to a mutual data exchange with the font server.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method carried out in a server

for providing a font image to one or more user terminal

connected through a network, the method comprising steps of: building a font database for storing one or more font data; receiving and registering, from one or more font servers connected through the network, a font ID and a sample typeface data of the font data stored therein, and building a font URL database wherein the font ID and the sample typeface

data are stored such that the font ID and the sample typeface data correspond to a URL of the one or more font server; providing the sample typeface data for a user to select by transmitting the sample typeface data of one or more fonts extracted from the font URL database to a user terminal connected through the network; and looking up the font

database by receiving a font selection signal from the user terminal, and requesting a multi-language font by looking up the font URL database to transmit a data request signal to one of the font servers having a corresponding font data stored therein when the corresponding font data selected by

the user is not stored in the font database.

In addition, in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method carried out in a server for providing a font image to one or more user terminal connected through a network, the method comprising

steps of: building a font database for storing one or more font data; receiving and registering, from one or more font servers connected through the network, a font ID and a sample typeface data of the font data stored therein, and building a font URL database wherein the font ID and the sample typeface

data are stored such that the font ID and the sample typeface

data correspond to a URL of the one or more font server; transmitting the font ID and the sample typeface data of the font data stored in the font database to the one or more font servers to be registered in the one or more font servers;

receiving a data request signal and one or more text codes from the font server to generate an image data according to a bitmap data or a vector data according to the text code; and transmitting the image data to the font server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a

configuration of a system for providing a font image in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2a illustrates a registering process of a font ID

and a sample typeface between servers.

Fig. 2b illustrates a process wherein a user terminal 400 connected to a native server 100 through a network transmits a work request signal, and the server 100 generates

a response signal as a response thereto.

Fig. 2c illustrates a process wherein a font image where a font selected by a user through a sample typeface data is applied to a translated text is transmitted.

Fig. 2d illustrates a payment process according to a

utilization of a multi-language font.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart exemplifying a method for providing a font image in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 4 exemplifies a data structure of a font URL

database 110 of a system for providing a font image of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process of obtaining a font in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will

now be described in detail with reference to the accompanied drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a system for providing a font image in

accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present

invention. As shown, a font image providing system 100 has a form of a server connected to a user terminal 400 through a network, and comprises a font database 105, a font URL database 110, a sample typeface providing module 120, and a multi-language management module 125. In addition, the system 100 preferably further comprises a translation module 130, a font -image generation module 135, a charge module 140, and a mutual payment processing module 145.

The font image providing system 100 in accordance with the present invention, and servers 200 distributed among the network store and hold a font data in the font databases 105 and 205. The font data stored in the font image providing system 100 may differ from that stored in other servers. For instance, the other server 200 may be located in China, and

may have various Chinese fonts developed in China stored in the font database 205. In addition, the other server 200 may be located in the same country as the server of the font image providing system 100, and may have various fonts developed by other design groups stored in the font database 205. Fig. 2a illustrates a registering process of a font ID

and a sample typeface between servers. In order for users to use various fonts for his or her work immediately, the font image providing system 100 and the other servers 200 exchange a font ID and a sample typeface data (305) of the font data

stored therein, and informations such as the font ID and the sample typeface data are recorded in the font URL databases

110 and 220 by corresponding to a URL of a corresponding server. Through such registration process, a server 100 located in a first country may refer to the font data stored in the other servers 200 located in a second country, and provide the sample typeface of the corresponding font to the user terminal 400 to be selected.

Fig. 2b illustrates a process wherein a user terminal 400 connected to a native server 100 through a network transmits a work request signal, and the server 100 generates a response signal as a response thereto. When the user terminal inputs a text to be processed, a request signal 310 including a corresponding text ID is transmitted to the server. When a translation into a foreign language is

desired, a language ID of the corresponding language may be transmitted to the server together. At this time, the translation module 130 in the server 100 carries out a translation to the corresponding foreign language, wherein a signal 320 including a text data of the corresponding foreign language is transmitted to the user by converting the text ID inputted by the user into the text ID of the corresponding foreign language. The sample typeface providing module 120 transmits a signal 315 including a sample typeface data of an available font stored in the font URL database 110 so that the user may select a font to be applied to the converted foreign text.

