Display for rapid text reading

• US 7,159,172 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: O'Hara, Kenton, Bentley, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US09/707,923
• Time in Patent Office: 2,246 Days
• Field of Search: 715525-526, 715/513, 715517-518, 715/521, 715/790, 715/797, 715/838, 715/856, 715/858, 382/309, 382/173, 358/1.15, 434/169, 709/218, 345156-157
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens

Abstract

A display system uses so called rapid sequential visual presentation (RSVP) in which words are presented one after another in time, in a window for reading by a user. To provide context information, a thumbnail view of the document page or the section of text is also generated, and is used to indicate the location in the section of text of the word currently displayed in the RSVP window. In one example, an indicator is generated within the thumbnail view to show the position, and the indicator is moved automatically as the RSVP sequence advances. In another example, the thumbnail view is positioned in a background display pane behind the RSVP window, and the thumbnail view is moved relative to the RSVP window to indicate the current position in the text.

Claims

1. A display apparatus for displaying a sequential presentation of words from a section of text, comprising:

a display device; and

a display controller for controlling an image displayed by the display device;

wherein the display controller controls the display device to generate a display image comprising;

a first display region in which words from the section of text are presented sequentially one after another in time; and

a second display region of which at least a portion is overlapped by the first display region, and in which there is presented a thumbnail view of the section of the text from which the words in the first display region are sequentially presented; and

wherein the display controller in generating the display image controls movement of the thumbnail view relative to the first display region in the display image, as the words from the section of text are sequentially presented in the first display region, to indicate at least an approximate location within the thumbnail view of the word currently presented in the first display region by where that portion of the first display region overlaps the thumbnail view.

2. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display controller sequentially presents words from the section of text, in turn, in the first display region, at a controlled presentation rate.

3. The display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display controller generates the display image with the first display region maintained at a fixed position within the display image.

4. The display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display controller generates the thumbnail view to be larger than the first display region, the thumbnail view being located in a first display pane of the display image, and wherein the first display region is located in a second display pane of the display image in front of the first display pane, the second display pane overlapping the first display pane.

5. The display apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first display pane is centered in the display image.

6. The display apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first display pane is stationary in the display image.

7. The display apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a start word from the section of text is selected by moving the first pane relative to the second pane.

8. A display apparatus for displaying a sequence of words from a section of text, comprising:

a display device; and

a display controller for controlling an image displayed by the display device;

wherein the display controller controls the display device to generate a display image comprising;

a first display region in which words in the sequence of words are presented one after another in time; and

a second display region of which a portion is overlapped by the first display region, and in which there is presented a thumbnail view of the section of the text from which the words in the first display region are sequentially presented;

wherein the display controller moves the thumbnail view'"'"'s position within the display image relative to the first display region as the words from the section of text are sequentially presented in the first display region, such that the relative position of the thumbnail view is indicative of the location in the section of text of the word currently displayed in the first display region by where that portion of the first display region overlaps the thumbnail view.

9. The display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the display controller maintains the first display region at a fixed position within the display image.

10. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display controller generates marks in the thumbnail view that approximate word patterns in the section of the text.

11. The display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display controller generates a shadow on the thumbnail view to indicate a number of pages remain in a document after the page presented in the thumbnail view.

12. The display apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a start position in the sequence of words is selected by moving the thumbnail view relative to the first display region.

13. A method for operating a display apparatus to generate a display image for displaying a sequential presentation of words from a section of text in a display of the display apparatus, comprising:

generating a first display region in the display image in which words from the section of text are presented sequentially one after another in time;

generating a second display region in the display image of which at least a portion is overlapped by the first display region, and in which there is presented a thumbnail view of the section of text from which the words in the first display region are sequentially presented; and

moving in the display image the thumbnail view relative to the first display region in the display image, as the words from the section of text are sequentially presented in the first display region, to indicate at least an approximate location within the thumbnail view of the word currently being displayed in the first display region by where that portion of the first display region overlaps the thumbnail view.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising generating the thumbnail view to be larger than the first display region, the thumbnail view being located in a first display pane, and the first display region being located in a second display pane in front of the first display pane, the second display pane overlapping the first display pane.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first display pane is centered in the display image.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first display pane is stationary in the display image.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein a start word from the section of text is selected by moving the first pane relative to the second pane.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein words from the section of text are sequentially presented, in turn, in the first display region, at a controlled presentation rate.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said moving maintains the first display region within the display image at a fixed position.

20. A method for operating a display apparatus to generate a display image for displaying a sequence of words from a section of text in a display of the display apparatus, comprising:

generating a first display region in the display image in which words in the sequence of words are presented one after another in time;

generating a second display region of which a portion is overlapped by the first display region, and in which there is presented a thumbnail view of the section of text from which the words in the first display region are sequentially presented; and

moving the thumbnail view'"'"'s position within the display image relative to the first display region as the words from the section of text are sequentially presented in the first display region, such that the relative position of the thumbnail view is indicative of the location in the section of text of the word currently displayed in the first display region by where that portion of the first display region overlaps the thumbnail view.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the sequence of words presented one after another in time in the first display region is advanced at a controlled presentation rate.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein said controlling maintains the first display region within the display image at a fixed position.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising generating marks in the thumbnail view that approximate word patterns in the section of the text.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising generating a shadow on the thumbnail view to indicate a number of pages remain in a document after the page presented in the thumbnail view.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein a start position in the sequence of words is selected by moving the thumbnail view relative to the first display region.