Method and system for providing a summary of textual content

Abstract

Disclosed herein a method of and system for providing a summary of a document. The method may comprise identifying, using a processor, a plurality of salient excerpts from the document. Further, the method may comprise generating, using the processor, the summary of the document based on the plurality of salient excerpts. The method may comprise receiving at least one parameter configured to control the generating of the summary. Accordingly, identifying or generating may be based on the at least one parameter. The method may further comprise identifying a plurality of key terms in the document. Moreover, the method may include ranking each sentence of the document based on the plurality of key terms. Additionally, the method may comprise identifying a set of key sentences based on the ranking. Further, the set of key sentences may constitute the plurality of salient excerpts.

The following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of providing a summary of a document, the method comprising:
 identifying, using a processor, a plurality of salient excerpts from the document; and   generating, using the processor, the summary of the document based on the plurality of salient excerpts.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising storing, using a storage device, each of the summary and a document indicator associated with the document. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving a percentage value corresponding to the document, wherein a length of the summary is based on the percentage value. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein at least one of the identifying and the generating is performed based further on the percentage value. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 identifying a plurality of themes associated with the document; and 
 displaying a plurality of theme indicators corresponding to the plurality of themes. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising identifying, using the processor, a plurality of relevant excerpts associated with the plurality of themes. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising:
 receiving, using an input device, a selection of at least one theme indicator of the plurality of theme indicators; and 
 displaying, using a display device, at least one relevant excerpt corresponding to the at least one theme based on the selection. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein displaying comprises highlighting the at least one relevant excerpt. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving, using an input device, a selection of the document; and 
 displaying, using a display device, each of the document and the summary of the document based on the selection. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving, using an input device, a first selection of the document; 
 displaying, using a display device, the document based on the first selection; 
 receiving, using the input device, a second selection of a summary indicator corresponding to the document; and 
 displaying, using the display device, the summary of the document based on the second selection. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 displaying, using the display device, a document indicator corresponding to the document; 
 receiving, using an input device, a selection of the document indicator; and 
 displaying, using the display device, the summary of the document in an overlay based on the selection of the document indicator. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the document indicator comprises a hyperlink. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the selection comprises at least one of a mouse-over operation, a click operation and a touch operation performed on the document indicator. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving, using a communication interface, an Application Programming Interface (API) call corresponding to the document, wherein the API call comprises the document indicator, wherein each of the identifying and the generating is performed based on the API call; and 
 transmitting, using the communication interface, the summary of the document. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising embedding a script within the document, wherein displaying of the document causes execution of the script, wherein execution of the script causes generation of the API call. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the API call comprises textual content comprised in the document. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the API call further comprises at least one parameter associated with the document, wherein at least one of the identifying of the plurality of salient excerpts and the generating of the summary is based on the at least one parameter. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of a percentage value, a summary display mode and a theme display mode, wherein the summary is automatically displayed based a value of the summary display mode, wherein a plurality of theme indicators is automatically displayed based on the theme display mode, wherein the plurality of theme indicators corresponding to a plurality of themes identified in the document. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the plurality of salient excerpts comprises:
 identifying, using the processor, a plurality of key terms in the document;   ranking, using the processor, each sentence of the document based on the plurality of key terms; and   identifying, using the processor, a set of key sentences based on the ranking, wherein the set of key sentences constitute the plurality of salient excerpts.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising receiving, using an input device, a length of the summary, wherein identifying the set of key sentences is based on the length of the summary. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 identifying, using the processor, key terms in the summary; 
 ranking, using the processor, the key terms in the summary; and 
 identifying, using the processor, a plurality of key terms as a plurality of themes based on the ranking. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1  being performed by a plug-in associated with a Content Management System (CMS) comprising the document. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 displaying, using a display device, an administrative interface comprising a document indicator associated with the document; 
 receiving, using an input device, at least one parameter associated with the document, wherein the generating of the summary is based further on the at least one parameter, wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of a percentage value, a summary display mode and a theme display mode, wherein the summary is automatically displayed based on a value of the summary display mode, wherein a plurality of theme indicators is automatically displayed based on the theme display mode, wherein the plurality of theme indicators correspond to a plurality of themes identified in the document. 
 
     
     
         24 . A system for providing a summary of a document, the system comprising:
 a communication interface configured for:
 receiving a document from at least one electronic device; 
 transmitting a summary of the document to the at least one electronic device; 
   a processor configured for:
 identifying a plurality of salient excerpts from the document; and 
 generating the summary of the document based on the plurality of salient excerpts. 
   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the electronic device is a content server configured for provisioning the document. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the electronic device is a user device configured for presenting the document to a user operating the user device. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein in order to identify the plurality of salient excerpts, the processor is further configured for:
 identifying a plurality of key terms in the document;   ranking each sentence of the document based on the plurality of key terms; and   identifying a set of key sentences based on the ranking, wherein the set of key sentences constitute the plurality of salient excerpts.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the communication interface is further configured for receiving a length of the summary, wherein identifying the set of key sentences is based on the length of the summary. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured for:
 identifying key terms in the summary;   ranking the key terms in the summary; and   identifying a plurality of key terms as a plurality of themes based on the ranking.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the communication interface is further configured for:
 receiving, from the electronic device, an Application Programming Interface (API) call corresponding to the document, wherein the API call comprises the document indicator, wherein the processor is configured for performing each of the identifying and the generating based on the API call; and   transmitting, to the electronic device, the summary of the document.