Text Input Window with Auto-Growth

• US 20070005670A1
• Filed: 08/18/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Shawna, Garside, Adrian, Zielinski, Tobiasz, Pettiross, Jeffrey, Pennington, Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 708/160
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A user input panel dynamically expands to accommodate user input, such as handwritten or keyboard input. Expansion may occur in one or two out of four possible directions, depending upon the language to be written or typed. For example, when writing English words, the input panel may expand to the right as the user writes and then downward when the input panel has fully expanded rightward.

Claims

1. In a computer, a method comprising steps of:

displaying an input panel on a display extending along different first and second axes;

receiving input into the input panel; and

expanding the input panel along the second axis responsive to the input extending along the first axis.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first axis is a horizontal axis, and the second axis is a vertical axis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first axis is a vertical axis, and the second axis is a horizontal axis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input panel expands along the second axis in only a single direction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the input includes receiving input from a stylus upon a touch-sensitive display, and the step of displaying includes displaying the input panel on the display.

6. The method of claim 1, further including a step of expanding the input panel along the first axis responsive to the input extending along the first axis.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of expanding the input panel along the first axis includes expanding the input panel along the first axis responsive to the input reaching a boundary within the input panel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of expanding the input panel along the second axis responsive to the input extending along the first axis includes expanding the input panel downward responsive to the input extending rightward.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of expanding the input panel along the second axis responsive to the input extending along the first axis includes expanding the input panel leftward responsive to the input extending downward.

10. In a computer having a stylus-sensitive input surface, a method comprising steps of:

determining whether a stylus performs a first action relative to the input surface;

responsive to the stylus performing the first action, displaying an invocation target; and

displaying an input panel after displaying the invocation target.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first action is the stylus hovering over the input surface.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the input surface is also a display, and the steps of displaying the invocation target and the input panel include displaying the invocation target and the input panel on the display.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of displaying the invocation target includes displaying the invocation target at a location that depends upon the location of an insertion point.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of displaying the invocation target includes displaying the invocation target at a location that depends upon the location of the stylus.

15. In a computer having a stylus-sensitive input surface, a method comprising steps of:

displaying a system prompt;

determining whether a stylus performs a first action relative to the input surface;

determining whether the first action is associated with an input area that is of a first type or a second type;

responsive to the first action being associated with an input area of the first type, displaying an invocation target and displaying a first input panel after displaying the invocation target; and

responsive to the first action being associated with an input area of the second type, displaying a second input panel.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first type is an input area containing user input, and the second type is an input area devoid of user input.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first input panel differs from the second input panel.