Information processing apparatus with bookmark function

• US 6,173,285 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nakahara, Shingo, Nishita, Taizo, Ikeda, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DO, THUY T
• Application Number:
  US09/108,281
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/7, 707/10, 707/3, 707/501, 707/102, 707/2, 345/335, 709/245, 395/761
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0283 for data storage and retrieval
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

An information processing apparatus with a bookmark function includes a memory, a display section, and a CPU for placing a bookmark in data, which are stored in the memory in a plurality of modes, respectively, storing specific information for specifying data marked with the bookmark in the memory, retrieving the stored data with the bookmark based on the specific information, and displaying the retrieved data in the display section. When the stored data marked with the bookmark is retrieved based on the specific information, the CPU controls the display section to display the retrieved data and a mode to which the retrieved data belongs. This structure enables the user to use the apparatus more conveniently.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus with a bookmark function comprising:

memory means;

display means;

input means for selecting a mode in which data is to be processed;

control means for processing data in the mode selected via said input means out of a plurality of modes to store processed data into said memory means, said control means further for placing a bookmark in data, which are stored in said memory means in said plurality of modes, respectively, storing specific information for specifying data marked with the bookmark in said memory means, retrieving the stored data marked with the bookmark based on the specific information as a result of search through accumulated data among said plurality of modes, and

displaying the retrieved data on said display means, wherein when the stored data marked with the bookmark is retrieved based on the specific information, said control means displays a mode to which the retrieved data belongs together with the retrieved data on said display means.

2. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 1,

wherein said memory means includes a memory area for storing data input by a user, and

said control means stores bookmark management information in an unused space of said memory area within an area allocated to data contained in the input data.

3. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 1,

wherein said control means places more than one type of bookmarks in the data.

4. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 1,

wherein said control means marks a block of data with the bookmark.

5. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 1,

wherein said control means places the bookmark in an arbitrary location of each data.

6. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 1,

wherein said apparatus is constructed to be portable.

7. An information processing apparatus with a bookmark function comprising:

memory means; and

input means for selecting a mode in which data is to be processed;

control means for processing data in the mode selected via said input means out of a plurality of modes to store processed data into said memory means, said control means further for placing a bookmark in data, which are stored in said memory means in said plurality of nodes, respectively, according to an input that instructs placement of the bookmark, storing specific information for specifying data marked with the bookmark in said memory means, retrieving the stored data marked with the bookmark based on the specific information as a result of search through accumulated data among said plurality of modes, and outputting the retrieved data,

wherein said control means counts the number of bookmarks placed, sets an upper limit on the number of bookmarks to be placed, and gives a warning when an instruction to place bookmarks more than the upper limit is input.

8. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 7, further comprising display means,

wherein said control means displays on said display means the retrieved data and a setting number of the bookmark which was assigned to the bookmark when the bookmark was placed in said data.

9. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 7,

wherein said memory means includes a memory area for storing data input by a user, and

said control means stores bookmark management information in an unused space of said memory area within an area allocated to data contained in the input data.

10. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 7,

wherein said control means places more than one type of bookmarks in the data.

11. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 7,

wherein said control means marks a block of data with the bookmark.

12. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 7,

wherein said control means places the bookmark in an arbitrary location of each data.

13. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 7,

wherein said apparatus is constructed to be portable.

14. An information processing apparatus with a bookmark function comprising:

memory means;

input means for selecting a mode in which data is to be processed; and

control means for processing data in the mode selected via said input means out of a plurality of modes to store processed data into said memory means, said control means further for placing a bookmark in data stored in said memory means in said plurality of modes, respectively, storing in said memory means specific information for specifying data marked with the bookmark, retrieving the stored data marked with the bookmark based on the specific information, and outputting the retrieved data,

wherein said control means retrieves data marked with the bookmark according to a predetermined sorting rule from all of data stored in the plurality of modes in said memory means, irrespective of mode.

15. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 14, further comprising display means,

wherein said control means displays the retrieved data on said display means.

16. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 14,

wherein said memory means includes a memory area for storing data input by a user, and

said control means stores bookmark management information in an unused space of said memory within an area allocated to data contained in the input data.

17. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 14,

wherein said control means places more than one type of bookmarks in the data.

18. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 14,

wherein said control means marks a block of data with the bookmark.

19. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 14,

wherein said control means places the bookmark in an arbitrary location of each data.

20. The information processing apparatus with a bookmark function according to claim 14,

wherein said apparatus is constructed to be portable.

21. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a memory;

providing a display;

selecting, from a plurality of different modes, a mode in which data is to processed;

processing data in the mode selected from the plurality of modes, and storing processed data in the memory;

placing a bookmark in data stored in at least one of said plurality of said modes;

retrieving stored data marked with the bookmark; and

displaying the retrieved data on a display together with the mode to which it belongs.