System and method for measuring and quantizing document quality Number:7,092,552 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent Text, images, and/or graphics of electronic documents should be organized and laid out in a two-dimensional format for presentation to the viewer. The best such layout depends upon the content present, the creator's intent, the output device, and the viewer's interests. To analyze the qualitative nature of the layout in quantifiable terms, the electronic document is measure using various quantifiable factors; such as, balance, uniformity, white space management, alignment, consistency, legibility, etc.; that impact a qualitative nature of a document. Such quantifiable factors are then used to quantize the aesthetics, ease of use, eye-catching ability, interest, communicability, comfort, and convenience of the document.<H quantizing, measuring, System, and, meth, 7092552.html, Patent, pto, 7092552

Title: System and method for measuring and quantizing document quality

Abstract: Text, images, and/or graphics of electronic documents should be organized and laid out in a two-dimensional format for presentation to the viewer. The best such layout depends upon the content present, the creator's intent, the output device, and the viewer's interests. To analyze the qualitative nature of the layout in quantifiable terms, the electronic document is measure using various quantifiable factors; such as, balance, uniformity, white space management, alignment, consistency, legibility, etc.; that impact a qualitative nature of a document. Such quantifiable factors are then used to quantize the aesthetics, ease of use, eye-catching ability, interest, communicability, comfort, and convenience of the document.

Patent Number: 7,092,552 Issued on 08/15/2006 to Harrington, et al.

Inventors: Harrington; Steven J. (Webster, NY), Naveda; Jose Fernando (Henrietta, NY), Jones; Rhys Price (Rochester, NY), Sarr; Nathan (Rochester, NY), Thakkar; Nishant Atul (Rochester, MN), Roetling; Paul G. (Grand Island, NY)
Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Stamford, CT)

Appl. No.: 10/881,157

Filed: June 30, 2004

Current U.S. Class: 382/112 ; 382/286

Current International Class: G06K 9/00 (20060101)

Field of Search: 382/112,292,317 715/518,519,542

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


5018207	May 1991	Purdum
5424945	June 1995	Bell
5600732	February 1997	Ott et al.
5687250	November 1997	Curley et al.
5963641	October 1999	Crandall et al.
6345130	February 2002	Dahl
6571000	May 2003	Rasmussen et al.
6671405	December 2003	Savakis et al.
6748097	June 2004	Gindele et al.
6795580	September 2004	Janko et al.
2005/0028074	February 2005	Harrington et al.
2005/0028076	February 2005	Harrington et al.
2005/0028096	February 2005	Harrington et al.
2005/0028097	February 2005	Harrington et al.
2005/0028098	February 2005	Harrington et al.
2005/0028099	February 2005	Harrington et al.

Foreign Patent Documents


0986270	Mar., 2000	EP
1109132	Jun., 2001	EP
1168245	Jan., 2002	EP

Other References

Engledrum, Peter G.; Image Quality Modeling: Where Are We; IS&T's 1999 PIC Convference; pp. 251-255; Imcotek; Winchester, MA 01890; pge@imotek.com. cited by other .
Govindaraju, V.; Srihari, S.; Assessment of Image Quality to Predict Readability of Documents; SPIE vol. 2660; pp. 333-342; State University of New York at Buffalo; Buffalo, NY 14260; (govlnd, srihari)@cedar.buffalo.edu. cited by other .
Shin, H.; Dalal, E.; Rasmussen, R.; Predicting Customer Preference from Objective Image Quality Metrics for Monochrome Document Products; SPIE vol. 5294 .COPYRGT.2004; pp. 155-164; Xerox Corporation, Webster, NY, USA cited by other.

Primary Examiner: Johns; Andrew W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Basch & Nickerson LLP Nickerson; Michael J.

Parent Case Text

PRIORITY INFORMATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) from U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/491,043, filed on Jul. 30, 2003, and from U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/491,042, filed on Jul. 30, 2003. The entire contents of U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/491,043, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application, Ser. No. 60/491,042, are hereby incorporated by reference.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document, comprising: (a) measuring a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; (b) quantizing the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and (c) generating a quantized convenience value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics, the quantized convenience value being a measure of quality of the document.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined combining function is a weighted average of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined combining function is a weighted sum of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined combining function is a weighted product of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predetermined combining function is a non-linear operation performed upon the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is consistency of the document.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is legibility of objects in the document.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is disability proof of the document.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is ease of navigation of the document.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is searchability of objects in the document.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is locatability of objects in the document.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is viewable fraction of the document.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is color harmony of the document.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is single window displayability of the document.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the quantized predetermined characteristics is transmission/processing time of the document.

16. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the quantized consistency of the document is realized by: (i) measuring and quantizing consistency of scan in the document; (ii) measuring and quantizing consistency of order in the document; (iii) measuring and quantizing consistency of position of objects in the document; (iv) measuring and quantizing consistency of luminance in the document; (v) measuring and quantizing consistency of size of objects in the document; and (vi) measuring and quantizing consistency of style of objects in the document.

17. A method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document, comprising: (a) measuring a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; (b) quantizing the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; (c) generating a quantized aesthetics value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetics combining function, the predetermined aesthetics combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; (d) generating a quantized convenience value for the document based on a predetermined convenience combining function, the predetermined convenience combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and (e) generating a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetics value and the generated quantized convenience value.

18. A method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document, comprising: (a) measuring a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; (b) quantizing the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; (c) generating a quantized convenience value for the document based on a predetermined convenience combining function, the predetermined convenience combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; (d) generating a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and (e) generating a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized convenience value and the generated quantized ease of use value.

Description

FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the field of document layout, design, and analysis and, more particularly, to methods which is quantitatively measure a document's quality based on characteristics inherent in the document itself.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

When documents are created, many decisions must be made as to style, content, layout, and the like. The text, images, and graphics must be organized and laid out in a two-dimensional format with the intention of providing a presentation to the viewer which will capture and preferably maintain their attention for the time sufficient to get the intended message across. Different style options are available for the various content elements and choices must be made. The best choices for style and layout depend upon content, intent, viewer interests, etc. In order to tell if a set of choices made as to the look and feel of the final version of the document were good or bad, one might request feedback from a set of viewers after viewing the document and compile the feedback into something meaningful from which the document's creators or developers can make alterations, changes, or other improvements. This cycle repeats until the document's owners are satisfied that the final version achieves the intended result.

Factors that contribute to the quality and effectiveness of layout and style decisions for a document are the handling of groups of content elements as style and layout choices affect groups of content. A group is a collection of content elements. Group membership is a property of the logical structure of the document. The neighborhood of groups can be considered a layout property. While layout structure often matches the logical structure, there is no requirement that it do so.

Preferably, one would like to have a quantitative measure of various value properties of the document (measures of the document "goodness") based on properties inherent in the document itself. In this manner the document itself provides a level of quantitative feedback. For instance, one property that developer's would like to be able to measure would be how easy it is to use a document. A measure for the ease of use of a document can be used in evaluating or making document design decisions.

One aspect of the ease of use of a document is one's ability to tell which elements belong to a group and which do not. The style and layout decisions that are made in the presentation of a document can affect the degree of group identity that it conveys. In evaluating a document's design for its ease of use, it is useful to have a measure of the degree of group identity. Considerations for ease-of-use with respect to groups include spatial coherence, spatial separation, alignment separation, heading separation, background separation, and/or style separation. Measures for various characteristics of content, feature, and the like could be weighted by intent, relevance, and other parameters and these could then be combined to obtain one or more overall measures for the document itself. If one had a method for evaluating properties inherent in the document itself then such a measure could be used during the document development process to help determine optimal presentation.

An aspect of the ease of use of a document is its searchability. Searchability can be defined as the degree to which the document structurally supports the finding of a desired content element. A document with high searchability provides aids that help in finding desired content. In general, a document with high searchability measure is easier to use because it is easy to locate the portion of the document containing the information of interest.

Another aspect of a document's ease of use is the document's degree of distinguishability. The distinguishability of content can be defined as the ability to identify one particular content element from another content element within the document. Distinguishability is important in establishing the context for the information disclosed by the element. It can reduce confusion about what that element is and to what group or setting it belongs. It can also aid in locating a desired element. The distinguishability of the document elements is therefore a contributing factor to the ease of use of the document.

Another property that would be desirable to be able to quantitatively measure is the ability of the document to hold the viewer's attention and interest. Wile much of the document's ease of use depends upon the actual content and its relevance to the viewer, there can also be a contribution from the style with which that content is presented. If a measure of the effect of style decisions on ease of use could be defined it could be used in determining a measure of optimal presentation.

