Overlaying electronic ink

• US 20030217336A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tsimberg, Eugene A., Chambers, Robert L., Dresevic, Bodin, Zielinski, Tobiasz A., Gounares, Alexander, Bhattacharyay, Subha, Dodge, Steve, Torset, Todd A., Goldberg, Arin J., Balaz, Rudolph, Kannapel, Timothy H., Biswas, Manoj K., Krantz, Brigette E., Fisher, Stephen A., Somji, Shiraz M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,166,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/541
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32

Abstract

Overlaying electronic ink over a document. A typical scenario may be where one it would be useful to mark up a document with electronic ink, such as by making handwritten comments, drawings, and the like over the underlying document. In some embodiments, a developer may easily define an inking surface, such as a transparent or opaque window, over a document. The inking surface may act as an input interface such that a user may write onto the inking surface such that is appears that the document itself is being marked up.

Claims

1. A method for overlaying ink on a document, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a transparent inking surface over the document;

collecting ink data in the inking surface; and

rendering the ink data as rendered ink in the inking surface.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of storing the ink data as an object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inking surface is semi-transparent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the inking surface has an opaque border.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the document comprises a text document.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the document comprises a Microsoft WORD®

document.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

generating a first event during the step of rendering; and

generating a second event upon the step of rendering being completed.

8. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

receiving a request to delete at least a portion of the rendered ink;

generating a first event in response to the request;

deleting the at least the portion of the rendered ink; and

generating a second event upon the step of deleting being completed.

9. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

receiving a request to select at least a portion of the rendered ink;

selecting the at least the portion of the rendered ink; and

storing a reference to the at least the portion of the ink.

10. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

selecting at least a portion of the rendered ink;

receiving a request to change the at least the portion of the rendered ink;

generating a first event in response to the request;

changing the at least the portion of the rendered ink; and

generating a second event upon the step of changing being completed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of changing includes changing an amount of the at least the portion of the rendered ink that is selected.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of changing includes changing the at least the portion of the rendered ink to another at least a portion of the rendered ink.

13. A method for overlaying ink on a document, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a window, the window having a background comprising at least a portion of the document;

collecting ink data in the window; and

rendering the ink data as rendered ink in the window.