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US 8,799,755 B2Granted
Electronic text reading environment enhancement method and apparatus
OwnerPhilip R Krauseinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus, method and article of manufacture of the present invention provide an enhanced user interface for a computer system that maximizes a reader's ability to rapidly comprehend a text. The invention provides a dynamically presented outline of the text, such that the reader maintains a sense of location within the entire text. Additional information about the text and results of operations on the text are presented on the corresponding portions of the outline.
Claims20
A method for using a computer system to provide a user interface to an electronic text, comprising in sequence the steps of:
- a. on a display controlled by the computer system, presenting a portion of an electronic text and a portion of an outline of said electronic text, wherein:
- i. an element of the text comprises at least one phrase appearing in said electronic text, said at least one phrase comprising at least one word;
- ii. said outline comprises a plurality of elements, wherein elements of the outline comprise copies of elements of said electronic text;
- iii. each element of the outline represents a portion of said electronic text;
- iv. the combined elements of the outline comprise substantially less text than the entire said electronic text;
- v. substantially all portions of said electronic text are represented by at least one element of the outline;
- vi. at least one outline element is hierarchically superior to at least two other outline elements, indicating that said hierarchically superior outline element represents text also represented by said at least two other outline elements;
- vii. the relative positional and hierarchical relationships of elements of the outline correspond to the relative positional and hierarchical relationships of the portions of said electronic text represented by said elements of the outline;
- and
- viii. said presented portion of said outline is presented on said display in a distinct screen region different from the screen region in which said portion of electronic text is presented;
- and
- b. detecting a change in display location within said electronic text, wherein:
- i. said display location represents a location of said electronic text that is presented on said computer display;
- and
- ii. said change in display location is from a text location corresponding to a first outline element presented in said distinct region of step a.viii, to a text location corresponding to a second outline element initially not presented in said distinct region of step a.viii;
- and c. displaying said second outline element in said distinct region of step a.viii, wherein:
- the relative positional and hierarchical relationships of elements of the outline displayed on said distinct region of step a.viii correspond to their positional and hierarchical relationships in said outline.
14 more elements
A computer memory storage device encoded with a computer program for using a computer system to display electronic text, comprising:
- a. means for, on a display controlled by the computer system, presenting a portion of an electronic text and a portion of an outline of said electronic text, wherein:
- i. an element of the text comprises at least one phrase appearing in said electronic text, said at least one phrase comprising at least one word;
- ii. said outline comprises a plurality of elements, wherein elements of the outline comprise copies of elements of said electronic text;
- iii. each element of the outline represents a portion of said electronic text;
- iv. the combined elements of the outline comprise substantially less text than the entire said electronic text;
- v. substantially all portions of said electronic text are represented by at least one element of the outline;
- vi. at least one outline element is hierarchically superior to at least two other outline elements, indicating that said hierarchically superior outline element represents text also represented by said at least two other outline elements;
- vii. the relative positional and hierarchical relationships of elements of the outline correspond to the relative positional and hierarchical relationships of the portions of said electronic text represented by said elements of the outline;
- and
- viii. said presented portion of said outline is presented on said display in a distinct screen region different from the screen region in which said portion of electronic text is presented;
- and
- b. means for detecting a change in display location within said electronic text, wherein:
- i. said display location represents a location of said electronic text that is presented on said computer display;
- and
- ii. said change in display location is from a text location corresponding to a first outline element presented in said distinct region of step a.viii, to a text location corresponding to a second outline element initially not presented in said distinct region of step a.viii;
- and
- c. means for displaying said second outline element in said distinct region of step a.viii, wherein:
- the relative positional and hierarchical relationships of elements of the outline displayed on said distinct region of step a.viii correspond to their positional and hierarchical relationships in said outline.
15 more elements
A computer system for displaying electronic text, comprising:
- a. a display device controlled by the computer, said display device imaging a portion of electronic text controlled by the computer system;
- b. means for, on said display controlled by the computer system, presenting a portion of an electronic text and a portion of an outline of said electronic text, wherein:
- i. an element of the text comprises at least one phrase appearing in said electronic text, said at least one phrase comprising at least one word;
- ii. said outline comprises a plurality of elements, wherein elements of the outline comprise copies of elements of said electronic text;
- iii. each element of the outline represents a portion of said electronic text;
- iv. the combined elements of the outline comprise substantially less text than the entire said electronic text;
- v. substantially all portions of said electronic text are represented by at least one element of the outline;
- vi. at least one outline element is hierarchically superior to at least two other outline elements, indicating that said hierarchically superior outline element represents text also represented by said at least two other outline elements;
- vii. the relative positional and hierarchical relationships of elements of the outline correspond to the relative positional and hierarchical relationships of the portions of said electronic text represented by said elements of the outline;
- and
- viii. said presented portion of said outline is presented on said display in a distinct screen region different from the screen region in which said portion of electronic text is presented;
- and
- c. means for detecting a change in display location within said electronic text, wherein:
- i. said display location represents a location of said electronic text that is presented on said computer display;
- and
- ii. said change in display location is from a text location corresponding to a first outline element presented in said distinct region of step a.viii, to a text location corresponding to a second outline element initially not presented in said distinct region of step a.vii;
- and
- d. means for displaying said second outline element in said distinct region of step b.viii, wherein:
- the relative positional and hierarchical relationships of elements of the outline displayed on said distinct region of step b.viii correspond to their positional and hierarchical relationships in said outline.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.