Method and device for proportional setting of font attributes

• US 8,543,914 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2009
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich
• Primary Examiner(s): DEBROW, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US12/470,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20100299395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 715/269
• US Class Current: 715/269
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography

Abstract

A method and handheld electronic device for displaying text in accordance with a user-specified font attributes are provided. Where the text comprises formatted sections of varying font sizes, the font size settings are set according to a default font size specified for the device to provide a readable display of text. Text with a font size above a maximum threshold is set to a large font size appropriate for the device display. Text with a font size below a minimum threshold is set to a small font size appropriate for the device display. Text with a font size between the minimum and maximum thresholds is set to the default font size for the device. The font face of the text may be set to a user-specified font face, however, fixed-width fonts are unchanged in order to preserve spacing and formatting associated with text in fixed-width format.

Claims

1. A method of displaying one formatted text element out of a plurality of elements in a document, on an electronic device, the electronic device having a default font face, a default font size, a maximum font size threshold and a minimum font size threshold stored thereon, the method comprising:

reading an original font face and an original font size of the formatted text element;

after the reading step, determining whether the original font face is a changeable font face and, if so, setting the font face to the default font face;

comparing the original font size to the minimum font size threshold and maximum font size threshold;

after comparing the original font size to the minimum font size threshold and maximum font size threshold,

setting the font size to the default font size if the original font size is between the minimum font size threshold and the maximum font size threshold;

setting the font size to a first predetermined font size larger than the default font size if the original font size is greater than the maximum font size threshold;

setting the font size to a second predetermined font size smaller than the default font size if the original font size is less than the minimum font size threshold; and

displaying the formatted text element at the set font size.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first predetermined font size is at least 20% larger than the default font size.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second predetermined font size is at least 20% smaller than the default font size.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the formatted text element comprises a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) text element.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) email message, wherein the HTML email message contains the formatted text element.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) email message wherein the HTML email message contains multiple formatted text elements.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the changeable font face comprises non-fixed width font faces.

8. An electronic device for displaying one formatted text element out of a plurality of elements in a document, the electronic device comprising:

a controller for controlling the operation of the electronic device;

a memory connected to the controller, the memory storing a default font face, a default font size, a maximum font size threshold and a minimum font size threshold of the electronic device; and

a display, connected to the controller, for displaying the at least one formatted text element;

the controller being configured to;

read an original font face and an original font size of the formatted text element;

after the reading step, determine whether the original font face is a changeable font face and, if so, setting the font face to the default font face;

compare the original font size to the minimum font size threshold and maximum font size threshold; and

after performing the comparison, set the font size to the default font size if the original font size is between the minimum font size threshold and the maximum font size threshold, set the font size to a first predetermined font size larger than the default font size if the original font size is greater than the maximum font size threshold, and set the font size to a second predetermined font size smaller than the default font size if the original font size is less than the minimum font size threshold.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the electronic device is a mobile electronic device configured for wireless communications.

10. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the first predetermined font size is at least 20% larger than the default font size.

11. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the second predetermined font size is at least 20% smaller than the default font size.

12. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the changeable font face comprises a non-fixed-width font face.

13. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the default font face, default font size, maximum font size threshold and minimum font size threshold are configurable by a user.

14. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein the formatted text element comprises a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) text element.

15. The electronic device of claim 8 further comprising a receiver, for receiving a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) email message, wherein the HTML email message contains the formatted text element.

16. A computer-readable storage medium in an electronic device having a display for displaying one formatted text element out of a plurality of elements in a document, the medium having stored thereon a default font face, a default font size, a maximum font size threshold, a minimum font size threshold and computer-readable and computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the electronic device to perform steps comprising:

reading an original font face and an original font size of the at least one formatted text element;

after the reading step, determining if the original font face is a changeable font face and, if so, setting the font face to the default font face;

comparing the original font size to the minimum font size threshold and maximum font size threshold;

after comparing the original font size to the minimum font size threshold and maximum font size threshold,

setting the font size to the default font size if the original font size is between the minimum font size threshold and the maximum font size threshold;

setting the font size to a first predetermined font size larger than the default font size if the original font size is greater than the maximum font size threshold;

setting the font size to a second predetermined font size smaller than the default font size if the original font size is less than the minimum font size threshold; and

displaying the at least one formatted text element at the set font size.