Methods and apparatus for summarizing document content for mobile communication devices

• US 7,421,652 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Arizan Corp (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Yuan, Jianwei, Sylthe, Olav A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh; Rachna
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US10/693,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 715/530, 715/523, 715/511, 715/517, 715/200, 715/204, 715/212, 715/215, 715/227, 715/234, 715238-239, 715/242, 715254-255
• US Class Current: 715/254
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis

Abstract

A document summary which includes an assemblage of a plurality of summary entries is generated for an electronic document. In the generation of the document summary, a content structure or properties within the electronic document are analyzed. The plurality of summary entries are selected from the contents of the electronic document based on the analysis of the content structure or properties. The content structure within the electronic document may include a table of contents, a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, a plurality of document pages, etc. The content properties within the electronic document may include text formatting, paragraph formatting, paragraph sizing, etc. Preferably, the best available content structure or properties within the electronic document is identified and utilized in the selection of the plurality of summary entries. The document summary is provided to a mobile communication device in response to a request for the electronic document.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of generating summary information for an electronic document for use by a mobile communication device, comprising:

receiving a request from a user of the mobile communication device for document summary information of the electronic document;

determining whether the electronic document is a structured document, an unstructured document or an unformatted document;

generating the document summary information which includes an assemblage of a plurality of summary entries selected from the contents of the electronic document based on the determining step, wherein the generating document summary information includes determining;

if the electronic document is a structured document by examining whether the electronic document contains content structure which includes a table of content, a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, and/or a plurality of document pages,

for the electronic document containing a table of content, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on top level entries of the table of content,

for the electronic document containing a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document containing one entry for each worksheet in the spreadsheet document, and

for the electronic document containing a plurality of document pages, selecting the plurality of summary entries which correspond to contiguous ranges of pages in the electronic document;

if the electronic document is an unstructured document by examining changes in formatting of text in the electronic document, wherein the formatting of text includes font properties, paragraph alignment and indentation, and text properties, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining changes in the formatting of text, and wherein the font properties includes font names, text font sizes, text font weights, and text font styles;

otherwise if the electronic document is an unformatted document by examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns; and

providing the document summary information for the mobile communication device.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the summary information is provided to the mobile communication device without the electronic document.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on differences in content properties comprises determining if the content properties include at least one of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents and in response selecting the plurality of summary entries based on differences in said at least one of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents;

and otherwise selecting the plurality of summary entries based on differences in said paragraph sizes.

4. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium;

computer program instructions stored on the computer storage medium;

the computer program instructions being executable on a processor for generating document summary information for an electronic document by;

receiving a request from a user of a mobile communication device for the document summary information of the electronic document;

determining whether the electronic document is a structured document, an unstructured document or an unformatted document;

generating the document summary information which includes an assemblage of a plurality of summary entries selected from the contents of the electronic document based on the determining step, wherein the generating document summary information includes determining;

if the electronic document is a structured document by examining whether the electronic document contains content structure which includes a table of content, a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, and/or a plurality of document pages,

for the electronic document containing a table of content, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on top level entries of the table of content,

for the electronic document containing a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document containing one entry for each worksheet in the spreadsheet document, and

for the electronic document containing a plurality of document pages, selecting the plurality of summary entries which correspond to contiguous ranges of pages in the electronic document;

if the electronic document is an unstructured document by examining changes in formatting of text in the electronic document, wherein the formatting of text includes font properties, paragraph alignment and indentation, and text properties, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining changes in the formatting of text, and wherein the font properties includes font names, text font sizes, text font weights, and text font styles;

otherwise if the electronic document is an unformatted document by examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns; and

providing the document summary information for the mobile communication device.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein said selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on differences in content properties comprises determining if the content properties include at least one of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents and in response selecting the plurality of summary entries based on differences in said at least one of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents;

and otherwise selecting the plurality of summary entries based on differences in said paragraph sizes.

