Method for editing objects representing writing on an electronic writeboard

• US 6,320,597 B1
• Filed: 04/05/1999
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ieperen, Taco Van
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUNNINGHAM, GREGORY F
• Application Number:
  US09/285,674
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 345/118, 345/173, 345/179, 345/358, 345/435, 345/629
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A method for editing objects representing writing on an electronic writeboard comprises the steps of: creating an object representing writing on the electronic writeboard; determining if the created object overlies an existing object by at least a threshold amount; and merging the created and existing objects to create a new object if the created object overlies the existing object by at least the threshold amount. An editor for editing objects and an interactive display system are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for editing objects representing writing on an electronic writeboard comprising the steps of:

creating an object representing writing on said electronic writeboard;

determining if said created object overlies an existing object by at least a threshold amount; and

merging said created and existing objects to create a new object if at least 75% of said created object is contained within said existing object.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said objects are bounded by rectangles and wherein at said determining step, the areas of said rectangles are compared to determine overlap therebetween.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein an object representing writing is created in response to an electronic writeboard event.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said electronic writeboard event is a tool up or button press event.

2. A method of editing writing on an electronic writeboard comprising the steps of:

creating an object representing writing on said electronic writeboard;

determining if said created object overlies an existing object;

creating a new object incorporating writing represented by said created and existing objects if said created object overlies said existing object by at least a threshold amount; and

storing said created and existing objects as layered objects if said created object overlies said existing object by less than said threshold amount.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said new object is created if at least 75% of said created object is contained within said existing object.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said created, existing and new objects are bounded by geometric shapes encompassing the writing.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said geometric shapes are rectangles.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein an object representing writing is created in response to an electronic writeboard event.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said electronic writeboard event is a tool up or button press event.

3. An interactive display system comprising:

a touch sensitive panel responsive to user contact in the form of writing on said touch sensitive panel and generating signals representing the location of writing thereon;

a projector to project images on said touch sensitive panel reflecting writing on said touch sensitive panel; and

a computer executing an applications program, said applications program being responsive to said signals and including means to create objects representing writing on said touch sensitive panel, means to determine if created objects overlie existing objects, means to create new objects if created objects overlie existing objects by at least a threshold amount and means for storing said created and existing objects as layered objects if said created object overlies said existing object by less than said threshold amount, said applications program providing updated image output to said projector to reflect writing on said touch sensitive panel and being responsive to user input to allow objects representing writing to be manipulated.

9. An interactive display system as defined in claim 3 herein said applications program bounds said created, existing and new objects by geometric shapes encompassing said writing.

10. An interactive display system as defined in claim 9 wherein said geometric shapes are rectangles.

11. An interactive display system as defined in claim 10 wherein said new objects are created if at least 75% of said created objects are contained within said existing objects.

18. An interactive display system as defined in claim 3 wherein said applications program creates an object in response to an electronic writeboard event.

19. An interactive display system as defined in claim 18 wherein said electronic writeboard event is a tool up or button press event.

8. An editor for an electronic writeboard system for editing objects representing writing on said electronic writeboard comprising:

means for creating an object representing writing on said electronic writeboard;

means for determining if said created object overlies an existing object by at least a threshold amount; and

means for merging said created and existing objects to create a new object if at least 75% of said created object is contained within said existing object.

12. A computer readable medium including computer program code for editing writing on an electronic writeboard, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for creating an object representing writing on said electronic writeboard;

computer program code for determining if the created object overlies an existing object by at least a threshold amount;

computer program code for merging said created and existing objects to create a new object if said created object overlies said existing object by at least said threshold amount; and

computer program code for storing the created and existing objects as layered objects if said created object overlies said existing objects by less than said threshold amount.

13. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 12 further comprising computer program code for bounding created, existing and new objects by geometric shapes encompassing the writing.