Automatic height adjustment for electronic highlighter pens and mousing devices

• US 20050206627A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Simmons, Alex J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,659,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects

Abstract

Methods and systems provide for automatic adjustment of electronic highlighter cursor height in response to a determined height of images or typed or handwritten text to be highlighted. The highlighter thickness or cursor height of an electronic highlighter, such as an electronic pen or mousing device, automatically adjusts based on the text or images the user is highlighting. When the user focuses the electronic highlighter on text or images to be highlighted, the height of the text or images is determined, and the height or thickness of the highlighter cursor is automatically adjusted.

Claims

1. A method of automatically adjusting the electronic ink height of an electronic highlighter device, comprising:

selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed object;

determining the height of the computer-displayed object; and

setting the electronic ink height of the electronic pen to the determined height.

2. The method of claim 1, whereby engaging the electronic highlighter pen with a computer-displayed object includes engaging the electronic highlighting device with a computer-displayed text selection.

3. The method of claim 2, whereby the computer-displayed text selection includes a typed text selection.

4. The method of claim 2, whereby the computer-displayed text selection includes a handwritten text selection.

5. The method of claim 1, whereby engaging the electronic highlighter pen with a computer-displayed object includes engaging the electronic highlighter device with a computer-displayed image.

6. The method of claim 1, whereby engaging the electronic highlighter device with a computer-displayed object includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to the computer-displayed object.

7. The method of claim 6, whereby engaging the electronic highlighter pen with a computer-displayed object includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed text selection.

8. The method of claim 7, whereby touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed text selection includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed typed text selection.

9. The method of claim 7, whereby touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed text selection includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

10. The method of claim 6, whereby touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed object includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed image.

11. The method of claim 1, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed object includes determining the height of a computer-displayed text selection.

12. The method of claim 11, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed text selection includes determining the height of a computer-displayed typed text selection.

13. The method of claim 12, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed typed text selection includes determining the height of the computer-displayed text selection based on a font size of the computer-displayed typed text selection.

14. The method of claim 11, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed text selection includes determining the height of a computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

15. The method of claim 14, whereby determining the height of a computer-displayed handwritten text selection includes determining an average height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection without considering the length of any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

16. The method of claim 14, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection includes determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection based on the maximum height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection including the length of any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

17. The method of claim 11, whereby if the computer-displayed text selection is displayed on a computer-generated display having rule lines, determining the height of the computer-displayed text selection to be the distance between a pair of rule lines displayed on the computer-generated display.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing the electronic ink at the determined height onto the computer-displayed object.

19. The method of claim 1, whereby selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device includes selecting an electronic mousing device for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

and

whereby engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed object includes focusing a cursor of the electronic mousing device over the computer-displayed object and clicking the electronic mousing device for distributing electronic ink onto the computer-displayed object.

20. A method of automatically adjusting the electronic ink height of an electronic highlighter device, comprising:

selecting an electronic input device for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

engaging the electronic highlighter device with a computer-displayed object;

determining the height of the computer-displayed object; and

setting the electronic ink height of the electronic device to the determined height.

21. The method of claim 20, whereby engaging the electronic highlighter device with a computer-displayed object includes engaging the electronic highlighting device with a computer-displayed text selection.

22. The method of claim 21, whereby the computer-displayed text selection includes a typed text selection.

23. The method of claim 21, whereby the computer-displayed text selection includes a handwritten text selection.

24. The method of claim 20, whereby engaging the electronic highlighter device with a computer-displayed object includes engaging the electronic highlighter device with a computer-displayed image.

25. The method of claim 20, whereby the electronic highlighter device includes an electronic pen.

26. The method of claim 25, whereby engaging the electronic highlighter device with a computer-displayed object includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to the computer-displayed object.

27. The method of claim 26, whereby engaging the electronic highlighter device with a computer-displayed object includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed text selection.

28. The method of claim 27, whereby touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed text selection includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed typed text selection.

29. The method of claim 27, whereby touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed text selection includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

30. The method of claim 26, whereby touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed object includes touching a tip of the electronic pen to a computer-displayed image.

31. The method of claim 20, whereby the electronic highlighting device includes an electronic mousing device.

32. The method of claim 31, whereby engaging the electronic highlighter device with a computer-displayed object includes focusing a mousing device cursor on the computer-displayed object;

and clicking the mousing device.

33. The method of claim 32, whereby focusing the mousing device cursor on the computer-displayed object includes focusing the mousing device cursor on a computer-displayed text selection.

34. The method of claim 33, whereby focusing the mousing device cursor on the computer-displayed text selection includes focusing the mousing device cursor on a computer-displayed typed text selection.

35. The method of claim 33, whereby focusing the mousing device cursor on the computer-displayed text selection includes focusing the mousing device cursor on a computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

36. The method of claim 32, whereby focusing the mousing device cursor on the computer-displayed object includes focusing the mousing cursor on a computer-displayed image.

37. The method of claim 20, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed object includes determining the height of a computer-displayed text selection.

38. The method of claim 37, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed text selection includes determining the height of a computer-displayed typed text selection.

39. The method of claim 38, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed typed text selection includes determining the height of the computer-displayed text selection based on the font size of the computer-displayed typed text selection.

40. The method of claim 37, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed text selection includes determining the height of a computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

41. The method of claim 40, whereby the determining the height of a computer-displayed handwritten text selection includes determining an average height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection without considering the length of any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

42. The method of claim 40, whereby determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection includes determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection based on the maximum height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection including the length of any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

43. The method of claim 37, whereby if the computer-displayed text selection is displayed on a computer-generated display having rule lines, determining the height of the computer-displayed text selection to be the distance between a pair of rule lines displayed on the computer-generated display.

44. The method of claim 20, further comprising distributing the electronic ink at the determined height onto the computer-displayed object.

45. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer automatically adjust the electronic ink height of an electronic highlighter device, comprising:

selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed object;

determining the height of the computer-displayed object; and

setting the electronic ink height of the electronic pen to the determined height.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, further comprising distributing the electronic ink at the determined height onto the computer-displayed object.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 45, whereby selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device includes selecting an electronic mousing device for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

and

whereby engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed object includes focusing a cursor of the electronic mousing device over the computer-displayed object and clicking the electronic mousing device for distributing electronic ink onto the computer-displayed object.