SMART ERASER TO ERASE DIGITAL STROKES

• US 20160005205A1
• Filed: 07/03/2014
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: LIANG, MAO, LI, NING, MCHUGH, MICHAEL ANDREW
• Granted Patent: US 9,916,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer storage media directed to a smart eraser. As such, a particular drawing stroke on a canvas or background can be erased without erasing other strokes overlapping with the eraser path. In some implementations, smart eraser functionality can be triggered by beginning an eraser path at a point that coincides with the stroke to which the smart eraser functionality is to be applied.

Claims

1. One or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

identifying a stroke at least a portion of which is desired to be erased without erasing underlying or overlaying strokes; and

erasing only the identified stroke as an eraser path overlaps the at least the portion of the stroke without erasing underlying or overlaying strokes that overlap with the eraser path.

2. The one or more computer storage media of claim 1, wherein the stroke is selected by the user.

3. The one or more computer storage media of claim 2, wherein the stroke is selected by the user by initiation of the eraser path at a point that coincides with a location of the stroke.

4. The one or more computer storage media of claim 1 further comprising determining that the stroke of which at least a portion is desired to be erased is a most recent stroke provided by the user.

5. The one or more computer storage media of claim 1, wherein the eraser path is provided via a touch interface.

6. The one or more computer storage media of claim 1, wherein the stroke is provided by a user in association with a drawing application via a touch interface.

7. The one or more computer storage media of claim 1 further comprising receiving a selection to utilize a smart eraser.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining, via a computing device, that an eraser path is initiated at a location that coincides with a stroke; and

erasing only the stroke as the eraser path overlaps with the stroke, wherein one or more other strokes overlapping with the eraser path are not erased.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the eraser path is initiated via a contact with a touchscreen.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the stroke is provided to a drawing application via a touchscreen.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining that a second eraser path is initiated at a location that does not coincide with any stroke; and

erasing any stroke overlapping with the second eraser path.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising determining that the stroke is a most recently captured stroke.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

determining that a second eraser path is initiated at a location that does not coincide with the most recently captured stroke; and

erasing any stroke overlapping with the second eraser path.

14. One or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

determining if an eraser path is initiated at a location that coincides with a most recently captured stroke, wherein

if the eraser path is initiated at the location coinciding with the most recently captured stroke, automatically erasing only the most recently captured stroke as the eraser path traverses the most recently captured stroke, wherein one or more other strokes overlapping with the eraser path are not erased, and

if the eraser path is not initiated at the location coinciding with the most recently captured stroke, automatically erasing the most recently captured stroke as the eraser path traverses the most recently captured stroke and the one or more other strokes overlapping with the eraser path.

15. The one or more computer storage media of claim 14 further comprising receiving a selection to utilize a smart eraser tool.

16. The one or more computer storage media of claim 14, wherein the determination of whether the eraser path is initiated at the location that coincides with the most recently captured stroke is based on whether the stroke is captured in a new layer.

17. The one or more computer storage media of claim 16, wherein the most recently captured stroke is independently captured in the new layer and the one or more other strokes are aggregated into a single layer.

18. The one or more computer storage media of claim 14, wherein the determination of whether the eraser path is initiated at the location that coincides with the most recently captured stroke is based on bitmap data indicating the stroke position.

19. The one or more computer storage media of claim 14, wherein the eraser path is initiated via a touchscreen.

20. The one or more computer storage media of claim 14, wherein the most recently captured stroke is generated via a touch gesture provided on a touchscreen.