System and method for measuring and quantizing document quality

• US 20050028097A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Harrington, Steven J., Sarr, Nathan, Roetling, Paul G., Naveda, Jose Fernando, Jones, Rhys Price, Thakkar, Nishant Atul
• Granted Patent: US 7,024,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/226 Validation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10008 from scanner, fax or copier
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30144 Printing quality
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30176 Document
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/993 Evaluation of the quality of the acquired pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/414 Extracting the geometrical structure, e.g. layout tree; Block segmentation, e.g. bounding boxes for graphics or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00034 Measuring, i.e. determining a quantity by comparison with a standard H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00068 Calculating or estimating

Abstract

Text, images, and/or graphics of electronic documents should be organized and laid out in a two-dimensional format for presentation to the viewer. The best such layout depends upon the content present, the creator'"'"'s intent, the output device, and the viewer'"'"'s interests. To analyze the qualitative nature of the layout in quantifiable terms, the electronic document is measure using various quantifiable factors; such as, balance, uniformity, white space management, alignment, consistency, legibility, etc.; that impact a qualitative nature of a document. Such quantifiable factors are then used to quantize the aesthetics, ease of use, eye-catching ability, interest, communicability, comfort, and convenience of the document.

Claims

1. A method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document, comprising:

(a) measuring a predetermined set of characteristics of the document;

(b) quantizing the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and

(c) generating a quantized aesthetic value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics, the quantized aesthetic value being a measure of quality of the document.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined combining function is a weighted average of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined combining function is a weighted sum of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined combining function is a weighted product of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined combining function is a non-linear operation performed upon the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is a balance of objects in the document.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is a uniformity of objects in the document.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is a white space fraction of the document.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is a white space free flow of the document.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is an alignment of objects in the document.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is a regularity of position of objects in the document.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is a regularity of separation of objects in the document.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is a page security of objects in the document.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is an optimal proportionality of objects in the document.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantized predetermined set of characteristics is a balance of objects in the document, a uniformity of objects in the document, a white space fraction of the document, a white space free flow of the document, an alignment of objects in the document, a regularity of position of objects in the document, a regularity of separation of objects in the document, a page security of objects in the document, and an optimal proportionality of objects in the document.

16. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the quantized balance value is equal to 1−

[(((x_m−

x_c)/d_x)²+((y_m−

y_c)/d_y)²)/2]^1/2 wherein x_m is a first directional position value of the center of visual weight for a page of the document, y_m is a second directional position value of the center of visual weight for a page of the document, x_c is the first directional position value of the visual center of the page of the document, yc is the second directional position value of the visual center of the page of the document, d_x is a maximum first directional distance an object can be from the visual center, and d_y is a maximum second directional distance an object can be from the visual center.

17. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the quantized balance value is equal to V_LR=1−

[(((x_m−

x_c)/d_x)²+((y_L−

y_R)/d_h)²)/2]^1/2 wherein x_m is a first directional position value of the center of visual weight for a page of the document, y_L is a second directional position value of the center of visual weight for a first portion of the page of the document, y_R is a second directional position value of the center of visual weight for a second portion of the page of the document, x_c is the first directional position value of the visual center of the page of the document, d_x is a maximum first directional distance an object can be from the visual center, and d_y is a maximum second directional distance an object can be from the visual center.

18. A method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document, comprising:

(a) measuring a predetermined set of characteristics of the document;

(b) quantizing the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document;

(c) generating a quantized aesthetic value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetic combining function, the predetermined aesthetic combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics;

(d) generating a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics;

(e) generating a quantized eye-catching ability value for the document based on a predetermined eye-catching ability combining function, the predetermined eye-catching ability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics;

(f) generating a quantized interest value for the document based on a predetermined interest combining function, the predetermined interest combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics;

(g) generating a quantized convenience value for the document based on a predetermined convenience combining function, the predetermined convenience combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics;

(h) generating a quantized comfort value for the document based on a predetermined comfort combining function, the predetermined comfort combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics;

(i) generating a quantized communicability value for the document based on a predetermined communicability combining function, the predetermined communicability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and

(j) generating a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetic value, the generated quantized ease of use value, the generated quantized eye-catching ability value, the generated quantized interest value, the generated quantized convenience value, the generated quantized comfort value, and the generated quantized communicability value.

19. A method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document, comprising:

(a) measuring a predetermined set of characteristics of the document;

(b) quantizing the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document;

(c) generating a quantized aesthetic value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetic combining function, the predetermined aesthetic combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics;

(d) generating a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and

(e) generating a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetic value and the generated quantized ease of use value.

20. A method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document, comprising:

(a) measuring a predetermined set of characteristics of the document;

(b) quantizing the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document;

(c) generating a quantized aesthetic value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetic combining function, the predetermined aesthetic combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics;

(d) generating a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics;

(e) generating a quantized eye-catching ability value for the document based on a predetermined eye-catching ability combining function, the predetermined eye-catching ability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and

(f) generating a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetic value, the generated quantized ease of use value, and the generated quantized eye-catching ability value.