Digital comics provision method, apparatus and system

Abstract

A digital comics provision method performed by an electronic device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, may comprise the steps of: obtaining page images from digital comics based on printed comics; detecting a reference area from the page images; setting, on the basis of the current posture of the electronic device, a first reference line passing through the center point of a display of the electronic device; rotating the reference area such that the reference area has the same slope as the first reference line; adjusting the size of the reference area such that the width and / or the height of the reference area is included in the display; arranging the page images such that the center point of the reference area is located on the first reference line; and scrolling the arranged page images in the direction of the first reference line according to the action of a user and displaying same.

Description

Method, device, and system for providing digital comics

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method, device, and system for providing digital comics. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a method, device, and system for providing digital comics that can effectively display digital comics obtained based on printed comics on a small display device.

[0002] The publishing market, once dominated by print publications, is gradually shifting toward digital formats. In line with this trend, efforts are ongoing to convert comic books and comic magazines, previously published in print format, into digital formats for further utilization.

[0003] One method for converting printed comics into digital data is using a scanner. Scanning each page of a printed comic yields corresponding digital data, which can then be appropriately processed to create a digital comic.

[0004] However, digital comics obtained in this way do not pose any particular problems when displayed on digital devices with relatively large displays, such as personal computers or e-book readers, but they present various problems when displayed on digital devices with relatively small displays, such as mobile phones.

[0005] For example, as illustrated in Figure 1, the visual flow in digital comics is more complex than that in webtoons. Therefore, when digital comics are displayed on small display devices, their readability may be lower than that of webtoons. Furthermore, as illustrated in Figure 2, when a digital comic page is simply scaled down to fit the size of a mobile phone display, a relatively large amount of blank space appears on the display of the small display device. In particular, a large amount of blank space appears at the top and bottom of the display compared to the left and right sides of the display. Furthermore, as the size of a digital comic page is reduced, readability decreases.

[0006] To address these issues, a method has been proposed that rearranges the cut areas of digital comics into a format similar to webtoons. However, this method suffers from the drawback that the rearranged cut areas do not maintain continuity between cut areas.

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present disclosure is to provide a method, device and system for providing digital comics that can efficiently display digital comics based on printed comics on a small display device and maintain continuity between cut areas.

[0008] The problem that the present disclosure seeks to solve is to provide a method, device, and system for providing digital comics that can improve user readability by displaying digital comics according to the current orientation of a display device.

[0009] The problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0010] A method for providing a digital comic performed by an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include the steps of: obtaining page images from a digital comic based on a printed comic; detecting a reference area from the page images; setting a first reference line passing through a center point of a display of the electronic device based on a current posture of the electronic device; rotating the reference area to have the same inclination as the first reference line; adjusting the size of the reference area so that at least one of a width and a height of the reference area is included in the display; arranging the page images so that the center point of the reference area is located on the first reference line; and displaying the arranged page images by scrolling them in the direction of the first reference line according to a user's action.

[0011] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0012] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a digital comic based on a printed comic is displayed based on a content area, and the readability of a user can be improved by displaying the digital comic in a fluid manner according to the current posture of an electronic device.

[0013] The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0014] Figure 1 is a diagram comparing the flow of gaze in a digital comic obtained based on a printed comic and the flow of gaze in a conventional webtoon.

[0015] Figure 2 is a drawing comparing a page of a digital comic obtained based on a printed comic and a page of the digital comic displayed in a reduced size through a user terminal.

[0016] Figures 3a to 3c are drawings for explaining terms used in the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a digital comics providing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital comics providing device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating display modes of digital comics according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a content area detection method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a content area resizing method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIGS. 10 and 11 are diagrams illustrating various examples of a take setting method for a single page image according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIGS. 12 to 16 are drawings illustrating various examples of take setting methods for double-page images according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIGS. 17 to 19 are drawings for explaining take types according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 20 is a drawing showing a state in which a user terminal is held when the user wants to view a digital comic in selfie mode.

[0027] FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for displaying a single page image in selfie mode.

[0028] FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating another example of a method for displaying a single page image in selfie mode.

[0029] FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating another example of a method for displaying a single page image in selfie mode.

[0030] Figure 24 is a diagram illustrating a method for displaying a double-page image in selfie mode.

[0031] FIG. 25 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing digital comics according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] The advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below, along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided solely to ensure the completeness of this disclosure and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the present disclosure of the scope of the invention. The present disclosure is defined solely by the scope of the claims.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in their common sense to those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.

[0034] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms, unless specifically stated otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components in addition to the components mentioned.

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals represent like components.

[0036] First, a brief explanation of the terms used in this disclosure is provided. The explanation of terms is intended to facilitate understanding of this disclosure. Therefore, unless explicitly defined in the detailed description of this disclosure, it should be noted that the terms described below are not intended to limit the technical concepts of this disclosure.

[0037] FIGS. 3A to 3C are drawings illustrating terms used in the present disclosure. Specifically, FIGS. 3A and 3B are drawings illustrating page images of a digital comic, and FIG. 3C is a drawing illustrating a mask layer including a viewport.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the page image of the digital comic includes a page area (10, 10'), a cut area (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26), a scene area (30, 30'), a sequence area (40, 40'), and a speech bubble area (50, 50'). In FIGS. 3A and 3B, each area is displayed exaggerated or reduced compared to the actual area for convenience of explanation.

[0039] The page area (10, 10') refers to the entire area of ​​the page image of the digital comic. That is, the size of the page image can be understood as the size of the page area (10, 10'). The page area (10, 10') may include one or more cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26).

[0040] The cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) correspond to the cuts of a printed comic. A cut is the most basic unit in a printed comic and the smallest unit of a story. A cut includes content. Examples of content include pictures and text. Text may be placed around a picture or inside a speech bubble placed around a picture. Cuts can generally be distinguished by a border. The shape of the border may include one or more of a straight line, a curved line, and a free curve.

[0041] According to an embodiment, the cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) may include independent cut areas and non-independent cut areas.

[0042] Independent cut areas may include cut areas (20) with outlines, cut areas (26) without outlines but delimited by cut areas with outlines arranged around them (24, 25), and cut areas that are connected to each other but can be divided by comic elements. Here, comic elements may be, for example, pictures, speech bubbles, and fingerprints without speech bubbles.

[0043] Here are some examples of cut regions that are connected to each other by comic elements but can be divided. The first example is when there is an outlier between two adjacent cut regions. An outlier is when a small portion of an image (e.g., a person's hair or hands) included in one cut region encroaches on an adjacent cut region. In this regard, referring to 24, 25, and 26 in FIG. 3b, it can be seen that the character's hair included in cut region (26) encroaches on the cut regions (24, 25) positioned above it. The second example is when two adjacent cut regions are connected by a speech balloon, and the text within the speech balloon is not cut off even when the two cut regions are divided. The second example can also be considered when two adjacent cut regions are connected by a speech balloon without a text within the speech balloon. The third example is when two adjacent cut regions are connected by a text without a speech balloon. Specifically, this is the case where two cut areas are connected by onomatopoeia expressed in fingerprints (e.g., 'wajangchang') or mimetic words expressed in fingerprints (e.g., 'teodeolteodeol').

[0044] Meanwhile, the cut area (20) with an outline can be understood as an area where the proportion of straight lines among areas defined by continuous outlines is greater than or equal to a standard value, an area where the radius of curvature of the outline is less than or equal to a standard value among areas defined by continuous outlines, or an area where the size is greater than or equal to a standard value among areas defined by continuous outlines. Alternatively, the cut area (20) can be understood as an area where the size is greater than or equal to a standard value among areas defined by continuous outlines and the proportion of straight lines forming the outline is greater than or equal to a standard value. However, the criteria for defining the cut area (20) with an outline are not necessarily limited to the size, the proportion of straight lines forming the outline, the radius of curvature of the outline, etc.

[0045] A cut area (26) that can be distinguished by cut areas (24, 25) that have an outline but do not have an outline can be understood as an area that contains content among areas excluding areas distinguished by continuous outlines. In the case of a cut area (26) without an outline, there are many cases where the difference in brightness or color is high between the cut area (26) and its surroundings. Therefore, a virtual outline can be formed by connecting points where the difference in brightness is greater than a reference value, and the cut area (26) without an outline can be detected based on the virtual outline.

[0046] Non-independent cut regions may include cut regions that contain cut regions within them, cut regions that are interconnected by comic elements but cannot be divided, and cut regions that are not interconnected by comic elements but are adjacent to each other and cannot be divided for readability. Here, comic elements may include, for example, pictures, speech bubbles, and text without speech bubbles.

[0047] Here are some examples of cut regions that are interconnected by comic elements but cannot be divided. The first example is when there is a picture that spans two or more cut regions. For example, unlike the outliers (hair and hands of a person) described above, the first example is when a major part of a person, such as the body (torso, head, arms, legs), spans two or more cut regions. The second example is when two or more adjacent cut regions are connected by one or more speech bubbles, and when these two or more cut regions are divided, the text within the speech bubbles is cut off. In this regard, referring to 21, 22, and 23 of FIG. 3a, it can be seen that the three cut regions (21, 22, and 23) arranged at the top are connected to each other by speech bubbles, and when these cut regions (21, 22, and 23) are divided, the text within the speech bubbles is cut off. Therefore, these cut areas (21, 22, 23) are detected as one non-independent cut area.

[0048] The following are examples of cut areas that are not connected to each other by comic elements but are arranged adjacent to each other and cannot be divided for the reader's readability. Before explaining a specific example, assume that there is a first paragraph in which three or more cut areas are arranged in a specific direction (e.g., horizontally or vertically).

[0049] The first example is, within the first paragraph, a case where the horizontal or vertical length of two or more adjacent cut regions differs from the horizontal or vertical length of the remaining cut regions. In this case, a region including two or more adjacent cut regions can be detected as a non-independent cut region.

