Method and apparatus for organizing a work space for a computer controlled display system using borders and regions
First Claim
1. A method for operating a computer controlled display system so that the work surface can be organized into distinct regions to localize the effects of editing operations, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) a user generating one or more structured borders on said work surface causing said work surface to be tessellated into a plurality of regions;
b) said user selecting one or more graphic objects on said work surface;
c) said system identifying a source region associated with said selected one or more graphic objects;
d) said user indicating a editing operation to be performed on said selected one or more graphic objects;
e) said system identifying a destination region for performing said editing operation;
f) said system determining spatial effects of said editing operation on said source region, said destination region and said tessellated work surface;
g) said system determining if said editing operation can be carried out based on said spatial effects; and
h) if said editing operation can be carried out, performing said editing operation.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for organizing a workspace of a graphical input system that utilizes borders to define regions within the workspace. The present invention addresses the problem of determining the scope of structure operations. Structures, e.g. a list, table or other group of items having some fixed relationship by introducing the notion of a border dynamically created on such systems using available areas on the workspace. Some ambiguity may exist as to where a structure begins or ends. Further, such structure operations may cause a structure to overlay another structure. Borders are used to tessellate a work surface into non-overlapping regions. Typically, within each region is a structure. Deleting borders on a tessellated work surface may cause others borders to be deleted with the object being to maintain a completely tessellated work surface. Further, various border types, visually represented by different line types, are enabled which in turn provide for defining different types of regions.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method for operating a computer controlled display system so that the work surface can be organized into distinct regions to localize the effects of editing operations, said method comprising the steps of:
-
a) a user generating one or more structured borders on said work surface causing said work surface to be tessellated into a plurality of regions; b) said user selecting one or more graphic objects on said work surface; c) said system identifying a source region associated with said selected one or more graphic objects; d) said user indicating a editing operation to be performed on said selected one or more graphic objects; e) said system identifying a destination region for performing said editing operation; f) said system determining spatial effects of said editing operation on said source region, said destination region and said tessellated work surface; g) said system determining if said editing operation can be carried out based on said spatial effects; and h) if said editing operation can be carried out, performing said editing operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. In a computer controlled display system, a method for organizing a workspace comprising the steps of:
-
a) a user generating a plurality of structured borders, said plurality of structured borders resulting in a rectilinear tessellation of said work surface into a plurality of regions, each region defining a spatial scope for editing operations performed within said region; b) said user selecting one of said plurality of structured borders; c) said system highlighting said selected border and any other dependent borders, said dependent borders comprising borders which would have to be deleted if said selected border is deleted in order to maintain said rectilinear tessellation of said work surface; d) said user performing an operation on said selected border; and e) said system performing said operation on said selected border and corresponding operation on said dependent borders. - View Dependent Claims (11)
-
-
12. In a computer controlled display system, a method for organizing a workspace comprising the steps of:
-
a) a user generating a plurality of structured borders, said plurality of structured borders resulting in a rectilinear tessellation of said work surface into a plurality of regions, each region defining a spatial scope for editing operations performed within said region; b) said user selecting one of said plurality of regions; c) said user performing an operation on said selected region; and d) said system performing corresponding operations on structured borders defining said selected region and the graphic objects contained within said selected region. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A computer controlled display system for creating and displaying graphical objects, said computer controlled display system comprising:
-
a display for showing a work surface, border creation means, said border creation means for creating borders on said work surface, said borders defining regions of said work surface; border editing means, said border editing means for editing an existing border while retaining a rectilinear tessellation of said work space with said borders; input means for inputting pen strokes on said work surface and initiating operations on graphic objects on said work surface; and operation processing means for processing operations on graphic objects on said work surface, said operation processing means further having means for isolating operations performed on graphic objects in a first region defined by a first set of borders from having an effect on graphic objects in a second region defined by a second set of borders. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification