Terminals, communication systems, and electronic magazine programs

Abstract

The font size in digital magazines can be adjusted without the need for cumbersome operations such as pinching out. [Solution] The terminal 10 includes a first acquisition unit 130a that acquires electronic magazine information including article information for multiple articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each article; a specification unit 130c that, when an image of at least one article is displayed on the display device 140, specifies the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at a location specified by the user's first operation based on the first information; and an adjustment unit 130d that adjusts the size of the image so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article becomes the size indicated by the second information, based on the font size specified by the specification unit 130c, second information representing the size set by the user as the apparent size of the characters, and the pixel density on the display device 140.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal, a communication system, and an electronic magazine program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for automatically adjusting the character size of text such as e-mails, website contents, and articles in e-books displayed on a terminal, taking into account the total number of dots in the text.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The apparent size of characters that a user feels are easy to read varies from user to user. Hereinafter, the apparent size of characters that a user feels are easy to read is referred to as the best size. In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the size of characters displayed on a terminal is not necessarily adjusted to the best size for the user of that terminal.

[0005] On a smartphone or tablet, a user can adjust the apparent size of characters in the text being displayed to the best size for themselves by performing a pinch-out operation. However, in an electronic magazine, since the character sizes of articles vary from article to article or from magazine to magazine, in order to adjust the apparent size of characters in an article of an electronic magazine to the best size, it is necessary to perform a pinch-out operation or the like according to the magazine or the like each time, and there is a problem that the operation is time-consuming.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A terminal according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires electronic magazine information including article information relating to a plurality of articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each of the plurality of articles; a specification unit that, when an image showing at least one of the plurality of articles is displayed on a display device according to the article information, receives a first operation from a user to specify a location in the image, and specifies the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at the location specified by the first operation based on the first information; and an adjustment unit that adjusts the size of the image so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article is the size indicated by the second information, based on the font size specified by the specification unit, second information representing the apparent size of the characters set by the user as the apparent size of the characters, and third information representing the pixel density in the display device.

[0007] Furthermore, a communication system according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a first terminal and a management device that communicates with the first terminal, wherein the management device manages, for at least one of a second terminal different from the first terminal and the first terminal, by associating identification information that uniquely identifies the first terminal and the second terminal with second information that represents the size set by the user as the visual size of the characters, and the first terminal includes a first acquisition unit that acquires electronic magazine information including article information for a plurality of articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each of the plurality of articles, a second acquisition unit that acquires the second information managed by the management device by communicating with the management device, and, in a state where an image showing at least one of the plurality of articles according to the article information is displayed on a display device, a location in the image can be specified The device includes, upon receiving a first operation from a user, a specification unit that specifies the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at the location specified by the first operation based on the first information, and an adjustment unit that adjusts the size of the image so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article matches the size indicated by the second information, based on the font size specified by the specification unit, the second information acquired by the second acquisition unit, and third information representing the pixel density in the display device. The second acquisition unit acquires the second information corresponding to the first terminal if the management device manages the identification information of the first terminal and the second information in association, and acquires the second information corresponding to the second terminal if the management device does not manage the identification information of the first terminal and the second information in association.

[0008] Furthermore, an electronic magazine program according to one aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to perform the following actions: acquire electronic magazine information including article information relating to a plurality of articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each of the plurality of articles; when an image showing at least one of the plurality of articles is displayed on a display device according to the article information, and the computer receives a first operation from a user to specify a location in the image, it identifies the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at the location specified by the first operation based on the first information; and adjust the size of the image based on the identified font size, second information representing the size set by the user as the apparent size of the characters, and third information representing the pixel density in the display device, so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article is the size indicated by the second information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, by performing an operation to specify a location within an image, the apparent size of the text contained in an electronic magazine article displayed on the display device can be adjusted to a size set by the user, eliminating the need to perform cumbersome operations such as pinch-out to adjust the apparent size of the text. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a communication system 1 including a terminal 10 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example of a management table TBL1 stored in the management device 20. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of terminal 10. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a UI screen displayed on the display device 140 of terminal 10. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a UI screen displayed on the display device 140 of terminal 10. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of the updated management table TBL1. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the process for changing the visible size of the displayed text. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows the process for setting the apparent size of text. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] (A. Embodiment) Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication system 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 1 includes a terminal 10A owned by user U and a management device 20. In addition to terminal 10A, user U also owns terminals 10B and 10C. Terminals 10B and 10C are included in the communication system 1. As shown in Figure 1, terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C and the management device 20 are connected to a communication network NW. The communication network NW is, for example, the internet. In this embodiment, the case in which user U owns terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C is described, but one, two, or all of terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C may be lent to user U by their workplace or the like.

