Dynamic highlighting of repetitions in electronic documents

• US 9,886,422 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2014
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gluck, Olympia, Goldberg, Itzhack, Sharaby, Gilad, Sondhi, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Velez-Lopez, Mario M
• Application Number:
  US14/452,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20160041949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/253 Grammatical analysis; Style critique
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/284 Lexical analysis, e.g. tokenisation or collocates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/289 Phrasal analysis, e.g. finite state techniques or chunking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/30 Semantic analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/416 Extracting the logical structure, e.g. chapters, sections or page numbers; Identifying elements of the document, e.g. authors

Abstract

In a method for dynamically highlighting repetitive text in electronic documents, obtaining one or more user preferences related to a user reading an electronic document. The method further includes determining whether the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, wherein a repetitive text association is data that provides one or more indications of repetitive text segments interspersed within a document. In response to determining that the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, the method further includes identifying one or more repetitive text segments in the electronic document corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations and determining a time duration expended by the user reading an instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments within the electronic document. The method further includes highlighting the identified one or more repetitive text segments within the electronic document based one or more obtained user preferences.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically highlighting repetitive text in electronic documents, the method comprising:

obtaining, by one or more computer processors, one or more user preferences related to a user reading an electronic document;

determining, by one or more computer processors, whether the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, wherein a repetitive text association is data that provides one or more indications of repetitive text segments interspersed within a document;

in response to determining that the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, identifying, by one or more computer processors, one or more repetitive text segments in the electronic document corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations;

determining, by one or more computer processors, that a location of the user reading within the electronic document is at a location of an instance of one of the identified one or more repetitive text segments;

determining, by one or more computer processors, a time duration expended by the user reading, at the determined location, the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments within the electronic document;

storing, by one or more computer processors, the time duration, wherein the stored time duration includes a time duration expended by the user reading the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments, a timestamp, and the location of the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments;

determining, by one or more computer processors, one or more trends related to the user reading one or more instances of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association based on one or more of;

one or more obtained user preferences related to analyzing stored time durations for the repetitive text association, one or more default preferences associated with the electronic document, and a sequence in which the user read the one or more instances of the identified one or more repetitive text corresponding to the repetitive text association; and

highlighting, by one or more computer processors, the identified one or more repetitive text segments, corresponding to the determined location of the user reading, within the electronic document based one or more obtained user preferences.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

highlighting, by one or more computer processors, one or more subsequent instances of the identified repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association within the electronic document based on the determined location of the user reading the electronic document and one or more of;

one or more obtained user preferences associated with highlighting repetitive text associations within the electronic document, one or more default preferences associated with the electronic document, one or more determined trends associated with stored time durations corresponding to the repetitive text association, and the sequence in which the one or more subsequent instances of the identified one or more repetitive text segments is read by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by one or more computer processors, one or more obtained user preferences associated with highlighting repetitive text associations within the electronic document, wherein the one or more obtained user preferences are associated with defining a new area of text containing a repetitive text segment corresponding to a repetitive text association within the electronic document;

determining, by one or more computer processors, an associated area of text for an instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association based on the one or more obtained user preferences associated with highlighting repetitive text associations; and

in response to determining the associated area of text for the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association, updating, by one or more computer processors, the highlighting of the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association within the electronic document.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more computer processors, a file format of the electronic document;

determining, by one or more computer processors, one or more characteristics of an interface presenting the electronic document to the user, wherein the one or more characteristics includes;

a size of an area of the interface presenting the electronic document, one or more fonts utilized in presenting the electronic document, and one or more font sizes utilized in presenting the electronic document;

determining, by one or more computer processors, one or more document lengths for the electronic document based on at least one or more of;

the format of the electronic document, the one or more characteristics of the interface presenting the electronic document, the user'"'"'s location in the electronic document, and one or more trends related to the user reading one or more instances of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to repetitive text associations; and

