Method and apparatus for inserting text on a pen-based computer system

• US 5,528,743 A
• Filed: 01/12/1994
• Issued: 06/18/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Capps, Stephen P., Tou, Frederich N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/180,846
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 395/144, 395/146, 395/148-151, 382/22, 382/30, 382/61, 382/173, 382/176-179, 382/181-182, 382/292, 364/419.17, 345/179
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/189 Automatic justification

Abstract

A method and apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises the process and means for receiving input strokes made with a stylus on a screen of a pen-based computer and determining if the strokes comprise a text object. When the strokes do form a text object, a rating for each existing displayed paragraph is assigned to identify a probability level that an insert location is within the paragraph. Determining a rating involves comparing the bounds of the text object to extended bounds of the existing paragraph, and the input strokes of the text object to the input strokes of the preceding text object. When the rating is completed for each paragraph, an insert location within the highest rated or most probable existing paragraph is then identified, and the text object is inserted at this insert location. A new paragraph is formed with the text object at a location based on the input strokes when a most probable paragraph is not identified.

Claims

1. A method for inserting text into a pen-based computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving input strokes inputted by a stylus onto a screen of the pen-based computer system;

determining whether said input strokes comprise a text object;

examining each existing displayed paragraph in an active portion of said screen to determine whether said text object is associated with an existing paragraph when said input strokes are determined to be a text object and assigning a rating to each existing paragraph to identify a level of probability that said text object is associated with that existing paragraph;

forming a new paragraph with said text object when, based upon the examining step, said text object is determined not to be associated with any of said existing paragraphs; and

determining an insert location within a highest rated existing paragraph when, based upon the examining step, said text object is determined to be associated with an existing paragraph and inserting said text object at said insert location.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the substep of identifying a line within said highest rated existing paragraph containing said text object when said insert location is identified within said highest rated existing paragraph.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the substep of determining whether said text object substantially completely overlies open space within said identified line.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 further comprising the substeps of:

setting said insert location to a space character within the open space that is closest to a leading edge of said text object when said text object does substantially completely overlie open space;

removing space characters in the open space that are positioned between the leading edge and a trailing edge of the text object and equal in width to the width of said text object.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein when said text object does not substantially completely overlie open space, the method further comprises placing an appropriate separator before a leading edge of said text object in said identified line, and inserting said text object after said separator.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of redrawing said screen after said text object is inserted at said insert location.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said highest rated existing paragraph is determined by comparing the probability levels assigned to each of the existing paragraphs.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein when at least two existing paragraphs have the same probability level, the first existing paragraph to be assigned the probability level is the highest rated existing paragraph.

9. A method for inserting text into a pen-based computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving input strokes inputted by a stylus onto a screen of the pen-based computer system;

determining whether said input strokes comprise a text object;

examining each existing displayed paragraph in an active portion of said screen to determine whether said text object is associated with an existing paragraph when said input strokes are determined to be a text object and assigning a rating to each existing paragraph to identify a level of probability that said text object is associated with that existing paragraph, wherein said step of examining further comprises the substeps of,

determining whether a baseline of said text object is beyond a leading edge of a bounding box of an existing paragraph,

determining whether a designated percentage of said text object is within the bounding box of said existing paragraph, and

wherein when the baseline of said text object is beyond the leading edge of the bounding box and the designated percentage of the text object is within the bounding box, a determination is made that there is a first level probability that said insert location is within said existing paragraph;

forming a new paragraph with said text object when said text object is determined not to be associated with any of said existing paragraphs; and

determining an insert location within a highest rated existing paragraph when said text object is determined to be associated with an existing paragraph and inserting said text object at said insert location.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein when the first level probability determination is not made for said existing paragraph, said step of examining further comprises the substep of determining whether said text object substantially overlaps a last line of said existing paragraph, wherein when the text object does substantially overlap the last line of said existing paragraph, a determination is made that there is a second level probability that said insert location is within said existing paragraph.

11. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the first and second level probabilities are treated as equal in said examining step.

12. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein when said second level probability determination is not made, said step of examining further comprises the substep of determining whether said text object lies within a predetermined distance of a side margin of said existing paragraph, wherein when said text object does not lie within said predetermined distance, a determination is made that there is a third level probability that said insert location is within said existing paragraph.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein when the third level probability determination is not made, the step of examining further comprises the substep of determining whether said text object has been input substantially immediately following a preceding input on a same line, wherein when said text object does substantially immediately follow said preceding input on the same line, a determination is made that there is a fourth level probability that said insert location is within said existing paragraph.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein when the fourth level probability determination is not made, the step of examining further comprises the substep of determining whether said text object is input on a line immediately following a line which contains said preceding input, wherein when said text object does follow on the line immediately below said preceding input, a determination is made that there is a fifth level probability that said insert location is within said existing paragraph.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein when said fifth level probability is not determined, said step of examining further comprises the substep of determining whether said text object lies on a blank line following said existing paragraph, wherein when said text object does lie on said blank line, there is a sixth level probability that said insert location is within said existing paragraph.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein said fifth and sixth levels of probability are treated as equal in said examining step.

17. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein when said sixth level probability determination is not made, said step of examining further comprises the substep of determining whether a designated percentage of said text object is within extended side margins of said existing paragraph, wherein when said designated percentage of said text object is within the designated margin, a determination is made that them is a seventh level probability that said insert location is within said existing paragraph.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein when said seventh level probability is not determined, there is an eighth level probability that said insert location is within said existing paragraph.

19. A method as recited in claim 18 wherein said third and eighth levels of probability are treated as equal in said examining step.

20. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein said eighth level of probability is the lowest level of probability.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein said first level probability is the highest level of probability.

22. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein said designated percentage is fifty percent.

23. A method for inserting text into a pen-based computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a best matched paragraph for a text object input with a stylus on a screen of said pen-based computer system based at least in part on the location of a baseline of the text object;

identifying a line within said best matched paragraph when there is a determined best matched paragraph based at least in part on the location of the baseline;

determining whether said text object substantially completely overlies open space within said identified line;

setting an insert location on the identified line based on a leading edge of said text object; and

inserting said text object at said insert location.

24. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein when said text object does substantially completely overlie open space, said insert location is a space character within the open space.

25. A method as recited in claim 23 further comprising the substep of forming a new paragraph with said text object when there is no determined best matched paragraph, the insert position of the new paragraph being based at least in part on the location of the baseline.

26. A method for inserting text into a pen-based computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a best matched paragraph for a text object input with a stylus on a screen of said pen-based computer system;

identifying a line within said best matched paragraph when there is a determined best matched paragraph;

determining whether said text object substantially completely overlies open space within said identified line;

setting an insert location on the identified line based on a leading edge of said text object;

inserting said text object at said insert location; and

wherein when said text object does not substantially completely overlie open space, the method further comprises placing an appropriate separator before said leading edge in said identified line, and inserting said text object after said separator.

27. A method for inserting text into a pen-based computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a best matched paragraph for a text object input with a stylus on a screen of said pen-based computer system;

identifying a line within said best matched paragraph when there is a determined best matched paragraph;

determining whether said text object substantially completely overlies open space within said identified line;

setting an insert location on the identified line based on a leading edge of said text object;

inserting said text object at said insert location; and

wherein when said text object does substantially completely overlie open space, the method further comprises removing space characters within the open space that are positioned between the leading edge and a trailing edge of the text object, the removed space characters being equal in width to the width of said text object.

28. A method for inserting text into a pen-based computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a best matched paragraph for a text object input with a stylus on a screen of said pen-based computer system;

identifying a line within said best matched paragraph when there is a determined best matched paragraph and setting an insert location on the identified line based on a leading edge of said text object;

forming a new paragraph with said text object when there is no determined best matched paragraph and identifying an insert location for said new paragraph based on a baseline and leading edge of input strokes forming the text object, wherein when a guideline is present and said baseline is within a predetermined distance of said guideline, said new paragraph is inserted on said guideline at said leading edge; and

inserting said text object at said insert location.

29. A method as recited in claim 28 wherein when said guideline is not present, said new paragraph is inserted on said baseline at said leading edge.

30. A method as recited in claim 29 further comprising the step of redrawing said screen after said text object is inserted at said insert location.

31. A method as recited in claim 30 further comprising the step of determining whether said text object substantially completely overlies open space within said identified line when there is a determined best matched paragraph wherein when said text object does substantially completely overlie open space, said step of redrawing further comprises removing extra spaces within said open space between said text object and existing text within said existing paragraph when no new text object has been input within a predetermined time period.

32. A computer system including a processing means for controlling operation of said computer system, a touch-sensitive display screen, a stylus for inputting data to said processing means by engaging said stylus with said screen and moving said stylus across said screen, said computer system comprising:

means for receiving strokes made with said stylus on said screen;

means for determining whether said strokes comprise a text object;

means for rating a plurality of existing paragraphs displayed on an active portion of said screen when said strokes comprise a text object to determine whether an association exists between said text object and said existing paragraphs;

means for determining an insert location for said text object wherein when it is determined that there is an association between the text object and at least one of the existing paragraphs the insert location is within one of the existing paragraphs and when it is determined that no association exists between the text object and the existing paragraphs, the insert location is not within one of the existing paragraphs; and

means for inserting said text object at said insert location.

33. A computer system as recited in claim 32 wherein said means for rating assigns a probability level to each of said plurality of existing paragraphs, said probability level indicating the probability that said insert location is within each of said existing paragraphs.

34. A computer system as recited in claim 33 wherein when said means for rating determines that said text object is not associated with an existing paragraph, said means for determining an insert location identifies a location for a new paragraph as said insert location.

35. A computer system as recited in claim 33 further comprising means for comparing the probability level of each existing paragraph to determine a most probable paragraph containing said insert location.

36. A computer system as recited in claim 35 wherein when said means for comparing determines a most probable paragraph, said means for determining an insert location identifies a line within said most probable paragraph for said insert location.

37. A computer system as recited in claim 36 wherein said means for determining an insert location identifies a location based on a leading edge of said text object within said line as said insert location.