[0012] Terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C are all information processing devices equipped with communication functions for data communication via a communication network (NW) and program execution functions. Terminal 10A is, for example, a smartphone, terminal 10B is, for example, a B5-sized tablet terminal, and terminal 10C is an A4-sized tablet terminal. Each of terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C has a liquid crystal panel with a different display area size, and the pixel density (hereinafter referred to as resolution) of each liquid crystal panel is also different from one another. For example, when characters with a font size of 24 points are displayed on terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C, the apparent size of the characters displayed on terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C will be different from one another. The relationship between the apparent size of the displayed characters [pixels] and the font size of the characters [points] is given by the following equation (1). The apparent size of the text [pixels] = font size [points] × resolution (dpi) × 1 / 72 ... (1)

[0013] In this embodiment, the LCD panel resolution of terminal 10A is 72 dpi, the LCD panel resolution of terminal 10B is 96 dpi, and the LCD panel resolution of terminal 10C is 300 dpi. In this case, for a character with a font size of 24 points, the apparent size on terminal 10A is 24 pixels, the apparent size on terminal 10B is 36 pixels, and the apparent size on terminal 10C is 100 pixels.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, each of terminals 10A, 10B, and 10 has program PR1 pre-installed. Program PR1 is a program that allows user U of terminal 10 to view electronic magazines distributed from management device 20 via the communication network NW. Program PR1 is an example of an electronic magazine program in this disclosure. Hereafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C, terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C will be referred to as "terminal 10".

[0015] The management device 20 stores electronic magazine information. The electronic magazine information includes article information for multiple articles (for example, multiple image data representing images for each article) and font size information, which records the font size of the characters used to describe each article for each article. Font size information is an example of the first type of information in this disclosure. The management device 20 also stores a management table TBL1. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the contents stored in the management table TBL1. As shown in Figure 2, the management table TBL1 stores a user ID, which is identification information that uniquely identifies a user, a registered device ID, which is identification information that uniquely identifies the terminal owned by the user, size information that represents the best size set by the user for the terminal indicated by the registered device ID, and date and time information that represents the date and time the size information was set. The best size refers to the visual size of the characters that the user finds easy to read. Size information is an example of the second type of information in this disclosure.

[0016] In the example shown in Figure 2, the user ID of user U is "UID1". The registered device ID of terminal 10A is "D0A", the registered device ID of terminal 10B is "D0B", and the registered device ID of terminal 10C is "D0C". In the example shown in Figure 2, the size information for terminal 10A is NULL, and the date and time information is also NULL. The fact that the size information and date and time information are both NULL means that the apparent size of the displayed characters is not set. Figure 2 also shows that on October 1, 2024, the apparent size of the displayed characters for terminal 10B was set to 64 pixels, and on October 2, 2024, the apparent size of the displayed characters for terminal 10C was set to 100 pixels. Terminal 10A is an example of the first terminal in this disclosure. Terminal 10B is an example of the second terminal in this disclosure, and terminal 10C is an example of the third terminal in this disclosure. User U may also use terminals other than terminals 10A, 10B, and 10C, and such other terminals are also examples of third terminals in this disclosure. The following describes how to adjust the size of the characters displayed on terminal 10A and how to set the best size for terminal 10A.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the terminal 10A. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal 10A includes a communication device 110, a storage device 120, a processing device 130, a display device 140, an input device 150, a timing device 170, and a bus 180 that interconnects these devices. Note that the configurations of the terminals 10B and 10C are the same as that of the terminal 10A.

