Patent Abstract:
A software application that acquires digital text displayed on an electronic device with a digital display and enhances the digital text, thereby reducing eye strain and increasing readability and reading speed. The software may operate concurrently with digital text being displayed as an overlaid window of enhanced text that is magnified and scrolls continuously. Parameters of the magnified scrolling text may be adjusted to increase or decrease text volume, quantity, scrolling speed, and magnification factor.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This present application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/740,309 filed Dec. 20, 2012. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH: Not Applicable 
     SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM: Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The use of electronic devices to display digital text is increasingly replacing written text. The emergence of digital text has been applied to an extensive range of devices, including personal computers, tablets, mobile phones, and many other consumer electronics. The digital text format is being applied to simple transfers of information, such as browsing the Internet or reading a book on a mobile device, to more complicated information, such as flight plans used by airplane pilots. 
         [0003]    As electronic devices and their display screen become smaller in size, the digital text being displayed is likewise becoming smaller and more difficult to read. Moreover, electronic devices do not allow the reader to continuously magnify or enhance a small portion of text while reading, the reader must instead magnify a portion of text, read that portion of text, then select a subsequent portion of text to magnify. Further, the reader is often unable to control the volume of text that is magnified or enhanced. These shortcomings cause eye fatigue, squinting of the eyes, excessive focusing and re-focusing, confusion for the reader, and many other readability problems. 
         [0004]    For the foregoing reasons, it would be desirable to have software that can enhance the display of digital text while reducing eye fatigue and increasing reading speed by magnifying a segment of text and continuously scrolling additional text across an overlaid window as the user is reading. The solution is found in the present disclosure that comprises software as a non-transitory computer readable medium to magnify a segment of digital text and continuously scroll additional text as the user reads while providing additional parameters to enhance readability, such as text quantity, magnification factor, and scroll speed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present disclosure is directed to an software for enhancing the display of digital text that satisfies the need to reduce eye strain and fatigue caused by reading digital text by magnifying a segment of text and continuously scrolling additional text across an overlaid window as the user is reading. The software further enhances the ease and speed at which a user can read digitally displayed text by providing additional control over scrolling speed, text volume, and the magnification factor. 
         [0006]    The software for enhancing the display of digital text reduces the reader&#39;s eye strain while increasing reading speed with the continuous scrolling of enhanced text to the desired speed, volume and magnification factor of a particular reader. Control over scrolling speed allows the reader to set a pace that is their natural reading speed. Control over the volume of text being displayed in the window reduces eye strain by allowing the reader to focus only on a portion of the text. Control over the magnification factor allows the reader to set the size of the text that is appropriate for their vision quality. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1A  illustrates a visual depiction of a singe-line window format displayed on an electronic device for software for enhancing the display of digital text. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1B  illustrates a visual depiction of a chunk window format displayed on an electronic device for software for enhancing the display of digital text. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the overview of major steps for software for enhancing the display of digital text. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating steps for using software for enhancing the display of digital text. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  illustrates an alternative visual depiction of a singe-line window format displayed on an electronic device for software for enhancing the display of digital text. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-4  software for enhancing the display of digital text is implemented using non-transitory computer readable medium in an electronic device having a digital screen  900 , such as a personal computer, a tablet, a mobile phone, or any other electronic device capable of displaying text. As illustrated in  FIG. 1A-1B  and  4 , the software may display text that has been magnified in a window overlaid onto the content  402  being displayed on the digital screen  900 . The volume of text, or quantity of words, to be displayed in the window is variable and may be a single line of text, “Single-line Window Mode”  102 , or multiple lines of text, “Chunk Window Mode”  103 . Adjustable parameters may further include the ability to adjust scrolling speed using on-screen buttons, i.e. slower  108  or faster  110 . On-screen buttons also allow the user to start or stop  106  scrolling of the text. The overlaid window size may be adjusted using the window&#39;s borders  104 , resulting in an increase or decrease of the text magnification factor. In alternative embodiment, features that allow the reader to rewind a set number of words, lines, or paragraphs may also be incorporated. 
         [0013]    One of skill in the art will recognize that the present disclosure may be implemented as one or more software processes executable by one or more processors and/or one or more firmware applications. Additionally, the present invention is not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the invention as described herein. It is also to be understood that the methods may be employed with any form of memory device including all forms of sequential, pseudo-random, and random access storage devices. Storage devices as known within the current art include all forms of random access memory, magnetic and optical tape, magnetic and optical disks, along with various other forms of solid-state mass storage devices. The current invention applies to all forms and manners of memory devices including, but not limited to, storage devices utilizing magnetic, optical, and chemical techniques, or any combination thereof. 
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates steps that may be used to implement software for enhancing the display of digital text. When a user reads a webpage, document, or other form of digital text  402 , they may initiate the software  200 . Once the software is started on an electronic device  200 , the user may be prompted to select a window format for the volume of text  202 , for example Single-line Window Mode  102  or Chunk Window Mode  103  may be selected. Next, text that is presently displayed on the electronic device digital screen  900  is acquired and a segment of text is magnified and displayed in the overlaid window according to the window format selection  202 . The window size is then set  208 , the text size  210  is set according in relation to the window format selection  202 , and the scroll speed is set  212 . Finally, the text may then scroll within the window  214 . 
         [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates how the software for enhancing the display of digital text may be used on by a reader. In a preferred embodiment, the reader has a webpage, document, or other form of digital text  402  on their electronic device digital screen  900 . Next, they open an application to initiate the software for enhancing the display of digital text  300 . Next, the reader may select the volume of enhanced text in the overlaid window  302 , either Single-line Window Mode  102  or Chunk Window Mode  103 . Optionally, the user may preset the desired volume of enhanced text to use each time the software is initiated  300 . Next, the user may select where the software should begin to enhance text within the body of text  304  currently displayed, otherwise the software may begin at the first instance of text in webpage, document, or other form of digital text. Next, the overlaid window size may be adjusted  306  by pressing or sliding the borders of the window. The enhanced text size may be adjusted  308  manually by the reader, or the software may adjust the text size to maximize space in overlaid window size. The speed at which the text scrolls may be adjusted  310  faster or slower at any time by the user, however a present speed may be used by default. Finally, the reader may start the text scrolling  312  to begin reading and stop the text scrolling  314  at any time. 
         [0016]    All features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying claim, abstract, and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
         [0017]    Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step for” performing a specific function, is not to be interpreted as a “means” or “step” clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6. In particular, the use of “step of” in the claims herein is not intended to invoke the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6. 
         [0018]    Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6