METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ANNOTATING WIDGETS

• US 20020083094A1
• Filed: 12/31/1998
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Majandro LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: SCHILIT, WILLIAM N., GOLOVCHINSKY, GENE, PRICE, MORGAN N.
• Granted Patent: US 6,529,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/512
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Widgets are annotated with freeform digital ink. Rather than annotating the data displayed by widgets, annotations are made “on” the widgets themselves and stored in relation to the application and/or window they are associated with. These annotations allow users to interact with widgets without having to keep a separate hardcopy set of notes or instructions explaining how to use the widgets.

Claims

1. A method for annotating a widget comprising:

enabling an annotation mode that allows at least one annotation that is displayable with a widget to be made relative to that widget; and

associating the at least one annotation with that widget.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotations remain associated with the widget even if information within the widget changes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of a cursor relative to the at least one widget; and

enabling an annotation mode based on the determined location.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the annotation mode is activated if the cursor is located in a non-active portion of the at least one widget.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the annotation mode is deactivated if the cursor is located in an active portion of the at least one widget.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the at least one annotation with the widget comprises associating a unique widget identifier, which comprises an application identifier, with the at least one annotation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the at least one annotation with the widget comprises associating a unique widget identifier, which comprises a widget identifier, with the at least one annotation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the at least one annotation with the widget comprises associating a unique widget identifier, which comprises a user identifier, with the at least one annotation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one annotation remains with the corresponding widget after an application is closed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one annotation does not remain with the corresponding widget after an application is closed.

11. A method for displaying a widget, comprising:

identifying at least one annotation associated with the widget that is to be displayed with the widget; and

displaying the widget and the at least one associated annotation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising updating data within the widget.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying the at least one associated annotation comprises:

reading at least one unique widget identifier; and

reading at least one corresponding annotation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein reading the at least one unique widget identifier comprises reading at least one application identifier.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein reading the at least one unique widget identifier comprises reading at least one resource identifier.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein reading the at least one unique widget identifier comprises reading at least one user identifier.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a mode selector that sets an annotation mode.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the annotation mode is determined by a location of a cursor relative to the at least one displayed widget.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the widget annotation database stores at least one unique widget identifier with at least one corresponding annotation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one unique widget identifier comprises at least one application identifier.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one unique widget identifier comprises at least one resource identifier.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one unique widget identifier comprises at least one user identifier.

24. The system of claim 17, further comprising a widget display device on which the at least one widget is displayed.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein an application updates information in the widget to be displayed.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein an annotation renderer displays the widget to be displayed prior to displaying the at least one associated annotation.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein an annotation renderer simultaneously controls display of the at least one associated annotation and the widget to be displayed.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein an annotation renderer displays the widget to be displayed after displaying the at least one associated annotation.

17. A widget annotation system, comprising:

an input device that receives at least one annotation for at least one widget; and

a widget annotation database that stores the at least one annotation associated with the at least one widget.

25. A system that renders annotations associated with a widget, comprising:

a widget annotation database that stores at least one annotation associated with at least one widget; and

a widget display device that displays the widget to be displayed and the at least one associated annotation.