Automatic display of web content to smaller display devices: improved summarization and navigation

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for modifying a document format. In one embodiment, a structure of a first document is extracted to form a first data structure, including multiple subdocuments, each subdocument having a label assigned thereto. A table of contents listing the labels of the subdocuments is then generated. The various labels are then ordered according to the amount of text of the associated subdocument, a comparison of the text of a previous link and the text of the associated subdocument, a comparison of the text of the previous document and the text of the associated subdocument, a comparison of the text of the previous link and the text of the associated subdocument, or a combination of these.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of ranking entries in a table of contents, the method comprising: 
 transmitting a first document to a client device, the first subdocument including a text and a link;    receiving from the client device a request for a second document associated with the link;    dividing the second document into subdocuments, each of the subdocuments including text;    assigning a label to each of a plurality of the subdocuments;    comparing the text of the first document with the text of each of the subdocuments to generate a document-document value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, on the document-document values.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a table of contents page listing the labels associated with the plurality of subdocuments in the ranked order.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the link comprises text, the method further comprising: 
 comparing the text of the link with the text of each of the subdocuments to generate a link-text value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, on the link-text values.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the link comprises text, the method further comprising: 
 comparing the text of the link with the label assigned to each of the plurality of subdocuments to generate a link-label value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, on the link-label values.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising; 
 displaying the first document at the client device;    detecting user selection of the link;    transmitting the request for a second document associated with the link in response to the detecting user selection of the link.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 generating a size value indicative of an amount of text in each of the plurality of subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, by the size value.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 generating a size value indicative of an amount of text in each of the plurality of subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, by the size value.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 generating a size value indicative of an amount of text in each of the plurality of subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, by the size value.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the link comprises text, the method further comprising: 
 comparing the text of the link with the label assigned to each of the plurality of subdocuments to generate a link-label value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, on the link-label values.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising modifying the ranked order according to a predefined order defined by a data structure.  
     
     
         11 . A method of ranking entries in a table of contents, the method comprising: 
 transmitting a first document to a client device, the first subdocument including a text and a link;    receiving from the client device a request for a second document associated with the link;    dividing the second document into subdocuments, each of the subdocuments including text;    assigning a label to each of a plurality of the subdocuments;    comparing the text of the link with the text of each of the subdocuments to generate a link-text value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, on the link-text values.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the link comprises text, the method further comprising: 
 comparing the text of the link with the label assigned to each of the plurality of subdocuments to generate a link-label value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, on the link-label values.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising; 
 displaying the first document at the client device;    detecting user selection of the link;    transmitting the request for a second document associated with the link in response to the detecting user selection of the link.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 generating a size value indicative of an amount of text in each of the plurality of subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, by the size value.    
     
     
         15 . A method of ranking entries in a table of contents, the method comprising: 
 transmitting a first document to a client device, the first subdocument including a text and a link;    receiving from the client device a request for a second document associated with the link;    dividing the second document into subdocuments, each of the subdocuments including text;    assigning a label to each of a plurality of the subdocuments;    comparing the text of the link with the label assigned to each of the plurality of subdocuments to generate a link-label value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, on the link-label values.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising; 
 displaying the first document at the client device;    detecting user selection of the link;    transmitting the request for a second document associated with the link in response to the detecting user selection of the link.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 generating a size value indicative of an amount of text in each of the plurality of subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, by the size value.    
     
     
         18 . A method of ranking entries in a table of contents, the method comprising: 
 transmitting a first document to a client device, the first subdocument including a text and a link;    receiving from the client device a request for a second document associated with the link;    dividing the second document into subdocuments, each of the subdocuments including text;    comparing the text of the first document with the text of each of the subdocuments to generate a document-document value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    comparing the text of the link with the label assigned to each of the plurality of subdocuments to generate a link-label value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    comparing the text of the link with the text of each of the subdocuments to generate a link-text value for each of the plurality of subdocuments according to the degree of association between the first document and the corresponding one of the subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, on the document-document, link-label, and link-text values.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 generating a size value indicative of an amount of text in each of the plurality of subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, by the size value.    
     
     
         20 . A method of ranking entries in a table of contents, the method comprising: 
 transmitting a first document to a client device, the first subdocument including a text and a link;    receiving from the client device a request for a second document associated with the link;    dividing the second document into subdocuments, each of the subdocuments including text;    assigning a label to each of a plurality of the subdocuments; generating a size value indicative of an amount of text in each of the plurality of subdocuments;    ranking in ranked order the plurality of subdocuments based, at least in part, by the size value.