ANGLED PRINTED BOUND BOOK

Abstract

A method for improving readability and comprehension of printed text or image by printing at an angle as a mirror image on the left and right page of a bound book is disclosed.

Claims

1. A book comprising: a plurality of bound leaves having a left page and a right page; a text or an image printed at an angle as mirror images on the left and the right pages in angular orientation.

2. The book of claim 1, wherein the left page is printed at an acute angle and the right page is printed at a reflex angle.

2. The book of claim 1, wherein the angle ranges between 5 and 30 degrees.

3. The book of claim 1, wherein the angle ranges between 5 and 10 degrees.

4. The book of claim 1, wherein the left and the right pages are read from right to left, from left to right or from top to bottom.

5. The book of claim 1, wherein the book is used by those in need of enhancing readability and comprehension of printed text and image.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1A shows the eye axis with a traditional text or image on the left and right pages.

[0012] FIG. 1B shows the eye axis with angled text or image on the left and right pages as a mirror image in orientation.

[0013] FIG. 2 shows a method for determining an appropriate angle of printing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] FIG. 1A shows a right page (1), eyes (2) reading the text or image (3) printed in a traditional manner, a left page (4) eyes (5) reading a text or image (6) printed in a traditional manner.

[0015] FIG. 1B shows the text or image printed at an angle to bring the axis of eyes (5 and 2) and the axis of text or image on the right page (8) and the left page (7) to better match the axes of the text or image and the eyes.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a method for the calculations of an optimal angle of printing. The method involves recording linear focus points of the two eyes when the face is turned to read the left page or the right page. The focus points 13 and 15 shift to 13 and 16 on the right page and the focus points 10 and 12 shift to 12 and 9 change when the reader turns face to read the left page and angles of change in the axes are given by 11 and 14, which should be very close. The focus points 13, 15, 12, 10, 9 and 16 are recorded by a variety of mechanical and electronic means. For a mechanical device, one can dispose a narrow beam flashlight over the temples of the reader to focus light on a paper held at a normal reading distance. Turning face to the left and the right shows a change in the position of the light beam focussed on the paper providing the focus points to allow calculation of the angle of the shift. Using an electronic means, a device can readily track the movement of eyes observing a surface when the face is turned to read the left or the right page.

[0017] The change in the angle of the axis, negative and positive as seen on the right and the left pages are kept equal despite any variability in how different individuals turn their face because an exact alignment is not required for the invention to serve its purpose. The angles are averaged to provide a single angle most suitable for printing. It would not be practical to create a variety of angles in the printing of books to match the needs of target readers. To understand the range of variability in the angle of the axis of the eyes on the left and the right page, a study was conducted wherein 24 subjects ranging from 10 years to 62 years of age participated in the calculation of the acute and the reflex angles for the right and the left page as shown in FIG. 2. There was no significant difference in the angle for the left page and the right page. The range of angle recorded ranged from 5 to 20 degrees. The study participants were then asked to read a text printed at a 0, 5, 10 and 30-degree angle and reported better readability at all angled printing compared to 0-degree printed matter. On an average, a 10-degree angle provided best results. It is therefore concluded that if there is a change in the angle, albeit as small as 5 degrees and as large as 30 degrees, it will provide the functionality of the instant invention. The choice of angle will thus depend on the esthetics and physical limitations of the size of a book. Books have margins, and an angled printing of the text or image can bleed into the margin of the book, limiting the maximum angle of which a text or image can be printed. Further, there are anatomical limits to the maximum angle that can be practiced. As the face is turned, its movement is blocked by the neck and most people will find it difficult to turn their face beyond 30 to 35 degrees. For a most useful purpose, a text or image at an angle of 5-10 degrees, regardless of the nature of the book, irrespective of the age of the reader, would provide the most optimal utility of the invention.

[0018] The human mind is highly adaptive and capable of handling recognition of text or images, and it is for this reason, little attention is paid to the possibility of improving readability and comprehension in healthy subjects, and any abnormalities are attributed to mental abilities and capabilities. The instant invention recognizes that healthy subjects can also benefit from the instant invention. In situations where the reader is mentally tired, such as when preparing for exams, the instant invention can show a significant improvement in readability and comprehension by lowering the stress on the eyes. The instant invention, therefore, stands to contribute significantly to the productivity and efficiency of the reader. One aspect of the stress in reading can result in an aversion to reading, a phenomenon widely observed at all ages. Removing the stress in reading can reduce the aversion and thus increase literacy and wider use of books. More particularly, this may help children starting to read when they have not yet been accustomed to accommodating this stress in reading.

[0019] While the instant invention can significantly modify readability and comprehension by healthy subjects, the impact is understandably much higher in patients suffering from dyslexia, ADHD, and visual processing issuesall of whom have a lower threshold to handle mental stress.

[0020] The instant invention further promises to alleviate many symptoms such as headaches and other physiologic reactions as reported by many while reading.

[0021] Several essential elements of the instant invention must be thoroughly described to make the invention enabling. First, the invention describes an application to a bound volume wherein the left and the right pages are clearly differentiated. A single loose leaf of paper will not benefit from the instant invention as one can readily rotate the leaf to bring it within the limits of the axis of the eye without the need to turn the face. The invention will work equally well for all types of the direction of reading, from left to right, from right to left, and from top to bottom.

[0022] Modern printers print horizontally whether creating a text or image; to print at an angle, the word processors allow this function by converting text to an image, rotating the image and then printing it; alternately as provided by US Patent Application 2011/0286034 of Hirano, a software instruction to printer can print at an angle while the matter in a word processor screen is not angled. However, none of this art is prior art to the instant invention, nor is there any issue of inherency for several reasons. First, a mere ability to print at an angle does not teach the unexpected utility of the instant invention; second, the instant invention requires that it be limited to a bound printed book, that it have a mirror-image angles on the right and the left page, and that the angle of printing must confine itself to within a narrow range.

[0023] The instant invention as disclosed in its entirety enables practicing the invention without any undue trial. Printing at an angle between 5 to 30 degrees will be sufficient to achieve the utility of the invention; the size of margin can determine the exact angle in a book and the size of a bound book.