[0050] A second example is when, within the first paragraph, the horizontal or vertical length of a cut region differs from the horizontal or vertical lengths of the remaining cut regions. In this case, an area including the cut region and one or more adjacent cut regions may be detected as a non-independent cut region. In this case, the cut region may be a cut region intended to represent the passage of time, or a cut region containing only a background without a person.

[0051] A third example is when, within the first paragraph, a cut region has a size smaller than a threshold. In this case, an area including the cut region and one or more adjacent cut regions can be detected as a non-independent cut region. The cut region having a size smaller than the threshold may be a cut region representing the passage of time.

[0052] The fourth example is when, within the first paragraph, two or more adjacent cut regions do not contain speech bubble regions, or the amount of information is below a threshold. In this case, the region containing two or more adjacent cut regions can be detected as a non-independent cut region.

[0053] The fifth example is a case where the content of two adjacent cut regions within the first paragraph is similar. For example, when comparing the content of two adjacent cut regions, one or more of the composition, characters, and background are similar, but only the characters' facial expressions change. In this case, the region encompassing the two adjacent cut regions can be detected as a non-independent cut region.

[0054] That is, according to the examples described above, a non-independent cut area can be understood to correspond to an area including cut areas that are connected to each other by comic elements but cannot be divided for the reader's readability, an area including cut areas that are not connected to each other by comic elements but cannot be divided for the reader's readability, and an area including cut areas with different widths or heights among a plurality of cut areas arranged side by side in a specific direction.

[0055] The scene area (30, 30') refers to an area among the cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26) included in the page area (10) that the reader focuses on. According to one embodiment, an independent cut area including an amount of information greater than or equal to a reference value among the independent cut areas and the non-independent cut areas may be determined as a scene area, or a non-independent cut area including an amount of information greater than or equal to a reference value may be determined as a scene area. According to another embodiment, a non-independent cut area may be determined as a scene area (30, 30') regardless of the amount of information of the independent cut area or the non-independent cut area. FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a case where a non-independent cut area is determined as a scene area (30, 30'). The criteria for determining the scene area (30, 30') may be set in advance by a provider of a digital comics service, and the set value may be implemented so as to be changeable by a user of the digital comics service.

[0056] The sequence area (40, 40') refers to an area that includes all contents within the page area (10, 10'). In other words, the sequence area (40, 40') refers to an area excluding the upper and lower margins and the left and right margins from the edge of the page area (10, 10'). Therefore, the sequence area (40, 40') has a smaller size than the page area (10, 10'). The sequence area (40, 40') can be detected in various ways. For example, the outline of the sequence area (40, 40') can be defined by outlines that are close to the outline of the page area (10, 10') among the outlines that constitute one or more cut areas arranged along the outline of the page area (10, 10'). As another example, the outline of the sequence area (40, 40') may be defined by four straight lines passing through the upper, lower, left, and right outermost points of the content of the page area (10, 10'). In the following description, the sequence area (40, 40') may be referred to as a 'content area'.

[0057] The speech bubble area (50, 50') refers to an area where fingerprints or characters are placed. In some cases, the speech bubble area (50, 50') may not have fingerprints or characters. The speech bubble area (50, 50') may be placed inside the cut area (20) or may be placed so as to protrude from the outline of the cut area (20). A speech bubble area (50, 50') that protrudes from the outline of the cut area (20) may invade the outline of an adjacent cut area. The speech bubble area (50, 50') does not have a fixed shape. Instead, the speech bubble area (50, 50') may almost always have a different contrast or a different color than the surrounding area of ​​the speech bubble area (50). Therefore, the speech bubble area (50, 50') can be detected through contrast or color contrast with the surrounding area. Optical character recognition (OCR) may be performed on the speech bubble area (50, 50'). Character data recognized in the speech bubble area (50, 50') may be stored and managed in a separate database other than the database in which the digital comics are stored. According to an embodiment, a text-to-speech (TTS) service using the stored character data may be additionally provided. According to an embodiment, a mask layer (300) may be overlaid on the page image (10, 10'), as illustrated in FIG. 3c. The mask layer (300) may include a viewport (310). The viewport (310) may have properties such as position, shape, size, transparency, color, and crop.

[0058] According to one embodiment, among the illustrated properties, the transparency of the viewport (310) may be set differently from the remaining areas excluding the viewport (310). For example, the transparency of the viewport (310) may be set to 100%, and the transparency of the remaining areas may be set to 0%. Here, 100% transparency means a completely transparent state, and 0% transparency means a completely opaque state. By setting the transparency of the viewport (310) to the highest level in this way, the cut area displayed through the viewport (310) can be relatively emphasized compared to the remaining areas.

[0059] In another embodiment, among the illustrated properties, the value of the crop property of the viewport (310) may be set differently from the values ​​of the crop property of the remaining areas. For example, the value of the crop property may be set to '1' for the viewport (310), and the value of the crop property may be set to '0' for the remaining areas. Here, a value of '1' for the crop property means that the corresponding area may be cropped.

[0060] The viewport (310) may have an initial position, an initial shape, and an initial size. The initial position may be, for example, a position where the center point of the viewport (310) coincides with the center point of the display. The initial shape may be rectangular. The initial size may be smaller than the size of the display.

[0061] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a digital comics providing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 4, a digital comics providing system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a user terminal (100) and a digital comics providing device (200).

[0063] The user terminal (100) provides identification information of the user terminal (100) to the digital comics providing device (200) and displays the digital comics provided by the digital comics providing device (200). The user terminal (100) may include a small display device such as a mobile phone. A more detailed description of the configuration of the user terminal (100) will be described later with reference to FIG. 5.

[0064] A digital comics providing device (200) obtains identification information of a user terminal (100) and setting information related to digital comics, and, based on the obtained identification information and setting information, processes a previously stored digital comic to be suitable for the user terminal (100) and provides it to the user terminal (100).

[0065] According to an embodiment, the digital comics providing device (200) can process each page image of the digital comics by reference area. The reference area can be set to one of a take area, a cut area, a sequence area (content area), and a page area. For example, the reference area can be directly set by the user. In this case, the user can be differentially provided with information on the selectable reference areas according to the amount paid by the user. As another example, the reference area can be automatically set by the digital comics providing device (200) considering the identification information of the user terminal (100). The reference area can be set to one of a take area, a cut area, a sequence area (content area), and a page area, but can also be changed according to each stage when each page image of the digital comics is processed.

[0066] The digital comics providing device (200) may be a server for providing digital comics to a user terminal (100). A more detailed description of the configuration of the digital comics providing device (200) will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0067] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a user terminal according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 5, the user terminal (100) may include a wireless communication unit (110), an input unit (120), a sensing unit (140), an output unit (150), an interface unit (160), a memory (170), a control unit (180), and a power supply unit (190).

[0069] The components illustrated in FIG. 5 are not essential for implementing the user terminal (100), and thus the user terminal (100) described in this specification may have more or fewer components than the components illustrated above.

[0070] More specifically, among the above components, the wireless communication unit (110) may include one or more components that enable wireless communication between a user terminal (100) and a wireless communication system (not shown), wireless communication between the user terminal (100) and another user terminal (not shown), or wireless communication between the user terminal (100) and an external server (not shown). In addition, the wireless communication unit (110) may include one or more components that connect the user terminal (100) to one or more networks. For example, the wireless communication unit (110) may include at least one of a broadcast receiving unit (111), a mobile communication unit (112), a wireless Internet unit (113), a short-range communication unit (114), and a location information unit (115).

[0071] The input unit (120) may include a camera (121) or a video input unit for inputting a video signal, a microphone (122) or an audio input unit for inputting an audio signal, and a user input unit (123) for receiving information from a user. Examples of the user input unit (123) include a touch key, a mechanical key, etc. Voice data or image data collected by the input unit (120) may be analyzed and processed into a user's control command.

[0072] The sensing unit (140) may include one or more sensors for sensing at least one of information within the user terminal (100), information about the surrounding environment surrounding the user terminal (100), and user information. For example, the sensing unit (140) may include one or more of a proximity sensor (141), an illumination sensor (142), a touch sensor, an acceleration sensor, a magnetic sensor, a gravity sensor (G-sensor), a gyroscope sensor, a motion sensor, an RGB sensor, an infrared sensor (IR sensor), a fingerprint recognition sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and an optical sensor. Among the sensors illustrated, information sensed by two or more sensors may be combined and utilized.

[0073] The output unit (150) is for generating output related to visual, auditory, or tactile sensations. The output unit (150) may include one or more of a display unit (151), an audio output unit (152), a haptic unit (153), and an optical output unit (154). The display unit (151) may be formed as a layer structure with a touch sensor or formed as an integral part, thereby implementing a touch screen. This touch screen may function as a user input unit (123) that provides an input interface between the user terminal (100) and the user, and at the same time, may provide an output interface between the user terminal (100) and the user.

[0074] The interface unit (160) serves as a passageway for various types of external devices connected to the user terminal (100). This interface unit (160) may include one or more of a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device equipped with an identification module, an audio input / output port, a video input / output port, and an earphone port. In response to the external device being connected to the interface unit (160), the user terminal (100) may perform appropriate control related to the connected external device.

[0075] In addition, the memory (170) stores data that supports various functions of the user terminal (100). The memory (170) can store a plurality of application programs (or applications) running on the user terminal (100), data for the operation of the user terminal (100), and commands. At least some of these application programs can be downloaded from an external server via wireless communication. In addition, at least some of these application programs can exist on the user terminal (100) from the time of shipment for the basic functions of the user terminal (100) (e.g., call receiving function, call making function, message receiving function, message sending function). Meanwhile, the application programs can be stored in the memory (170), installed on the user terminal (100), and driven by the control unit (180) to perform the operations or functions of the user terminal (100).

