US 6,185,589 B2Granted

Automatic banner resizing for variable-width web pages using variable width cells of HTML table

AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company

InventorBruce Votipka

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Abstract

Web page banners are constructed in parts using HTML tables rather than as a single graphical image to allow web page designers to reuse the banner for different window widths without requiring a separate banner for each width. The background image is defined in an HTML table. Each graphical image that in the prior art would normally be embedded within the single GIF image is separately overlaid, with a transparent background to allow the table background to remain visible, in a separate fixed-width cell of the table. Empty space regions are defined as transparent variable-width cells and appropriately positioned in the table. The user's browser automatically resizes the variable-width cells to adjust the width of the table to cover the width of the window that displays the web page.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A system for generating a web page banner for a web page, said web page displayable in a window on a user's display via an internet browser, said banner comprising:

a table comprising a plurality of cells, said plurality of cells comprising a fixed-width cell having a fixed width and a variable-width cell having an adjustable width, said fixed-width cell and said variable-width cell aligned horizontally;
a background image embedded across said plurality of cells, a first portion of said background image being embedded in said fixed-width cell and a second portion of said background image being embedded in said variable-width cell;
a foreground image with a transparent background overlaid over said first portion of said background image in said fixed-width cell such that said first portion of said background image appears through said transparent background of said foreground image in said fixed-width cell;
and
wherein said internet browser adjusts said adjustable width of said variable-width cell such that the width of said table matches the width of said window.

2 more elements

A method for generating an adjustable web page banner for a web page, said adjustable web page banner having a horizontal width of a web page banner that is adjustable by a user's internet browser to match a horizontal window width of a window displaying said web page, said method comprising:

defining a table comprising a plurality of cells to have a horizontal table width that matches said horizontal window width, said plurality of cells comprising a fixed-width cell having a fixed width and a variable-width cell having an adjustable width;
embedding a background image across said plurality of cells of said table;
embedding a first portion of said background image in said fixed-width cell and embedding a second portion of said background image in said variable-width cell;
overlaying a foreground image comprising a graphical image with a transparent background over said background image in said fixed-width cell;
and
wherein said internet browser adjusts said adjustable width of said variable-width cell such that said horizontal table width matches said horizontal window width.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.