Magnifying the text of a link while still retaining browser function in the magnified display

• US 8,112,705 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Issued: 02/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Day, Don Rutledge, Dutta, Rabindranath
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US12/181,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20080282157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-205, 715/209, 715/210, 715/226, 715/229, 715/231, 715/234, 715/238, 715/239, 715/243, 715/247, 715/253, 715/255, 715/256, 715/269, 715/272, 715273-276, 715/700, 715/713, 715/719, 715/723, 715/731, 715/732, 715/737, 715/206, 715/208, 715/249, 715/760, 715/762, 715/770, 715/796, 715/838, 345/24, 345/26, 345/418, 345/428, 345/472, 345/472.1, 345/472.2, 345/520, 345/530, 345/581, 345/619, 345/621, 345/622, 345/625, 345/650, 345/660, 345/661, 345/670, 345/671, 345/676, 345/681, 345/698
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection

Abstract

A web browser magnifies the content of the whole page in memory and displays the relevant portion in a magnifier with hyperlinks. The web browser then maps the magnified display to the original document. Thus, manipulation of the mouse in the magnified display may result in an action with respect to the original document. The user may then select a link for navigation within the magnified display. Alternatively, the web browser may analyze the original web page and construct magnifier contents on the basis of either the document object model, extensible markup language (XML), or hypertext markup language (HTML) representation of the magnified portion.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of magnifying a portion of a document in a browser, comprising:

presenting a first document in a first display area in the browser, wherein the first document is displayed with an original font size;

receiving a selection of a portion of the first document for magnified display;

generating a magnified display of the portion of the first document to form a magnified portion, wherein the magnified display of the portion comprises text in a second font size that is larger than the original font size, wherein generating the magnified display further comprises;

presenting the magnified portion in a magnifier window in a second display area within the first display area, wherein the second display area is presented on top of at least a portion of the first display area and obstructs from view the portion of the first display area;

analyzing a document object model for the first document; and

identifying a portion of the document object model that corresponds to the portion of the first document, wherein the magnified display of the portion of the first document is generated based on the portion of the document object model receiving a request for an action, wherein the action is to be applied within the magnified display in the magnifier window; and

performing the action with respect to the magnified display, wherein the magnified portion presents the portion of the document object model and retains full browser functionality within the magnifier window.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a selection of a link within the magnified portion and performing the action comprises retrieving and displaying a second document corresponding to the link in the first display area.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting attributes of nodes in the portion of the document object model based on a magnification factor.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises a selection of a portion of text within the portion of the magnified display to be copied and pasted into a different application and performing the action comprises copying the portion of the text selected within the portion of the magnified display and pasting the portion of the text into a second document corresponding to the different application.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the magnified display of the portion of the first document to form the magnified portion comprises generating the magnified display based upon a magnification factor.

6. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable device storing computer usable program code for magnifying a portion of a document in a browser, the computer program product comprising;

computer usable program code for presenting a first document in a first display area in the browser, wherein the first document is displayed with an original font size;

computer usable program code for receiving a selection of a portion of the first document for magnified display;

computer usable program code for generating a magnified display of the portion of the first document to form a magnified portion, wherein the magnified display of the portion comprises text in a second font size that is larger than the original font size, wherein generating the magnified display further comprises;

presenting the magnified portion in a magnifier window in a second display area within the first display area, wherein the second display area is presented on top of at least a portion of the first display area and obstructs from view the portion of the first display area;

analyzing a document object model for the first document; and

identifying a portion of the document object model that corresponds to the portion of the first document, wherein the magnified display of the portion of the first document is generated based on the portion of the document object model;

computer usable program code for receiving a request for an action, wherein the action is to be applied within the magnified display in the magnifier window; and

computer usable program code for performing the action with respect to the magnified display, wherein the magnified portion presents the portion of the document object model and retains full browser functionality within the magnifier window.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the action comprises a selection of a link within the magnified portion and performing the action comprises retrieving and displaying a second document corresponding to the link in the first display area.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 further comprising:

computer usable program code for adjusting attributes of nodes in the portion of the document object model based on a magnification factor.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the action comprises a selection of a portion of text within the portion of the magnified display to be copied and pasted into a different application and the step of performing the action comprises copying the portion of the text selected within the portion of the magnified display and pasting the portion of the text into a second document corresponding to the different application.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer usable program code for generating the magnified display of the portion of the first document to form the magnified portion further comprises computer useable program code for generating the magnified display based upon a magnification factor.

11. A data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes computer usable program code; and

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the computer usable program code to;

present a first document in a first display area in a browser, wherein the first document is displayed with an original font size;

receive a selection of a portion of the first document for magnified display;

generate a magnified display of the portion of the first document to form a magnified portion, wherein the magnified display of the portion comprises text in a second font size that is larger than the original font size, wherein generating the magnified display further comprises;

presenting the magnified portion in a magnifier window in a second display area within the first display area, wherein the second display area is presented on top of at least a portion of the first display area and obstructs from view the portion of the first display area;

analyzing a document object model for the first document; and

identifying a portion of the document object model that corresponds to the portion of the first document, wherein the magnified display of the portion of the first document is generated based on the portion of the document object model;

receive a request for an action, wherein the action is to be applied within the magnified display in the magnifier window; and

perform the action with respect to the magnified display, wherein the magnified portion presents a portion of the document object model and retains full browser functionality within the magnifier window.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the action comprises a selection of a link within the magnified portion and performing the action comprises retrieving and displaying a second document corresponding to the link in the first display area.

13. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable program code to adjust attributes of nodes in the portion of the document object model based on a magnification factor.

14. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the action comprises a selection of a portion of text within the portion of the magnified display to be copied and pasted into a different application and the step of performing the action comprises copying the portion of the text selected within the portion of the magnified display and pasting the portion of the text into a second document corresponding to the different application.

15. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein generating the magnified display of the portion of the first document to form the magnified portion further comprises generating the magnified display based upon a magnification factor.