Fig. 2c illustrates a process wherein a font image where a font selected by a user through a sample typeface data is applied to a translated text is transmitted. The multi-language management module 125 receives a font selection signal from the user terminal 400, searches the font database 105 and the font URL database 110, and generates a bitmap or vector data of text code translated by the font image generation module 135 when the font is available from the server 100. When the font is not available

from the server, a request signal 330 including the text ID and the font ID is transmitted to a URL having the corresponding font recorded in the font URL database 110. The server 200 having the corresponding font data receives the

request signal 330, generates a bitmap or vector data by the text code, and transmits a signal 325 including the generated data to the requesting server 100. The server 100 converts

the bitmap or vector data generated internally or transmitted from the other server 200 into a font image data 335 which complies to a transmission protocol and the request of the user terminal to be transmitted to the user terminal 400.

Fig. 2d illustrates a payment process according to a

utilization of a multi-language font. A mutual payment condition according to an utilization (a charge method,

amount according to the number of characters or bits, for example) may be recorded for each corresponding URL when the

font ID and the sample typeface data stored in the font URL databases 110 and 210 in the server 100 and other servers 200

are registered. The payment may be made between servers according to the payment condition (the payment is made on the basis of an exchange rate at the time of the payment, for example) . Therefore, the user may be relieved of an inconvenience that the user should make the payments

individually for the server 100 and the second server 200.

Fig. 4 exemplifies a data structure of a font URL database 110 of a system for providing a font image of the present invention. As shown, the font ID of the font registered from the other server, a language to which the corresponding font is applicable, the sample typeface data of the corresponding font and the likes corresponds to the URL where the corresponding font is stored to be recorded and

managed.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart exemplifying a method for providing a font image in accordance with the present invention. When a user connects to a first server through a network to use a font data (SlO) , the first server receives a font image request signal including a text data in a first language (S15) , detects a translation request (S20) if any,

carries out a translation of the text data in the first language into that in a second language (S25) , and stores the text code in the second language (S30) . At this time, as shown in Fig. 5A, the user carries out an input of texts 2, 3

and 4 in his or her native language. Fig. 5B illustrates a translation process into texts 5, 6 and 7 in a designated language. At this time, the registered font sample typeface data is provided to the user (S35) so that the user may select the font to be applied to the translated text, and the

user selects the font through the provided sample typeface (S40) .

The first server determines whether the font data

selected by the user is stored therein (S45) , and the font data is converted into a vector data corresponding to the translated text code by referring to the font data when the font data selected by the user is stored therein (S62) . When the font data selected by the user is not stored in the first server, the first server transmits a data request signal to the URL which includes the corresponding data (S50) . The

second server receives the request signal, and generates a

vector data corresponding to a text code in a second language by referring to the stored font data(S55) . A real time adjustment is carried out according to a payment method mutually defined between servers (S60) , and a

data is transmitted to the first server (S65) . The first server receives the data, converts the same into the requested font image data such as a bitmap or vector (S70), carries out a payment process for the user according to an utilization (S75) , and transmits font image data 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 in the corresponding language to the terminal of the user as shown in Fig. 5C (S80) . A local module for transmitting the font request signal from the user terminal may be an operating system, an application program or a plug-in. The text data transmitted

by the font request signal may be in unit of a character, a sentence or more.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in

the art that various changes in form and details may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .

In accordance with the present invention, various font data applicable to the corresponding foreign language in the

form of the vector or bitmap data are available to the

terminal of the user carrying out a design and a document work in real time through font servers distributed on the network.

In addition, a payment according to the use of the

font data by the user is carried out between servers so that the user may only carry out the adjustment for his or her native server. Accordingly, a convenience of the user is secured.

Further, in accordance with the present invention, the user may receive and use a desired font data of a desired country in real time without knowledge of the corresponding foreign language or a foreign language keyboard.

Moreover, the required font image may be received and used only by transmitting the request signal form various modules installed in the user terminal such as an application

program or a plug-in program which requires multi-language fonts .

