Methods and systems for incrementally changing text representation

• US 7,549,114 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2003
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Bederson, Benjamin B., Stefik, Mark J., Good, Lance E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, THU V
• Application Number:
  US10/369,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20030159113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,307 Days
• Field of Search: 715517-520, 715529-531, 715/501.1, 715717-718, 715/720, 715243-244, 715/246, 715254-256, 715/200, 715/201, 715/203, 715730-732, 704/9
• US Class Current: 715/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/20 Natural language analysis semantic analysis of natural language G06F40/30

Abstract

To reduce required display space, a text segment is reduced in size by successively eliminating portions of the text segment and by reducing a size of text of the text segment and/or a spacing between characters of the text segment. The reduction is thus visually represented in a step-wise manner, and recognizability of the text segment is maintained, even if the final representation of the text does not carry a full meaning and/or is not independently comprehensible, because of the impression left in the mind of the user by the step-wise reduction of the text segment. The reduction may be animated.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of incrementally changing text representation, comprising:

obtaining a text segment;

automatically assigning one or more scores to portions of the text segment without user intervention; and

reducing space occupied by the text segment on a display in predetermined increments by successively eliminating portions of the text segment based on the scores assigned to the portions and by reducing at least one of (a) a size of text of the text segment and (b) a spacing between characters of the text segment,

wherein the portions of the text segment include at least one of a letter, a word, a line and a sentence,

wherein immediately after the obtaining the text segment, the reducing of space occupied by the text segment automatically commences, and after the reducing the space occupied by the text segment by each of the predetermined increments, the reduced text segment is automatically successively displayed without user input,

wherein the text segment is obtained by one of (a) entering the text segment or (b) selecting the text segment,

wherein the reducing by successively eliminating includes selectively reducing a number of letters in one or more words of the text segment to preserve visual recognizability, and

wherein the number of letters is reduced by at least one of replacing the word with a stem, replacing the word with an idiosyncratic spelling of the word, and eliminating double letters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing includes reducing a number of words of the text segment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the scores assigned to the portions are based on at least one of whether the words in each portion are subject or predicate, whether the words are modifiers, how many letters are in each word, how many times each word is repeated in a source document or selected portion of the document, a position of the words in the sentences, a user'"'"'s preference, and whether one or more letters of each word are capitalized.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing converges the reduction toward a predetermined position of the text segment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining one or more additional text segments and reducing space occupied by the one or more additional text segments by successively eliminating portions of the one or more additional text segments, such that a plurality of independent text segments is visible.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the text size reduction is coordinated across all visible text segments.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the text size reduction is coordinated by being made uniform across all visible text segments.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enlarging a size of text that has been reduced, to maintain recognizability of the text.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the reducing automatically continues to completion after commencing.

10. A computer-readable memory storing a program having instructions, which when executed, for implementing the method of claim 1.

11. A computer implemented incremental text change representation system, comprising:

a display device;

a controller that obtains a text segment and reduces space occupied by the text segment on the display device in predetermined increments by successively eliminating portions of the text segment based on one or more scores automatically assigned to the text segment without user intervention, and by reducing at least one of (a) a size of text of the text segment and (b) a spacing between characters of the text segment,

wherein the portions of the text segment include at least one of a letter, a word, a line and a sentence,

wherein immediately after the controller obtains the text segment, the controller automatically reduces the space occupied by the text segment, and after the space occupied by the text segment is reduced by each of the predetermined increments, the reduced text segment is automatically successively displayed without user input,

wherein the controller obtains a text segment by one of (a) a user entering the text segment, or (b) a user selecting a text segment,

wherein the reducing by successively eliminating includes selectively reducing a number of letters in one or more words of the text segment to preserve visual recognizability, and

wherein the number of letters is reduced by at least one of replacing the word with a stem, replacing the word with an idiosyncratic spelling of the word, and eliminating double letters.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the reducing includes reducing a number of words of the text segment.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein reducing the scores assigned to the portions are based on at least one of whether the words are subject or predicate, whether the words are a modifier, how many letters are in each word, how many times each word is repeated in a source document or selected portion of the document, position of the words in the sentences, a user'"'"'s preference, and whether one or more letters of each word are capitalized.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the reducing converges the reduction toward a predetermined position of the text segment.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising obtaining one or more additional text segments and reducing space occupied by the one or more additional text segments by successively eliminating portions of the one or more additional text segments, such that a plurality of independent text segments is visible.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the text size reduction is coordinated across all visible text segments.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the text size reduction is coordinated by being made uniform across all visible text segments.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller enlarges a size of text that has been reduced, to maintain recognizability of the text.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller automatically continues the reduction to completion after commencing.

20. The system of claim 11, in combination with a display device and a computer that contains the controller.