Documents can present content in ways that make it easier to locate individual items. This can be referred to as `locateability`. A way to distinguish one content object from another object is to evaluate the target object's locatability, i.e., how easy it is to find an object within the document. This is a little different from distinguishability, which tells how well an item can be differentiated from its neighbors. Structural aids such as layout of tables or bullet lists help the document viewer to locate objects. Presenting content in a table allows its location to be identified by row or column. The presence of headings for the rows and columns can further increase the ease of locating items. Presenting content items in a list introduces an ordering that aids in locating them, and the use of list bullets or item numbers aids further. Separability and distinguishability contribute to the locatability of an object.

Measures for various aspects of content, features, and the like could be weighted by intent, relevance, and other parameters and these could then be combined to obtain one or more overall measures for the document itself. If one had a method for evaluating such properties inherent in the document itself then such a measure could be used during the document development process to help determine optimal presentation.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a methodology to measure the quality of a document in a quantifiable way. Moreover, it is desirable to provide a quantifiable measurement of quality which is useable in evaluating the document and improving its quality so as to add value to the information being conveyed through the document.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A first aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized aesthetic value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics, the quantized aesthetic value being a measure of quality of the document.

A second aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; generates a quantized aesthetic value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetic combining function, the predetermined aesthetic combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized eye-catching ability value for the document based on a predetermined eye-catching ability combining function, the predetermined eye-catching ability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized interest value for the document based on a predetermined interest combining function, the predetermined interest combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized convenience value for the document based on a predetermined convenience combining function, the predetermined convenience combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized comfort value for the document based on a predetermined comfort combining function, the predetermined comfort combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized communicability value for the document based on a predetermined communicability combining function, the predetermined communicability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetic value, the generated quantized ease of use value, the generated quantized eye-catching ability value, the generated quantized interest value, the generated quantized convenience value, the generated quantized comfort value, and the generated quantized communicability value.

A third aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics, the quantized ease of use value being a measure of quality of the document.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized eye-catching ability value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics, the quantized eye-catching ability value being a measure of quality of the document.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized interest value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics, the quantized interest value being a measure of quality of the document.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized comfort value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics, the quantized comfort value being a measure of quality of the document.

A seventh aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized convenience value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics, the quantized convenience value being a measure of quality of the document.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized communicability value for the document based on a predetermined combining function, the predetermined combining function combining the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics, the quantized communicability value being a measure of quality of the document.

A further aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; generates a quantized aesthetic value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetic combining function, the predetermined aesthetic combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetic value and the generated quantized ease of use value.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; generates a quantized aesthetic value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetic combining function, the predetermined aesthetic combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized eye-catching ability value for the document based on a predetermined eye-catching ability combining function, the predetermined eye-catching ability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetic value, the generated quantized ease of use value, and the generated quantized eye-catching ability value.

A further aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; generates a quantized eye-catching ability value for the document based on a predetermined eye-catching ability combining function, the predetermined eye-catching ability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized eye-catching ability value and the generated quantized ease of use value.

A further aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; generates a quantized interest value for the document based on a predetermined interest combining function, the predetermined eye-catching ability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized interest value and the generated quantized ease of use value.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized eye-catching ability value for the document based on a predetermined eye-catching ability combining function, the predetermined eye-catching ability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized interest value for the document based on a predetermined interest combining function, the predetermined interest combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized eye-catching ability value and the generated quantized interest value.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized eye-catching ability value for the document based on a predetermined eye-catching ability combining function, the predetermined eye-catching ability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized comfort value for the document based on a predetermined comfort combining function, the predetermined comfort combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized eye-catching ability value and the generated quantized comfort value.

A further aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; generates a quantized aesthetics value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetics combining function, the predetermined aesthetics combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized interest value for the document based on a predetermined interest combining function, the predetermined interest combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetics value and the generated quantized interest value.

A further aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; generates a quantized interest value for the document based on a predetermined interest combining function, the predetermined interest combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized interest value and the generated quantized ease of use value.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized aesthetics value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetics combining function, the predetermined aesthetics combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized communicability value for the document based on a predetermined communicability combining function, the predetermined communicability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetics value and the generated quantized communicability value.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized communicability value for the document based on a predetermined communicability combining function, the predetermined communicability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized communicability value and the generated quantized ease of use value.

