This application relates generally to automated generation of study aids from highlighted document portions.
A study technique commonly employed by students, trainees or the like includes using a highlighter pen to highlight text or illustrations when reading a textbook. When a user wishes to refresh their recollection efficiently, such as to prepare for an exam or test, they can look at the book again and focus on the highlighted portions.
Various embodiments will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein:
The systems and methods disclosed herein are described in detail by way of examples and with reference to the figures. It will be appreciated that modifications to disclosed and described examples, arrangements, configurations, components, elements, apparatuses, devices methods, systems, etc. can suitably be made and may be desired for a specific application. In this disclosure, any identification of specific techniques, arrangements, etc. are either related to a specific example presented or are merely a general description of such a technique, arrangement, etc. Identifications of specific details or examples are not intended to be, and should not be, construed as mandatory or limiting unless specifically designated as such.
Certain embodiments disclosed herein include document processing devices. Document processing devices include printers, copiers, scanners and e-mail gateways. More recently, devices employing two or more of these functions are found in office environments. These devices are referred to as multifunction peripherals (MFPs) or multifunction devices (MFDs). As used herein, MFPs are understood to comprise printers, alone or in combination with other of the afore-noted functions. It is further understood that any suitable document processing device can be used.
In example embodiments herein, a user highlights a document and a system is provided to manage highlighted areas freeing the user from having to go back to the physical, previously highlighted books. Documents may comprise any suitable medium of expression, such as textbooks, magazines, brochures, pamphlets, treatises or the like. As used herein, book is to be understood of including any such document.
When highlighted book portions are to be reviewed, entire books must be stored, carried or retrieved for reviewing. Books, along with highlighting, may include bookmarks for particularly relevant excerpts or to eliminate a need to go through every page to find previously defined highlighted area. Embodiments herein teach a system providing an easy way for a user to generate study cards and manage them systematically.
In embodiments as detailed below, while reading a physical or an electronic book, a user highlights areas of interest. A digitized image of highlighted book pages is obtained by either taking a picture of or scanning each page of the tangible book with one or more highlighted areas or taking a screen shot of pages with one or more highlighted areas of an electronic book. The captured images are displayed on any suitable digital user device, such as a display on a notebook or desktop computer, a tablet computer or a smartphone. The user selects from these images on their device. Example embodiments herein automatically recognize highlighted areas on each image and crop these areas and generate individual images for each highlighted area.
Additional example embodiments facilitate a user's merging of two or multiple auto-generated study cards into one image or an ability to split one study card into multiple smaller ones. The system allows a user to confirm and label generated study cards. Cards can be labeled individually or in two or more groups of images, suitably at the same time. Labels are suitably organized hierarchically. For example, a top level may be a broad category of “Math,” having sub-levels of geometry, trigonometry, algebra, calculus, etc.
In another example embodiment, a mobile application keeps a history of all previous added images, and appends newly generated images to the group. A user is able to delete existing images from a label group or change an image label group name.
In another example embodiment, when a user wishes to review their study cards, they open a mobile application and select a label from displayed label hierarchy.
In another example embodiment, a user highlights entries in a tangible document, such as a book. The user suitably takes pictures of pages with one or multiple highlighted areas. In other embodiments the user applies highlighting on their digital device while viewing a displayed electronic book. In this example embodiment, the user suitably takes a screen shot of a page with one or multiple highlighted areas. An application on their mobile device automatically detects highlighted areas and crops each area into a different image.
Starting with either a tangible document or an electronic document, a user is able to review automatically generated images and merge two or more images into one image or split one image into smaller images. After confirming correctness of displayed images, the user can label each image or label a group of images at one time. This is suitably accomplished by user selection from a dropdown label list or creation of a new label.
In accordance with the subject application,
In the example embodiment of
User 124 may, optionally or additionally, choose to store captured highlighted portions 136 and 140 in more than one study card. In the illustrated example, highlighted portion 136 is associated with study card 160 and highlighted portion 140 is associated with study card 164. A user suitably supplies card labels and/or folder labels assignments to cards, or groups of cards, as detailed above.
In another illustrated example embodiment, user 168 views tangible documents, such as books 172. The user physically highlights portions 136′ and 140′ on book page 176. A digital image of one or more pages with highlighted portions is captured, suitably by taking a picture with smartphone 120 or engaging the scanner interface 110 on MFP 104. Once digital images are obtained, generation, labeling, organization and printing are suitably accomplished as detailed above.
Turning now to
Processor 202 is also in data communication with a storage interface 208 for reading or writing to a storage 216, suitably comprised of a hard disk, optical disk, solid-state disk, cloud-based storage, or any other suitable data storage as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Processor 202 is also in data communication with a network interface 210 which provides an interface to a network interface controller (NIC) 214, which in turn provides a data path to any suitable wired interface or physical network connection 220, or to a wireless data connection via wireless network interface 218. Example wireless data connections include cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, wireless universal serial bus (wireless USB), satellite, and the like. Example wired interfaces include Ethernet, USB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire), Lightning, telephone line, or the like. Processor 202 is also in data communication with user interface 219 or interfacing with displays, keyboards, touchscreens, mice, trackballs and the like.
Processor 202 can also be in data communication with any suitable user input/output (I/O) interface 221 which provides data communication with user peripherals, such as displays, keyboards, mice, track balls, touch screens, or the like. Processor 202 is also in data communication hardware monitor 220, Bluetooth interface 226, NFC interface 228.
Also in data communication with data bus 212 is a document processor interface 222 suitable for data communication with the document rendering system 250, including MFP functional units. In the illustrated example, these functional units include copy hardware 240, scan hardware 242, print hardware 244 and fax hardware 246 which together comprise document rendering system 250. It will be understood that functional units are suitably comprised of intelligent units, including any suitable hardware or software platform.
Turning now to
Next, highlighted portions are detected, cropped and enlarged at block 532 and the results displayed at block 536. The user determines whether the images are acceptable at block 540. Unacceptable images receive user edits at block 544. Acceptable or edited images are labeled and grouped at block 548 and stored, printed or displayed at block 552. Once stored, images may be retrieved for review, such as by searching by label name, group name, folder name or the like. The process suitably ends at block 556.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the spirit and scope of the inventions.