[0018] The communication device 110 includes, for example, a wireless communication circuit. The communication device 110 communicates wirelessly with other devices via the communication network NW. A specific example of another device that communicates with the communication device 110 is the management device 20.

[0019] The display device 140 includes a liquid crystal display and a drive circuit for the liquid crystal display. The display device 140 displays various images under the control of the processing device 130. The input device 150 is, for example, a transparent touch sensor that covers the display area of the display device 140. In the present embodiment, a touch panel is formed by the display device 140 and the input device 150. The input device 150 detects a touch operation by the user. The input device 150 provides operation content data representing the detected operation content to the processing device 130. By the exchange of this operation content data, the user's operation performed on the input device 150 is transmitted to the processing device 130. Note that the input device 150 may include, for example, an operator such as a numeric keypad, or may include a pointing device such as a mouse.

[0020] The timing device 170 includes, for example, a real-time clock. The timing device 170 outputs current date and time information indicating the current date and time to the processing device 130 in response to a request from the processing device 130.

[0021] The storage device 120 is a recording medium that can be read by the processing unit 130. The storage device 120 includes, for example, non-volatile memory and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory is, for example, ROM (Read Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), and EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). Volatile memory is, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage device 120 stores program PR1.

[0022] The processing unit 130 includes one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units). One or more CPUs are an example of one or more processors. Each of the processors and CPUs is an example of a computer. When the processing unit 130 is instructed to execute program PR1 by an operation on the input device 150, it reads program PR1 from the storage device 120. Then, the processing unit 130 executes program PR1 that it read from the storage device 120. The processing unit 130, operating according to program PR1, functions as a first acquisition unit 130a, a second acquisition unit 130b, a specific unit 130c, an adjustment unit 130d, a determination unit 130e, and a transmission unit 130f. The functions of each of the first acquisition unit 130a, second acquisition unit 130b, specific unit 130c, adjustment unit 130d, determination unit 130e, and transmission unit 130f in the processing unit 130 are as follows.

[0023] The first acquisition unit 130a acquires electronic magazine information from the management device 20 by communicating with the management device 20 using the communication device 110. The acquisition of electronic magazine information from the management device 20 is performed, for example, when program PR1 is started. The processing unit 130, which is operating according to program PR1, displays a UI screen G1 containing articles from the electronic magazine, as shown in Figure 4, according to the electronic magazine information acquired from the management device 20. The UI screen G1 shown in Figure 4 includes article A1 written in 16-point font and article A2 written in 8-point font.

[0024] The second acquisition unit 130b communicates with the management device 20 using the communication device 110 to acquire best size information managed by the management device 20 in association with user U. More specifically, if the management device 20 manages the registered device ID of terminal 10A in association with size information, the second acquisition unit 130b acquires the size information corresponding to terminal 10A. On the other hand, if the management device 20 does not manage the registered device ID of terminal 10A in association with best size information, the second acquisition unit 130b acquires the size information corresponding to terminal 10B or terminal 10C. Further specifically, the second acquisition unit 130b acquires the best size information that is associated with date and time information that is closest to the current date and time, from among the size information corresponding to terminal 10B and the best size corresponding to terminal 10C. For example, if the current date and time is October 3, 2024, as shown in Figure 2 above, the management device 20 does not manage the registered device ID of terminal 10A in association with size information. Therefore, the second acquisition unit 130b acquires size information corresponding to terminal 10B or terminal 10C. As shown in Figure 2, the date and time information associated with terminal 10B represents October 1, 2024, and the date and time information associated with terminal 10C represents October 2, 2024. Since the date and time information associated with terminal 10C represents a date and time closer to the current date and time, the second acquisition unit 130b acquires size information (100 pixels) corresponding to terminal 10C.