A further aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; generates a quantized aesthetics value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetics combining function, the predetermined aesthetics combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized comfort value for the document based on a predetermined comfort combining function, the predetermined communicability combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetics value and the generated quantized comfort value.

A further aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; generates a quantized comfort value for the document based on a predetermined comfort combining function, the predetermined comfort combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized comfort value and the generated quantized ease of use value.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized aesthetics value for the document based on a predetermined aesthetics combining function, the predetermined aesthetics combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized convenience value for the document based on a predetermined convenience combining function, the predetermined convenience combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized aesthetics value and the generated quantized convenience value.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for quantifying a measure of quality of a document. The method measures a predetermined set of characteristics of the document; quantizes the measured predetermined set of characteristics of the document; and generates a quantized convenience value for the document based on a predetermined convenience combining function, the predetermined convenience combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; generates a quantized ease of use value for the document based on a predetermined ease of use combining function, the predetermined ease of use combining function combining a predetermined subset of the quantized measured predetermined set of characteristics; and generates a quantized quality value for the document based on a predetermined quality combining function, the predetermined quality combining function combining the generated quantized convenience value and the generated quantized ease of use value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may take form in various components and arrangements of components, and in various steps and arrangements of steps. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an architectural layout for quantifiably measuring document quality according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring document quality according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring document aesthetics according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 to 7 illustrate examples of visual balance according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate examples of quantifiably measuring visual balance according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring visual balance according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate examples of non-uniform distribution of content objects over a page according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 13 to 15 illustrate examples of white space fraction according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 16 illustrates an example of trapped white space according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 17 to 20 illustrate examples of quantifiably measuring trapped white space according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of defining the trapped white space according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 22 to 24 illustrate examples of alignment according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 25 illustrates an example of quantifiably measuring and graphically plotting alignment with respect to a left edge according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 26 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring document alignment according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 27 to 30 illustrate examples of document regularity according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 31 illustrates an example of page security according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 32 illustrates an example of page proportionality according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 33 illustrates an example of separability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 34 illustrates an example of group identity according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 35 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring group ease of use according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 36 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring effective separation according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 37 to 41 illustrate examples of separation according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 42 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring effective distinguishability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 43 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring total distinguishability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 44 to 46 illustrate examples of distinguishability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 47 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring direct locatability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 48 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring member locatability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 49 and 50 illustrate examples of locatability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 51 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring total locatability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 52 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring group identity according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 53 and 54 illustrate examples of coherence according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 55 illustrates examples of group boundary area according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 56 and 57 illustrate examples of style according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 58 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring eye catching ability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 59 illustrates an example of a color gamut according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 60 illustrates an example of a hue angle according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 61 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring interest according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 62 illustrates an example of variety according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 63 illustrates an example of change rate according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 64 illustrates an example of graphic fraction according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 65 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring communicability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 66 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring legibility according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 67 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring decipherability according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 68 illustrates an example of line retrace according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 69 illustrates an example of line separation according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 70 to 73 illustrate examples of quadding according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 74 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring technical level according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 75 to 77 illustrate examples of image balance according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 78 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring ease of progression according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 79 illustrates an example of consistency of scan according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 80 illustrates an example of consistency of order according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 81 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring ease of navigation according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 82 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring comfort according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 83 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring neatness according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 84 and 85 illustrate examples of neatness according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 86 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring intimidation according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 87 illustrates an example of intimidation according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 88 and 89 illustrate examples of luminance according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIGS. 90 and 91 illustrate examples of size according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 92 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring convenience according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 93 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring consistency of position according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 94 illustrates a conceptual circuit for quantifiably measuring consistency according to the concepts of the present invention;

FIG. 95 illustrates a definable window for quantifiably measuring the various quality characteristics of a document according to the concepts of the present invention; and

FIG. 96 illustrates color dissonance as a function of hue difference.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFICATION

The present invention will be described in connection with preferred embodiments; however, it will be understood that there is no intent to limit the present invention to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.

For a general understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the drawings. In the drawings, like reference have been used throughout to designate identical or equivalent elements. It is also noted that the various drawings illustrating the present invention are not drawn to scale and that certain regions may have been purposely drawn disproportionately so that the features and concepts of the present invention could be properly illustrated.

