Apparatus for presenting information and method thereof

A hardware apparatus for presenting information, said hardware apparatus having a display screen, comprising:

• a document inputting unit for inputting a document and extracting document information of said document, said document including a text block containing at least one character;
• a layout analyzer for extracting said text block from said document information, and for extracting position information of said text block in said document information;
• a display-data extractor for extracting display data from said document information, based on a current display position and a current display scaling factor;
• a poor-legibility-block extractor, including:
• a first sub-unit for extracting said text block from said display data as a display block, based on said text block and its position information in said document information, as well as said display data and its position information in said document information,
• a second sub-unit for classifying said display block as a poor-legibility block, when a size of said character in said display block on said display screen is less than or equal to a predetermined size, and
• a third sub-unit for assigning a block number to said poor-legibility block,
• said poor-legibility block being displayed on said display screen, an area of said poor-legibility block being displayed as distinguished from other areas;
• a document display unit for displaying said display data on said display screen;
• a block selector for selecting a block to be read aloud in accordance with user's instruction;
• a conversion-target extractor for extracting text data to be read aloud, based on said block number of said selected block, said block number of said poor-legibility block and its position information in said document information, as well as said text block and its position information in said document information;
• a speech outputting unit for converting said text data to be read aloud into voiced speech output;
• a display-position and display-scaling-factor changer for changing a display position or a display scaling factor in accordance with user's instruction;
• a minimum-size detector for detecting a value of a minimum size of said character in said display data but not included in said poor-legibility block, when said instruction to change said display scaling factor means enlargement, based on said display data before enlargement and its position information in said document information;
• and
• a predetermined-size changer for changing said predetermined size into said minimum size of said character,
• wherein
• said display-data extractor extracts display data from said document information, based on said current display position and said current display scaling factor, as well as said instruction to change said display position or said display scaling factor, and
• said poor-legibility-block extractor further extracts said poor-legibility block again according to said changed predetermined size.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process of presenting information, said computer having a display screen, said process comprising:

• inputting a document including a text block containing at least one character;
• extracting document information of said document;
• extracting said text block from said document information;
• extracting position information of said text block in said document information;
• extracting display data from said document information, based on a current display position and a current display scaling factor;
• extracting said text block from said display data as a display block, based on said text block and its position information in said document information, as well as said display data and its position information in said document information;
• classifying said display block as a poor-legibility block, when a size of said character in said display block on said display screen is less than or equal to a predetermined size said poor-legibility block being displayed on said display screen, an area of said poor-legibility block being displayed as distinguished from other areas;
• assigning a block number to said poor-legibility block;
• displaying said display data on said display screen;
• selecting a block to be read aloud in accordance with user's instruction;
• extracting text data to be read aloud, based on said block number of said selected block, said block number of said poor-legibility block and its position information in said document information, as well as said text block and its position information in said document information;
• converting said text data to be read aloud into voiced speech output;
• accepting user's specification of text to be read aloud;
• extracting coordinate data of said text to be read aloud;
• detecting a value of a minimum size of said character in said text to be read aloud, based on said coordinate data and said display data;
• changing said predetermined size into said minimum size of said character, when a current value of said predetermined size is less than said minimum size of said character;
• extracting said text data to be read aloud, based on said coordinate data, said text block and its position information in said document information, as well as said display data and its position information in said document information;
• and
• extracting said poor-legibility block again according to said changed predetermined size.

A non-transitory

• computer readable recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process of presenting information, said computer having a display screen, said process comprising:
• inputting a document including a text block containing at least one character;
• extracting document information of said document;
• extracting said text block from said document information;
• extracting position information of said text block in said document information;
• extracting display data from said document information, based on a current display position and a current display scaling factor;
• extracting said text block from said display data as a display block, based on said text block and its position information in said document information, as well as said display data and its position information in said document information;
• classifying said display block as a poor-legibility block, when a size of said character in said display block on said display screen is less than or equal to a predetermined size, said poor-legibility block being displayed on said display screen, an area of said poor-legibility block being displayed as distinguished from other areas;
• assigning a block number to said poor-legibility block;
• displaying said display data on said display screen;
• selecting a block to be read aloud in accordance with user's instruction;
• extracting text data to be read aloud, based on said block number of said selected block, said block number of said poor-legibility block and its position information in said document information, as well as said text block and its position information in said document information;
• converting said text data to be read aloud into voiced speech output;
• changing a display position or a display scaling factor in accordance with user's instruction;
• detecting a value of a minimum size of said character in said display data but not included in said poor-legibility block, when said instruction to change said display scaling factor means enlargement, based on said display data before enlargement and its position information in said document information;
• changing said predetermined size into said minimum size of said character;
• and
• extracting said poor-legibility block again according to said changed predetermined size.