WO1999046663A2

WO1999046663A2 - A method for translating mathematical equations between a text authoring program and a paging program

Info

Publication number: WO1999046663A2
Application number: PCT/US1999/005541
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marcus Daley; Daniel Duran; Jared Miles; Marlow Stevens
Original assignee: Westwords, Inc.
Priority date: 1998-03-12
Filing date: 1999-03-12
Publication date: 1999-09-16
Also published as: AU3003999A

Abstract

A method for converting a document saved as a computer-readable file, which includes mathematical equations, between a text authoring program such as a word processor, and a paging program used to manipulate text for publishing. In other words, the present invention is not used for converting mathematical equations between dissimilar word processing programs, but is instead designed to enable direct translation of mathematical equations when using a powerful text publishing paging program, to enable an author to directly edit mathematical equations without losing formatting information.

Description

A METHOD FOR TRANSLATING MATHEMATICAL EQUATIONS BETWEEN A TEXT AUTHORING PROGRAM AND A PAGING PROGRAM

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This document incorporates by reference all of the materials, including the source code appendix, of the previously filed provisional application Serial No. 60/077,792, filed March 12, 1998.

BACKGROUND 1. The Field Of The Invention.

This invention pertains generally to a method and apparatus for providing a bridge between text authoring and production when the text includes mathematical equations entered in a document using an equation editor. More specifically, a new computer readable language that provides the ASCII equivalent of mathematical equations created in various word and mathematical equation processing programs is combined with a computer program to act as a two-way translation bridge between authoring and production work for documents which contain mathematical equations.

2. The State Of The Art

The state of the art in textbook publishing has become increasingly complex. But along with the complexity come powerful tools which facilitate generating and publishing text. For example, a textbook author can use a computer-based word processor to draft text. An electronic version of the draft text is then sent to a publisher as a word processing document on a computer-readable medium such as a diskette. The publisher imports the text by converting it to a publishing program format in a paging program. A paging program is a powerful text manipulation tool in the publishing industry.

However, because accuracy is so critical in a textbook, it is not enough to believe that the words themselves are accurate. The presentation or arrangement of the words can be just as important as the words themselves. Therefore, the publisher sends a proof of the draft text to the textbook author for proofreading . In more sophisticated scenarios, the text is converted from the publishing specific format used by the paging program to a format which is compatible with the word processor of the author. The author will also receive a printed version of the draft text. Ideally, the author makes changes directly to the electronic format of the draft text using the word processor. To make sure that the changes are not lost in the conversion process between the word processor and the paging program, the author will also typically make changes on the printed version of the draft text. The publisher receives the edited draft text, and will usually only have to convert the edited electronic format of the draft text to the paging program in order to finalize the text. Disadvantageously, the process described above is not possible to follow when there are mathematical equations or formulas to be included in the text of a textbook. This is because mathematical equation editors used by word processing programs use codes for the mathematical equations which are incompatible with the codes for mathematical equations used in paging programs. Mathematical equations are generated in word processing programs using mathematical equation editors. A mathematical equation editor can be a built-in function of the word processor itself, or it can be a stand-alone program which is compatible with formatting codes of the word processing program. Consequently, it is not possible for authors to directly edit mathematical equations that are going to be imported into the more powerful text manipulation paging program.

The publisher must typically edit the mathematical equations manually. Because the publisher is not an expert in mathematics, the mathematical equation is sometimes arranged or formatted incorrectly because the author is not able to precisely control formatting. The textbook then becomes misleading for students who are trying to learn material for which the textbook might be their only guide. It might seem obvious that the solution is for the publisher to keep sending drafts to the author for review. However, the publisher may believe that the modifications requested by the author have been made correctly. This is because the handwritten changes of an author can be either unintentionally misleading, or difficult to decipher. Therefore, inaccuracies in the mathematical equations are almost impossible to remove completely. This is especially true as the author is usually providing handwritten changes or modifications to the mathematical equations.

It would be an advantage over the prior art to provide the author with the ability to directly edit an electronic format of the text which includes all of the mathematical equations that are in the textbook, where the electronic format can be directly imported into a paging program which will preserve all of the formatting of the mathematical equations.

It would be another advantage over the prior art to also provide the publisher with the ability to return to the author an electronic format of the draft as imported by the paging program, which could then be edited using the author's word processing program. This would facilitate the author's ability to directly make changes and/or directly add new mathematical equations to the textbook which would not require further editing by the publisher .

It would thus be an advantage over the prior art to provide a mathematical equation translation bridge between the word processing program and the paging program. The translation bridge should provide the author with the ability to directly make changes to a document that is formatted for printing as a textbook.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for translating text between an authoring program such as a word processor, and a paging program used by publishers to format text for publication, wherein the text includes mathematical equations.

It is another object to provide a method for translating text which enables the author to translate mathematical equations created by a mathematical equation editor to a native format of the paging program.

