Method and apparatus for capturing and rendering text annotations for non-modifiable electronic content

• US 7,028,267 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: DeMello, Marco A., Beezer, John L., Silver, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/455,807
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 345/711, 345856-858, 345859-862, 345/863, 345/747, 345/720, 345821-824, 345/754, 345/11, 345802-805, 345853-855, 345712-713, 701/201, 701/208, 701/211, 715/907, 715/795, 715/799, 715/796, 715/802, 715/803, 715/804, 715/805, 715853-854, 715817-820
• US Class Current: 715/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A system and method for capturing, displaying, and navigating text annotations in a non-modifiable document is disclosed. Once it is determined that a text annotation is to be created, the system determines the file position of the selected object. The file position of the selected object is stored along with the created text annotation in another file or a non-read only portion of a file storing the document. Using the file position, the text annotation may be properly identified with the selected object without modifying the non-modifiable document. Once a text annotation is displayed a user may easily navigate among the captured annotations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for annotating a system having a display for displaying a non-modifiable page of a document having objects comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication that an object in the page of the document is to be annotated;

providing a window to a user having a portion for receiving an annotation of the object, said window having a portion allowing navigation to at least one other annotation of at least one other object;

navigating directly to said at least one other annotation of said at least one other object; and

closing said window upon receiving user input not associated with said window.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, said receiving step comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection of the object;

receiving a selection of a menu item that provides said window, said portion of said window for receiving the annotation of the object.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user input;

displaying said at least one other annotation in said window.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

maintaining the display of the non-modifiable page irrespective of the display of said at least one other annotation in said window.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

displaying another non-modifiable page in response to said display of said at least one other annotation in said window.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, wherein said window overlies said another non-modifiable page.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying an indication that a text annotation has been stored in conjunction with an object on said non-modifiable page.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an annotation of the object;

determining a position of the object in the document;

storing the position and the annotation of the object separately from the non-modifiable portion of the document.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a stylus.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a mouse.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein said determining step comprises the step of:

counting the bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to the annotated object.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 8, wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:

counting the number of bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to a first object on the displayed page;

counting the number of bytes from the first object on the displayed page to the annotated object;

adding the number obtained from said first counting step to the number obtained from said second counting step to determine the file position of the annotated object in said file.

13. A computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, said program for use with a display for displaying a non-modifiable page of a document having objects, said program comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication that an object in the page of the document is to be annotated;

providing a window to a user having a portion for receiving an annotation of the object, said window having a portion allowing navigation to at least one other annotation of at least one other object;

navigating directly to said at least one other annotation of said at least one other object and

closing said window upon receiving user input not associated with said window.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, said receiving step of said program further comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection of the object;

receiving a selection of a menu item that provides said window, said portion of said window for receiving the annotation of the object.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, said program further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user input;

displaying said at least one other annotation in said window.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, said program further comprising the step of:

maintaining the display of the non-modifiable page irrespective of the display of said at least one other annotation in said window.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, said program further comprising the step of:

displaying another non-modifiable page in response to said display of said at least one other annotation in said window.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 17, wherein said window overlies said another non-modifiable page.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, said program further comprising the step of:

displaying an indication that a text annotation has been stored in conjunction with an object on said non-modifiable page.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, said program further comprising the steps of:

receiving an annotation of the object;

determining a position of the object in the document;

storing the position and the annotation of the object separately from the non-modifiable portion of the document.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a stylus.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a mouse.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein said determining step comprises the step of:

counting the bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to the annotated object.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:

counting the number of bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to a first object on the displayed page;

counting the number of bytes from the first object on the displayed page to the annotated object;

adding the number obtained from said first counting step to the number obtained from said second counting step to determine the file position of the annotated object in said file.

25. A computer-implemented method for a user to annotate objects of a non-modifiable page of a document displayed on a display in a system, comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication from a user that an object in the displayed page of the document is to be annotated;

providing a window to a user wherein a portion of said window allows the user to enter an annotation to be associated with the object and wherein a portion of said window allows the user to directly navigate to at least one of the previous and next annotations of another object of said document and

closing said window upon receiving user input not associated with said window.

26. The computer-implemented method according to claim 25, said receiving step further comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection of the object;

receiving a selection of a menu item that provides said window, said portion of said window for receiving the annotation of the object.

27. The computer-implemented method according to claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user input;

displaying said at least one other annotation in said window.

28. The computer-implemented method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of:

maintaining the display of the non-modifiable page irrespective of the display of said at least one other annotation in said window.

29. The computer-implemented method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of:

displaying another non-modifiable page in response to said display of said at least one other annotation in said window.

30. The computer-implemented method according to claim 29, wherein said window overlies said another non-modifiable page.

31. The computer-implemented method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of:

displaying an indication that a text annotation has been stored in conjunction with an object on said non-modifiable page.

32. The computer-implemented method according to claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an annotation of the object;

determining a position of the object in the document; and

storing the position and the annotation of the object separately from the non-modifiable portion of the document.

33. The computer-implemented method according to claim 32, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a stylus.

34. The computer-implemented method according to claim 32, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a mouse.

35. The computer-implemented method according to claim 32, wherein said determining step comprises the step of:

counting the bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to the annotated object.

36. The computer-implemented method according to claim 32, wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:

counting the number of bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to a first object on the displayed page;

counting the number of bytes from the first object on the displayed page to the annotated object; and

adding the number obtained from said first counting step to the number obtained from said second counting step to determine the file position of the annotated object in said file.

37. A computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, said program for use with a display for displaying a non-modifiable page of a document having objects, said program comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication that an object in the page of the document is to be annotated; and

providing a window to a user wherein a portion of said window allows the user to enter an annotation to be associated with the object and wherein a portion of said window allows the user to directly navigate to at least one of the previous and next annotations of another object of said document and

closing said window upon receiving user input not associated with said window.

38. The computer-readable medium according to claim 37, said receiving step of said program further comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection of the object;

receiving a selection of a menu item that provides said window, said portion of said window for receiving the annotation of the object.

39. The computer-readable medium according to claim 37, said program further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user input;

displaying said at least one other annotation in said window.

40. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, said program further comprising the step of:

maintaining the display of the non-modifiable page irrespective of the display of said at least one other annotation in said window.

41. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, said program further comprising the step of:

displaying another non-modifiable page in response to said display of said at least one other annotation in said window.

42. The computer-readable medium according to claim 41, wherein said window overlies said another non-modifiable page.

43. The computer-readable medium according to claim 37, said program further comprising the step of:

displaying an indication that a text annotation has been stored in conjunction with an object on said non-modifiable page.

44. The computer-readable medium according to claim 37, said program further comprising the steps of:

receiving an annotation of the object;

determining a position of the object in the document; and

storing the position and the annotation of the object separately from the non-modifiable portion of the document.

45. The computer-readable medium according to claim 44, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a stylus.

46. The computer-readable medium according to claim 44, wherein the designation of the object is received through interaction with a mouse.

47. The computer-readable medium according to claim 44, wherein said determining step comprises the step of:

counting the bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to the annotated object.

48. The computer-readable medium according to claim 44, wherein said determining step comprises the steps of:

counting the number of bytes from the beginning of the non-modifiable portion of the document to a first object on the displayed page;

counting the number of bytes from the first object on the displayed page to the annotated object; and

adding the number obtained from said first counting step to the number obtained from said second counting step to determine the file position of the annotated object in said file.