Analysing character strings

• US 8,805,095 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boegelund, Flemming
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAWAN, SHEELA C
• Application Number:
  US13/246,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20120141031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 382/181, 382/229, 382/173, 382/177, 382/174, 382/187, 382/309, 382/310, 382/190, 382/195, 382/203, 382/289, 382/286, 382/178, 382/179, 382/189, 382/186, 382/224, 382/228, 382/185, 708/100, 708/200, 708/203, 704/1, 704/9, 715/200, 715/234, 715/236, 715/243, 715/249, 715/256, 715/259, 707/E17.039, 707/999.001, 707/999.003, 707/999.005
• US Class Current: 382/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 17/02 Line indicators or other guides or masks

Abstract

A method for analyzing a character string, the method including: analyzing a character string to determine one of more characters of the character string; determining from a dictionary source, an alternative character string to the analyzed character string; comparing the analyzed character string with the alternative character string to determine a weighting factor for each of the characters of the analyzed character string relative to the positional arrangement of the characters in the alternative character string; and for each determined weighting factor, generating for each of the characters in the analyzed character string a corresponding character of a particular size as determined by the weighting factor.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for analyzing a character string, the method comprising:

analyzing a character string to determine one of more characters of the character string;

determining from a dictionary source, an alternative character string to the analyzed character string;

comparing the analyzed character string with the alternative character string to determine a weighting factor for each of the characters of the analyzed character string relative to a positional arrangement of the characters in the alternative character string; and

for each determined weighting factor, generating for each character in the analyzed character string a corresponding character of a particular font size as determined by the weighting factor, the generating including modifying the font size of the corresponding character based on the weighting factor.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

applying a vowel reduction weighting factor to the analyzed character string in order to decreases a font size of vowels detected in the corresponding character string.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weighting factor increases the font size of the corresponding character.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

formatting each corresponding character based on their respective assigned weighting factors for collectively displaying each of the corresponding characters as a word having characters of differing font sizes.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the formatting further comprises:

formatting each corresponding character along a horizontal alignment wherein a horizontal alignment takes place in an upper quartile of each of the corresponding characters.

6. An apparatus for analyzing a character string, comprising:

a computer device configured for;

analyzing a character string to determine one of more characters of the character string;

determining from a dictionary source, an alternative character string to the analyzed character string;

comparing the analyzed character string with the alternative character string to determine a weighting factor for each of the characters of the analyzed character string relative to a positional arrangement of the characters in the alternative character string; and

for each determined weighting factor, generating for each character in the analyzed character string a corresponding character of particular font size and height as determined by the weighting factor, the generating including modifying the font size of the corresponding character based on the weighting factor.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein an additional vowel reduction weighting factor is applied to the analyzed character string in order to generate a corresponding character string of a particular font size.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the vowel weighting factor decreases the font size of the corresponding character string.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the weighting factor increases the font size of the corresponding character.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the computer device is further configured for:

formatting each corresponding character based on their respective assigned weighting factors for collectively displaying each of the corresponding characters as a word having characters of differing font sizes.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the formatting further comprises:

formatting each corresponding character along a horizontal alignment whereby a horizontal alignment takes place in an upper quartile of each of the corresponding characters.

12. Computer program code stored on a computer readable hardware storage device for performing a method for analyzing a character string, when loaded into a computer system and executed, the method comprising:

analyzing a character string to determine one of more characters of the character string;

determining from a dictionary source, an alternative character string to the analyzed character string;

comparing the analyzed character string with the alternative character string to determine a weighting factor for each of the characters of the analyzed character string relative to a positional arrangement of the characters in the alternative character string; and

for each determined weighting factor, generating for each character in the analyzed character string a corresponding character of particular font size and height as determined by the weighting factor, the generating including modifying the font size of the corresponding character based on the weighting factor.

13. The computer program code as claimed in claim 12, wherein an additional vowel reduction weighting factor is applied to the analyzed character string in order to generate a corresponding character string of a particular font size.

14. The computer program code as claimed in claim 12, wherein the vowel weighting factor decreases the font size of the corresponding character string.

15. The computer program code as claimed in claim 12, wherein the weighting factor increases the font size of the corresponding character.

16. The computer program code as claimed in claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

formatting each corresponding character based on their respective assigned weighting factors for collectively displaying each of the corresponding characters as a word having characters of differing font sizes.

17. The computer program code as claimed in claim 16, wherein the formatting further comprises:

formatting each corresponding character along a horizontal alignment whereby a horizontal alignment takes place in an upper quartile of each of the corresponding characters.