Method and apparatus for capturing and rendering text annotations for non-modifiable electronic content

• US 20060020882A1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: DeMello, Marco A., Beezer, John L., Silver, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,496,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A system and method for capturing, displaying, and navigating text annotations in a non-modifiable document is disclosed. Once it is determined that a text annotation is to be created, the system determines the file position of the selected object. The file position of the selected object is stored along with the created text annotation in another file or a non-read only portion of a file storing the document. Using the file position, the text annotation may be properly identified with the selected object without modifying the non-modifiable document. Once a text annotation is displayed a user may easily navigate among the captured annotations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for annotating a system having a display for displaying a non-modifiable page of a document having objects comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication that an object in the page of the document is to be annotated;

for each annotation, providing a window to a user having a portion for receiving an annotation of the object, said window having a portion allowing navigation to at least one other annotation of at least one other object;

receiving user input to navigate directly to said at least one other annotation; and

displaying said at least one other annotation.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said displaying step includes displaying said at least one other annotation in said window.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, said portion allowing navigation including navigation to one of a next annotation and a previous annotation in said document.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

closing said window upon receiving user input not associated with said window.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, said receiving step comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection of the object;

receiving a selection of a menu item that provides said window, said portion of said window for receiving the annotation of the object.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

searching annotations for user-defined information.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying an indication that a text annotation has been stored in conjunction with an object on said non-modifiable page.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an annotation of the object;

determining a position of the object in the document;

storing the position and the annotation of the object separately from the non-modifiable portion of the document.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a stylus.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a mouse.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein said determining step comprises the step of:

counting the bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to the annotated object.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:

counting the number of bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to a first object on the displayed page;

counting the number of bytes from the first object on the displayed page to the annotated object;

adding the number obtained from said first counting step to the number obtained from said second counting step to determine the file position of the annotated object in said file.

13. A computer-implemented method for navigating between annotations in a document comprising the steps of:

receiving user input to navigate to a page;

determining a first file position of a first object on said page;

determining a second file position of a last object on said page;

searching for annotations with file positions between said first file position and said second file position;

displaying said page with an object, said object being highlighted and having an annotation associated with said object;

displaying a window containing said annotation associated with said object; and

navigating directly to another object having an annotation.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 13, said navigating step further comprising:

displaying said annotation relating to said another object in said window.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

closing said window upon receiving user input not associated with said window.

16. A system for annotating a document comprising:

a storage that stores annotations, each of which is associated with an object in one or more documents;

a processor performing the steps of;

receiving an indication that an object in a page of one of said one or more documents is to be annotated;

for each annotation, providing a window to a user having a portion for receiving an annotation of the object, said window having a portion allowing navigation to at least one other annotation of at least one other object;

receiving user input to navigate directly to said at least one other annotation in said storage; and

displaying said at least one other annotation.

17. The system according to claim 16, said processor further performing the steps of:

closing said window upon receiving user input not associated with said window.

18. The system according to claim 16, said system further comprising:

an output connected to said processor, said output receiving said rendered document and said window.

19. The system according to claim 16, said storage further comprising:

an index of annotations, each of said annotations including reference to an object in said document.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said reference includes a file position of said object in said document.