Space tool feedback

• US 20040032415A1
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Iwema, Marieke, Jones, F. David, Rimas, Emily K., Grutzmacher, Rich, Wakeam, Jamie N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,221,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/163 Handling of whitespace

Abstract

A space tool that inserts space into or deletes space from a document. The space tool provides the user with feedback as to which objects will be moved when space is inserted into or deleted from a document. To provide the user with this feedback, the space tool identifies the objects that will be moved when space is inserted or deleted, and changes the appearance of these objects. For example, the space tool may gray out or fade identified electronic ink objects that will be moved. Alternately, or additionally, the space tool may move identified objects in real time, so that their location continually corresponds with what their location will be after space has been inserted or deleted.

Claims

1. A method of inserting space into or deleting space from a document, comprising:

determining a first threshold position in a document;

changing an appearance of objects located on a first side of the first threshold position;

determining a second threshold position; and

inserting or deleting space between the first threshold position and the second threshold position.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising deleting a space between the first threshold position and the second threshold position if the second threshold position is on a second side of the first threshold position opposite the first side.

3. The method recited in claim 2, further comprising changing an appearance of the space between the first threshold position and the second threshold position before the space is deleted.

4. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising inserting a space between the first threshold position and the second threshold position if the second threshold position is on the first side of the first threshold position.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the first threshold position is determined based upon a location of a pointer position in the document.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the first threshold position corresponds to the pointer position.

7. The method recited in claim 5, wherein

the document includes lines spaced apart according to a line height;

and

the first threshold position is located at a distance from the pointer position corresponding to the line height.

8. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the distance is ½

the line height.

9. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising providing a first cursor at the pointer position.

10. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising providing a first cursor at the threshold position.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein the first cursor is a line extending across at least a segment of the document.

12. The method recited in claim 10, further comprising providing a second cursor at the second threshold position.

13. The method recited in claim 12, wherein the second cursor is a line extending across the at least a segment of the document.

14. The method recited in claim 1, wherein space is inserted or deleted in only a segment of the document.

15. The method recited in claim 1, wherein an object is located on a first side of the first threshold position if a percentage of the object is located on the first side of the first threshold position.

16. The method recited in claim 15, wherein an object is located on a first side of the first threshold position only if fifty-on percent or more of the object is located on the first side of the first threshold position.

17. The method recited in claim 16, wherein an object is located on a first side of the first threshold position only if sixty percent or more of the object is located on the first side of the first threshold position.

18. The method recited in claim 17, wherein an object is located on a first side of the first threshold position only if eighty percent or more of the object is located on the first side of the first threshold position.

19. The method recited in claim 18, wherein an object is located on a first side of the first threshold position only if ninety percent or more of the object is located on the first side of the first threshold position.

20. The method recited in claim 19, wherein an object is located on a first side of the first threshold position only if one hundred percent of the object is located on the first side of the first threshold position.

21. The method recited in claim 1, where the appearance of each object located on a first side of the first threshold position is changed by one or more of the group consisting of:

changing a color of the object, graying the object, fading the object, changing a color of a bounding box of the object, graying a bounding box of the object, fading a bounding box of the object, providing dashed lines for a bounding box of the object, and moving the object to maintain a distance between the object and the second threshold position.

22. A space tool for inserting or deleting space from a document, comprising:

a pointer position detection module that detecting pointer positions in the document;

a threshold position determination module that determines a first threshold position based upon a first pointer position detected by the pointer position detection module and a second threshold position based upon a second pointer position detected by the pointer position detection module;

an object appearance control module that, in response to the threshold position determination module determining the first threshold position, changes an appearance of objects on a first side of the first threshold position; and

a space insertion/deletion module that inserts space into or deletes space from a document between the first threshold position and the second threshold position.

23. The space tool recited in claim 22, further comprising a cursor drawing module that draws a cursor in the document corresponding to the first threshold position.

24. The space tool recited in claim 23, wherein the cursor drawing module further draws a second cursor in the document corresponding to the second threshold position.

25. The space tool recited in claim 22, wherein the space/insertion deletion module deletes a space between the first threshold position and the second threshold position if the second threshold position is on a second side of the first threshold position opposite the first side.

26. The space tool recited in claim 25, wherein the object appearance control module changes an appearance of the space between the first threshold position and the second threshold position before the space is deleted by the space/insertion deletion module.

27. The space tool recited in claim 22, wherein the insertion/deletion module inserts a space between the first threshold position and the second threshold position if the second threshold position is on the first side of the first threshold position.

28. A method of inserting space into or deleting space from a document, comprising:

determining a threshold position in a document;

moving a cursor relative to the threshold position;

moving objects on a first side of the cursor so as to maintain a fixed distance between the objects and the cursor; and

inserting or deleting space between the threshold position and the cursor.

29. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising deleting a space between the threshold position and the cursor if the cursor is on a second side of the threshold position opposite the first side.

30. The method recited in claim 29, further comprising changing an appearance of the space between the threshold position and the cursor before the space is deleted.

31. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising inserting a space between the threshold position and the cursor if the cursor is on the first side of the threshold position.