INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20120032983A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: NISHIBE, Mitsuru, ISHIKAWA, Tsuyoshi, KAWASAKI, Koichi, HISANAGA, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US13/160,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032983A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

An apparatus and method provide logic for formatting electronic content. In one implementation, an apparatus includes a generation unit configured to generate a signal for displaying content to a user on a display screen, and a receiving unit configured to receive information associated with a selection by the user of the displayed content. An identification unit is configured to identify a content element corresponding to the displayed content selection, based on at least the received information, and a formatting unit configured to format the identified content element by applying a formatting structure to the identified content element. The generation unit generates a signal for displaying the formatted content element on the display screen.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a generation unit configured to generate a signal for displaying content to a user on a display screen, the displayed content being associated with an electronic file comprising a plurality of content elements;

a receiving unit configured to receive information associated with a selection by the user of the displayed content;

an identification unit configured to identify a content element corresponding to the displayed content selection, based on at least the received information; and

a formatting unit configured to format the identified content element by applying a formatting structure to the identified content element,

wherein the generation unit is further configured to generate a signal for displaying the formatted content element on the display screen.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an input unit configured to detect a first user input.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first user input comprises a contact between an operational tool of the user and a surface of the input unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the receiving unit is further configured to:

receive, from the input unit, a first signal indicative of the first user input.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the identifying unit is configured to:

identify a first contact position and a first contact time associated with the first user input, based on at least the first signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the identifying unit is further configured to:

detect a movement of the first contact position; and

identify a second contact position associated with the detected movement.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the identifying unit is further configured to:

determine whether the detected movement is detected within a threshold time period of the first contact time.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the identifying unit is further configured to:

identify the content element based on the second contact position, when the movement is detected within the threshold time period.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the identifying unit is further configured to:

identify a number of characters within the identified content element; and

determine whether the identified number of characters exceeds a threshold value associated with the display screen, the threshold value comprising a number of characters that are displayed to a user within the display screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the identifying unit is further configured to:

obtain at least one additional content element associated with the identified content element, when the number of characters within the identified content element fails to exceed the threshold value.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the identifying unit is further configured to:

compute a sum of a number of characters within the at least one additional content element and the number of characters within the identified content element; and

determine whether the sum exceeds the threshold value.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the input device is further configured to detect a second user input.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the receiving unit is further configured to;

receive, from the input unit, a second signal indicative of the second user input; and

the identification unit is further configured to;

determine that the detected movement has ceased, based on at least the second signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the formatting unit is further configured to:

apply the formatting structure to the identified content element, when the detected movement has ceased.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the formatting structure comprises a formatting structure associated with the display screen.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the formatting structure defines a character size, the character size being based on a number of characters within the identified content element.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the formatting unit is further configured to:

determine whether a height of the identified content element exceeds a threshold height associated with the display screen; and

apply a multi-column formatting structure to the identified content element, when the height of the identified element exceeds the threshold height.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the identifying unit is further configured to;

determine whether the identified content element comprises a tappable element; and

select an additional tappable element disposed in a position within the electronic file within a predetermined distance from the identified content element, when the identified content element is a tappable element; and

the formatting unit is further configured to;

apply the formatting structure to at least a portion of the identified content element and the additional tappable element.

19. A computer-implemented method for formatting electronic content, comprising:

generating a signal for displaying content to a user on a display screen, the displayed content being associated with an electronic file comprising a plurality of content elements;

receiving information associated with a selection by the user of the displayed content;

identifying, using a processor, a content element corresponding to the displayed content selection, based on at least the received information;

formatting the identified content element by applying a formatting structure to the identified content element; and

generating a signal for displaying the formatted content element on the display screen.

20. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a method for formatting electronic content, comprising:

generating a signal for displaying content to a user on a display screen, the displayed content being associated with an electronic file comprising a plurality of content elements;

receiving information associated with a selection by the user of the displayed content;

identifying a content element corresponding to the displayed content selection, based on at least the received information;

formatting the identified content element by applying a formatting structure to the identified content element; and

generating a signal for displaying the formatted content element on the display screen.