[0076] In addition to the operations related to the above application program, the control unit (180) typically controls the overall operation of the user terminal (100). The control unit (180) can provide or process appropriate information or functions to the user by processing signals, data, information, etc. input or output through the components discussed above or by operating an application program stored in the memory (170).

[0077] In addition, the control unit (180) can control at least some of the components discussed with reference to FIG. 5 to drive an application program stored in the memory (170). Furthermore, the control unit (180) can operate at least two or more of the components included in the user terminal (100) in combination to drive the application program.

[0078] The power supply unit (190) receives external power and internal power under the control of the control unit (180) and supplies power to each component included in the user terminal (100). The power supply unit (190) includes a battery, and the battery may be a built-in battery or a replaceable battery.

[0079] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a digital comics providing device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 6, the digital cartoon providing device (200) may include an area detection unit (210), a character recognition unit (220), an effect processing unit (230), a control unit (240), a database (250), and a communication unit (260).

[0081] The database (250) stores various data required to provide digital comics to a user terminal (100). The database (250) may include a first database (251), a second database (252), and a third database (253).

[0082] The first database (251) stores user information. The user information may include one or more of the user's ID, password, name, identification information of the user terminal (100), and setting information for digital comics.

[0083] The identification information of the user terminal (100) may include one or more of the serial number assigned to the device, the manufacturer of the device, and the device name, but is not necessarily limited to the examples provided. Furthermore, such identification information may be collected from the user terminal (100) or provided directly by the user.

[0084] Configuration information for digital comics may include various information related to the display method of digital comics. Examples include, but are not limited to, information about the reference area applied to the digital comic, the types and number of effects to be applied to the reference area, and the criteria for triggering display transition events.

[0085] A display transition event may be generated when a display transition command is received from a user, when a reference area is displayed and a reference time has elapsed, or when a reference area is moved by a display transition command and a specific point in the reference image reaches a specific point on the display. Among the exemplified cases, the criteria for generating a display transition event may be preset, and the preset content may be implemented so that it can be changed by the user.

[0086] Display toggle commands can include voice commands and gesture commands. Gesture commands can include single tap, double tap, press, deep press, pan, swipe, flick, scroll, and drag.

[0087] Meanwhile, the display transition event may include a page image transition event and a cut area transition event. For example, the gesture command that triggers the page image transition event and the gesture command that triggers the cut area transition event may be set differently. In another example, the gesture command that triggers the page image transition event and the gesture command that triggers the cut area transition event may not be distinguished and may be set identically.

[0088] The second database (252) stores digital comics corresponding to printed comics. There are various methods for obtaining digital comics based on printed comics. For example, digital comics can be obtained by scanning printed comics using a scanner or photographing printed comics using a camera. In this case, scanning or photographing can be performed targeting a reference range of the printed comic. The reference range can refer to two consecutive pages displayed when the printed comic is opened, or can refer to one page among two consecutive pages. By repeatedly scanning or photographing the reference range, a digital comic composed of multiple double-page images and / or multiple single-page images can be obtained. In the following description, a "single-page image" may simply be referred to as a "page image."

[0089] According to an embodiment, digital comics stored in the second database (252) may be labeled with one or more labels.

[0090] For example, a label may include a category label for classifying digital comics into categories. The category labels may include a category label for the age range in which the comic is available, a category label for the country of publication, a category label for the language in which the comic is published, a category label for the genre, and a category label for the subject matter.

[0091] As another example, the label may include a gaze flow information label. A gaze flow information label is a label that indicates the cut area where the gaze flow begins in the page image.

[0092] More specifically, Korea uses left-bound binding, binding books on the left side. Consequently, printed comics published in Korea turn their pages from right to left. Consequently, when a printed comic is opened, the narrative flow begins on the left page and moves to the right. Furthermore, within a page, the narrative flow begins at the top left and progresses to the top right, bottom left, and left and right. Consequently, in digital comics, the narrative flow begins at the top left and progresses to the top right, bottom left, and bottom right.

[0093] In contrast, Japan uses a right-hand binding system, binding the pages along the right side of the book. Consequently, printed comics published in Japan turn the pages from left to right. Consequently, when a printed comic is opened, the narrative flow begins on the right page and moves to the left. Furthermore, within a page, the narrative flow begins at the top right, progressing to the top left, bottom right, and then bottom left. Consequently, in digital comics, the narrative flow begins at the top right and progresses to the top left, bottom right, and then bottom left.

[0094] As mentioned above, the overall direction and starting location of the visual flow in printed comics vary depending on the country in which the comic was first published. Therefore, labeling digital comics with information on the cut area where the visual flow begins as a visual flow information label eliminates the need for separate image processing to detect the starting location of the visual flow in each page, thereby reducing the resources required for image processing.

[0095] In addition to the category labels and gaze flow information labels described above, labels may further include other types of labels. Specifically, labels may further include labels for the nature of the content area (e.g., single page, double page), absolute or relative coordinate values ​​of the content area, absolute or relative coordinate values ​​of takes included in the content area, take numbers, reading order, and characteristics of the takes (e.g., take size, number of rows, number of columns).

[0096] Beyond the examples above, digital comics can be labeled with a wider variety of labels. Furthermore, labeling digital comics can be done manually or automatically.

[0097] The third database (253) stores character data recognized in the speech bubble area (50) of the page image. The character data stored in the third database (253) can be displayed through the user terminal (100) after being processed into a form suitable for the user terminal (100) by at least one of font, size, and effect. Whether or not to process the character data can be set in advance by the user of the digital comic service or the provider of the digital comic service, and the set information can be implemented to be changeable.

[0098] Although the above description exemplifies a case where the digital comics providing device (200) includes all of the first database (251) to the third database (253), one or more of these may be included in an external server (not shown). In this case, the digital comics providing device (200) can communicate with the external server to obtain the data necessary to provide the digital comics service.

[0099] The region detection unit (210) detects a region in each page image of a digital comic. Here, the region means one or more of the take, page region (10), cut region (20, 21, 22), scene region (30), sequence region (content region, 40), and speech bubble region (50) described above.

[0100] According to one embodiment, the area detection unit (210) detects an area targeting a page image. Specifically, in the case of a digital comic composed of multiple page images, the area detection unit (210) detects an area targeting each page image.

[0101] In another embodiment, the area detection unit (210) detects an area from a double-page image. Specifically, in the case of a digital comic composed of multiple double-page images, the area detection unit (210) detects an area from each double-page image. At this time, the area detection unit (210) first detects two consecutive page images from the double-page image.

[0102] The detected page images can be rearranged along a reference direction. The reference direction can be one of the first, second, or third directions. The first direction refers to a vertical direction from top to bottom. The second direction refers to a horizontal direction from left to right. The third direction refers to a horizontal direction from right to left. Specifically, in the case of digital comics corresponding to Korean printed comics whose original publication country is Korea, the page images detected in the double-page images can be rearranged in the second direction.

[0103] Once the page image is prepared, the region detection unit (210) detects an outline from the page image. Then, candidate areas are detected based on the characteristic information of the detected outline, and the detected candidate areas are determined as one of an independent cut area, a non-independent cut area, and a speech bubble area.

[0104] In order to detect an independent cut area, the area detection unit (210) can check whether there is a candidate area distinguished by an outline among the candidate areas, compare the sizes of the candidate areas, check whether the candidate areas are connected by cartoon elements, or check whether the candidate areas connected by cartoon elements can be separated.

[0105] For example, the region detection unit (210) detects regions among candidate regions that are defined by continuous outlines. At this time, in the regions defined by continuous outlines, not only the outlines defining the cut region (20) but also the outlines of the content can be detected. Accordingly, among the detected regions, the region detection unit (210) detects as cut regions (20) only those regions in which the ratio of straight lines included in the outlines is greater than a reference value.

[0106] Thereafter, the area detection unit (210) detects areas containing content among areas other than the detected cut area (20) as cut areas (see 26 in Fig. 3b). In this way, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a cut area (26) without a defined outline is excluded from the detection target.

[0107] In another embodiment, the area detection unit (210) may convert the page image to grayscale to detect a cut area (26) without a defined outline. Then, a virtual outline is created by connecting points where the difference in brightness from the surroundings is greater than a reference value, and the cut area (26) is detected based on the virtual outline.

[0108] To detect a speech bubble area (50), the area detection unit (210) can compare the brightness or color between candidate areas and surrounding areas. As a result, among the candidate areas, a candidate area with a brightness contrast higher than a reference value or a candidate area with a color contrast higher than a reference value is detected as a speech bubble area (50). Optical character recognition can be performed on the detected speech bubble area (50) by a character recognition unit (220) described below.

[0109] In order to detect a non-independent cut area, the area detection unit (210) can compare the positions between candidate areas, check whether candidate areas are connected by cartoon elements, or check whether candidate areas connected by cartoon elements cannot be divided.

[0110] For example, if a second cut area exists within a first cut area, the area detection unit (210) detects the first cut area as a non-independent cut area.

[0111] As another example, if two or more adjacent candidate regions are connected by cartoon elements but cannot be separated, the region detection unit (210) detects the candidate regions as non-independent cut regions.

[0112] When the detection of a cut area including an independent cut area (20) and / or non-independent cut areas (21, 22, 23) is completed, the area detection unit (210) detects a scene area based on the detected cut areas. According to one embodiment, when the amount of information included in each of the detected cut areas is calculated, a cut area including an amount of information exceeding a reference value may be detected as the scene area (30). This is because the scene area (30) is an area that the reader focuses on in the page area (10), and thus is likely to contain a large amount of information about straight lines, curves, colors, etc. According to another embodiment, the scene area (30) may be determined as a non-independent cut area among the independent cut area (20) and the non-independent cut areas (21, 22, 23).

[0113] After detecting the scene area (30), the area detection unit (210) detects the sequence area (content area, 40) based on the cut areas arranged along the outer line of the page area (10) among the detected cut areas. At this time, the sequence area (40) can be detected in various ways.

