Method, apparatus, and program for magnifying the text of a link while still retaining browser function in the magnified display

• US 20020143826A1
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath, Day, Don Rutledge
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/526
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection

Abstract

A web browser magnifies the content of the whole page in memory and displays the relevant portion in a magnifier with hyperlinks. The web browser then maps the magnified display to the original document. Thus, manipulation of the mouse in the magnified display may result in an action with respect to the original document. The user may then select a link for navigation within the magnified display. Alternatively, the web browser may analyze the original web page and construct magnifier contents on the basis of either the document object model, extensible markup language (XML), or hypertext markup language (HTML) representation of the magnified portion.

Claims

1. A method for magnifying a portion of a document in a browser, comprising:

presenting a first document in a first display in the browser;

presenting a magnified portion of the first document in a second display in the browser;

receiving a request for an action within the second display; and

performing the action with respect to the first document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a selection of a link within the magnified portion and the step of performing the action comprises retrieving and displaying a second document corresponding to the link in the first display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a map between the magnified portion and the first document; and

performing the action with respect to the first document based on the map.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of generating a map comprises mapping the magnified portion to the first document to form an imagemap.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of presenting a magnified portion of the first document comprises:

creating the second display, wherein the second display has a magnified display space based on a magnification factor;

reading pixels from video memory for the magnified portion in a normal display space for the original document; and

populating pixels in the second display to form a magnified display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of populating pixels in the second display comprises for each pixel of the normal display space, populating adjacent pixels based on the magnification factor.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of generating a map comprises mapping a magnified display space for the magnified portion to corresponding pixels in a normal display space for the original document.

8. A method for magnifying a portion of a document in a browser, comprising:

presenting a first document in a first display in the browser;

receiving a selection of a portion of the first document;

generating a magnified display of the selected portion from the structure of the first document;

presenting the magnified display;

receiving a request for an action within the magnified display; and

performing the action with respect to the magnified display.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the action comprises a selection of a link within the magnified display and the step of performing the action comprises retrieving and displaying a second document corresponding to the link in the first display.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of generating a magnified display from the structure of the first document comprises:

analyzing a document object model for the first document; and

identifying a portion of the document object model that corresponds to the selected portion of the first document.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

adjusting attributes of nodes in the portion of the document object model based on a magnification factor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the action comprises a selection of a link within the magnified portion and the performing means comprises means for retrieving and displaying a second document corresponding to the link in the first display.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

mapping means for generating a map between the magnified portion and the first document,

wherein the performing means performs the action with respect to the first document based on the map.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the step mapping means comprises means for mapping the magnified portion to the first document to form an imagemap.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the magnification means comprises:

creation means for creating the second display, wherein the second display has a magnified display space based on a magnification factor;

reading means for reading pixels from video memory for the magnified portion in a normal display space for the original document; and

population means for populating pixels in the second display to form a magnified display.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the population means comprises means for populating adjacent pixels based on the magnification factor for each pixel of the normal display space.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the mapping means comprises means for mapping pixels in the magnified display space to corresponding pixels in the normal display space.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the action comprises a selection of a link within the magnified display and the performing means comprises means for retrieving and displaying a second document corresponding to the link in the first display.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the magnification means comprises:

analysis means for analyzing a document object model for the first document; and

identification means for identifying a portion of the document object model that corresponds to the selected portion of the first document.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

adjustment means for adjusting attributes of nodes in the portion of the document object model based on a magnification factor.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the action comprises a selection of a link within the magnified portion and the instructions for performing the action comprises instructions for retrieving and displaying a second document corresponding to the link in the first display.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the action comprises a selection of a link within the magnified display and the instructions for performing the action comprises instructions for retrieving and displaying a second document corresponding to the link in the first display.

12. An apparatus for magnifying a portion of a document in a browser, comprising:

first presentation means for presenting a first document in a first display in the browser;

magnification means for presenting a magnified portion of the first document in a second display in the browser;

receipt means for receiving a request for an action within the second display; and

performing means for performing the action with respect to the first document.

19. An apparatus for magnifying a portion of a document in a browser, comprising:

first presentation means for presenting a first document in a first display in the browser;

first receipt means for receiving a selection of a portion of the first document;

magnification means for generating a magnified display of the selected portion from the structure of the first document;

second presentation means for presenting the magnified display;

second receipt means for receiving a request for an action within the magnified display; and

performing means for performing the action with respect to the magnified display.

23. A computer program product, in a computer readable medium, for magnifying a portion of a document in a browser, comprising:

instructions for presenting a first document in a first display in the browser;

instructions for presenting a magnified portion of the first document in a second display in the browser;

instructions for receiving a request for an action within the second display; and

instructions for performing the action with respect to the first document.

25. A computer program product, in a computer readable medium, for magnifying a portion of a document in a browser, comprising:

instructions for presenting a first document in a first display in the browser;

instructions for receiving a selection of a portion of the first document;

instructions for generating a magnified display of the selected portion from the structure of the first document;

instructions for presenting the magnified display;

instructions for receiving a request for an action within the magnified display; and

instructions for performing the action with respect to the magnified display.