System and Method for Adapting Information Content for an Electronic Device

Abstract

A system and method is provided for efficiently adapting information content for an electronic device. A normalizer includes a template normalizer for matching and applying a document tree to a template tree, and applying changes to the document tree. If the template normalizer does not find an appropriate template match, an automatic normalizer is utilized. The automatic normalizer utilizes weighting heuristics and pattern recognition with formatting rules to partition content into folders. The automatic normalizer can also utilize embedded normalization markup in the information content to assist in normalizing the information content. Information content can be represented by a document object tree. A document object tree is created by storing information relating to the information content into arrays. The stored information describes a document object tree structure and tree dependencies as a mutable object.

1 . A method for normalizing a document tree representation, the document tree representing a format for displaying information content in a document on a device, the method comprising:
 applying pattern recognition and weighting heuristics to the document tree representation to produce a normalized document tree that alters the format for displaying the information content, wherein the document tree is organized into a set of hierarchical nodes having respective weights that determine whether a node will be inserted into the normalized document tree as a folder title or folder contents;   assigning content having a higher visibility of display a weight indicative of a folder title; and   removing a node if the node has no effect on a visual display of the information content and if the node is not folder contents.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the normalized document tree represents a hierarchical representation of information in the document tree. 
     
     
         3 . A method for normalizing information content in a document, the method comprising:
 matching and applying a template to the information content, wherein the template defines modifications to the document to adapt the document for display on a device other than an originally intended device, and if unsuccessful:
 determining if the information content includes instructions indicating how to adapt the document for display on the device other than the originally intended device, and if so: 
 utilizing the instructions in the information content to normalize the information content. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising:
 determining if the information content includes instructions indicating how to adapt the document for display on the device other than the originally intended device, and if not:   applying pattern recognition and weighting heuristics on the information content to normalize the information content.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising:
 recognizing patterns in the information content; and   dynamically changing the information content to match the template.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising:
 determining if a variation in the information content is too great to match the template, and if so:   determining if the information content includes instructions indicating how to adapt the document for display on the device other than the originally intended device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the document tree is represented by a plurality of nodes, and wherein applying a template to the information content comprises adding a node to the plurality of nodes, dropping at least one of the plurality of nodes, moving at least one of the plurality of nodes, partitioning at least one of the plurality of nodes into a folder, or calling user defined formatting rules on at least one of the plurality of nodes. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions indicate which sections of the information content are to be modified for display on the device other than the originally intended device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions comprise meta-tags embedded in the information content that provide at least one specific instruction for normalizing the information content. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the meta-tags indicate to extract data from a table, create a folder with a given title, or move content to a marked position. 
     
     
         11 . A method for normalizing a document tree that represents an organization of information content in a document for display on a device, wherein the document tree includes weighting nodes that affect a display of the information content on the device, and wherein the document tree includes content nodes that represent the information content to be displayed on the device, the method comprising:
 determining node weighting criteria, wherein the node weighting criteria are used to define and alter the organization of the information content in the document;   weighting nodes in the document tree according to the determined criteria, wherein content having a higher visibility on a display are assigned a weight indicative of a folder title;   removing nodes that do not affect the visual display of the information content on the device and that do not represent the information content to be displayed on the device; and   determining parent-child relationships between the weighted nodes based on the weighted nodes to produce a normalized document tree, wherein a weighted node is established as a child of a parent having the lightest weight of all the parents that is also greater than the weight of the weighted node.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 weighting nodes in a table; and   attempting to match the table to a predefined pattern of weights, and if successful:   extracting data in response to the predefined pattern.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 attempting to match the table to a predefined pattern of weights, and if unsuccessful:   extracting data according to the weighted nodes.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 applying changes to the document tree according to a normalization markup comprising adding nodes, removing nodes, moving nodes, partitioning nodes into folders, and calling user defined formatting rules on the nodes.