Document annotation & manipulation in a data processing system

• US 5,625,833 A
• Filed: 03/20/1995
• Issued: 04/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Wang Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsiao, Chia-Chuan, Donoghue, Karen, Harui, Alex J., Schirpke, Michael W., Levine, Stephen R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowler, Alyssa H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRITY, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US08/406,818
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 395/800, 395/275, 395/147, 364/225.6, 364/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A data processing system provides annotation of a document with annotations inputted through an electronic tablet, a keyboard and an audio assembly. The annotations are entered in a modeless operation of the three input streams. Input by the tablet utilizes a two ended pen. One end of the pen is used for writing annotations to be added to a document and the second end of the pen is used for erasing the added written annotations. Files record the annotations made to the document in a manner which allows a time sequenced playback of the annotations including handwritten, typed and voiced annotations. A state machine of various procedures and controllers which call the procedures is used for processing the annotations as they are made, for replaying the annotations at a subsequent desired time, and for printing the annotations.

Claims

1. A data processing system comprising:

a processor programmed with an annotation program;

a memory including annotation files and image files;

a display coupled to said processor displaying views generated during execution of said annotation program; and

a keystroke annotation input device coupled to said processor, said processor;

displaying an annotatable image;

accepting keystroke annotation input from said annotation input device, each input of said sequence which is subsequent to a first input being entered in a sequential relationship to a prior input, and displaying a composite image comprising said annotatable image and the corresponding keystroke annotations; and

storing said composite image, said annotatable image and said annotations along with said sequential relationships between said annotation inputs.

2. A data processing system comprising:

a display coupled to a processor displaying views generated during execution of an annotation program;

a memory;

an annotation input device coupled to a processor;

said processor comprising,

means for displaying an annotatable image;

means for accepting a sequence of annotations input from said annotation input device;

means for displaying said sequence of annotation input superimposed on corresponding portion of said annotatable image defining a composite image;

means for storing said composite image,

means for storing said annotatable image; and

means for storing said sequence of annotations and for storing time information indicative of a time duration between said inputs.

3. A data processing system comprising

a programmed processor including an annotation program for annotating annotatable bit map images, a memory,

an annotation input device coupled to said processor and a display coupled to said processor for displaying views generated by the programmed processor,

said programmed processor including

receiving means for accepting annotation inputs from said annotation

input device for annotating an annotatable image and means for accepting information relating to the order of occurrence and timing of a sequence of annotation inputs and

screen means coupled to the display and including a screen buffer for storing an annotatable image or a composite image comprising an annotatable image and annotations received from the annotation input device for displaying said annotatable image or said composite image at the display and

file means for storing a composite image in said memory,

for storing the annotations,

for storing the order of occurrence and timing information and

for associating the annotations and the occurrence and timing information with an annotatable image.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said programmed processor includes

means for applying a sequence of annotations associated with an annotatable image from the file means to the display device to display annotations with an annotatable image in an order of occurrence and with timing related to the sequence of annotations made to the annotatable image.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the annotation program further includes

means for displaying annotations sequentially in time at a pace which is determinable by the user of the data processing system.

6. A data processing system comprising

a programmed processor including an annotation program for annotating annotatable bit map image,

a memory,

an annotation input device coupled to said processor and

a display coupled to said processor for displaying views generated by the programmed processor,

said programmed processor including

receiving means for accepting annotation inputs from said annotation input device for annotating an annotatable image,

screen means coupled to the display and including a screen buffer for storing an annotatable image or a composite image comprising an annotatable image and annotations received from the annotation input device for displaying said annotatable image or said composite image at the display and

file means for storing a composite image in said memory and for storing timing information associated with annotations received from the annotation input device

wherein said programmed processor further includes means for writing annotations from the file means onto an annotatable image in the screen buffer for display on the display device in the same sequential order in space and time and at a pace relating to a pace associated with the stored timing information.

7. A data processing system comprising

a programmed processor including an annotation program for annotating annotatable bit map images,

a memory,

an audio output means coupled to the processor for generating an audio output in response to electrical audio input signals,

an annotation input device coupled to said processor including an audio annotation input means for generating audio electrical signals from audio input,

a display coupled to said processor for displaying views generated by the programmed processor,

said programmed processor including

receiving means for accepting annotation inputs from said annotation input device for annotating an annotatable image,

screen means coupled to the display and including a screen buffer for storing an annotatable image or a composite image comprising an annotatable image and annotations received from the annotation input device for displaying said annotatable image or said composite image at the display,

file means for storing a composite image in said memory and

an audio annotation program comprising

audio file means for storing representations of audio input signals

received from the audio input means and means for providing audio annotations associated with an annotatable image from the audio file means to said audio output means to produce a corresponding audio output in the same relative sequence as the audio input to said system,

means for detecting periods of relative silence among a plurality of audio signals,

means for digitally encoding said audio signals except during said periods of relative silence,

means for encoding an indication of time at which periods of relative silence end and

means for reproducing said audio signals with said periods of relative silence inserted at the appropriate times indicated by said encoded indication of time marking the end of a silent period.

8. A data processing system comprising

a programmed processor including an annotation program for annotating annotatable bit map images,

a memory,

an annotation input device coupled to said processor and

a display means coupled to said processor for displaying views generated by the programmed processor,

said programmed processor including

receiving means for accepting a sequence of annotation inputs from said annotation input device,

screen means for displaying an annotatable image or a composite image comprising an annotatable image and annotations received from the annotation input device at the display and

file means for storing annotation inputs including the sequence of occurrence of the annotation inputs.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said programmed processor screen means further includes

means for applying a sequence of annotations associated with an annotatable image from the file means to the display device to display annotations with an annotatable image in an order of occurrence and with timing related to the sequence of annotations.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said programmed processor further includes

means for receiving time information indicative of the time duration among the sequence of annotation inputs for use during subsequent display of said annotations for displaying the annotations sequentially over said time durations.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said file means further includes

means for storing said annotatable image, said annotations and said sequence of annotations, and

means for storing time information indicative of a time duration between said inputs during a subsequent replay of said annotations for displaying the annotations sequentially over said time durations.