in response to determining the one or more document lengths, presenting, by one or more computer processors, the one or more document lengths to the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more computer processors, that the user has previously read the electronic document;

retrieving, by one or more computer processors, stored time duration information for one or more repetitive text associations of the previously read electronic document, by the user;

determining, by one or more computer processors, a current time stamp;

determining, by one or more computer processors, one or more time duration deviations between the current time stamp and the retrieved time duration information for one or more repetitive text associations of the previously read electronic document by the user; and

adjusting, by one or more computer processors, the highlighting of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations based on the determined one or more time duration deviations.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by one or more computer processors, that an interface presenting the electronic document displays in a monochrome mode;

obtaining, by one or more computer processors, one or more user preferences related to the highlighting of one or more repetitive text associations displaying in monochrome mode for the electronic document;

determining, by one or more computer processors, one or more effects related to the highlighting based one or more user preferences related to the highlighting of one or more repetitive text segments of the one or more repetitive text associations displaying in monochrome mode; and

displaying, by one or more computer processors, the electronic document and associated highlighted one or more repetitive text segments in monochrome mode based on the determined one or more effects related to highlighting.

7. A computer program product for dynamically highlighting repetitive text in electronic documents, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to obtain one or more user preferences related to a user reading an electronic document;

program instructions to determine whether the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, wherein a repetitive text association is data that provides one or more indications of repetitive text segments interspersed within a document;

in response to program instructions determining that the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, program instructions to identify one or more repetitive text segments in the electronic document corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations;

program instruction to determine that a location of the user reading within the electronic document is at a location of an instance of one of the identified one or more repetitive text segments;

program instructions to determine a time duration expended by the user reading, at the determined location, the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments within the electronic document;

program instructions to store the time duration, wherein the stored time duration includes a time duration expended by the user reading the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments, a timestamp, and the location of the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments;

program instructions to determine one or more trends related to the user reading one or more instances of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association based on one or more of;

one or more obtained user preferences related to analyzing stored time durations for the repetitive text association, one or more default preferences associated with the electronic document, and a sequence in which the user read the one or more instances of the identified one or more repetitive text corresponding to the repetitive text association; and

program instructions to highlight the identified one or more repetitive text segments, corresponding to the determined location of the user reading, within the electronic document based one or more obtained user preferences.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

highlight one or more subsequent instances of the identified repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association within the electronic document based on the determined location of the user reading the electronic document and one or more of;

one or more obtained user preferences associated with highlighting repetitive text associations within the electronic document, one or more default preferences associated with the electronic document, one or more determined trends associated with stored time durations corresponding to the repetitive text association, and the sequence in which the one or more subsequent instances of the identified one or more repetitive text segments is read by the user.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

obtain one or more obtained user preferences associated with highlighting repetitive text associations within the electronic document, wherein the one or more obtained user preferences are associated with defining a new area of text containing a repetitive text segment corresponding to a repetitive text association within the electronic document;

determine an associated area of text for an instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association based on the one or more obtained user preferences associated with highlighting repetitive text associations; and

in response to determining the associated area of text for the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association, update the highlighting of the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association within the electronic document.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

determine a file format of the electronic document;

determine one or more characteristics of an interface presenting the electronic document to the user, wherein the one or more characteristics includes;

a size of an area of the interface presenting the electronic document, one or more fonts utilized in presenting the electronic document, and one or more font sizes utilized in presenting the electronic document;

determine one or more document lengths for the electronic document based on at least one or more of;

the format of the electronic document, the one or more characteristics of the interface presenting the electronic document, the user'"'"'s location in the electronic document, and one or more trends related to the user reading one or more instances of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to repetitive text associations; and

in response to determining the one or more document lengths, present the one or more document lengths to the user.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

determine that the user has previously read the electronic document;

retrieve stored time duration information for one or more repetitive text associations of the previously read electronic document, by the user;

determine a current time stamp;