[0025] When the display device 140 is displaying an image (hereinafter referred to as "article image") representing at least one of several articles according to the article information contained in the electronic magazine information, the identification unit 130c receives a first operation (for example, a double-tap operation) from a user specifying a location within the article image, and identifies the font size of the characters describing the article (hereinafter referred to as "first article") displayed at the location specified by the first operation, based on the font size information contained in the electronic magazine information. Specifically, the identification unit 130c first identifies the XY coordinates on the display area of ​​the display device 140 for the location where the first operation was performed (the position where the double-tap was performed). Next, the identification unit 130c determines which article the location where the double-tap was performed belongs to, based on these XY coordinates and the display state of the article considering scrolling, etc. Then, the identification unit 130c identifies the font size of the characters describing the first article by referring to the font size information for the corresponding article. For example, suppose the first operation is performed on article A2 in the UI screen G1 shown in Figure 4. In this case, the specific unit 130c specifies that the font size of the characters used to describe the first article is 8 points.

[0026] Furthermore, when the display device 140 is displaying an article image, the identification unit 130c receives a second operation (for example, a long press operation) from the user that specifies a location within the article image, which is different from the first operation. In this case, the identification unit 130c determines the font size of the characters describing the article (hereinafter referred to as the second article) displayed at the location specified by the second operation, based on the font size information included in the electronic magazine information, in the same way as determining the font size for the first article. For example, suppose the second operation is performed on article A1 in the UI screen G1 shown in Figure 4. In this case, the identification unit 130c determines the font size of the characters describing the second article to be 16 points.

[0027] The adjustment unit 130d adjusts the size of the article image displayed on the display device 140 based on the font size identified by the identification unit 130c, the size information acquired by the second acquisition unit 130b, and the resolution information indicating the pixel density on the display device 140. The resolution information is an example of the third type of information in this disclosure. More specifically, the adjustment unit 130d calculates the actual size of the character to be 8 pixels according to formula (1), based on the font size (8 points) of the article corresponding to the location specified in the first operation and the resolution information (72 dpi) of the display device 140 of the terminal. Next, the adjustment unit 130d adjusts the display size of the article by using the value obtained by dividing the character size (100 pixels) represented by the size information acquired by the second acquisition unit 130b by the actual size (100 / 8 = 12.5) as a magnification factor, thereby adjusting the apparent size of the character displayed on the display device 140. As a result, as shown in Figure 5, UI screen G2, which includes an image of article A2 enlarged 12.5 times, is displayed on the display device 140. Thus, according to this embodiment, even if the best size is not set for terminal 10A, the apparent size of the characters displayed on terminal 10A can be adjusted by using the best size that has been set for other terminals owned by user U.

[0028] Based on the font size and resolution information identified by the identification unit 130c based on the second operation, the determination unit 130e determines the apparent size of the characters displayed on the display device 140 of the terminal 10A, as set by the user U, according to formula (1). Assume that the second operation was performed on article A1 in the UI screen G1 shown in Figure 4. That is, if the second article was article A1, the determination unit 130e determines the size of the characters displayed on the terminal 10A to be 16 × 72 × 1 / 72 = 16 pixels.

[0029] The transmitting unit 130f sends a message to the management device 20 using the communication device 110, which includes size information indicating the size determined by the determination unit 130e, the registered device ID of terminal 10A, and the user ID of user U. This instructs the management device 20 to manage the size information corresponding to terminal 10A. The management device 20 updates the contents of the management table TBL1 in response to this message. As mentioned above, the current date and time in this embodiment is October 2, 2024, so the contents of the management table TBL1 are updated as shown in Figure 6.

[0030] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process in which the processing unit 130 changes the apparent size of the displayed characters, which is performed according to the program PR1. In the first identification process SA110, the processing unit 130 functions as an identification unit 130c. In the first identification process SA110, the processing unit 130 identifies the font size of the article corresponding to the location specified by user U in the first operation, based on the font size information.

[0031] In the adjustment process SA120 that follows the first specific process SA110, the processing unit 130 functions as an adjustment unit 130d. In the adjustment process SA120, the processing unit 130 calculates the actual size of the character according to formula (1) based on the font size of the article corresponding to the location specified in the first operation and the resolution information of the display device of its terminal, and adjusts the display size of the first article using (best size) / (actual size of the character) as a magnification factor, thereby adjusting the apparent size of the character displayed on the display device 140.

[0032] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process of setting the apparent size of characters, which is performed by the processing unit 130 according to program PR1. In the second identification process SB110, the processing unit 130 functions as an identification unit 130c. In the second identification process SB110, the processing unit 130 identifies the font size of the article corresponding to the location specified by user U in the second operation, based on the font size information.

