Automatic highlighting tool for document composing and editing software

• US 6,384,815 B1
• Filed: 02/24/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Huang, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin M.
• Application Number:
  US09/256,636
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 345/179-183, 345/16, 178/18.01, 178/18.02, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 178/18.05
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink

Abstract

In connection with an electronic reading/annotation device, a method for automatically selecting between an electronic writing pen tool used for handwriting tasks and an electronic marker tool used for highlighting tasks is provided. Whereas handwriting normally consists of small radius curves, and frequent changes of direction, highlighting strokes are normally long and smooth with hardly ever a change of direction. The automatic selection method utilizes analysis of the shape of each stroke. More specifically, the length of each stroke is calculated between a starting point and a later made point of the stroke. If the length of the stroke is close to that of a straight line between the same two points and the stroke is determined not to be a handwriting stroke, the highlighting function is automatically selected. The exact determination of “close” is a tunable parameter. In order to make the automatic selection process seemingly instantaneous, comparison of actual stroke length to straight-line length is made on the fly. That is, the calculation commences as each new beginning stroke point is created, rather than at the end of each stroke. In order to make the automatic selection process more robust, two other enhancements are made. Firstly, to eliminate straight strokes used in handwriting, computation of stroke length is delayed until stroke distance has exceeded a set number of pixels. This feature recognizes the fact that handwriting includes many short, nearly-straight line sections, and that often, a written word may begin with such a section. Secondly, in order to prevent the online algorithm from needlessly flip-flopping between the pen and marker tools at the beginning of a stroke, the algorithm begins with the pen tool selected and maintains that setting until the algorithm may decide that the other setting is more appropriate.

Claims

1. In combination with an electronic reading/annotation device, a method for automatically selecting between an electronic writing pen tool used for handwriting tasks and an electronic marker tool used for highlighting tasks, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a user-made stroke was intended to be linear;

selecting the marker tool if a positive determination of intended linearity is made; and

selecting the pen tool if a negative determination of intended linearity is made.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining is accomplished by the following steps:

calculating the length of at least a portion of the stroke, said portion of the stroke having a starting point and an ending point;

calculating the length of a straight line segment from said starting point to said ending point; and

determining whether a ratio of the length of said portion of said stroke to the length of said straight line segment falls within an established tolerance parameter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said tolerance parameter for said ratio is no more than about 110 per cent.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the highlighter tool is not selected unless the length of a straight line between said starting and ending points exceeds an established minimum straight-line distance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said minimum distance is a about 100 pixels.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the comparison of actual stroke length to straight-line length is made online.

7. In combination with an electronic reading/annotation device having a graphic display screen, a method for automatically selecting between an electronic writing pen tool used for handwriting and/or drawing tasks and an electronic marker tool used for highlighting tasks, said method comprising the following sequence of steps:

(a) determining whether a user-made stroke made with a pointing device on the display screen exceeds a fixed minimum distance;

(b) selecting the pen tool if the stroke does not exceed the fixed minimum distance;

(c) determining whether said user-made stroke was intended to be linear;

(d) selecting the marker tool if a positive determination of intended linearity is made and the user-made stroke exceeds the fixed minimum distance; and

(e) selecting the pen tool if the user-made stroke exceeds the fixed minimum distance and a negative determination of intended linearity is made.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said fixed minimum distance is about 100 pixels.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said fixed minimum distance is at least double the expected maximum stroke length required for any handwritten character.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the comparison of actual stroke length to straight-line length is made as soon as actual stroke length exceeds said fixed minimum distance, rather than when the stroke is complete.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining whether linearity is intended is accomplished by the following steps:

calculating the length of at least a portion of the stroke, said portion of the stroke having a starting point and an ending point;

calculating the length of a straight line segment from said starting point to said ending point; and

determining whether a ratio of the length of said portion of said stroke to the length of said straight line segment falls within an established tolerance parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said tolerance parameter for said ratio is no more than about 110 per cent.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the marker tool is selected if the user-made stroke is within a fixed number of degrees from being perpendicular to lines of text displayed on the display screen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein about five degrees from true perpendicularity is set as a maximum tolerance for near-perpendicularity.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the marker tool is selected only if the user-made stroke is within a fixed number of degrees of being parallel to lines of text displayed on the display screen.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said fixed number is set at about five degrees from parallel.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein the marker tool is selected only if the user-made stroke is within a fixed number of degrees from being parallel to lines of text displayed on the display screen and the stroke is superimposed on a line of displayed text.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein a portion of the stroke is checked for intended linearity before said stroke has been completed, with the marker tool being provisionally selected if intended linearity exists, and the stroke is rechecked for intended linearity when complete, with the marker tool selection being retained only if the intended linearity is still determined to exist.

19. In combination with an electronic reading/annotation device having a graphic display screen, a method for automatically selecting between an electronic writing pen tool used for handwriting and/or drawing tasks and an electronic marker tool used for highlighting tasks, said method comprising the following sequence of steps:

(a) detecting the initiation of a user-made stroke with a pointing device on the display screen;

(b) reading the first point of said stroke;

(c) waiting a preset period of time while the user continues said stroke;

(d) reading the latest point of the stroke at the end of said preset period;

(e) determining whether or not the latest read point is different from the immediately prior read point;

(f) terminating the method if the latest read point and the previously read point are the same;

(g) calculating both a running stroke length and a straight-line distance from the first stored point to the latest-stored point if the latest stored point and the immediately prior stored point are different;

(h) determining whether or not the stroke, from the first point to the last read point, exceeds a preset minimum distance;

(i) returning to step (c) if the stroke is less than the preset minimum distance;

(j) determining whether said user-made stroke is intended to be linear;

(k) selecting the marker tool if a positive determination of intended linearity is made; and

(l) selecting the pen tool if a negative determination of intended linearity is made.

20. The method of claim 19, which further comprises the steps of:

(a) determining whether the stroke, if intended to be linear, is also intended to be vertical;

(b) selecting the highlighter marker if a positive determination of intended verticality is made;

(c) determining whether the stroke, if intended to be linear but not intended to be vertical, is intended to be horizontal;

(d) selecting the writing pen tool if the stroke is intended to be linear, but not intended to be either vertical or horizontal;

(e) determining whether or not the stroke, if intended to be both linear and horizontal, is superimposed on a displayed text line;

(f) selecting the highlighter tool if the stroke is intended to be both linear and horizontal and is superimposed on a displayed text line; and

(g) selecting the writing pen tool if the stroke segment is intended to be linear and horizontal, but is not superimposed on a displayed text line.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said preset minimum distance is selected from the group consisting of the straight line distance from the first point to the last made point and the running stroke length.