ADJUSTING FONT SIZES

• US 20120327123A1
• Filed: 06/23/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Felt, Michelle
• Granted Patent: US 9,183,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/26 for modifying the character dimensions, e.g. double width, double height

Abstract

A device may determine a baseline size of a font, obtain a distance between a user and a mobile device when the baseline size is determined, determine, via a sensor, a current distance between the mobile device and the user, determine a target size of the font based on the current distance, the distance, and the baseline size, sett a current size of the font to the target size of the font, and display, on the mobile device, characters in the font having the target size.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an output component to provide an audio or visual output;

a sensor to determine distances between the device and a user;

a memory to store a baseline distance and a baseline value of a parameter that specifies a magnitude of the audio or visual output;

one or more processors to;

determine the baseline value;

obtain, via the sensor, the baseline distance between the user and the device when the baseline value is determined;

determine, via the sensor, a current distance between the device and the user;

determine a target value of the parameter based on the current distance, the baseline distance, and the baseline value;

set the magnitude of the audio or visual output to the target value; and

provide, via the output component, the audio or visual output having the magnitude.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device includes:

a tablet computer;

a cellular phone;

a laptop computer;

a gaming console;

a personal digital assistant;

a digital camera;

or a personal computer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the parameter includes:

speaker volume;

or a font size.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes:

a range finder;

an ultrasound sensor;

or an infrared sensor.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the output component includes:

a speaker;

or a display.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising:

a microphone to measure a level of ambient noise, wherein when the one or more processors determine the target value of the parameter, the one or more processors are configured to;

determine a target volume of the speaker based on the current distance, the baseline distance, the baseline value, and the level of ambient noise.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to calibrate the output component.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein when the one or more processors calibrate the output component, the one or more processors are further configured to:

provide an eye examination to the user;

or

provide a hearing test to the user.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein when the one or more processors provide the eye examination to the user, the one or more processors are configured to:

determine sizes of test fonts to display to the user based on a resolution of the display.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein when the one or more processors provide the eye examination to the user, the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a user selection of a smallest font that the user can read.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein when the one or more processors determine the baseline value, the one or more processors are further configured to:

set the baseline value to be greater than or equal to a size of the smallest font that the user can read when the user and the device are apart by the baseline distance.

12. A method comprising:

determining a baseline size of a font;

obtaining a distance between a user and a mobile device when the baseline size is determined;

determining, via a sensor, a current distance between the mobile device and the user;

determining a target size of the font based on the current distance, the distance, and the baseline size;

setting a current size of the font to the target size of the font; and

displaying, on the mobile device, characters in the font having the target size.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor includes a component for auto-focusing a camera of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the baseline size includes:

calibrating the mobile device to obtain the baseline size;

or

retrieving a predetermined value as the baseline size from a memory of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the calibrating includes:

providing a graphical user interface for conducting an eye examination;

or

receiving user input that specifies visual acuity of the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the conducting the eye examination includes:

receiving a user selection of a smallest font that the user can read at the distance.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the providing the graphical user interface includes:

displaying test fonts whose sizes are determined based on a resolution of a display of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the target size includes:

determining a value that is no greater than a predetermined upper limit.

19. A computer-readable medium, comprising computer-executable instructions for configuring one or more processors to:

determine a baseline volume level of a speaker of a mobile device;

obtain a distance between a user and the mobile device when the baseline volume level is determined;

determine, via a sensor, a current distance between the mobile device and the user;

determine a target volume level of the speaker based on at least the current distance, the distance, and the baseline volume level;

set a current volume level of the speaker to the target volume level of the speaker; and

generate, from the mobile device, sounds having the target volume level.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising computer-executable instruction for configuring the one or more processors to determine ambient noise, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instruction for configuring the one or more processors to, when the one or more processors determine the target volume level:

determine the target volume level of the speaker based on the current distance, the distance, the baseline volume level, and the ambient noise level.