Topography of software notes

• US 6,437,807 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Kenner, Martin A., Munson, Cindy L., Mertens, Timothy A., Berquist, David T., Grunes, Mitchell B., Kruse, John M., Eisenberg, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/635,482
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 345/335, 345/337, 345/348, 345/350, 345/346, 345/435, 345/113, 345/114, 345/118, 345/145, 345/744, 345/747, 345/764, 345/765, 345/769, 345/770, 345/835, 345/839, 345/775, 345/776, 345/804, 345/805, 345/856, 345/620, 345/628, 345/634, 707/500, 707/512, 707/530
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention implements, in a data processing environment, many of the attributes of paper Post-it® notes. The note program of the present invention need not be resident in an application program, and the notes of the present invention may be moved directly between windows or between regions without being saved in an intermediate memory, may be easily dispensed either from a note dispenser of a window or on a desktop, may overlap the boundary of a window, may be automatically saved, may be attached to a document within a window so that the note moves with the document, may overlap a boundary of a window, may be resized with the constraint that the note may not be resized off of a window, may be moved across a window boundary, and may be attached to an object, such as a character, a word, a sentence, or paragraph of a document.

Claims

1. A computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, wherein the program code is arranged so that, when the program code is executed by a computer, a note is displayed, the note has a single options area, a notation area, and a grab area, and the notation area and the grab area are different areas of the note, and so that, when the single options area is activated, at least two options are displayed.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the note has one or more control areas.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the grab area and the single options area are at a top of the note.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the note has no scroll bar.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the note has a control area.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 wherein the control area is a resize control area.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a color option.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a delete option.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a font option.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a size option.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a duplicate option.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a print option.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a minimum and/or maximum option.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a video and/or sound option.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a drawings and/or graphics option.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a cut and/or paste and/or copy option.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a help option.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a note information option.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a preformatted notes option.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a nonmove option.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a content scrolling option.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the single options area contains a navigation option.

23. A computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, wherein the program code is arranged so that, when the program code is executed by a computer, a note is displayed, the note has an options button, a notation area, and a grab area, and the notation area and the grab area are different areas of the note, and so that, when the options button is activated, at least two options are displayed.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the note has one or more control areas.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the grab area and the options button are at a top of the note.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the note has no scroll bar.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the note has a control area.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein the control area is a resize control area.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a color option.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a delete option.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a font option.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a size option.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a duplicate option.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a print option.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a minimum and/or maximum option.

36. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a video and/or sound option.

37. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a drawings and/or graphics option.

38. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a cut and/or paste and/or copy option.

39. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a help option.

40. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a note information option.

41. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a preformatted notes option.

42. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a nonmove option.

43. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a content scrolling option.

44. The computer readable storage medium of claim 23 wherein the options button contains a navigation option.

45. A method performed by a data processing system comprising:

executing program code to display a note, wherein the note is attached to a first site, and wherein the note has an options area and a notation area;

executing program code to drag the note from the first site to a second site, wherein the note automatically attaches to the second site upon release of the note at the second site; and

,

executing program code so that, when the options area is activated, a list of options is displayed.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the note has one or more control areas.

47. The method of claim 45 wherein the note further has a grab area, and wherein the grab area and the options area are at a top of the note.

48. The method of claim 45 wherein the note has no scroll bar.

49. The method of claim 45 wherein the note has a control area.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the control area is a resize control area.

51. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a color option.

52. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a delete option.

53. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a font option.

54. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a size option.

55. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a duplicate option.

56. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a print option.

57. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a minimum and/or maximum option.

58. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a video and/or sound option.

59. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a drawings and/or graphics option.

60. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a cut and/or paste and/or copy option.

61. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a help option.

62. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a note information option.

63. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a preformatted notes option.

64. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a nonmove option.

65. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a content scrolling option.

66. The method of claim 45 wherein the list contains a navigation option.