Method for controlling electronic devices using digital recall tool

• US 7,017,124 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NBOR Corp.
• Original Assignee: Denny Jaeger
• Inventors: Jaeger, Denny
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roswell, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/053,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20020109724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/788, 715/798, 715/835, 715/856, 715/517, 345/619, 345/443
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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

Abstract

In an electronic device that accepts drawn graphic entries and includes a screen display, a tool for storing and recalling elements displayed on the screen enables a user to draw a simple diagonal line to establish where an element is to be placed onscreen and the definition of the element. The length and slope of the diagonal line determines outer dimensions which are used to define the size of the element displayed. Each element is assigned to a respective line specifier, such as line color. A plurality of zones may be defined on the screen display, each zone having unique specifier assignments for the diagonal lines. A plurality of electronic devices may be connected to a communications network, and elements recalled on one device may be transmitted at the same time to any other device. Elements that are functional objects may be transmitted in this manner, and actualized and operated independently by the recipient devices.

Claims

1. In an electronic device that accepts drawn graphic entries and includes a screen display, a tool for storing and recalling elements displayed on the screen, including the method steps of:

providing means for displaying at least one assignable specifier;

the user assigning at least one onscreen element to a respective assignable specifier;

selecting said respective assignable specifier as a line style;

drawing a line onscreen in said line style to call forth said assignable specifier;

the screen display thereafter portraying said at least one onscreen element assigned to said assignable specifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one onscreen element is scaled to be displayed at a size proportional to the length and slope of said line.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the said line is irregular.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one onscreen element is displayed in a window, said window being scrollable to view the entirety of said at least one onscreen element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one onscreen element is scaled to be displayed at a size substantially the same as it was when assigned to said respective assignable specifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one onscreen element comprises active element means capable of carrying out a functional operation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one onscreen element includes a text portion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one onscreen element includes an audio portion.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one onscreen element includes a video portion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one onscreen element includes a graphic portion.

11. The method of claim 1, further including the step of displaying a palette showing at least one line specifier.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of assigning at least one onscreen element includes drawing an arrow from said at least one onscreen object to said at least one line specifier.

13. The method of claim 11, further including the step of displaying essentially all assignments of onscreen elements that are made to each line specifier.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of displaying essentially all assignments includes selecting and activating any of said line specifiers displayed by said palette means.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said palette displays at least one specifier selected from groups that include colors, textures, line types, object symbols, and alphanumeric characters.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of assigning at least one onscreen element includes the step of naming each assignment.

17. The method of claim 1, further including means for turning said tool on and off.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said means for turning said tool on and off is accessed by drawing an onscreen graphic command for a digital recall tool switch.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said onscreen graphic command comprises a pair of nested rectangles.

20. The method of claim 1, further including the step of defining at least one zone on said screen display, said at least one zone having separate and unique assignments of onscreen elements to said line specifiers.

21. The method of claim 20, further including the step of displaying a zones Info Window, and means in said zones Info Window for turning said zones on and off.

22. The method of claim 20, further including the step of displaying a selected line specifier Info Window to show each assignment made to said selected line specifier.

23. The method of claim 22, further including the step of allocating in said line specifier Info Window at least one of said zones to at least one of said elements assigned to said selected line specifier.

24. The method of claim 20, further including the step of displaying a zones Info Window, and means in said zones Info Window for assigning at least one element to a zone.

25. The method of claim 1, further including the step of assigning a plurality of onscreen elements to a line specifier, and selecting which of said plurality of onscreen elements is to be recalled by drawing said line.

26. The method of claim 1, further including the step of assigning a plurality of onscreen elements to one line specifier, and thereafter drawing a plurality of said lines, each line recalling a respective one of said plurality of onscreen elements in accordance with a user-definable sequence.

27. The method of claim 1, further including providing a plurality of said electronic devices, connecting said devices through a communications network, and transmitting said at least one element from one of said electronic devices to at least another of said electronic devices.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said at least one onscreen element represents a functional object, said another of said electronic devices thereafter generating said functional object to reside therein.

29. In an electronic device that accepts drawn graphic entries and includes a screen display, a tool for storing and recalling elements displayed on the screen, including the method steps of:

providing means for displaying a plurality of colors;

the user assigning at least one functional onscreen element to at least one of said plurality of colors;

selecting said at least one color as a line style;

drawing a line onscreen using said at least one color;

wherein screen display portrays said functional element that is assigned to said at least one color.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the length and slope of said line determine the size of said element.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said at least one onscreen element is scaled to be displayed at a size substantially the same as it was when assigned to said at least one of said colors.

32. The method of claim 29, further including the steps of providing a plurality of said electronic devices, connecting said devices through a communications network, and transmitting said onscreen element from one of said electronic devices to at least another of said electronic devices.

33. The method of claim 32, said another of said electronic devices receiving said functional onscreen element and thereafter generating said functional onscreen element to reside and operate in said another electronic device.

34. In an electronic device that accepts drawn graphic entries and includes a screen display, a tool for storing and recalling elements displayed on the screen, including the method steps of:

providing means for displaying a first plurality of colors;

the user assigning at least one representational onscreen element to one of said first plurality of colors;

selecting said one of said first plurality of colors as a line style;

drawing a line onscreen using said one color, the screen display portraying said representational element assigned to said color.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said at least one representational onscreen element is displayed at a size that is determined by the length and slope of the line drawn.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said assigning step includes using an arrow logic line to assign said at least one representational onscreen element to said one of said first plurality of colors.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said assigning step includes displaying a second plurality of colors for arrow logics, and selecting an arrow logic color from said second plurality of colors that corresponds with the transaction defined as taking the onscreen objects from which the line is drawn and placing those objects in the object to which the line is drawn.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said object to which the line is drawn is said one of said first plurality of colors.

39. The method of claim 37, further including the step of transferring at least one of said second plurality of colors to said first plurality of colors.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein said assigning step includes the serial actions of first selecting one of said first plurality of colors, and thereafter selecting said at least one representational onscreen element.

41. In an electronic device that accepts drawn graphic entries and includes a screen display, a method for storing and recalling elements displayed on the screen, including the steps of:

providing means for displaying at least one assignable specifier;

the user assigning at least one onscreen element to a respective assignable specifier;

selecting said respective assignable specifier as a line style;

drawing a line onscreen in said line style to call forth said respective assignable specifier;

the screen display thereafter portraying said respective assignable specifier;

activating said respective assignable specifier to call forth said at least one onscreen element which has been assigned to said respective specifier.

42. The method of claim 41, further including providing a plurality of said electronic devices, connecting said devices through a communications network, transmitting said respective assignable specifier from one of said electronic devices to at least another of said electronic devices;

and,

displaying said respective assignable specifier by said another of said electronic devices.

43. The method of claim 42, further including the step of activating said respective assignable specifier on said another of said electronic devices to call forth said at least one onscreen element.