[0114] Detection of cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23), detection of scene area (30), detection of speech bubble area (50), and detection of sequence area (40) may be performed sequentially in a predetermined order. However, region detection is not necessarily performed in a predetermined order, and the region detection order may be changed depending on the case, and detection of different areas may be performed simultaneously.

[0115] When the detection of areas such as cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23), scene areas (30), sequence areas (40), and speech bubble areas (50) is completed, the area detection unit (210) assigns sequential numbers according to the reader's gaze flow to the cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23). For example, if the country of first publication of printed comics corresponding to digital comics is Korea, the reader's gaze flow within the page of the printed comics starts from the upper left side of the page, moves in the order of upper right side, lower left side, and lower right side. Therefore, the area detection unit (210) assigns sequential numbers corresponding to the gaze flow by considering the positions of the cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23) within the page image of the digital comics.

[0116] Meanwhile, sequential numbers can be assigned anew for each page image. For example, sequential numbers can be assigned anew for each double-page image. In yet another example, sequential numbers can be assigned to all page images contained in a digital comic.

[0117] Among the assigned sequential numbers, information in the cut area positioned at the point where the reader's gaze flow begins can be labeled in the digital comic as a gaze flow information label.

[0118] In the above description, the case where sequential numbers are assigned to cut areas after all areas are detected in the page image is explained as an example, but the sequential numbers may also be assigned after detection of the scene area (30) is completed.

[0119] In addition, in the above description, the cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23) and the scene area (30) are described separately. However, this is for the convenience of explanation, and the scene area (30) can be understood as a cut area that meets a specific criterion among the cut areas detected in the page image. Therefore, in the description below, 'assigning sequential numbers to the cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23)' can mean that sequential numbers are assigned to the cut areas (20, 21, 22, 23) and the scene area (30).

[0120] Meanwhile, in order to perform the operation described above, the region detection unit (210) may include an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be trained in advance by utilizing a large amount of page images as training data. Supervised learning or unsupervised learning may be used as the training method. In the case of supervised learning, labeled data in which information on cut areas, speech bubble areas, scene areas, and sequence areas are labeled in the page images may be utilized as training data. In the case of unsupervised learning, region detection may be performed on a large amount of unlabeled page images, and then a person may judge the accuracy of the region detection results and feed them back to the artificial intelligence model.

[0121] The character recognition unit (220) performs optical character recognition (OCR) on the speech bubble area (50) detected in the page image to recognize characters. The recognized character data may be stored in a third database (253). The character data stored in the third database (253) may be later processed into a form suitable for the user terminal (100) by at least one of font, size, and effect and then displayed through the user terminal (100). According to another embodiment, voice data corresponding to the character data may also be provided to the user terminal (100).

[0122] The effect processing unit (230) applies a video effect to one or more of a page image, an area detected from the page image, and character data recognized from the page image. Examples of the video effect include enlargement, reduction, position shift, appearance position, shaking, blurring, transparency adjustment, hiding, unhiding, and overlay.

[0123] Among the exemplified effects, the 'appearing position' may be related to the rearrangement direction of the page areas. For example, if the position where the page images appear is set to the bottom of the display of the user terminal (100), the page images may be rearranged in the first direction. For another example, if the position where the page images appear is set to the right of the display of the user terminal (100), the page images may be rearranged in the second direction. For yet another example, if the position where the page images appear is set to the left of the display of the user terminal (100), the page images may be rearranged in the third direction.

[0124] The above example illustrates a case where the layout direction of page images is determined based on the configuration information related to the "appearance position," but the reverse is also possible. That is, if the layout direction of page images is set to the first direction, the "appearance position" of the area can be automatically set to appear at the bottom of the display.

[0125] According to the embodiment, the illustrated video effects may be applied individually, or two or more video effects may be applied simultaneously. The number and type of effects to be applied to a specific object may be directly set by the user, or may be automatically set based on at least one of the size, width, height, and information content of the object to which the video effect is applied.

[0126] The control unit (240) can connect and control each component constituting the digital comics providing device (200). For example, the control unit (240) can rearrange page images constituting the digital comics in a preset direction. As another example, the control unit (240) can detect a display transition event.

[0127] The communication unit (260) performs wireless communication between the digital comics providing device (200) and the user terminal (100).

[0128] Above, with reference to FIG. 6, a digital comics providing device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described. Among the components illustrated in FIG. 6, some of the components may be configured to be included in the user terminal (100). For example, one or more of the area detection unit (210), the character recognition unit (220), and the effect processing unit (230) may be configured to be included in the user terminal (100).

[0129] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a display mode of a digital comic according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 7, a method for diversifying and optimizing the size and viewing method of content within a physically limited display area of ​​an electronic device is described.

[0130] Fig. 7(A) illustrates a selfie mode. Selfie mode is a mode that allows a user to view digital comics while holding the electronic device (700) in a manner similar to when making a phone call. In this case, the vertical length of the viewport of the electronic device (700) may typically be configured to be longer than the horizontal length. Fig. 7(B) illustrates a landscape mode. Landscape mode is a mode that allows a user to view digital comics while rotating the electronic device (700) 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise based on the selfie mode. In this case, the horizontal length of the viewport of the electronic device (700) may typically be set to be longer than the vertical length.

[0131] Referring to FIG. 7(A), in the selfie mode, the page image of the digital comic can be displayed so as to be fully exposed in the viewport corresponding to the fixed horizontal and vertical lengths of the display of the electronic device (700). For example, in the selfie mode, the page image can be adjusted and displayed as a page image (720) having a first horizontal length (75) and a first vertical length (76) in consideration of the horizontal length (73) and vertical length (74) of the electronic device (700). In this case, the first horizontal length (75) can be adjusted so as not to exceed the horizontal length (73) of the electronic device (700), and the first vertical length (76) can be adjusted so as not to exceed the vertical length (74) of the electronic device (700). Furthermore, only the size of the page image can be adjusted while maintaining the ratio of the horizontal length to the vertical length of the page image.

[0132] In selfie mode, you can view the entire page video at once, but since the physical space allocated to one cut area is limited, if the page video contains a lot of information, such as a speech bubble area, it may be difficult to identify detailed information.

[0133] Referring to FIG. 7(B), in the landscape mode, the size of the page image may be adjusted in consideration of the vertical length (74) of the viewport of the electronic device (700) in selfie mode. For example, when the electronic device (700) changes from the selfie mode to the landscape mode, the page image (720) having the first horizontal length (75) and the first vertical length (76) in the selfie mode may be adjusted in size to a page image (720') having the second horizontal length (71) and the second vertical length (72). Specifically, the vertical length (72) of the changed page image (720') may be adjusted in size to be equal to the vertical length (74) of the viewport of the electronic device (700) in selfie mode. Furthermore, only the size of the page image may be adjusted while maintaining the ratio of the horizontal length to the vertical length of the page image.

[0134] According to another embodiment, the horizontal length (71) of the changed page image (710) may be resized to be equal to the horizontal length (73) of the viewport of the electronic device (700) in selfie mode. According to another embodiment, the horizontal length (71) of the changed page image (710) may be resized to be equal to the horizontal length (70) of the viewport of the electronic device (700) in landscape mode.

[0135] According to one embodiment, in landscape mode, the size may be adjusted to be displayed in units of cut areas of the page image (710).

[0136] When switching from selfie mode to landscape mode, it was explained that the page image size is adjusted simultaneously with the switch, but it can be understood that the page image size is adjusted in selfie mode and then applied in landscape mode.

[0137] In landscape mode, the entire page image cannot be displayed at once. However, the page image can be divided into sections and displayed over a larger area, making it easier to understand the content of information-rich sections. Therefore, in landscape mode, a method for efficiently dividing the page image may be required.

[0138] FIG. 8 illustrates a method for detecting a content area according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0139] In the present disclosure, a page area includes at least one content area. The portion of the page area excluding the content area does not contain any information. Therefore, for efficient viewing of digital comics, a method for detecting content areas in the page area and modifying the detected content areas may be required.

[0140] Referring to FIG. 8, a page area (805) may include at least one content area (810). The remaining portion of the page area (805) excluding the content area (810) corresponds to a margin. Therefore, a method for efficiently detecting the content area (810), which is a required area, from the page area (805) may be required. FIG. 8 describes a method for detecting the page area by coordinating it and obtaining relative coordinates for the content area.

[0141] Referring to FIG. 8, the electronic device may set one of the plurality of vertices of the page area (805) as the origin. For example, the vertex at the lower left of the page area (805) may be set as the origin O(0, 0). In this case, the horizontal axis may be set as the X-axis and the vertical axis may be set as the Y-axis based on the origin O(0, 0). Thereafter, the electronic device may obtain the coordinates of the plurality of vertices of the content area (810) based on the set origin.

[0142] For example, among the four vertices of the detected content area (810), the vertices at the lower left can be set clockwise to x1, x2, x3, and x4, respectively. In addition, the coordinates of x1 can be set to (a, b). If the coordinates of x2 to x4 are also set, the horizontal and vertical lengths of the content area (810) can be obtained. For example, A (81) can be obtained as the horizontal length of the content area (810), and B (82) can be obtained as the vertical length.

[0143] Coordinates can be expressed using the length of the content area (810). For example, as absolute coordinates, the coordinates of x2 can be expressed as (a, b+B), the coordinates of x3 as (a+A, b+B), and the coordinates of x4 as (a+A, b). In this way, when the absolute coordinates of the vertices of the content area (810) are obtained, x1, x2, x3, and x4 can be expressed as relative coordinates x1(a, b), @x2(0, B), @x3(A, 0), and @x4(0, -B).

[0144] Electronic devices can crop only the content area based on the acquired relative coordinates and create a new image. By acquiring the relative coordinates of the content area relative to the page area, even when applying the content area to another page, the device can display the content area of ​​the same size in the same location or display the content resized by a certain ratio, based on a single vertex of the other page.