[0033] In the decision process SB120 that follows the second identification process SB110, the processing unit 130 functions as a decision unit 130e. In the decision process SB120, the processing unit 130 determines the apparent size of the characters displayed on the display device 140 of the terminal 10A, as set by user U, based on the font size and resolution information of the article corresponding to the location specified in the second operation, according to formula (1).

[0034] In the transmission process SB130 that follows the determination process SB120, the processing unit 130 functions as a transmission unit 130f. In the transmission process SB130, the processing unit 130 sends a message to the management device 20 using the communication device 110, which includes size information indicating the size determined in the determination process SB120, the registered device ID of terminal 10A, and the user ID of user U. This instructs the management device 20 to manage the size information corresponding to terminal 10A. The management device 20 updates the contents of the management table TBL1 in response to this message.

[0035] As described above, according to this embodiment, by performing a first operation to specify a location within the article image, the apparent size of the text contained in the electronic magazine article displayed on the display device can be adjusted to the size set by the user U, eliminating the need to perform cumbersome operations such as pinch-out to adjust the apparent size of the text. In addition, according to this embodiment, by performing a second operation to specify a location within the article image, the best size for the terminal can be determined.

[0036] (B: Transformation) The above embodiment can be modified as follows. (B-1: Torture 1) In the above embodiment, program PR1 was pre-stored in the storage device 120 of terminal 10, but program PR1 may be manufactured or sold as a standalone product. When selling program PR1, possible methods of providing PR1 to buyers include writing program PR1 to a computer-readable recording medium such as flash ROM and distributing it, or distributing it by download via a telecommunications line.

[0037] (B-2: Variation 2) In the above embodiment, the first acquisition unit 130a, the second acquisition unit 130b, the identification unit 130c, the adjustment unit 130d, the determination unit 130e, and the transmission unit 130f may be composed of electronic circuits such as ASICs, and the terminal 10 may be composed of these electronic circuits combined.

[0038] (C: Other) (1) In the embodiments described above, ROM and RAM were given as examples of the storage device 120, but the storage device 120 may be a flexible disk, magneto-optical disk (e.g., compact disk, digital multipurpose disk, Blu-ray® disk), smart card, flash memory device (e.g., card, stick, key drive), CD-ROM (Compact Disc-ROM), register, removable disk, hard disk, floppy® disk, magnetic strip, database, server, or other suitable storage medium.

[0039] (2) In the embodiments described above, the information, signals, etc. may be represented using any of the various different techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be mentioned throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0040] (3) In the embodiments described above, the input and output information may be stored in a specific location (e.g., memory) or managed using a table. The input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or appended to. The output information may be deleted. The input information may be transmitted to other devices.

[0041] (4) In the embodiments described above, the determination may be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), by a boolean value (true or false), or by a numerical comparison (for example, a comparison with a predetermined value).

[0042] (5) The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc., exemplified in the embodiments described above may be reordered, as long as they do not contradict each other. For example, in the methods described herein, the elements of various steps are presented using an exemplary order and are not limited to the specific order presented.

[0043] (6) Each function illustrated in Figure 3 is implemented by any combination of at least one of hardware and software. Furthermore, the method of implementing each function block is not particularly limited. That is, each function block may be implemented using one device that is physically or logically coupled, or it may be implemented using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are directly or indirectly connected (for example, using wired, wireless, etc.). A function block may also be implemented by combining the one or more devices with software.

[0044] (7) The programs illustrated in the embodiments described above should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc., whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages ​​or by other names.

[0045] Furthermore, software, instructions, information, etc., may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using at least one of wired technology (coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), etc.) and wireless technology (infrared, microwave, etc.), at least one of these wired and wireless technologies is included in the definition of a transmission medium.

[0046] (8) In each of the above-mentioned forms, the terms “system” and “network” shall be used interchangeably.

[0047] (9) The information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a given value, or other corresponding information.