It is another object to provide a method for translating text which enables the publisher to translate mathematical equations generated in the native format of the paging program to a native format of the mathematical equation editor of the author. It is another object to provide a method for translating text which is capable of converting mathematical equations which are generated by a mathematical equation editor that is integral to a word processor. It is another object to a method for translating text which is capable of converting mathematical equations which are generated by a stand-alone mathematical equation editor. It is another object to provide a method for translating text which translates mathematical equations generated by the authoring program or the paging program into a new computer-readable language. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is a method for converting a document saved as a computer-readable file which includes mathematical equations, between a text authoring program such as a word processor, and a paging program used to manipulate text for publishing. In other words, the present invention is not used for converting mathematical equations between dissimilar word processing programs, but is instead designed to enable direct translation of mathematical equations when using a powerful text publishing paging program, to thereby enable an author to directly edit mathematical equations without losing formatting information.

In a first aspect of the invention, a translation bridge converts a document generated by a word processor, including mathematical equations, into a new computer-readable language which preserves the formatting of the mathematical equations. Then the translation bridge generates a new file which is compatible with the paging program, and which preserves the original formatting of the mathematical equations.

In a second aspect of the invention, the translation bridge converts a document generated by the paging program, including mathematical equations, into the new computer-readable language which preserves the formatting of the mathematical equations. Then the translation bridge generates a new file which is compatible with the word processor, and which preserves the original formatting of the mathematical equations .

These and other objects, features, advantages and alternative aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in combination with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a flowchart of the steps involved in transferring an electronic format of a document which includes mathematical equations from an author using a word processing program and a mathematical equation editor, to a publisher who is using a powerful text manipulation paging program.

Figure 2 is a flowchart of the steps involved for a publisher to generate a document in the paging program, and then import it to the mathematical equation editor being used by the author so that the author can make changes .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference will now be made to the drawings in which the various elements of the present invention will be given numerical designations and in which the invention will be discussed so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the invention. It is to be understood that the following description is only exemplary of the principles of the present invention, and should not be viewed as narrowing the claims which follow.

The presently preferred embodiment of the invention enables an author to translate mathematical equations which are generated in a stand-alone mathematical equation editor, or in a mathematical equation editor that is integral to a word processor, to a powerful paging program which is designed for manipulating text in preparation for publishing. The present invention also enables mathematical equations formatted by the paging program to be translated to a format that preserves the formatting of the mathematical equations, and which is readable by the word processor. Thus, the present invention enables an author to edit mathematical equations so that they will appear in the word processor precisely as they will appear when translated to the paging program when being prepared for publishing. This invention thus eliminates the need for the publisher to have to make any of the changes to the mathematical equations, because the changes will always be made by the author personally.

The present invention is embodied in a program called MATHMONARCH (TM) . MathMonarch functions as a bridge between authoring and production (publication) of a textbook. Essentially, mathematical equations that are created by an author are converted to a new universal language. At present, this new universal language is called WWDOC(TM) . WWdoc is compatible with POWERMATH (TM) of POWERHOUSE SOFTWARE (TM) , which is a high-end production mathematical equation editor used by QUARK XPRESS (TM) . Quark XPress is therefore a paging program used to format text for publication, and PowerMath is a type of extension or plug-in component. MathMonarch also makes it possible for files generated by PowerMath within Quark XPress to be saved in WWdoc. From WWdoc, the file is then importable into mathematical equation editors. MathMonarch incorporates filters for translating mathematical equations from WWdoc to the format of a desired mathemtical equation editor. This means that the paging program Quark XPress has been modified, at the request of the inventors, to include the ability to directly save files in WWdoc format. However, this feature is not yet a part of word processing or standalone mathematical equation programs. Accordingly, MathMonarch contains for filters for converting a file from WWdoc to a mathematical equation editor format, and from a mathematical equation editor format to WWdoc .

As an example, assume an author has used a word processor such as MICROSOFT WORD(TM) or WORDPERFECT (TM) to generate text which includes at least one mathematical equation generated by a mathematical equation editor, as represented by step 10 in figure 1. Word and WordPerfect presently have the same integral mathematical equation editor, known as MATHTYPE (TM) . MathType generates Object Linking Embedded (OLE) boxes for mathematical equations. MathMonarch takes the OLE boxes and converts the mathematical equations located therein into the WWdoc language in step 12. PowerMath then imports the WWdoc file and converts it into a native format that can be directly manipulated by Quark XPress in step 14. Of course, the present invention also makes possible the reverse process. A mathematical equation generated by PowerMath can be saved as a WWdoc formatted file. MathMonarch is then used to generate a MathType OLE box which is readable by MathType in the authoring word processor.

Another point to remember is that the mathematical equations are typically being generated with a significant amount of explanatory text around them. However, the explanation is focusing on what is occurring just with the mathematical equations. Nevertheless, it should be remembered that the text itself, without mathematical equations, is also being converted so that it can pass back and forth between the word processing program and the paging program.