The present invention is directed to various methods for quantifying various document properties to assist document developers in determining document quality. Quality can have several competing aspects and the overall quality can depend not only on the absolute properties of the document, but also on the relative importance of these properties to the beholder. One aspect or class of document quality is its aesthetics, which is its beauty, the degree to which pleasure can be derived from its appearance. Often this property is manifested in the degree of displeasure generated by an ugly layout.

Another aspect or class contributing to the quality of a document is the effectiveness with which it communicates information to the user. Documents are vessels of information, and the ease at which the viewer can gather and understand the information can be an important factor in how well the document does its job.

A third aspect or class that contributes to the quality of a document is its ease of use. A factor that contributes to the ease of use is how convenient the document is, that is, can it be used with a minimum of effort. A second factor contributing overall ease of use is content grouping. Information often has some logical organization and documents can reflect this organization by grouping the content. The effectiveness with which the document coveys this grouping and enables the viewer to capitalize on it contributes to the ease of use.

A fourth aspect or class that enters into document quality is the degree to which the user is comfortable with it. Documents that create anxiety are generally not as desirable as those that the viewer finds soothing and familiar.

A fifth aspect or class that is an important contributor to the quality of some documents is the degree to which they can catch the eye of the viewer. Advertisements for example, strive to capture the attention and not to be easily overlooked

A sixth aspect or class that is similar is the ability for the document to maintain interest. It is one thing to capture the attention, but another to hold it and to avoid boredom as the document is used.

A seventh aspect or class of quality can be the economy of the document, both to the creator and to the viewer. If the other contributors to quality are the same, then a lower cost version of a document is generally considered better than a more expensive one. While other factors may also contribute to document quality, the measuring of these seven aspects or classes provides a good basis for evaluating document quality.

The aspects or classes listed as contributing to document quality (with the exception of economy) are usually considered soft and ill-defined concepts; however, these properties can be quantified. The method for measuring and quantifying these attributes is to first identify document features that contribute to the property. Quantifiable measures of the individual features are then devised. And finally, the individual feature values are combined to form an overall score for the more abstract property.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an architectural layout for quantifiably measuring document quality according to the concepts of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the quantization of a document's quality can be carried out in by a system architecture that includes a memory 91, a document processor circuit 92, microprocessor 90, user interface 94, and a display 93. The memory 91 may store for processing purposes a portion of a document, a page of the document, a portion of a page of a document, a document, or multiple documents.

The display 93 may display the document or portion thereof that is being quantized with respect to quality. The display 93 may also display the various options that a user can choose though the user interface 94 with respect to the classes that the user wishes to quantize or the various parameters that a user can choose though the user interface 94, which are to be measured within the chosen quantization class.

The quantization architecture of FIG. 1 further includes various circuits for measuring/quantizing various aspects or classes of document quality. These circuits include aesthetics quantizer 10, ease of use quantizer 20, eye catching ability quantizer 30, interest quantizer 40, communicability quantizer 50, comfort quantizer 60, convenience quantizer 70, and economy quantizer 75. Each of these (except the economy quantizer, for which measures and methods are well known) will be discussed in more detail below.

On the other hand FIG. 2 illustrates a single quality quantizer or combiner 80 that receives measured and/or calculated quantized values representing aesthetics, ease of use, eye catching ability, interest, communicability, comfort, and/or convenience. Quality quantizer or combiner 80 processes these values based upon a predetermined algorithm so as to generate a quality quantization value for the document or portion of the document being analyzed. If alternate or additional measures of quality are considered, they would also be combined at combiner 80.

Each value thereof is based on properties inherent in the document itself. The values are individually combined into an overall value or score for the document. Other methods for measuring, assigning, or otherwise associating a quantifiable value for document quality should be considered within the scope of the present invention; such that the present invention is directed to not only in the particular methods put forth, but also in the much broader concept of determining a value for document quality.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each rule is defined to produce a value ranging between 0 and 1 such that 0 means low value and 1 means high value. This enables quantized quality values to be calculated and combined to form the overall document quality measure.

If V.sub.i is the value calculated for the i.sup.th rule, the document quality measure V.sub.Q is formed as a function E of these contributions such that: V.sub.Q=E(V.sub.1, V.sub.2, . . . V.sub.N). The combining function E can be as simple as a weighted average of the contributions. However, because any bad contributor can ruin the document quality no matter how good the others are, a linear combination is not preferred.

