Interactive method and system for producing address-correlated information using user-specified address zones
First Claim
1. A method of operating a system to capture user-produced event data in a data structure in a manner enabling later retrieval of the user-produced event data;
- the system including input circuitry connected to a user input device for producing signals indicating actions of a system user;
output circuitry connected to a display having a display area for presenting images;
a processor connected for receiving the signals from the input circuitry, and connected for providing images to the output circuitry for presentation in the display area of the display; and
memory for storing data;
the data stored in the memory including instruction data indicating instructions the processor executes;
the processor being further connected for accessing the data stored in the memory;
the method comprising;
operating the processor to receive a first signal from the user input device indicating a request from the system user to obtain a user-requested address value from an address source connected for providing address data to the processor of the system;
the address source indicating data measuring an event;
operating the processor to respond to the request from the system user by accessing the address source and obtaining an address data item for use as the user-requested address value;
presenting a first image in the display area;
the first image including an address zone display feature positioned at an address marking location in the display area so that the address zone display feature is perceived by the system user as marking a spatial region in the display area; and
producing an address zone data structure in the memory of the system and storing the address data item and the address marking location therein such that the address zone data structure is accessible by the processor using either the address marking location indicating the spatial region marked in the display area or the address data item indicating the user-requested address value;
operating the processor to receive a second signal from the user input device indicating user-produced event data indicating information entered by the system user in a spatial region in the display area; and
operating the processor to respond to the second signal from the system user bystoring the user-produced event data in the address zone data structure represented by the spatial region in which the user-produced event data was entered such that all of the user-produced event data entered by the system user within the spatial region marked in the display area is accessible by the processor in the address zone data structure using the user-requested address value indicated by the address data item obtained when the spatial region was first produced; and
presenting a second image in the spatial region of the display area;
the second image including display features representing the user-produced event data entered by the user.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive method and system to support and facilitate note-taking tasks in a variety of settings, primarily, though not exclusively, in real time. In one embodiment, the system user uses a stylus device and display to enter notes in the form of handwritten strokes that are stored and correlated with an address, such as a time provided by a system clock. Notes are collected in a data structure represented by a spatial region on the display called an address, or time, zone that is created when the user enters a gesture requesting an address from the system. All notes entered in a particular time zone region in the display area are stored in a portion of the data structure correlated with the time associated with that time zone region, and, while time zones are created in sequential time order, notes are may be entered in time zones in any sequence and still be correlated with that time zone. An additional feature provides for designating a portion of the user'"'"'s notes as a key word, which can then be associated with other time zones to connect key words with times and notes. The strokes entered and designated as a key word are assigned a unique, system-recognizable identifier. A data structure stores the strokes of the key word, its location in the display area and the times zones it is associated with. A well-designed user interface provides workspaces for creating and using time zones and for easily displaying and using key words.
93 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of operating a system to capture user-produced event data in a data structure in a manner enabling later retrieval of the user-produced event data;
- the system including input circuitry connected to a user input device for producing signals indicating actions of a system user;
output circuitry connected to a display having a display area for presenting images;
a processor connected for receiving the signals from the input circuitry, and connected for providing images to the output circuitry for presentation in the display area of the display; and
memory for storing data;
the data stored in the memory including instruction data indicating instructions the processor executes;
the processor being further connected for accessing the data stored in the memory;
the method comprising;operating the processor to receive a first signal from the user input device indicating a request from the system user to obtain a user-requested address value from an address source connected for providing address data to the processor of the system;
the address source indicating data measuring an event;operating the processor to respond to the request from the system user by accessing the address source and obtaining an address data item for use as the user-requested address value; presenting a first image in the display area;
the first image including an address zone display feature positioned at an address marking location in the display area so that the address zone display feature is perceived by the system user as marking a spatial region in the display area; andproducing an address zone data structure in the memory of the system and storing the address data item and the address marking location therein such that the address zone data structure is accessible by the processor using either the address marking location indicating the spatial region marked in the display area or the address data item indicating the user-requested address value; operating the processor to receive a second signal from the user input device indicating user-produced event data indicating information entered by the system user in a spatial region in the display area; and operating the processor to respond to the second signal from the system user by storing the user-produced event data in the address zone data structure represented by the spatial region in which the user-produced event data was entered such that all of the user-produced event data entered by the system user within the spatial region marked in the display area is accessible by the processor in the address zone data structure using the user-requested address value indicated by the address data item obtained when the spatial region was first produced; and presenting a second image in the spatial region of the display area;
