Methods and apparatus for summarizing document content for mobile communication devices

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer storage medium;
• computer program instructions stored on the computer storage medium;
• the computer program instructions being executable on a processor for generating summary information for an electronic document by:
• analyzing a content structure or content properties within the electronic document;
• generating document summary information which includes an assemblage of a plurality of summary entries selected from contents of the electronic document based on the analysis of the content structure or the content properties, wherein said content properties are selected from a group consisting of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents, and paragraph sizes, and wherein
• if the electronic document has a predetermined content structure then using a structured document summarization process for selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the predetermined content structure,
• if the electronic document has no predetermined content structure but has differences in content formatting then using an unstructured document summarization process for selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on differences in the content formatting, and otherwise
• if the electronic document has no predetermined content structure and no differences in content formatting then using an unformatted document summarization process for selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on differences in paragraph sizes,
• wherein the act of analyzing the content structure or the content properties comprises at least one of (i) (ii) identifying a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets in the electronic document, (ii) identifying a plurality of document pages in the electronic document;
• and
• providing the document summary information for a mobile communication device.

A method of generating summary information for an electronic document, comprising:

• identifying an electronic document for which to generate summary information having a plurality of summary entries;
• in the generation of the summary information:
• if the electronic document has a predetermined content structure, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on the predetermined content structure;
• if the electronic document has no predetermined content structure but has differences in content formatting, wherein said content formatting is selected from a group consisting of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents, and paragraph sizes, and selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on differences in the content formatting, and if the electronic document has no predetermined content structure and no differences in content formatting, selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on differences in paragraph sizes,
• wherein the selecting the plurality of summary entries comprises at least one of (i) identifying a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets in the electronic document, (ii) identifying a plurality of document pages in the electronic document.

A server for generating summary information for electronic documents, comprising:

• a computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement:
• a structured document summarization process which generates summary information by selecting a plurality of summary entries from an electronic document based on a predetermined content structure identified in the electronic document;
• a formatted document summarization process which generates summary information by selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on differences in content formatting identified in the electronic document, wherein said content formatting is selected from a group consisting of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents, and paragraph sizes, and
• an unstructured/unformatted document summarization process which generates summary information by selecting the plurality of summary entries from the electronic document based on differences in paragraph sizes,
• wherein the selecting the plurality of summary entries comprises at least one of:
• (i) identifying a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets in the electronic document, and (ii) identifying a plurality of document pages in the electronic document.

A system which facilitates communication of summary information for electronic documents to mobile communication devices, comprising:

• a server having
• (i) a structured document summarization process which generates the summary information by selecting a plurality of summary entries from an electronic document based on a predetermined content structure identified in the electronic document,
• (ii) a formatted document summarization process which generates the summary information by selecting the plurality of summary entries from an electronic document based on differences in content formatting identified in the electronic document, wherein said content formatting is selected from a group consisting of text formatting, paragraph alignments or indents, and paragraph sizes, and
• (iii) an unformatted document summarization process which generates the summary information by selecting the plurality of summary entries from an electronic document based on differences in paragraph sizes in the electronic document
• wherein the selecting the plurality of summary entries comprises at least one of:
• (i) identifying a plurality of spreadsheet worksheets in the electronic document, and (ii) identifying a plurality of document pages in the electronic document;
• and
• a wireless communication network which communicates the summary information to a mobile communication device in response to a request for the electronic document.