Persistent adjustable text selector

• US 20070157085A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Peters, Johan C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,685 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a computer interface that allows for the amount of text selected using a text selection utility to be changed after the selection has been made. A user may make an initial selection, then later change the amount or portion of text that was selected using selection handles displayed on the selection.

Claims

1. A method for selecting text comprising the steps of, in an application display:

in response to a selection command, selecting a range of text within a document;

applying a text selection indicator to the selected text;

displaying handle elements at start and end points of the selected text; and

responsive to operator interaction with the handle elements, altering an amount of text subject to the selection;

wherein an amount of the selected text remains selected after a user interacts with an unselected portion of text.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a representation of the selection in a selection history.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected text includes text outside the normal flow of text between the start and end points of the selected text.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the text indicated as selected excludes at least some text within the normal flow of text between the start point and the end point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the start and end points of the selection are in different functional, visual, or logical blocks.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected text excludes at least some text within the normal flow of text between the start and end points.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the text indicated as selected includes at least some text outside the normal flow of text between the start and end points.

8. A method for storing text selections, comprising storing each selection made by a user in a selection history.

9. A computer operating system comprising:

a first device driver for a user input device;

a second device driver to display information content via a display; and

an application handler to define graphical user interface elements in response to user commands from an application,

the operating system responsive to a text selection operation displaying a display attribute identifying the selected text as selected and displaying graphical user interface elements at end points of the selected text,

the operating system further responsive to user interactivity with the graphical user interface elements changing an amount of text identified as selected, and continuing to identify the selected text as selected until directed to do otherwise by a user.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a selection history to store previously-made text selections.

11. A machine-readable medium containing program instructions for execution on a processor, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform:

responsive to operator input, selecting a segment of text;

displaying at least one graphical interface element on at least one edge of the selection;

responsive to operator interaction with the at least one graphical element,

changing the amount or portion of text selected as directed by the operator interaction; and

maintaining the selection while allowing a user to perform operations on unselected text.

12. A method for selecting text, comprising the steps of:

responsive to operator input, determining a selection of text;

displaying graphical user interface elements associated with the selection;

responsive to operator interaction with the graphical user interface elements,

adjusting the selection so that it includes at least some text that was not included in the selection or excludes at least some text that was included in the selection;

wherein the operator may perform operations on text not included in the selection without changing the amount of text included in the selection.