Document Retargeting for Diverse Display Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for processing page-image based documents fail to effectively re-target them for display on diverse electronic devices, particularly in adapting content and layout for different user input methods and screen sizes without relying on style sheets.

Innovation Solution

A method that constructs a hierarchical data structure from the input document, applies content removal and reorganization rules specific to various display devices, including touch screens and devices with hardware keys, to generate output documents optimized for specific display formats and user interactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If style sheets are used to adapt document presentation for different devices, then the document can be displayed on various electronic devices, but the document itself cannot be re-written and requires external styling files

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedocument adaptabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the document into a hierarchical data structure with distinct elements (headers, paragraphs, images, etc.) that can be independently identified and manipulated. This segmentation enables selective application of formatting rules to different document components based on target device characteristics, achieving adaptability without requiring external style sheets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary analysis and segmentation of the document structure before conversion to target formats. By pre-identifying document elements and their hierarchical relationships, the system prepares the document for efficient rule-based transformation to multiple device-specific formats, eliminating the need for post-processing style sheet applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If navigation tools and links are removed for printed format, then the printed document is cleaner, but the document loses interactivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprint readinessVSAvoidinteractivity loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different quality characteristics to different document elements based on the target output medium. For printed versions, navigation tools are selectively removed while maintaining all essential content elements. For digital versions, full interactivity is preserved. This local differentiation of element properties according to medium requirements resolves the contradiction between print cleanliness and interactivity preservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If character spacing and word spacing are increased for touch screen devices, then readability improves, but the document width increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereadabilityVSAvoiddocument width

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically adjusts spacing parameters (character spacing, word spacing) based on the detected input method and display characteristics. For touch screen devices, increased spacing is applied to improve readability and accommodate larger touch targets. For devices with hardware keys, standard spacing is maintained. This parameter adaptation optimizes readability for each device type while managing document width through responsive layout adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of operation

If sections of text are made collapsible/expandable for mobile devices, then the mobile interface becomes more manageable, but the original document structure is modified

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemobile usabilityVSAvoiddocument structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic collapse/expand functionality for document sections when converting to mobile device formats. This allows the document structure to adapt its state based on device characteristics and user interaction needs, improving mobile usability through collapsible sections while maintaining the underlying hierarchical structure for potential restoration to the original state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS9542363B2Processing of page-image based document to generate a re-targeted document for different display devices which support different types of user input methods

Publication Date: 2017.01.10 KONICA MINOLTA SYSTEMS LABORATORY INC

AI summary

Method and system for processing a page-image based input document such as PDF and generate output documents, in a page-image based format or another format, which have a different layout than the original document. Certain contents in the original document removed and other contents are reorganized in this process. The method is used to re-target documents for different types of display devices, such as desktop and laptop computers, tablet computers, e-readers, smart phones, etc. When generating the output documents, the method takes into consideration the different form factors of the display devices as well as the different types of user input devices and methods such as touch screen (including different gestures used, whether stylus or finger is used for input, etc.), physical keyboard, mouse, etc. used by the targeted display device, so that each output documents is optimized for a particular type of display device.