The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 03, 2009
Filed:
Aug. 04, 2004
Daniel R. Lehenbauer, Redmond, WA (US);
Jian Yuan, New Haven, CT (US);
Daniel R. Lehenbauer, Redmond, WA (US);
Jian Yuan, New Haven, CT (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
Space is allocated within a table layout for a plurality of items to be placed therein by application of a first rule in which each item is ordered according to increasing column span for the item. Thereafter, a second rule is applied for each ordered item. The second rule recognizes that space need not necessarily be added to the right-most column for an item at issue, and that space needed for the right-most column for an item at issue should be 'borrowed' from the next column to the right, presuming such space is available and would not impinge on any other item. Finally, the second rule recognizes that despite everything, situations can arise where there is no elegant way to allocate space for all items within a table layout. In such a circumstance, space is added to the right-most column for the item at issue.