An alternative is: V.sub.Q=(.SIGMA.w.sub.i(V.sub.i).sup.-p).sup.-1/p. In a preferred embodiment, the w.sub.i factors are weights that specify the relative importance of each rule and should sum to one. The exponent `p` introduces a non-linearity that can make one bad value overwhelm many good ones. The larger the value of the exponent `p` is, the greater this effect

A further alternative is: V.sub.Q=(.SIGMA.w.sub.i(d+V.sub.i).sup.-p).sup.-1/p-d. The w.sub.i factors are weights that specify the relative importance of each rule and should sum to one. The exponent `p` introduces a non-linearity that can make one bad value overwhelm many good ones. The parameter d is a number slightly larger than 0. The larger the value of the exponent `p` is, the greater this effect.

Other combining functions are, for example, the product of the contributions. If weighting of the contribution is desired, this can be achieved by: V.sub.Q=.PI.V.sub.i.sup.wi'.

It is noted that the illustrations show circuits or circuit for the quality quantization process, this process may also be performed in software by the microprocessor and/or firmware. The quantization is not limited to specific circuits, but any combination of software and/or hardware that is able to carry out the below described methodologies.

Aesthetics

For the case of document aesthetics, the methods herein are used to generate quantifiable values for the contributing features of: balance, uniformity, white-space fraction, white-space free-flow, alignment, regularity, page security, and/or aspect ratio (optimal proportionality). As illustrated in FIG. 3, a combining circuit 10 (the aesthetics quantizer 10 of FIG. 1) receives measured and/or calculated quantized values representing balance, uniformity, white-space fraction, white-space free-flow, alignment, regularity, page security, and/or aspect ratio (optimal proportionality) and processes these values based upon a predetermined algorithm so as to generate an aesthetic quantization value for the document or portion of the document being analyzed.

Each value thereof is based on properties inherent in the document itself The values are individually combined into an overall value or score for the document. Other methods for measuring, assigning, or otherwise associating a quantifiable value for document quality should be considered within the scope of the present invention; such that the present invention is directed to not only in the particular methods put forth, but also in the much broader concept of determining a value for document quality.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each rule is defined to produce a value ranging between 0 and 1 such that 0 means low value and 1 means high value. This enables quantized quality values to be calculated and combined to form the overall document quality measure.

If V.sub.i is the value calculated for the i.sup.th rule, the document quality measure V.sub.A is formed as a function E of these contributions such that: V.sub.A=E(V.sub.1, V.sub.2, . . . V.sub.N). The combining function E can be as simple as a weighted average of the contributions. However, because any bad contributor can ruin the document quality no matter how good the others are, a linear combination is not preferred.

An alternative is: V.sub.A=(.SIGMA.w.sub.i(V.sub.i).sup.-p).sup.-1/p. In a preferred embodiment, the w.sub.i factors are weights that specify the relative importance of each rule and should sum to one. The exponent `p` introduces a non-linearity that can make one bad value overwhelm many good ones. The larger the value of the exponent `p` is, the greater this effect

A further alternative is: V.sub.A=(.SIGMA.w.sub.i(d+V.sub.i).sup.-p).sup.-1/p-d. The w.sub.i factors are weights that specify the relative importance of each rule and should sum to one. The exponent `p` introduces a non-linearity that can make one bad value overwhelm many good ones. The parameter d is a number slightly larger than 0. The larger the value of the exponent `p` is, the greater this effect.

Other combining functions are, for example, the product of the contributions. If weighting of the contribution is desired, this can be achieved by: V.sub.A=.PI.V.sub.i.sup.wi'.

It is noted that the illustrations show circuits or circuit for the aesthetics quantization process, this process may also be performed in software by the microprocessor and/or firmware. The quantization is not limited to specific circuits, but any combination of software and/or hardware that is able to carry out the below described methodologies.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, one of the parameters or factors used in determining aesthetics is the measurement and quantization of the document's balance or balance in page layout.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are at least two primary ways of defining balance. There is an overall balance where the center of visual weight is at the visual center of a page of a document; as illustrated by FIG. 5 with objects 110 on document 100 having substantially a center of visual weight equal to a visual center of a page of a document; and a left-right balance; as illustrated by FIGS. 6 and 7 with objects 110 on document 100 where the weight of object 110 on the left side of the page is matched by the weight of object 110 at the same vertical position on the right side of the page. Other definitions for balance are to be considered within the scope of the present invention.

The overall balance is calculated by determining the center of visual weight 102 of FIG.