Pen-based interface for a notepad computer

• US 20050198592A1
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Keely, Leroy Bertrand Jr., Young, Douglas Alan, Palay, Andrew James
• Granted Patent: US 7,825,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A notepad computer with a page display region displaying a page of a document on which a user can write using a pen or stylus type writing tool is provided. Associated with the page is an interface that can be used with the pen. The interface includes a core task tool region adjacent to the page where tool icons are partially visible until the pen is brought near one of the icons. The tool icon becomes fully visible when the pen is within the region of the icon. The tool when activated can pop-up a radial pop-up menu located at an edge of the document where all the menu choices are located in a semi-circle away from the edge so that the users hand while holding the pen and making a selection does not block the choices. A page flipping tool is located in a corner of the page and is an explicit two-stroke menu allowing selection of a next or previous page. A page scrolling tool is located along an edge of the page, the scrolling tool when activated is an implicit button allowing scrolling in one implied direction. The interface also includes a stack region adjacent to said page display region having one or more stack icons each representing a stack of documents. The icon is also an explicit two-stroke radial pop-up menu having forward and backward choices for selecting documents in the stack and a stack document list display displaying a list of documents in the stack when the stack icon is touched by an input pen. The interface also includes a typing tool overlaying a portion of the page and including a writing zone where a user handwrites strokes and, a page zone comprising part of the page where typed text corresponding to the handwritten strokes is displayed as the handwriting occurs.

Claims

1. A display process, comprising:

determining an orientation of an input pen; and

displaying user interface elements in a way varying responsive to the pen orientation.

2. A display process, comprising:

determining an orientation of an input pen; and

highlighting displayed elements approached by the pen when the pen orientation is determined to be a highlighting orientation.

3. The display process as recited in claim 2, further comprising increasing an area of a selection when a pen stroke, which starts in the highlighting orientation inside the selection, moves and ends outside the selection.

4. The display process as recited in claim 2, further comprising decreasing an area of a selection when a pen stroke, which starts in the highlighting orientation inside the selection, moves and ends inside the selection.

5. The display process as recited in claim 2, further comprising changing a selection by detecting a stroke associated with a highlighted selection when stopped over a non-highlighted area and the pen is lifted away from the area.

6. The display process as recited in claim 2, wherein the highlighting comprises producing a glow.

7. One or more computer readable media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the steps of:

determining an orientation of an input pen; and

highlighting displayed elements approached by the pen when the pen orientation is determined to be a highlighting orientation.

8. The computer readable media of claim 7, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the further step of increasing an area of a selection when a pen stroke, which starts in the highlighting orientation inside the selection, moves and ends outside the selection.

9. The computer readable media of claim 7, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the further step of decreasing an area of a selection when a pen stroke, which starts in the highlighting orientation inside the selection, moves and ends inside the selection.

10. The computer readable media of claim 7, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon for performing the further step of changing a selection by detecting a stroke associated with a highlighted selection when stopped over a non-highlighted area and the pen is lifted away from the area.

11. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the step of highlighting comprises producing a glow.