Further, in accordance with the present invention,

fonts developed by various bodies using the corresponding language are immediately available to the users of other

countries so that more resources are available for the design and the document editing work using a multi-language.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A system for providing a font image data using font servers connected through a network, the system comprising:

a font database for storing one or more font data; a font URL database for receiving and registering, from the one or more font servers connected through the network, a font ID and a sample typeface data of the font data stored therein, wherein the font ID and the sample typeface data are stored such that the font ID and the sample typeface data correspond to a URL of the one or more font

server; a sample typeface providing module for transmitting the sample typeface data of one or more fonts extracted from the font URL database to a user terminal connected through the network so as for a user to make a selection; and

a multi-language font management module for receiving a font selection signal from the user terminal to lookup the

font database, and then looking up the font URL database to transmit a data request signal to the one or more font servers having a corresponding font data stored therein when the corresponding font data selected by the user is not stored in the font database.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a translation module for receiving one or more text codes in a first language from the user terminal, and for converting the one or more text codes in the first language to one or more text codes in a second language corresponding to a meaning of the one or more text codes in

the first language, and wherein the sample typeface providing module extracts the sample typeface data applicable to the second language from the font URL database to be transmitted to the user terminal .

3. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the data request signal being transmitted to the font server having the selected font data stored therein comprises the one or more text codes in the second language.

4. The system in accordance with claim 3, further comprising a font image generation module, wherein the font image generation module internally generates an image data according to a bitmap data or a vector data according to the text code in the second language when the selected font data is stored in the font database, and wherein the font image generation module requests the

generation of the image data according to the bitmap data or the vector data according to the text code in the second language to the font server when the selected font data is not stored in the font database.

5. The system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the second language comprises one or more foreign language corresponding to the first language in a meaning.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the

font URL database stores therein a charge payment condition according to a utilization of the font data when the font ID

and the sample typeface data of the font data stored in the font servers are registered, and further comprising a charge module for receiving a payment from the user according to an amount of the utilization of the font data by the user; and a mutual payment processing module for processing a payment for the font server with respect to a portion of the

payment made by the user corresponding to the font data stored in the font server utilized by the user, wherein the payment is adjusted according to a mutual data exchange with the font server.

7. A method carried out in a server for providing a font image to one or more user terminal connected through a network, the method comprising steps of: building a font database for storing one or more font data; receiving and registering, from one or more font servers connected through the network, a font ID and a sample typeface data of the font data stored therein, and building a font URL database wherein the font ID and the sample typeface data are stored such that the font ID and the sample typeface data correspond to a URL of the one or more font server;

providing the sample typeface data for a user to select by transmitting the sample typeface data of one or more fonts extracted from the font URL database to a user

terminal connected through the network; and

looking up the font database by receiving a font selection signal from the user terminal, and requesting a multi-language font by looking up the font URL database to transmit a data request signal to one of the font servers having a corresponding font data stored therein when the

corresponding font data selected by the user is not stored in the font database.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising receiving one or more text codes in a first language from the user terminal, and converting the one or

more text codes in the first language to one or more text

codes in a second language corresponding to a meaning of the one or more text codes in the first language, and wherein the step of providing the sample typeface data comprises extracting the sample typeface data applicable to

the second language from the font URL database to be transmitted to the user terminal.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the data request signal transmitted to the font server having the

selected font therein comprises the one or more text code in the second language in the step of requesting the multi- language font .

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising internally generating an image data according to a bitmap data or a vector data according to the text code in the second language when the selected font data is stored in the font database, and requesting the generation of the image data according to the bitmap data or the vector data according to the text code in the second language to the font server when the selected font data is not stored in the font database .

11. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the second language comprises one or more foreign language

corresponding to the first language in a meaning.

12. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the font URL database stores therein a charge payment condition according to a utilization of the font data when the font ID and the sample typeface data of the font data stored in the

font servers are registered, and further comprising receiving a payment from the user according to an amount of the utilization of the font data by the user; and

processing a payment for the font server with respect

to a portion of the payment by the user corresponding to the font data stored in the font server utilized by the user, wherein the payment is adjusted according to a mutual data exchange with the font server.

13. A method carried out in a server for providing a font image to one or more user terminal connected through a network, the method comprising steps of: building a font database for storing one or more font

data;

receiving and registering, from one or more font servers connected through the network, a font ID and a sample typeface data of the font data stored therein, and building a font URL database wherein the font ID and the sample typeface

data are stored such that the font ID and the sample typeface data correspond to a URL of the one or more font server; transmitting the font ID and the sample typeface data of the font data stored in the font database to the one or more font servers to be registered in the one or more font

servers; receiving a data request signal and one or more text codes from the font server to generate an image data according to a bitmap data or a vector data according to the text code; and

transmitting the image data to the font server.