[0145] Figure 9 illustrates a method of resizing a content area based on the relative coordinates described in Figure 8.

[0146] Referring to FIG. 9, the content area (810) obtained using relative coordinates can be resized into an enlarged content area (815) or a reduced content area.

[0147] According to one embodiment, a content area (810) having a horizontal length A (81) and a vertical length B (82) can be resized to a content area (815) having a horizontal length C (83) and a vertical length D (84). The relative coordinate values ​​of the content area obtained in FIG. 8 can be represented as x1 (a, b), @x2 (0, B), @x3 (A, 0), and @x4 (0, -B). In order to perform resizing, if the absolute coordinates of x1 are set to be the same as (a, b), the values ​​of the four vertices of the resized content area (815) can be set based on x1. For example, the relative coordinates of the four vertices of the obtained resized content area (815) are @x5 (0, D), @x6 (C, 0), and @x7 (0, -D), and the size of only the content area can be modified without separately modifying the page area through the obtained relative coordinates.

[0148] Next, with reference to FIGS. 10 to 16, a take setting method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. First, various examples of take setting methods for single-page images will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. Next, various examples of take setting methods for double-page images will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 16.

[0149] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a take setting method for a single-page image according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a diagram for explaining a method of setting a general cut area as a take in a single-page image. The content area (1000) of FIG. 10 may be identical to the content areas (710, 720) of FIG. 7, the content area (810) of FIG. 8, and the content areas (810, 815) of FIG. 9.

[0150] According to one embodiment, a content area may include multiple scene areas and cut areas. In this case, the content area may be divided into multiple scene areas and cut areas in a form that is easy to view in selfie mode or landscape mode. Hereinafter, each unit of the divided area will be referred to as a "take." Here, a "take" may be a concept that includes at least one cut area divided into rows or columns in the content area. Typically, a "take" may be set to include one cut area.

[0151] Referring to FIG. 10, in order to set a take in a single-page video, the content area can be divided into cut areas in units of rows. In single-page videos, since the horizontal length of the content area usually does not exceed the horizontal length of the viewport in landscape mode, the cut areas can be divided based on units of rows. In the content area, multiple takes can be set based on units of rows. For example, in the content area (1000) of FIG. 10, multiple takes (1005, 1010, 1015) can be set based on units of rows. The multiple takes (1005, 1010, 1015) can include a first take (1005), a second take (1010), and a third take (1015). The first take (1005) can correspond to row 1, the second take (1010) to row 2, and the third take (1015) to row 3. The first take (1005) consists of two columns. In contrast, the second take (1010) and the third take (1015) consist of one column. In some embodiments, single-page videos may not be configured with individual takes per column. Optionally, single-page videos may also be configured with individual takes per column to emphasize important portions.

[0152] In one embodiment, single-page images may be configured to be divided only by row, rather than by column, to optimize viewing experience when using landscape mode. That is, single-page images may be divided only vertically on a take-by-take basis. Therefore, when using landscape mode, the display may only be manipulated vertically in single-page images, not horizontally.

[0153] In one embodiment, when setting takes for content areas of a single-page video, thin spaces (e.g., solid color or no text) (1020) between takes may not be considered takes. In such cases, the takes may be seamlessly connected as if they were connected without spaces, depending on the manipulation.

[0154] According to one embodiment, multiple takes set in a single page video can be numbered from top to bottom. For example, referring to FIG. 10, the first take (1005) located at the top can be numbered as 'Take #1', the second take (1010) located next can be numbered as 'Take #2', and the third take (1015) located at the bottom can be numbered as 'Take #3'. In selfie mode or landscape mode, one take unit can be set to be displayed at a time, and the takes can be displayed in the numbered order according to a user's display switching command input. Here, the display switching command can correspond to the display switching command described in FIG. 6.

[0155] Meanwhile, according to an additional embodiment of the present invention, one or more cut areas having or sharing a 'space', which is a space between consecutive cuts, may be determined as a take.

[0156] FIG. 11 is a drawing illustrating another example of a take setting method for a single page image according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and is a drawing for explaining a method of setting a special shape cut area as a take in a single page image.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 11, the content area (1100) of FIG. 11 may include two cut areas (1105, 1110). In this case, the two cut areas (1105, 1110) of the content area (1100) may be trapezoidal or triangular cut areas, rather than rectangular cut areas, which are the typical cut area shapes. In cases where cut areas of such special shapes are included, setting each cut area as a separate take may not naturally display the corresponding takes on a generally rectangular electronic device. Therefore, rather than setting each cut area (1105, 1110) as a separate take, the two cut areas may be set as a single take.

[0158] According to one embodiment, in another special case of a single-page video, when the cut areas included in the content area are positioned above and below each other, adjacent to or overlapping each other, it is possible to select whether to set them as separate takes or as one take according to the preset.

[0159] In one embodiment, if a cut area within a content area has no outline, the cut area within a row without an outline can be set as a single take. Furthermore, if the cut area within a column without an outline can be set as a separate take. This method can also be applied selectively based on presets.

[0160] FIGS. 12 to 16 are drawings illustrating various examples of take setting methods for double-page images according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0161] In this disclosure, a double-page image refers to a page image corresponding to the two pages displayed when a printed comic is opened. However, in the case of printed comics, there are cases where no cuts are displayed across the two pages displayed when the printed comic is opened, but there are also cases where cuts are displayed across the two pages. In other words, the double-page image in this disclosure can be considered a concept encompassing both of the aforementioned cases. However, the following description will primarily focus on the latter double-page image.

[0162] When dividing the content area of ​​a double-page video into page areas, the cut area expressed across the two page areas may be divided, and the content of the cut area may not be naturally conveyed. Therefore, in such cases, the cut area expressed across the two page areas can be identified as a single cut area without being divided. When dividing takes for the content area of ​​a double-page video, columns are first divided. Then, if there are cut areas divided into rows within the divided columns, the rows can be divided. When dividing the columns and rows of the content area, the division can be made based on the arrangement structure (reading order, flow) of the cut areas and the dividing line (e.g., the margin between cuts). However, in a special case where a single row in a double-page video includes a predetermined number (e.g., 5) or more cut areas, each cut area can be set to be divided into a single take rather than being divided into columns. The above special case will be described later with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. Additionally, after performing row division for the same column, even if the divided row contains multiple cut areas, the row may no longer be divided into columns.

[0163] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating a double page video containing takes separated only by heat.

[0164] The content area (1200) of the double-page image of FIG. 12 may include multiple takes divided into columns. The multiple takes may include a first take (1205) and a second take (1210). Accordingly, the content area (1200) may be divided into a total of two columns. The reading order of the comic may include a first reading order indicating a right-to-left direction, a second reading order indicating a left-to-right direction, and a third reading order indicating a top-to-bottom direction. In FIG. 12, the column numbers may be determined from right to left according to the first reading order. That is, the first take (1205) may be set as the first column, and the second take (1210) may be set as the second column. The takes may be displayed according to the determined take numbers. The first take (1205) and the second take (1210) are both configured as one row and are not further divided. The first take (1205) and the second take (1210) each include an overlapping section (1215). The overlapping section (1215) is a portion that is included in each take when displayed on an electronic device.

[0165] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a double page video containing takes separated only by rows.

[0166] The content area (1300) of the double-page image of FIG. 13 may include multiple takes divided into rows. The multiple takes may include a first take (1305), a second take (1310), and a third take (1315). The content area (1300) may be divided into a total of three rows. The numbering of the rows may be determined from top to bottom according to the third reading order. That is, the first take (1305) may be set as the first row, the second take (1310) may be set as the second row, and the third take (1315) may be set as the third row. The first take (1305), the second take (1310), and the third take (1315) all consist of one column and are not divided into columns.

[0167] In one embodiment, when the entire contents of takes consisting of only rows, such as the first take (1305), the second take (1310), and the third take (1315) in a double-page image, cannot be displayed at once in the viewport in landscape mode, they may be moved left and right according to a user's operation. Alternatively, the content area may be resized so that one take can be displayed at once in the viewport in landscape mode. The area between the first take (1305) and the second take (1310) corresponds to an overlapping section (1320), and the area between the second take (1310) and the third take (1315) also corresponds to an overlapping section (1325). The overlapping sections (1320, 1325) are portions that are included in both takes when displayed.

[0168] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a double page image including takes divided into columns and rows.

[0169] The content area (1400) of the double-page image of FIG. 14 may include multiple takes divided into columns and rows. The multiple takes may include a first take (1405), a second take (1415), and a third take (1420).

[0170] According to one embodiment, when dividing the content area of ​​a double-page image into take units, a method may be used in which the content area is first divided into columns, and then, if there is a division into rows in units of cut areas within each of the divided columns, the rows are divided. If the above method is applied, the content area (1400) can be largely divided into two columns. The order of the columns can be determined from right to left according to the first reading order, and the first take (1405) located on the right can be divided into the first column, and the column including the second take (1415) and the third take (1420) can be divided into the second column (1410). Thereafter, since the second column (1410) is composed of two cut areas in units of rows, additional takes can be divided for the cut areas of each row.

[0171] Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating another example of a double page image containing takes divided into columns and rows.

[0172] The content area (1500) of the double-page image of FIG. 15 may include multiple takes divided into columns and rows. The multiple takes may include a first take (1505), a second take (1510), a third take (1515), a fourth take (1520), and a fifth take (1525).

