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Method and apparatus for the manipulation of text on a computer display screen

  • US 5,666,552 A
  • Filed: 06/01/1995
  • Issued: 09/09/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In an interactive computer-controlled display system having a processor, a memory means, a display device coupled to said processor for visibly displaying text, a cursor control device coupled to said processor for interactively positioning a cursor on said display device, and a signal generation device for signaling an active and an inactive control state, a process for directly manipulating a portion of text available for display on said display device, said process comprising the steps of:

  • selecting a block of text from a set of available text, at least a portion of the available text displayed on said display device;

    dragging said selected block of text from a previous position to a new position relative to said available text, at least a portion of said selected block of text being visible as said selected block of text is dragged, said movement of said selected block of text being responsive to movement of said cursor control device;

    displaying an insertion marker on said display device, said insertion marker specifying the new position in said available text where said selected block of text is inserted in an inserting step; and

    said step of inserting, inserting said selected block of text into said available text, said selected block of text being inserted at said new position pointed to by the insertion marker and reformatting at least a part of said available text such that the at least one part of the available text is unobscured by the insertion of the selected block of text and to provide continuity between said available text and said selected block of text.

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