System and method for visually categorizing electronic notes

• US 20040001093A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pratley, Christopher H., Braun, Owen C., Sellers, Timothy D., Kim, Myung Sub, Engrav, Peter L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/766
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

Described is a mechanism for visually categorizing electronic notes so that important information within the notes can be easily discerned. More specifically, a user may request to categorize an object (i.e., a note) in a document that is being displayed on a screen. The request may be received through a menu selection, a short-key combination, an ink gesture, and the like. The request specifies which one of several visual indicators to apply to the object. When the visual indicator is applied, the object becomes distinguishable from other objects displayed in the document on the screen. The visual indicator may be displayed in proximity to the object on the screen and may have a formatting attribute therewith which is applied to the object, such as changing a font color for the object, highlighting the object and the like. Each of the several visual indicators is visually distinct.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for visually categorizing electronic notes on a screen, the method comprising:

receiving a request to apply one of a plurality of visual indicators to an object in a document that is being displayed on the screen; and

associating the visual indicator with the item in a manner such that the object becomes distinguishable from other objects within the document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the visual indicator on the screen in proximity to the object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the visual indicator with the object is operative to apply a formatting attribute to the object if the formatting attribute is associated with the visual indicator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the formatting attribute includes a font color.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the formatting attribute includes a highlight.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the object corresponds to a selected object on the screen.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the selected item includes a parent node and at least one child node, the visual indicator being associated with the parent node.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is in response to a menu selection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is in response to a toolbar selection.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising updating a toolbar button to a shape associated with the toolbar selection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is in response to depressing a shortcut key combination.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is in response to an ink gesture using a stylus on the screen.

13. A computer-readable medium encoded with a data structure for visually categorizing electronic notes displayed on a screen, the data structure comprising:

a label field providing a textual description for a priority assigned to a note tag;

a shape field identifying one of a plurality of visual indicators; and

a created field identifying a time at which the one visual indicator became associated with an object displayed on the screen and was displayed on the screen in proximity to the object, the data structure representing the one visual indicator.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising a checked field indicating a state for the one visual indicator.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the checked field undergoes a change in the state if the visual indicator is selected.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the shape field includes a format attribute associated with the visual indicator and the format attribute is applied to the object when the one visual indicator becomes associated with the object.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the format attribute includes a font color.

18. A system for visually categorizing electronic notes displayed on a screen, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory into which a plurality of instructions are loaded, the plurality of instructions performing a method comprising;

receiving a request to apply one of a plurality of visual indicators to an object in a document that is being displayed on the screen; and

associating the visual indicator with the object in a manner such that the object becomes distinguishable from other objects within the document.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising displaying the visual indicator on the screen in proximity to the object.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein associating the visual indicator with the object is operative to apply a formatting attribute to the object if the formatting attribute is associated with the visual indicator.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the request is in response to a menu selection.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the request is in response to a toolbar selection.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the request is in response to depressing a shortcut key combination.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the request is in response to an ink gesture using a stylus on the screen.