[0173] Depending on the take division method in the double-page video, the content area (1500) can be largely divided into two columns. The order of the columns can be determined from right to left according to the first reading order. That is, the first take (1505) and the second take (1510) located on the right can be divided into the first column (1580). In addition, the third take (1515), the fourth take (1520), and the fifth take (1525) can be divided into the second column (1585). Thereafter, it can be determined whether each column (1580, 1585) can be divided into rows. The first column (1580) can be additionally divided into the first take (1505) consisting of one cut area as the first row, and the second take (1510) consisting of multiple columns as the second row. However, in the original take division method, since the second take (1510) includes multiple cut areas even after being divided into rows, it may be further divided into multiple takes depending on the column division. However, in order to increase readability and focus, it may be regarded as one take (optional application). For example, if there are five or more cut areas divided into columns in the same row, the cut areas in the same row may be set to be regarded as one take. Considering the cut areas in the same row as one take may be applied selectively. If it is set not to be regarded as one take, each cut area may be distinguished as a take. In particular, in the case of a double page, the take may be determined without further division of the take in response to the size of the adjacent take divided into columns or rows. That is, the second take (1510) may be a special case in which it is determined as one take in response to the size of the first take (1505).

[0174] Additionally, in the second column (1585), the third take (1515) may be set as the first row, the fourth take (1520) may be set as the second row, and the fifth take (1525) may be set as the third row. The third take (1515) consists of one column. In contrast, the fourth take (1520) and the fifth take (1525) each consist of two columns. There is a margin between all takes in the content area (1500), and in a double page, the takes may be divided based on the margin (i.e., a dividing line).

[0175] Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating a double page video containing takes separated only by rows.

[0176] The content area (1600) of the double-page image of FIG. 16 may include multiple takes divided by row. The multiple takes may include a first take (1605) and a second take (1610). The content area (1600) of FIG. 16 is divided into cut areas by column, but the columns may not be divided based on the arrangement structure or the relative sizes of the cut areas.

[0177] Accordingly, the content area (1600) of FIG. 16 can be divided only into rows. The row numbers can be determined from top to bottom according to the third reading order. That is, it can be divided into the first take (1605) and the second take (1610) from top to bottom. In the case of the second take (1610), since it consists of five cut areas in one row, if it were the original take division method, it could be divided into multiple takes by column, but in order to increase readability and concentration, it can be regarded as one take. Regarding the cut areas within one row as one take can be applied selectively. If it is set not to be regarded as one take, each cut area can be distinguished as a take. The area between the first take (1605) and the second take (1610) corresponds to an overlapping section (1645). The overlapping section (1645) is a part that is included in both takes when displayed.

[0178] Next, with reference to FIGS. 17 to 19, the types of takes according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0179] According to an embodiment, examples of take types include full takes, part takes, split takes, over takes, and combinations thereof. Specifically, if the height of a cut area included in a take corresponds to the height of the entire content area, the take is a full take. If the vertical length of one cut area included in a take is smaller than the vertical length of the cut area of ​​the full take but occupies a predetermined percentage (e.g., 70%) or more of the vertical length of the entire content area, the take is a part take. Alternatively, if the vertical length of one cut area included in a take exceeds the vertical length of the viewport in landscape mode by a predetermined percentage (e.g., 30%) or more, the take is a part take. A take consisting of two or more columns is a split take. A take that cannot be displayed at once through a display in landscape mode is an over take.

[0180] FIG. 17 is a drawing illustrating an overtake according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0181] Referring to FIG. 17, the content area (1700) may include multiple takes according to row division. The multiple takes may include a first take (1710) and a second take (1715). Here, the vertical length of the first take (1710) may exceed the vertical length of the viewport (not shown) in landscape mode, and thus may be considered an overtake.

[0182] FIG. 18 is a drawing illustrating a full split take according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0183] Referring to FIG. 18, the content area (1800) may be composed of a single take (1805) including three cuts. The content area (1800) may be referred to as a full split take, which has both a full take structure and a split structure. A full split take may be a take that has both the characteristics of a full take and a split take. Specifically, take (1805) may be a full take because it includes a cut area (1810) corresponding to the entire height of the content area (1800). In addition, take (1805) may be a split take because it is a take composed of two columns. Referring to FIG. 18, the content area (1800) may be referred to as a full split take because it satisfies both a full take and a split take. In the case of a full split take, discomfort may occur during viewing due to the reading order and the size of the viewport of the electronic device display. Therefore, a special method for displaying a full split take may be provided.

[0184] FIG. 19 is a drawing illustrating a part split overtake according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0185] Referring to FIG. 19, the content area (1900) may be composed of one take (1905) including three cut areas. The content area (1900) may be referred to as a part split over take. A part split over take may be a take that simultaneously satisfies the characteristics of a part take, a split take, and an over take. Specifically, the content area (1900) may be classified as a part take because it includes a cut area (1910) having a vertical length of at least 70% of the total height of the content area (1900). In addition, the content area (1900) may be classified as a split take because it is a take that includes cut areas arranged in two columns. In addition, the content area (1900) may be classified as an over take because it cannot be displayed simultaneously through a display in landscape mode. In this way, the content area (1900) may be referred to as a part split over take because it satisfies the characteristics of a part take, a split take, and an over take. In the case of a part split overtake, similar to the full split take of Fig. 18, the reading order and the size of the viewport of the electronic device may cause inconvenience in viewing. Therefore, a special method may be provided to efficiently display a part split overtake.

[0186] Next, with reference to FIGS. 20 to 24, a method for optimizing the display of digital comics in selfie mode will be described.

[0187] Figure 20 is a drawing showing a state in which an electronic device is held when a user wants to view a digital comic in selfie mode.

[0188] When a user wishes to view a digital comic in selfie mode, the user may hold the electronic device (700) in a manner similar to when making a phone call. However, most users do not hold the electronic device (700) in a strictly vertical position. For example, if the user holds the electronic device (700) with their left hand, the electronic device (700) is held in a position in which the vertical line (indicated by a solid line) passing through the center point of the display is slightly tilted counterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 20(A). Conversely, if the user holds the electronic device (700) in their right hand, the electronic device (700) is held in a position in which the vertical line (indicated by a solid line) passing through the center point of the display is slightly tilted clockwise, as shown in FIG. 20(B). Therefore, displaying the pages of a digital comic while taking into account the position of the electronic device (700) can help improve readability for users.

[0189] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a display method considering the current posture of an electronic device (700) may be applied to a content area of ​​a single-page image or a double-page image, to at least one cut area included in the content area, or to at least one take set for the content area. In the following description, a case where the target of application of the display method considering the current posture of the electronic device (700) is a take will be described as an example.

[0190] A display method that considers the current position of an electronic device (700) can proceed as follows. First, a content area is detected for a single-page image or a double-page image, and at least one take is set for the detected content area. Next, the width and height are calculated for at least one take.

[0191] Thereafter, a first reference line passing through the center point of the display is set based on the current posture of the electronic device (700). For example, if the current posture of the electronic device (700) is tilted counterclockwise as in Fig. 20(A), a virtual first reference line (indicated by a dotted line) passing through the center point of the display is set. Conversely, if the current posture of the electronic device (700) is tilted clockwise as in Fig. 20(B), a virtual first reference line (indicated by a dotted line) passing through the center point of the display is set. At this time, the slope of the first reference line with respect to the vertical line passing through the center point of the display may have a predetermined value or may be proportional to the degree to which the current posture of the electronic device (700) is tilted counterclockwise (or clockwise). Thereafter, a second reference line passing through the center point of the display while being orthogonal to the first reference line is set.

[0192] Next, the take is rotated so that a vertical line passing through the center point of the take aligns with the first reference line of the display. In addition, the rotated take is resized so that at least one of the width and height of the rotated take fits within the viewport. In some embodiments, the resizing may be performed optionally.

[0193] The rotated and resized take is moved along the first baseline of the display. The movement of the resized take may be performed in response to a user action, such as a display transition command such as scrolling. If the movement of the take is set to automatic movement mode, the movement of the take may be performed based on a preset movement speed.

[0194] Hereinafter, assuming that the current posture of the electronic device (700) is tilted counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 20(A), a method for displaying a single page image or a double page image in selfie mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 24.

[0195] FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for displaying a single-page image in selfie mode. The content area (1900) and take (1905) illustrated in FIG. 21(A) may be identical to the content area (1900) and take (1905) illustrated in FIG. 19.

[0196] As shown in Fig. 21(A), when the width (W) and height (H) of the take (1905) are calculated, as shown in Fig. 21(B), a virtual first reference line (705) passing through the center point of the display based on the current posture of the electronic device (700) is set. Then, a virtual second reference line (710) is set that is orthogonal to the first reference line (705) and passes through the center point of the display.

[0197] Thereafter, the take (1905) is rotated so that a vertical line (1930) passing through the center point of the take (1905) aligns with the first reference line (705) of the display, and the rotated take is resized so that both the width (W) and the height (H) of the take fit within the display. Referring to FIG. 21(B), it can be seen that both the width (W') and the height (H') of the resized take (1905) fit within the display.

[0198] The rotated and resized take (1905') is moved along the first reference line (705) of the display and gradually disappears from the display, as shown in Fig. 21(C). At this time, the movement of the take (1905') may be performed in response to a user action, for example, a display transition command such as scrolling, or may be performed automatically according to a preset movement speed.

[0199] Furthermore, as the take (1905') is moved along the first reference line (705) of the display, the size of the take can be adjusted so that when the lower left vertex of the take (1905') touches the left edge of the display, the upper right vertex of the take to be displayed next does not go beyond the right edge of the display.

[0200] FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating another example of a method for displaying a single-page image in selfie mode. The content area (1900) and take (1905) illustrated in FIG. 22(A) may be identical to the content area (1900) and take (1905) illustrated in FIG. 19.

[0201] As shown in Fig. 22(A), when the width (W) and height (H) of the take (1905) are calculated, as shown in Fig. 22(B), a virtual first reference line (705) passing through the center point of the display based on the current posture of the electronic device (700) is set. Then, a virtual second reference line (710) is set that is orthogonal to the first reference line (705) and passes through the center point of the display.

