Method and system for document image layout deconstruction and redisplay system

Abstract

The invention converts a document originating in a page-image format into a form suitable for an arbitrarily sized display, by reformatting or “re-flowing” of the document to fit an arbitrarily sized display device.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of converting a document in a page-image format into a form suitable for an arbitrarily sized display, comprising: 
 deconstructing a document in a page image format;    synthesizing the deconstructed document into an intermediate data structure; and    distilling the intermediate data structure for redisplay in a format usable for an arbitrarily sized display.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein deconstructing a document in a page image format includes: 
 identifying text image areas and non-text image areas of the document;    locating and isolating text image areas and non-text image areas;    processing the isolated text image areas and non-text image areas into text line regions and layout properties;    processing located text line regions into segmented image elements; and    locating and labeling segmented image elements.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein deconstructing a document in a page image into the set of segmented image elements includes at least one of physical segmentation of data and logical segmentation of data.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the set of segmented image elements comprises at least one of blocks, lines, words, characters of text, groups of characters, and groups of non-text characters.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein synthesizing includes converting non-text image areas, layout properties and segmented image areas into the intermediate data structure.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein synthesizing the set of segmented image elements into an intermediate data structure includes integrating at least one of bitmapped images in an intelligible display layout and links to non-textual elements.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the bitmapped images are images of words in reading order.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate data structure is stored in a storage device.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein distilling the intermediate data structure for redisplay in a format usable for an arbitrarily sized display, includes redisplaying the document in human readable format  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein distilling the intermediate data structure for redisplay in a format usable for an arbitrarily sized display, includes redisplaying the document in at least one of an electronic book format, Internet browsable format and a print format.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein distilling the intermediate data structure includes converting the stored intermediate data structure into a device specific display format for display.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate data structure is adaptable to at least one of display screen size, page size, resolution, contrast, color and geometry, at the time of display.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate data structure is adaptability supported by at least one of repagination of text, reflowing of text, logical links of text to associated text and non-textual content.  
     
     
         14 . A method of converting a document in a page-image format into a form suitable for an arbitrarily sized display, comprising: 
 analyzing page layout;    converting a sequence of page images into a sequence of document element images captured in a tagged format; and    re-converting the tagged format into at least one of an electronic book format, an Internet browsable format that can accept images and a print format.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the tagged format preserves at least one of reading order and logical page layout properties.  
     
     
         16 . A system of converting a document in a page-image format into a form suitable for an arbitrarily sized display, comprising: 
 an input/output device;    a controller;    a deconstructing circuit, routine or application that deconstructs a document;    a synthesizing circuit, routine or application that synthesizes the deconstructed document into an intermediate data structure;    a distilling circuit, routine or application that distills the intermediate data structure for redisplay in a format usable for an arbitrarily sized display;    a memory.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the deconstructing circuit, routine or application deconstructs the document in a page image format into non-text image areas, layout properties, and a set of segmented image elements;    the synthesizing circuit, routine or application synthesizes the non-text image areas, the layout properties, and the set of segmented image elements into an intermediate data structure; and    the distilling circuit, routine or application distills the intermediate data structure for redisplay in a format usable for an arbitrarily sized display.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the deconstructing circuit, routine or application deconstructs the document in a page image format into the set of segmented image elements that includes at least one of physical segmentation of data and logical segmentation of data.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the intermediate data structure includes at least one of bitmapped images in an intelligible display layout and links to non-textual elements.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the bitmapped images are images of words in reading order.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the memory stores at least one of the document in page image format, the deconstructed document, the intermediate data structure and the distilled document.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the distilling circuit, routine or application distills the intermediate data structure for redisplay of the document in a format usable for an arbitrarily sized display includes redisplaying the document in at least one of an electronic book format, Internet browsable format, and a print format.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the distilling circuit, routine or application converts the stored intermediate data structure into a device specific display format for display.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the intermediate data structure is adaptable to at least one of display screen size, paper size, resolution, contrast, color and geometry, at the time of display.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the intermediate data structure is adaptability supported by at least one of repagination of text, reflowing of text, logical links of text to associated text and non-textual content.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the deconstructing circuit, routine or application analyzes page layout and converts a sequence of page images into a sequence of document element images captured in a tagged format; and 
 the distilling circuit, routine or application converts the tagged format into at least one of an electronic book format, an Internet browsable format that can accept images and a print format.    
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the tagged format preserves at least one of reading order and logical page layout properties.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the deconstructing routine includes a segmentation algorithm and a background structure analyzer.