System and method for measuring and quantizing document quality

• US 20060029259A1
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• 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 7,130,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/112
• 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 distinguishability of objects in the document; and

(b) quantizing the measured distinguishability of objects in the document.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantized distinguishability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a content distinguishability of objects in the document.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantized distinguishability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing an alignment separability of objects in the document.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantized distinguishability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a style separability of objects in the document.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantized distinguishability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a background separability of objects in the document.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantized distinguishability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a position distinguishability of objects in the document.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantized distinguishability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a heading distinguishability of objects in the document.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantized distinguishability of objects in the document is realized by:

(i) measuring and quantizing a content distinguishability of objects in the document;

(ii) measuring and quantizing an alignment separability of objects in the document;

(iii) measuring and quantizing a style separability of objects in the document;

(iv) measuring and quantizing a background separability of objects in the document;

(v) measuring and quantizing a position distinguishability of objects in the document; and

(vi) measuring and quantizing a heading distinguishability of objects in the document.

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

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

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

(c) generating a quantized distinguishability of objects in the document value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of subcharacteristics, the quantized distinguishability of objects in the document value being a measure of quality of the document.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined combining function is a weighted average of the quantized measured predetermined set of subcharacteristics.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined combining function is a weighted sum of the quantized measured predetermined set of subcharacteristics.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined combining function is a weighted product of the quantized measured predetermined set of subcharacteristics.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the predetermined combining function is a non-linear operation performed upon the quantized measured predetermined set of subcharacteristics.

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

(a) measuring a locatability of objects in the document; and

(b) quantizing the measured locatability of objects in the document.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the quantized locatability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing visibility of objects in the document.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the quantized locatability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a separability of objects in the document.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the quantized locatability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a distinguishability of objects in the document.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the quantized locatability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a structural locatability of objects in the document.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the quantized locatability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a position distinguished locatability of objects in the document.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the quantized locatability of objects in the document is realized by measuring and quantizing a reference locatability of objects in the document.