[0048] (10) In the embodiments described above, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variation thereof, mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are “connected” or “coupled” with each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, “connection” may be read as “access.” As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be “connected” or “coupled” with each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and, in some non-limiting and non-exclusive examples, electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency domain, microwave domain, and optical (both visible and invisible) domain.

[0049] (11) In the embodiments described above, the phrase “based on” does not mean “based solely on” unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase “based on” means both “based solely on” and “based at least on.”

[0050] (12) The terms “determining” and “determining” as used in this disclosure may encompass a wide variety of actions. “Determining” may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiry (e.g., searching in a table, database or other data structure), ascertaining, etc. “Determining” may also include, for example, receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), etc. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include considering something as having been "judged" or "decided" after some action. Also, "judgment (decision)" can be reinterpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0051] (13) Where the terms “include,” “including,” and variations thereof are used in the embodiments described above, these terms are intended to be inclusive, as is the term “comprising.” Furthermore, the term “or” as used in this disclosure is not intended to be exclusive OR.

[0052] (14) Where articles are added in translation, for example, a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include the fact that the noun following these articles is plural.

[0053] (15) In this disclosure, the term “A and B are different” may mean “A and B are different from each other.” The term may also mean “A and B are each different from C.” Terms such as “separate” and “combined” may be interpreted in the same way as “different.”

[0054] (16) Each aspect / embodiment described herein may be used individually, in combination, or switched between as needed in practice. Furthermore, notification of certain information (e.g., notification that "X is") is not limited to explicit notification, but may also be implicit (e.g., by not providing such notification).

[0055] (D: Aspects understood from the above-described embodiments or modifications) Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Accordingly, the descriptions in the present disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be restrictive in any way. The following forms can be understood from at least one of the embodiments or modifications described above.

[0056] A terminal according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires electronic magazine information including article information for a plurality of articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each of the plurality of articles; a identification unit that, when an image showing at least one of the plurality of articles is displayed on a display device according to the article information, receives a first operation from a user to specify a location in the image, and identifies the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at the location specified by the first operation based on the first information; and an adjustment unit that adjusts the size of the image so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article is the size indicated by the second information, based on the font size identified by the identification unit, second information representing the apparent size of the characters set by the user, and third information representing the pixel density in the display device. According to the terminal according to this aspect, by performing a first operation to specify a location in the image, the apparent size of the characters contained in the electronic magazine articles displayed on the display device can be adjusted to the size set by the user, eliminating the need to perform time-consuming operations such as pinch-out operations to adjust the apparent size of the characters.

[0057] A terminal according to a second aspect of the present disclosure (an example of the first aspect) is a first terminal and includes a second acquisition unit that acquires the second information managed by a management device by communicating with the management device, which manages identification information that uniquely identifies the first terminal and the second terminal in association with the second information for at least one of the terminals, which is a second terminal different from the first terminal. The second acquisition unit acquires the second information corresponding to the first terminal if the management device manages the identification information of the first terminal in association with the second information, and acquires the second information corresponding to the second terminal if the management device does not manage the identification information of the first terminal in association with the second information. The adjustment unit adjusts the size of the image based on the font size specified by the specification unit, the second information acquired by the acquisition unit, and the third information. According to the terminal of this aspect, the best size set by the user is managed by the management device, and if the best size for the first terminal is not managed, the best size for the second terminal can be used.

[0058] In a third aspect of this disclosure (an example of the second aspect), the management device manages the second terminal and at least one third terminal, which is different from the second terminal and also different from the first terminal, by associating identification information that uniquely identifies the first terminal, the second terminal and the at least one third terminal with the second information and date and time information indicating the date and time the second information was set. If the management device does not manage the identification information of the first terminal and the second information in association with each other, the second acquisition unit acquires the second information that is associated with the date and time information indicating the date and time closest to the current date and time, from among the second information corresponding to the second terminal and the second information corresponding to the at least one third terminal. According to this aspect, the management device manages the best size set by the user, and if the best size has not been set for the first terminal, the best size for another terminal for which the best size was most recently set can be used.

