Method and system for browsing a low-resolution image

Abstract

A system for retrieving information from a document. The system includes a document model representative of the document having a plurality of data structures representative of components within the document and a thumbnail image registered with the document model. The registration is accomplished by mapping selected coordinates within the thumbnail image to a data structure selected from the plurality of data structures. In this manner, a user can interact with the thumbnail image coordinates to retrieve data from the document as a function of the components mapped to those coordinates. In a further embodiment of the invention, the retrieved information may be streamed to a word-at-a-time display. This is particularly useful when used in connection with the display of low-resolution images on hand-held devices.

1 . A system for linking to a document, comprising: 
 a document model, representative of the document, having a plurality of data structures representative of components within the document; and    a thumbnail image registered with the document model such that selected coordinates within the thumbnail image are each mapped to a data structure selected from the plurality of data structures.    
   
   
       2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the document is a text document and the components comprise one or more page components, textual block components, textual line components and word components.  
   
   
       3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the document is an XML document.  
   
   
       4 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the components comprise images.  
   
   
       5 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the images comprise vector graphics.  
   
   
       6 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a word-at-a-time display associated with the thumbnail image for displaying the data represented by selected components from the document model, the components selected in response to interaction with the thumbnail.  
   
   
       7 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the components are individually addressable.  
   
   
       8 - 30 . (canceled)  
   
   
       31 . A computer-implemented system for linking to a document on a computer having a memory, comprising: 
 a document model stored in the computer memory, representative of the document, having a plurality of data structures representative of components within the document, wherein the document is an XML document; and    data representing a thumbnail image registered with the document model using XML tags of the XML document such that selected coordinates within the thumbnail image are mapped to a data structure selected from the plurality of data structures.    
   
   
       32 . The system as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the components comprise images.  
   
   
       33 . The system as recited in  claim 32 , wherein the images comprise vector graphics.  
   
   
       34 . The system as recited in  claim 31 , further comprising a word-at-a-time display associated with the thumbnail image for displaying the data represented by selected components from the document model, the components selected in response to interaction with the thumbnail.  
   
   
       35 . The system as recited in  claim 31 , wherein components are individually addressable.  
   
   
       36 . A computer-readable memory having thereon computer-readable data fields for linking a portion of a document to a corresponding portion of a thumbnail image of the document, the data fields comprising: 
 a document model field containing document model data, the document model data being representative of the document and comprising a plurality of data structures representative of components within the document, wherein the document is an XML document; and    an image data field containing image data representative of the thumbnail image, wherein portions of the image data are registered with corresponding portions of the document model data using XML tags of the document such that selected coordinates within the thumbnail image are mapped to a data structure selected from the plurality of data structures.    
   
   
       37 . The computer-readable memory as recited in  claim 36 , wherein the components comprise images.  
   
   
       38 . The computer-readable memory as recited in  claim 37 , wherein the images comprise vector graphics.  
   
   
       39 . The computer-readable memory as recited in  claim 36 , wherein the components are individually addressable.