the second image including display features representing the user-produced event data entered by the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- the system including input circuitry connected to a user input device for producing signals indicating actions of a system user;
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19. A method of operating a system to capture user-produced event data in a data structure in a manner enabling later retrieval of the user-produced event data;
- the system including input circuitry connected to a user input device for producing signals indicating actions of a system user;
output circuitry connected to a display having a display area for presenting images;
a processor connected for receiving the signals from the input circuitry, and connected for providing images to the output circuitry for presentation in the display area; and
memory for storing data;
the data stored in the memory including instruction data indicating instructions the processor executes;
the processor being further connected for accessing the data stored in the memory;
the method comprising;operating the processor to present a first image in the display area of the display;
the first image including display features representing a first display region, hereafter referred to as a first workspace for use in inputting user-produced event data;operating the processor to receive a first signal from the user input device indicating a first image display request from the system user to display a first one of a plurality of spatial regions in the first workspace and to associate the first spatial region with a unique user-requested address value; the unique user-requested address value being obtained from an address source connected for providing address data to the system processor;
the address source measuring an event being perceived by the system user;operating the processor to respond to the first image display request from the system user by presenting a second image in the first workspace in the display area;
the second image including an address zone display feature positioned in the first workspace at an address display location marking the first spatial region in the first workspace;
the address display location marking the first spatial region being associated with the unique user-requested address value in an address zone data structure produced in response to the first image display request and stored in the memory;operating the processor to receive a second signal from the user input device indicating a second image display request including user-produced event data entered by the system user indicating information about the event being perceived by the system user;
the second signal further including a spatial region location in the first workspace indicating a location of the user-produced event data in the first spatial region; andoperating the processor to respond to the second image display request from the system user by presenting a third image in the first workspace in the first spatial region including the spatial region location;
the third image including display features representing the user-produced event data entered by the system user;the user-produced event data indicating information about the event being perceived and entered by the system user into the first spatial region being stored in the address zone data structure indicating the address display location marking the first spatial region such that the user-produced event data is accessible by the processor using the unique user-requested address value;
user-produced event data subsequently entered by the system user into the first spatial region also being stored in the address zone data structure indicated by the address display location marking the first spatial region such that all of the user-produced event data entered by the system user into the first spatial region is indexed by and accessible to the processor using the user-requested address value. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- the system including input circuitry connected to a user input device for producing signals indicating actions of a system user;
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26. An interactive, processor-controlled system for storing in a data structure for later retrieval time-stamped, handwritten information entered by a system user;
- the system including
a stroke-producing input device for producing signals in the form of strokes indicating actions of a system user; a display having a display area for presenting images; a processor connected for receiving the signals from the input device, and connected for providing images to the display; a clock source connected for providing time data to the processor; and memory for storing data;
the data stored in the memory including instruction data indicating instructions the processor executes;the processor being further connected for accessing the data stored in the memory; the processor, in executing the instructions, presenting a first image in the display area of the display;
the first image including display features representing plural spatial regions for presenting user-produced event data;the processor, further in executing the instructions, responding to a time request stroke received from the system user by obtaining a unique user-requested time value from the clock source and presenting a second image in a first one of the plural spatial regions in the display area;
the second image including a time zone display feature positioned in the first one of the plural spatial regions at a time display location;
the time zone display feature representing the unique user-requested time value obtained from the clock source;the processor, further in responding to the time request stroke, storing the unique user-requested time value and the time display location of the first spatial region in a time zone data structure represented by the first spatial region such that the time zone data structure is accessible to the processor using either the time display location or the unique user-requested time value; and the processor, further in executing the instructions, responding to information strokes indicating user-produced data received from the system user and entered in the first spatial region by presenting a third image in the first spatial region;
the third image including display features representing the user-produced data;the processor, further in responding to the information strokes, storing the user-produced data in a time zone data structure represented by the first spatial region;
the user-produced data being stored in the time zone data structure such that all user-produced event data entered into the first spatial region is accessible to the processor using the unique user-requested time value obtained when the time zone data structure was first produced. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
- the system including
Specification