In the normal course of publishing, figure 2 shows that the next step 16 is for the publisher to generate a document in a language of the paging program. The mathematical equations are then brought up in the document using PowerMath in the presently preferred embodiment. The publisher will then format the text and the at least one mathematical equation for publishing. The author must then review a draft. Accordingly, the publisher converts the at least one mathematical equation back to the WWdoc language using the built-in feature of PowerMath in step 18. The publisher then sends the electronic format of the document to the author . The author uses MathMonarch to convert the at least one equation back to a form which is readable by the mathematical equation editor used by the word processor in step 20. If any modifications are made to the

MathMonarch essentially generates a compact ASCII string which preserved sufficient formatting information so that when moving a mathematical equation from PowerMath to MathType or vice versa, the equation appears the same. Those skilled in the art of PowerMath and MathType will understand the specific formatting requirements of each Mathematical equation editor. The Appendix of the provisionally filed application is incorporated by reference to show precisely how MathMonarch preserves formatting information which makes the conversion possible. However, it should be realized that the presently preferred embodiment is adaptable for use with other paging programs and with other mathematical equations editors, either integral to word processors or standalone . The presently preferred embodiment thus enables mathematical equations generated in Word or WordPerfect to be saved in a document that will flow into a Quark XPress PowerMath document without editing or rekeying. WWdoc is a robust and comprehensive coding language which supercedes an older PowerMath ASCII coding structure. WWdoc generates a portable ASCII file which can be edited itself before being imported into a paging program or a mathematical equation editor. Thus, because WWdoc can be used as a text- only file, other codes (commands) can be inserted for importation into other programs. For example, if a WWdoc file is to be imported into Quark XPress, AUTOPAGE(TM) or X-TAGS (TM) codes can be used within the file. Accordingly, another one of the advantages of the present invention is that it can be used to export and import mathematical equations to a from a MACINTOSH (TM) .

Another example of the versatility of the MathMonarch program is the incorporation of a TeX(TM) filter. The TeX language is commonly used in the text manipulation industry. The TeX language comes in several versions beginning with Standard-TeX, then moving on to AMS-TeX, and LaTeX. A filter is already provided for some versions of TeX. A TeX import feature in the present invention enables an author who writes in TeX to view a document in MathType, or prepare the document directly for use on PowerMath.

The requirements for using MathMonarch are listed here for the presently preferred embodiment. MathMonarch is presently designed for operation using WordPerfect and Word, including the versions found in Microsoft OFFICE (TM). The mathematical equation editor found in either word processor should at least be MathType version 3.5 or higher. When using

INTEL (TM) personal computers, the operating system should be Windows 95 (TM) , Windows (98), or Windows NT(TM). On the Macintosh side, PowerPC computers are recommended using operating system 8.0 or higher. Finally, PowerMath version 4.0 is recommended when using Quark XPress.

It should be apparent that more filters can be designed to work with the mathematical equation editors of other word processors, paging programs and stand-alone editors. Accordingly, the presently preferred embodiment should be considered to encompass modifications that are required for MathMonarch to be able to make these conversions. However, while the need has certainly been great, a method for increasing the accuracy of textbooks including mathematical equations has not been apparent to the publishing industry. The publishing industry has simply relied on the past methods of doing business which have hampered progress in improving accuracy. It should also be realized that the presently preferred embodiment results in a substantial decrease in turn around time of publishing. This is because text can now be entirely manipulated in an electronic format, even when requesting editing by the author. .And when the text is digital, it can also be transferred rapidly between the author and the publisher .

The substantial differences that are present between a simple word processor as compared to the complexities of a paging program should also not be overlooked. This is likely one reason why the industry has failed to develop a way to make translations possible, until the present invention. It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method for enabling an author to generate text, including at least one mathematical equation, which is prepared for publishing using a paging program, wherein the author is able to receive and directly edit changes to the text after being formatted for publication, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) generating a document using a word processor, wherein the document includes at least one mathematical equation that is created using a mathematical equation editor;

(2) importing the document into a paging program that is utilized for preparing documents for publication;

(3) formatting the document for publication utilizing the paging program;

(4) converting the document such that the document is again readable by the word processor; (5) making modifications directly to the document on the word processor; and

(6) importing the document into the paging program and printing the document for publication.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of generating the document in step 1 further comprises the step of including the mathematical equation editor as an integral component of the word processor.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the method further comprises the step of utilizing MathType (TM) as the mathematical equation editor.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of importing the document into a paging program further comprises the step of converting the at least one mathematical equation into an ASCII string which includes formatting code for the at least one mathematical equation.

5. The method as defined in claim 4 wherein the method further comprises the step of converting the at least one mathematical equation into a WWdoc (TM) language.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

(1) including a WWdoc filter in the paging program to thereby enable the paging program to import any text coded in the WWdoc language; and (2) utilizing a paging program which includes a compatible mathematical equation editor.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein step 4 further comprises the steps of: (1) converting the at least one mathematical equation into an ASCII string which includes formatting code for the at least one mathematical equation; and

(2) converting the ASCII string into a format that is readable by the word processor.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein the ASCII string is generated in a WWdoc language.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of making modifications directly to the document further comprises the step of being characterized by eliminating a need for the publisher to have to incorporate any modifications that must be made to the at least one mathematical equation before publication because the author is able to make any changes inadvertently caused by the formatting of the document in the paging program.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method is capable of functioning in a Windows (TM) environment and a Macintosh (TM) environment.