[0059] A terminal according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure (an example of the first aspect, an example of the second aspect, or an example of the third aspect) includes a determination unit which, when the identification unit receives a second operation different from the first operation, which is a user operation specifying a location within the image while the image is being displayed on the display device, identifies the font size of the characters describing the second article displayed at the location specified by the second operation based on the first information, and determines the apparent size set by the user for the characters displayed on the display device of the first terminal based on the font size identified by the identification unit based on the second operation and the third information. According to this aspect, the best size for the terminal can be determined by performing a second operation specifying a location within the image.

[0060] A terminal according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure (an example of the second aspect) further comprises: a determination unit which, when the identification unit receives a second operation different from the first operation, which is a user operation specifying a location in the image while the image is being displayed on the display device, identifies the font size of the characters describing the second article displayed at the location specified by the second operation based on the first information; a determination unit which determines the apparent size set by the user for the characters displayed on the display device of the first terminal based on the font size identified by the identification unit based on the second operation and the third information; and a transmission unit which instructs the management device to manage the second information corresponding to the first terminal by transmitting a message to the management device that includes the second information indicating the apparent size determined by the determination unit and the identification information of the first terminal. According to this aspect, the best size for the first terminal can be managed by the management device.

[0061] A communication system according to a sixth aspect of this disclosure comprises a first terminal and a management device that communicates with the first terminal, wherein the management device manages, for at least one of a second terminal different from the first terminal and the first terminal, by associating identification information that uniquely identifies the first terminal and the second terminal with second information that represents the size set by the user as the visual size of the characters, and the first terminal includes a first acquisition unit that acquires electronic magazine information including article information for a plurality of articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each of the plurality of articles, a second acquisition unit that acquires the second information managed by the management device by communicating with the management device, and a unit that, when displaying an image showing at least one of the plurality of articles according to the article information on a display device, specifies a location within the image. The system includes: a specification unit that, upon receiving a first operation from a user, specifies the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at the location specified by the first operation based on the first information; and an adjustment unit that adjusts the size of the image so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article matches the size indicated by the second information, based on the font size specified by the specification unit, the second information acquired by the second acquisition unit, and third information representing the pixel density in the display device. The second acquisition unit acquires the second information corresponding to the first terminal if the management device manages the identification information of the first terminal and the second information in association, and acquires the second information corresponding to the second terminal if the management device does not manage the identification information of the first terminal and the second information in association. According to this embodiment, by performing a first operation to specify a location in the image, the apparent size of the characters contained in the electronic magazine article displayed on the display device can be adjusted to a size set by the user, eliminating the need to perform time-consuming operations such as pinch-out to adjust the apparent size of the characters. In addition, according to this embodiment, the best size set by the user is managed by the management device, and if the best size for the first terminal is not managed, the best size for the second terminal can be used.

[0062] An electronic magazine program according to a seventh aspect of this disclosure causes a computer to perform the following actions: acquire electronic magazine information including article information for a plurality of articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each of the plurality of articles; when an image showing at least one of the plurality of articles is displayed on a display device according to the article information, and the computer receives a first operation from a user to specify a location in the image, the computer identifies the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at the location specified by the first operation based on the first information; and adjust the size of the image based on the identified font size, second information representing the size set by the user as the apparent size of the characters, and third information representing the pixel density in the display device, so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article is the size indicated by the second information. According to this aspect, by performing a first operation to specify a location in the image, the apparent size of the characters contained in the electronic magazine articles displayed on the display device can be adjusted to the size set by the user, eliminating the need to perform time-consuming operations such as pinch-out operations to adjust the apparent size of the characters. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0063] 1...Communication system, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C...Terminals, 20...Management device, NW...Communication network, 110, 120...Storage device, 130...Processing device, 140...Display device, 150...Input device, 170...Timer, 180...Bus, 130a...First acquisition unit, 130b...Second acquisition unit, 130c...Specification unit, 130d...Adjustment unit, 130e...Determination unit, 130f...Transmission unit, PR1...Program.

Claims

1. A first acquisition unit acquires electronic magazine information including article information about multiple articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each of the multiple articles. When an image representing at least one of the multiple articles is displayed on the display device according to the article information, and a first operation by the user to specify a location within the image is received, the identification unit identifies the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at the location specified by the first operation based on the first information, An adjustment unit adjusts the size of the image so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article is the size indicated by the second information, based on the font size identified by the identification unit, second information representing the size set by the user as the apparent size of the characters, and third information representing the pixel density in the display device. A terminal.