[0202] Thereafter, the take (1905) is rotated so that a vertical line (1930) passing through the center point of the take (1905) aligns with the first reference line (705) of the display, and the take is resized so that the height (H) of the rotated take fits within the display. Referring to FIG. 22(B), it can be seen that the height (H") of the resized take (1905") fits within the viewport, but the width (W") does not fit within the display. Also, comparing FIG. 22(B) with FIG. 21(B), it can be seen that the resized take (1905") of FIG. 22(B) is slightly larger than the resized take (1905') of FIG. 21(B).

[0203] The rotated and resized take (1905") can be moved along the first reference line (705) of the display. The movement of the take (1905") can be performed in response to a user action, for example, a display transition command such as scrolling, or can be performed automatically at a preset movement speed.

[0204] Furthermore, the take (1905") moving along the first reference line (705) may move along the second reference line (710) of the display when a specific point of the take (1905") reaches a reference point of the display. For example, as shown in FIG. 22(C), when the lowest vertex among the four vertices of the take (1905") touches the lower edge of the display, the take (1905") moving along the first reference line (705) may move along the second reference line (710) and disappear from the display. As another example, when a certain percentage or more of the total area of ​​the take (1905") is displayed through the display due to the movement along the first reference line (705), the take (1905") may move along the second reference line (710).

[0205] Fig. 23 is a diagram illustrating another example of a method for displaying a single-page image in selfie mode. Fig. 23 illustrates the process of displaying a single-page image when the posture of the electronic device (700) changes in the order of Fig. 23(A), Fig. 23(B), and Fig. 23(C).

[0206] As shown in FIG. 23(A), after the width (W) and the height (H1) of the first take (2005) and the width (W) and the height (H2) of the second take (2010) included in the content area (2000) are calculated, when the electronic device (700) rotates counterclockwise by a first angle and the posture of the electronic device (700) changes from FIG. 23(A) to FIG. 23(B), the content area (2000) is first resized (e.g., enlarged or reduced) to match the changed posture of the electronic device (700). Specifically, the content area (2000) is first resized so that at least one of the width (W) and the height (H1) of the first take (2005) can fit within the display of the electronic device (700) in the changed posture. And as the content area (2000) is resized for the first time, the first take (2005) and the second take (2010) are also resized for the first time. Referring to Fig. 23(B), it can be seen that the content area (2000') that has been resized for the first time is enlarged compared to the content area (2000) before the first resizing. And it can be seen that both the width (W') and the height (H1') of the first take (2005') that has been resized for the first time are within the display of the electronic device (700) in the changed posture.

[0207] When the posture of the electronic device (700) changes from FIG. 23(B) to FIG. 23(C) as the electronic device (700) rotates clockwise by a second angle, the first resized content area (2000') is resized a second time so that both the width (W') and the height (H1') of the first resized first take (2005') can fit within the display of the electronic device (700) in the changed posture. As the first resized content area (2000') is resized a second time, the first take (2005') and the second take (2010') are also resized a second time. Referring to FIG. 23(C), it can be seen that the second resized content area (2000'') is somewhat reduced compared to the first resized content area (2000'). And it can be seen that both the width (W'') and height (H1'') of the second resized first take (2005'') fit within the display of the electronic device (700) in the changed posture.

[0208] According to an embodiment, the direction of an action (e.g., scrolling) that a user may take in each of FIGS. 23(A), 23(B), and 23(C) may maintain or include the direction in which the Y-axis of the content area (2000, 2000', 2000'') is directed.

[0209] Fig. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for displaying a double-page image in selfie mode. The content area (1200), the first take (1205), and the second take (1210) illustrated in Fig. 24(A) may be identical to the content area (1200), the first take (1205), and the second take (1210) illustrated in Fig. 12.

[0210] As shown in Fig. 24(A), when the width (W1) and height (H) of the first take (1205) and the width (W2) and height (H) of the second take (1210) are calculated, as shown in Fig. 24(B), a virtual first reference line (705) passing through the center point of the display based on the current posture of the electronic device (700) is set. Then, a virtual second reference line (710) is set that is orthogonal to the first reference line (705) and passes through the center point of the display.

[0211] Thereafter, the content area (1200) is rotated as a whole so that a vertical line (1230) passing through the center point of the first take (1205) aligns with the first reference line (705) of the display. Then, the rotated content area (1200) is resized so that the height (H) of the rotated content area (1200) can fit within the display. As the content area (1200) is resized, the first take (1205) and the second take (1210) are also resized.

[0212] The rotated and resized first take (1205') can be moved along the first reference line (705) of the display. At this time, the movement of the first take (1205') can be performed in response to a user action, for example, an input of a display transition command such as a scroll, or can be performed automatically according to a preset movement speed.

[0213] Furthermore, the first take (1205') moving along the first reference line (705) can move along the second reference line (710) of the display when a specific point of the first take (1205') reaches the reference point of the display.

[0214] According to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24(B), when the center point of the first take (1205') reaches the center point of the display, the first take (1205') moving along the first reference line (705) may move along the second reference line (710). In addition, following the first take (1205'), the second take (1210') may also move along the second reference line (710). When the center point of the left half of the second take (1210') moving along the second reference line (710) reaches the center point of the display, the center point of the left half of the second take (1210') may move along the first reference line (705) and disappear from the display.

[0215] In another embodiment, the first take (1205') may be moved along the second reference line (710) if at least one of the four vertices of the first take (1205') touches at least one of the four corners of the viewport, regardless of whether the center point of the first take (1205') moving along the first reference line (705) approaches, reaches, or passes the center point of the display. For example, the first take (1205') may be moved along the second reference line (710) if the rightmost vertex of the four vertices of the first take (1205') touches the right corner of the viewport, the leftmost vertex touches the left corner of the viewport, the topmost vertex touches the top corner of the viewport, or the bottommost vertex touches the bottom corner of the viewport.

[0216] Meanwhile, let us assume a situation in which the positions of the first take (1205) and the second take (1210) in FIG. 24 are swapped. That is, let us assume a situation in which a take whose width is longer than its height is displayed first. In this case, the content area (1200) is rotated as a whole so that a vertical line (not shown) passing through the center point of the right half of the second take (1210) aligns with the first reference line (705) of the display. Then, the rotated content area (1200) is resized so that the height (H) of the rotated content area (1200) can fit within the display. As the content area (1200) is resized, the first take (1205) and the second take (1210) are also resized.

[0217] The rotated and resized second take (1210') can be moved along the first reference line (705) of the display. Specifically, the second take (1210') can be moved such that the center point of the right half of the second take (1210') moves along the first reference line (705). The second take (1210'), which was moving along the first reference line (705), can be moved along the second reference line (710) when the center point of the right half of the second take reaches the center point of the display. Furthermore, the first take (1205') can also be moved along the second reference line (710) following the second take (1210').

[0218] If the first take (1205') does not exist, the second take (1210') that was moving in the direction of the second reference line (710) may move in the direction of the first reference line (705) and disappear from the display when the center point of the left half of the second take reaches the center point of the display.

[0219] In the description referring to FIGS. 21 to 24, the description was made based on a take, but it is obvious that the above-described display method may be performed not on a take, but on a content area or a cut area included in a content area.

[0220] FIG. 25 is a flowchart illustrating a method for providing digital comics according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0221] When a request signal requesting a digital comic is received from a user terminal (100), the requested digital comic is searched in the second database (252).

[0222] Thereafter, page images can be acquired from the searched digital comics (S2410). The acquired images can be single-page images or double-page images.

[0223] After step S2410, a reference area can be detected from the acquired page images (S2420). Here, the reference area may refer to a page area meaning the entire area of ​​the page image, a content area meaning the area of ​​the page image excluding the margins, at least one cut area included in the content area, a take set as a target of at least one cut area, or a combination thereof. The reference area may be set in advance, and the set reference area may be implemented so that it can be changed by the user.

[0224] For example, if the reference area is a content area, the content area can be detected from the page area using the method illustrated in FIG. 8. Specifically, after the page area is coordinated, the content area is coordinated, and the absolute or relative coordinates for the four corners of the content area can be determined. The determined absolute or relative coordinates can be labeled in the detected content area.

[0225] According to an embodiment, the nature of the content area can be identified based on the size information of the cut area included in the detected content area. Specifically, if the size of the cut area included in the content area is a size that can be included in a single-page image, the nature of the content area can be identified as "single page." If the size of the cut area included in the content area is a size that can be included in a double-page image, the nature of the content area can be identified as "double page."

[0226] According to an embodiment, after the nature of the content area is identified, at least one take may be set in the content area based on the nature of the content area. Specifically, if the nature of the content area corresponds to a 'single page', the cut areas of the content area may be divided into rows as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, and then a take may be set. If the nature of the content area corresponds to a 'double page', the cut areas of the content area may be divided into columns, and then within the divided columns, the take may be set into rows. For example, if the cut areas of the content area are divided only into columns, the take may be set as shown in FIG. 12. As another example, if the cut areas of the content area are divided both into columns and rows, the take may be set as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. As yet another example, if the cut areas of the content area are divided only into rows, the take may be set as shown in FIGS. 13 and 16.

[0227] In an embodiment, after a reference area is detected, the width and height of the detected reference area may be calculated. If a cut area is detected as the reference area, a number may be assigned to each cut area according to the reading order. If at least one take is set for the content area, the width and height of at least one set take may be calculated, and a take number may be assigned to each take according to the reading order. The reading order may include a first reading order indicating a right-to-left direction, a second reading order indicating a left-to-right direction, and a third reading order indicating a top-to-bottom direction. In one embodiment, the reading order may be determined based on a label labeled in the digital comic. Specifically, if a label indicating the country of original publication of the digital comic is labeled in the digital comic, the reading order may be determined based on the label. In another embodiment, the reading order may be determined in advance by a user of the digital comic service or a provider of the digital comic service.

