Automated Document Tagging for Accessibility Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for making documents accessible to visually impaired individuals, particularly in formats like PDF, are time-consuming and lack automation, especially for documents stored in electronic formats other than PDF, and do not ensure compatibility with assistive technologies.
Innovation Solution
A system that generates accessible documents by parsing initial documents into intermediate formats, applying templates with computer-readable instructions to tag regions, and converting them into accessible documents compatible with accessibility standards, allowing for batch processing and reuse of templates for similar document types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual tagging of PDF documents is performed on a per-document basis, then accessibility compliance is achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document processing task into distinct components: format identification, parsing with format-specific instructions, region identification, and tagging. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, enabling automated batch processing while maintaining accessibility compliance through systematic application of tagging rules to each document component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining parsing instructions for multiple document formats and pre-identifying region types that require tagging. This preparation allows the system to automatically process documents in batch mode without requiring manual intervention for each document, significantly reducing tagging time while ensuring consistent accessibility compliance.
2Reliability
If manual tagging is performed for each document, then accessibility standards are met, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal processing framework that handles multiple document formats (PDF, HTML, XML, text files, images) through a single system architecture. The system identifies document format automatically and applies appropriate parsing instructions, enabling batch processing of diverse documents while maintaining consistent accessibility standard compliance across all document types through unified tagging rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the processing parameter from individual manual tagging to automated batch processing by implementing format-specific parsing instructions and automated region identification. This parameter change enables the system to process multiple documents simultaneously while maintaining accessibility compliance through systematic application of tagging rules, significantly increasing productivity without sacrificing reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If documents in various electronic formats are converted to accessible formats, then accessibility is improved, but the conversion process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer consisting of format-specific parsing instructions that mediate between diverse document formats and the universal tagging system. This intermediary layer translates different document formats into a standardized intermediate representation, allowing the system to handle multiple formats without requiring complex format-specific processing logic for each document type, thus managing complexity while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for generating accessible documents. In one embodiment, an initial document in a print format is obtained. The print format of the initial document is identified as one of a plurality of print formats. A parser corresponding to the one of the plurality of print formats is applied such that the initial document is parsed according to the print format of the initial document. An intermediate document that conforms to an intermediate format is generated based upon results obtained from applying the parser. A template for converting the intermediate document into an accessible document is obtained. The template is then such that an accessible document corresponding to the initial document is generated, wherein the accessible document includes a plurality of tags that designate an order of a plurality of regions of the accessible document.