2. The aforementioned terminal is the first terminal, The system includes a second acquisition unit that acquires the second information managed by a management device by communicating with a management device that manages identification information that uniquely identifies the first terminal and the second terminal in association with the second information, for at least one of the terminals, which is different from the first terminal and the second terminal. The aforementioned second acquisition unit is, If the management device manages the identification information of the first terminal and the second information in association, it acquires the second information corresponding to the first terminal. If the management device does not manage the identification information of the first terminal and the second information in association, it acquires the second information corresponding to the second terminal. The adjustment unit is, Based on the font size identified by the identification unit, the second information acquired by the acquisition unit, and the third information, the size of the image is adjusted. The terminal according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned control device is Unlike the second terminal, and also different from the first terminal, for at least one third terminal and the second terminal, identification information that uniquely identifies the first terminal, the second terminal and the at least one third terminal, and date and time information indicating the setting date and time of the second information are managed in association with each other. The aforementioned second acquisition unit is, If the management device does not manage the identification information of the first terminal in association with the second information, the terminal according to claim 2 acquires the second information which is associated with date and time information indicating a date and time close to the current date and time from among the second information corresponding to the second terminal and the second information corresponding to the at least one third terminal.

4. When the identifying unit receives a second operation from the user, which is different from the first operation, while the image is being displayed on the display device, the identifying unit identifies the font size of the characters describing the second article displayed at the location specified by the second operation based on the first information. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines the apparent size of characters displayed on the display device of the first terminal, as set by the user, based on the font size determined by the identification unit based on the second operation and the third information.

5. When the identifying unit receives a second operation from the user, which is different from the first operation, while the image is being displayed on the display device, the identifying unit identifies the font size of the characters describing the second article displayed at the location specified by the second operation based on the first information. A determination unit determines the apparent size of the characters displayed on the display device of the first terminal, as set by the user, based on the font size determined by the identification unit based on the second operation and the third information, The terminal according to claim 2, further comprising: a transmitting unit that transmits a message to the management device including the second information indicating the apparent size determined by the determination unit and identification information of the first terminal, thereby instructing the management device to manage the second information corresponding to the first terminal.

6. The system comprises a first terminal and a management device that communicates with the first terminal, The aforementioned control device is For at least one of the terminals, a second terminal different from the first terminal and the first terminal, identification information that uniquely identifies the first terminal and the second terminal and second information representing the size set by the user as the visual size of the characters are managed in association with each other. The first terminal is, A first acquisition unit acquires electronic magazine information including article information about multiple articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each of the multiple articles. A second acquisition unit that acquires the second information managed by the management device by communicating with the management device, When an image representing at least one of the multiple articles is displayed on the display device according to the article information, and a first operation by the user to specify a location within the image is received, the identification unit identifies the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at the location specified by the first operation based on the first information, The system includes an adjustment unit that adjusts the size of the image so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article matches the size indicated by the second information, based on the font size identified by the identification unit, the second information acquired by the second acquisition unit, and the third information representing the pixel density in the display device. The aforementioned second acquisition unit is, If the management device manages the identification information of the first terminal and the second information in association, it acquires the second information corresponding to the first terminal. If the management device does not manage the identification information of the first terminal and the second information in association, the second information corresponding to the second terminal is acquired. Communication system.

7. On the computer, To obtain electronic magazine information that includes article information for multiple articles and first information indicating the font size of the characters contained in each of the said multiple articles, In a state where an image representing at least one of the multiple articles is displayed on the display device according to the article information, when a first operation by the user to specify a location within the image is received, the font size of the characters describing the first article displayed at the location specified by the first operation is determined based on the first information, Based on the specified font size, the second information representing the size set by the user as the apparent size of the characters, and the third information representing the pixel density in the display device, the size of the image is adjusted so that the apparent size of the characters describing the first article becomes the size indicated by the second information. An electronic magazine program that executes the program.

Images