6. A method of generating summary information for an electronic document, comprising:

identifying an electronic document to determine whether the electronic document is a structured document, an unstructured document or an unformatted document;

generating document summary information having a plurality of summary entries selected from contents of the electronic document based on the determining step, wherein the generating document summary information includes determining;

if the electronic document is a structured document by examining whether the electronic document contains content structure which includes a table of content, a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, and/or a plurality of document pages,

for the electronic document containing a table of content, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on top level entries of the table of content,

for the electronic document containing a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document containing one entry for each worksheet in the spreadsheet document, and

for the electronic document containing a plurality of document pages, selecting the plurality of summary entries which correspond to contiguous ranges of pages in the electronic document;

if the electronic document is an unstructured document by examining changes in formatting of text in the electronic document, wherein the formatting of text includes font properties, paragraph alignment and indentation, and text properties, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining changes in the formatting of text, and wherein the font properties includes font names, text font sizes, text font weights, and text font styles;

otherwise if the electronic document is an unformatted document by examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing the summary information in response to a request for the electronic document by a mobile communication device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on differences in content properties comprises determining if the content properties include at least one of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents and in response selecting the plurality of summary entries based on differences in said at least one of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents;

and otherwise selecting the plurality of summary entries based on differences in said paragraph sizes.

9. A server for generating summary information for electronic documents, comprising:

a memory;

a document service process for receiving a request from a user of a mobile communication device for document summary information of an electronic document;

a structured document summarization process for determining whether an electronic document is a structured document by examining whether the electronic document contains content structure which includes a table of content, a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, and/or a plurality of document pages,

for the electronic document containing a table of content, selecting a plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on top level entries of the table of content,

for the electronic document containing a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document containing one entry for each worksheet in the spreadsheet document, and

for the electronic document containing a plurality of document pages, selecting the plurality of summary entries which correspond to contiguous ranges of pages in the electronic document;

an unstructured document summarization process for determining whether an electronic document is an unstructured document by examining changes in formatting of text in the electronic document, wherein the formatting of text includes font properties, paragraph alignment and indentation, and text properties, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining changes in the formatting of text, and wherein the font properties includes font names, text font sizes, text font weights, and text font styles;

an unformatted document summarization process for determining whether an electronic document is an unformatted document by examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns;

wherein the generating document summary information includes an assemblage of the plurality of summary entries selected from contents of the electronic document based on the determination whether the electronic document is a structured document, an unstructured document or an unformatted document; and

the document service process for transmitting the document summary information to the mobile communication device.

10. A system which facilitates the communication of summary information for electronic documents to mobile communication devices, comprising:

a server having;

a memory;

a structured document summarization process for determining whether an electronic document is a structured document by examining whether the electronic document contains content structure which includes a table of content, a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, and/or a plurality of document pages,

for the electronic document containing a table of content, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on top level entries of the table of content,

for the electronic document containing a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets, selecting a plurality of summary entries from the electronic document containing one entry for each worksheet in the spreadsheet document, and

for the electronic document containing a plurality of document pages, selecting the plurality of summary entries which correspond to contiguous ranges of pages in the electronic document;

an unstructured document summarization process for determining whether an electronic document is an unstructured document by examining changes in formatting of text in the electronic document, wherein the formatting of text includes font properties, paragraph alignment and indentation, and text properties, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining changes in the formatting of text, and wherein the font properties includes font names, text font sizes, text font weights, and text font styles;

an unformatted document summarization process for determining whether an electronic document is an unformatted document by examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the examining paragraph sizes and paragraph text patterns;

wherein the generating document summary information includes an assemblage of the plurality of summary entries selected from contents of the electronic document based on the determination whether the electronic document is a structured document, an unstructured document or an unformatted document; and

a wireless communication network which communicates the document summary information to a mobile communication device in response to a request for the electronic document.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

the mobile communication device which receives the document summary information in response to the request for the electronic document.