[0228] After step S2420, a virtual first reference line passing through the center point of the display based on the current posture of the electronic device may be set (S2430). For example, if the current posture of the electronic device is tilted counterclockwise as in FIG. 20(A), a virtual first reference line (indicated by a dotted line) rotated clockwise based on a reference vertical line (indicated by a solid line) passing through the center point of the display may be set. That is, a virtual first reference line that is not 0°, 90°, 180°, or 280° based on the reference vertical line may be set. As another example, if the current posture of the electronic device is tilted clockwise as in FIG. 20(B), a virtual first reference line (indicated by a dotted line) rotated counterclockwise based on a reference vertical line (indicated by a solid line) passing through the center point of the display may be set. The inclination of the first reference line with respect to a reference vertical line passing through the center point of the display may have a predetermined value, or may be proportional to the degree to which the current attitude of the electronic device is tilted counterclockwise (or clockwise).

[0229] In another embodiment, the orientation of the first reference line may be determined based on the current posture of the electronic device and the reading order of the digital comic. For example, if the current posture of the electronic device is selfie mode and the reading order of the digital comic is the first reading order indicating a right-to-left direction, the first reference line may be set to be tilted clockwise relative to the reference vertical line of the display in selfie mode.

[0230] After the first baseline is set, a second baseline can be set that is orthogonal to the first baseline and passes through the center point of the display.

[0231] Following step S2430, the detected reference area may be rotated to have the same inclination as the first reference line (S2440). If multiple takes are set for the content area, the content area may be rotated so that a vertical line passing through the center point of a specific take among the multiple takes aligns with the first reference line of the display.

[0232] Thereafter, the reference area may be resized so that at least one of the width and height of the rotated reference area can fit within the display (S2450). If multiple takes are set for the content area, at least one of the width and height of a specific take among the multiple takes may be resized so that it fits within the display. Here, the specific take may mean a take that is displayed first among the multiple takes (the first take), a take with the largest width, a take with the largest height, or a take with the largest width and largest height.

[0233] For example, as in FIG. 17, when a first take (1710) and a second take (1715) are set that are distinguished only by row for the content area (1700) of a single page image, the content area (1700) can be rotated and resized based on the first take (1710) having the largest height.

[0234] As another example, as in FIG. 12, when a first take (1205) and a second take (1210) are set that are distinguished only by column units for the content area (1200) of a double-page image, the content area can be rotated and resized based on the first take (1205) rather than the second take (1210) that has the largest width.

[0235] As another example, as shown in FIG. 13, when a first take (1305), a second take (1310), and a third take (1315) are set for the content area (1300) of a double-page image, which are distinguished only by row, the content area (1300) may be rotated and resized based on a specific area, not a specific take. Here, the specific area refers to the right half area or the left half area of ​​the double-page image. In the case of FIG. 13, the content area may be rotated so that a vertical line passing through the center point of the right half area of ​​the content area (1300) aligns with the first reference line of the display. Furthermore, the content area may be resized so that the height of the right half area of ​​the rotated content area can fit within the display.

[0236] Following step S2450, page images of the digital comic can be arranged so that the center point of the reference area is located on the first reference line (S2460).

[0237] The placed page images can be displayed by scrolling in the first reference line direction in response to a user action, for example, an input of a display transition command such as scrolling (S2470).

[0238] For example, in the previous step, if the content area is adjusted based on a specific area as shown in FIG. 13, the adjusted content area may be moved so that the center point of the specific area included in the adjusted content area follows the first reference line. Furthermore, if a preset condition is satisfied due to the movement, the adjusted content area may be moved so that the center point of the specific area follows the second reference line. For example, if the center point of the specific area reaches the center point of the display, if at least one of the four vertices of the specific area reaches at least one of the four corners of the display, or if a certain percentage or more of the total area of ​​the specific area is displayed, the content area may be moved along the second reference line. Furthermore, if the current posture of the electronic device is selfie mode and the reading direction of the digital comic is the first reading order indicating right to left, when the lower left vertex of the currently displayed area moving along the first reference line according to the user's action touches the left edge of the display, the size of the area to be displayed next may be adjusted so that the upper right point of the area to be displayed next does not go beyond the right edge of the display.

[0239] As another example, if the content area is adjusted based on a specific take as in FIG. 17 in the previous step, the adjusted content area may be moved so that the center point of at least one take included in the adjusted content area follows the first reference line. Furthermore, if a preset condition is satisfied due to the movement, the adjusted content area may be moved so that the center point of at least one take follows the second reference line. For example, if the center point of the take reaches the center point of the display, if at least one of the four vertices of the take reaches at least one of the four corners of the display, or if a certain percentage or more of the total area of ​​the take is displayed, the content area may be moved along the second reference line.

[0240] Hereinafter, a method for providing digital comics according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described with reference to FIG. 25. In FIG. 25, some steps may be omitted, their order may be changed, or they may be performed simultaneously with other steps, depending on the embodiment. Furthermore, when setting at least one take for a single-page image or a double-page image, an artificial intelligence model may be used to set a take that can enhance readability and focus. The artificial intelligence model may be trained in advance using a large number of page images as training data. Supervised learning or unsupervised learning may be used as the training data. In the case of supervised learning, labeling data in which information about takes is labeled in the content area may be used. In the case of unsupervised learning, content area and take detection may be performed on a large number of unlabeled page images, and then a person may judge the accuracy of the detection results and feed them back to the artificial intelligence model.

[0241] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. In the above description, the components constituting the user terminal (100) of FIG. 5 and the digital comics providing device (200) of FIG. 6 may be implemented as modules. A module refers to a software or hardware component such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and the module performs certain roles. However, the module is not limited to software or hardware. The module may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium or may be configured to execute one or more processors.

[0242] Thus, as an example, a module may include components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functionality provided by components and modules may be combined into a smaller number of components and modules or further separated into additional components and modules.

[0243] Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium storing computer-executable instructions. The instructions may be stored in the form of program code, and when executed by a processor, may generate program modules to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

[0244] Computer-readable storage media include all types of storage media that store instructions that can be deciphered by a computer. Examples include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic tape, magnetic disks, flash memory, and optical data storage devices.

[0245] Additionally, a computer-readable recording medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" simply means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish between cases where data is permanently stored in the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0246] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable recording medium (e.g., compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)), distributed through an application store (e.g., Play Store™) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones), or distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated on a machine-readable recording medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0247] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with reference to the above and the attached drawings. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical spirit or essential features thereof. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

[0248] The method, device and system for providing digital comics as described above can be applied to the field of digital comics service that provides digital comics based on printed comics through a display device.

Claims

1. A method for providing digital comics performed by an electronic device, A step of obtaining page images from a digital comic based on a printed comic; A step of detecting a reference area from the above page images; A step of setting a first reference line passing through the center point of the display of the electronic device based on the current posture of the electronic device; A step of rotating the above reference area so that it has the same slope as the first reference line; A step of adjusting the size of the reference area so that at least one of the width and height of the reference area is included in the display; A step of arranging the page images so that the center point of the above reference area is located on the first reference line; and Including a step of displaying the arranged page images by scrolling them in the first reference line direction according to the user's action. How to provide digital comics.

2. In paragraph 1, The above reference area is, A page area meaning the entire area of ​​a page image, a content area meaning an area excluding margins in the page image, at least one cut area included in the content area, and one of the takes set as a target of the at least one cut area. How to provide digital comics.

3. In paragraph 1, A step of setting a second reference line that passes through the center point of the display while being perpendicular to the first reference line; A step of arranging the center point of the right half of a specific reference area whose horizontal length is longer than its vertical length to be located on the first reference line; A step of displaying the specific reference area by scrolling it in the direction of the first reference line, and when the center point of the right half of the specific reference area reaches the center point of the display, scrolling the specific reference area in the direction of the second reference line; Further comprising the step of displaying the specific reference area by scrolling it in the direction of the second reference line, and when the center point of the left half of the specific reference area reaches the center point of the display, scrolling the specific reference area in the direction of the first reference line so that it disappears from the display, and displaying the next sequence of page images. How to provide digital comics.

4. In paragraph 1, If the current posture of the above electronic device is in selfie mode and the reading order of the digital comic is the first reading order indicating the direction from right to left, The above first reference line is set to be tilted clockwise relative to the reference vertical line of the selfie mode. How to provide digital comics.

5. In paragraph 1, If the current posture of the above electronic device is in selfie mode and the reading order of the digital comic is the first reading order indicating the direction from right to left, Further comprising a step of adjusting the size of the reference area to be displayed next so that when the lower left corner of the reference area currently being displayed touches the left edge of the display according to the user's action, the upper right corner of the reference area to be displayed next does not go beyond the right edge of the display. How to provide digital comics.

6. In an electronic device providing digital comics based on printed comics, one or more processors; and A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to perform operations, The above actions are, Obtaining page images from digital comics based on printed comics; Detecting reference areas in the images of the above pages, Setting a first reference line passing through the center point of the display of the electronic device based on the current posture of the electronic device; Rotating the above reference area so that it has the same slope as the first reference line; Adjusting the size of said reference area so that at least one of the width and height of said reference area is included in said display; Positioning the page images so that the center point of the above reference area is located on the first reference line, and Including displaying the arranged page images by scrolling them in the first reference line direction according to the user's action. Electronic devices.

7. In a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions configured to cause one or more processors to perform operations, The above actions are, Obtaining page images from digital comics based on printed comics; Detecting reference areas in the images of the above pages, Setting a first reference line passing through the center point of the display of the electronic device based on the current posture of the electronic device; Rotating the above reference area so that it has the same slope as the first reference line; Adjusting the size of said reference area so that at least one of the width and height of said reference area is included in said display; Positioning the page images so that the center point of the above reference area is located on the first reference line, and Including displaying the arranged page images by scrolling them in the first reference line direction according to the user's action. Non-transitory computer-readable medium.

Images