determine one or more time duration deviations between the current time stamp and the retrieved time duration information for one or more repetitive text associations of the previously read electronic document by the user; and

adjust the highlighting of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations based on the determined one or more time duration deviations.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer readable storage media, to:

determine that an interface presenting the electronic document displays in a monochrome mode;

obtain one or more user preferences related to the highlighting of one or more repetitive text associations displaying in monochrome mode for the electronic document;

determine one or more effects relating to the highlighting based one or more of the obtained user preferences related to the highlighting of one or more repetitive text segments of the one or more repetitive text associations displaying in monochrome mode; and

displaying the electronic document and associated highlighted one or more repetitive text segments in monochrome mode based on the determined one or more effects related to highlighting.

13. A computer system for dynamically highlighting repetitive text in electronic documents, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to obtain one or more user preferences related to a user reading an electronic document;

program instructions to determine whether the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, wherein a repetitive text association is data that provides one or more indications of repetitive text segments interspersed within a document;

in response to program instructions determining that the electronic document contains one or more repetitive text associations, program instructions to identify one or more repetitive text segments in the electronic document corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations;

program instruction to determine that a location of the user reading within the electronic document is at a location of an instance of one of the identified one or more repetitive text segments;

program instructions to determine a time duration expended by the user reading, at the determined location, the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments within the electronic document;

program instructions to store the time duration, wherein the stored time duration includes a time duration expended by the user reading the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments, a timestamp, and the location of the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments;

program instructions to determine one or more trends related to the user reading one or more instances of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association based on one or more of;

one or more obtained user preferences related to analyzing stored time durations for the repetitive text association, one or more default preferences associated with the electronic document, and a sequence in which the user read the one or more instances of the identified one or more repetitive text corresponding to the repetitive text association; and

program instructions to highlight the identified one or more repetitive text segments, corresponding to the determined location of the user reading, within the electronic document based one or more obtained user preferences.

14. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, to:

highlight one or more subsequent instances of the identified repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association within the electronic document based on the determined location of the user reading the electronic document and one or more of;

one or more obtained user preferences associated with highlighting repetitive text associations within the electronic document, one or more default preferences associated with the electronic document, one or more determined trends associated with stored time durations corresponding to the repetitive text association, and the sequence in which the one or more subsequent instances of the identified one or more repetitive text segments is read by the user.

15. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, to:

obtain one or more obtained user preferences associated with highlighting repetitive text associations within the electronic document, wherein the one or more obtained user preferences are associated with defining a new area of text containing a repetitive text segment corresponding to a repetitive text association within the electronic document;

determine an associated area of text for an instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association based on the one or more obtained user preferences associated with highlighting repetitive text associations; and

in response to determining the associated area of text for the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association, update the highlighting of the instance of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the repetitive text association within the electronic document.

16. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, to:

determine a file format of the electronic document;

determine one or more characteristics of an interface presenting the electronic document to the user, wherein the one or more characteristics includes;

a size of an area of the interface presenting the electronic document, one or more fonts utilized in presenting the electronic document, and one or more font sizes utilized in presenting the electronic document;

determine one or more document lengths for the electronic document based on at least one or more of;

the format of the electronic document, the one or more characteristics of the interface presenting the electronic document, the user'"'"'s location in the electronic document, and one or more trends related to the user reading one or more instances of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to repetitive text associations; and

in response to determining the one or more document lengths, present the one or more document lengths to the user.

17. The computer system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions, stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, to:

determine that the user has previously read the electronic document;

retrieve stored time duration information for one or more repetitive text associations of the previously read electronic document, by the user;

determine a current time stamp;

determine one or more time duration deviations between the current time stamp and the retrieved time duration information for one or more repetitive text associations of the previously read electronic document by the user; and

adjust the highlighting of the identified one or more repetitive text segments corresponding to the one or more repetitive text associations based on the determined one or more time duration deviations.