Method and apparatus for providing a presumptive drafting solution

• US 7,401,299 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Thompson, Daniel Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ke; Peng
• Application Number:
  US09/946,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20030043214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,505 Days
• Field of Search: 345/860, 345/863, 345/822, 345/817, 345/794, 715/860, 715/863, 715/822, 715/817, 715/794
• US Class Current: 715/860
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for providing a presumptive drafting solution. Input from a cursor control device is received, wherein the input reflects a movement in a computer drawing program of a cursor over a drawing having one or more geometric entities (having one or more geometric attributes). In one or more embodiments, a relevant geometric entity is identified based on how the cursor is moved over the drawing. A presumptive drafting solution is then provided based on the identified relevant geometric entity. In addition, prior drawing solutions (having one or more solution attributes) are obtained and compared to the one or more geometric attributes. A drawing solution having one or more solution attributes similar to the one or more geometric attributes may be provided to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a presumptive drafting solution comprising:

receiving input from a cursor control device to control an input movement in a computer of a cursor over an existing drawing having a plurality of geometric shapes;

identifying a relevant geometric shape based on a combined geometric pattern formed by a pattern traced by the cursor moving over the existing drawing;

maintaining a pool of a plurality of the geometric shapes from the existing drawing;

prioritizing the identified relevant geometric shape in the pool of the plurality of geometric shapes based on pattern matching of the combined geometric pattern to the pool of the plurality of the geometric shapes; and

providing a suggestion for a presumptive drafting solution based on the identified relevant geometric shape and the prioritization.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein prioritizing comprises sorting the pool of plurality of geometric shapes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein prioritizing comprises limiting available solutions to higher priority solutions until at least one higher priority solution has been rejected.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified relevant geometric shape is given lower priority than another geometric shape.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the identified relevant geometric shape is given higher priority than another geometric shape.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the relevant geometric shape is a line and the movement comprises the cursor moving along the line at a steep angle.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the relevant geometric shape is a line and the movement comprises the cursor moving along the line at a shallow angle, nearly paralleling the line.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the movement comprises hovering over a geometric shape.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the movement comprises a gesture over a geometric shape.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the gesture comprises a circle.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the gesture comprises an X.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the movement comprises the cursor moving away from a geometric shape along an extension, and wherein the extension is identified as the relevant geometric shape.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the presumptive drafting solution comprises a way to complete drawing an object.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein the presumptive drafting solution comprises a way to complete placing an object.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for providing a presumptive drafting solution in a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving input from a cursor control device to control an input movement in the computer of a cursor over an existing drawing having a plurality of geometric shapes;

identifying a relevant geometric shape based on a combined geometric pattern formed by a pattern traced by the cursor moving over the existing drawing;

maintaining a pool of a plurality of the geometric shapes from the existing drawing;

prioritizing the identified relevant geometric shape in the pool of the plurality of geometric shapes based on pattern matching of the combined geometric pattern to the pool of the plurality of the geometric shapes; and

providing a suggestion for a presumptive drafting solution based on the identified relevant geometric shape and the prioritization.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein prioritizing comprises sorting the pool of geometric shapes.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein prioritizing comprises limiting available solutions to higher priority solutions until at least one higher priority solution has been rejected.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the identified relevant geometric shape is given lower priority than another geometric shape.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the identified relevant geometric shape is given higher priority than another geometric shape.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the relevant geometric shape is a line and the movement comprises the cursor moving along the line at a steep angle.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the relevant geometric shape is a line and the movement comprises the cursor moving along the line at a shallow angle, nearly paralleling the line.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the movement comprises hovering over a geometric shape.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the movement comprises a gesture over a geometric shape.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein the gesture comprises a circle.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein the gesture comprises an X.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the movement comprises the cursor moving away from a geometric shape along an extension, and wherein the extension is identified as the relevant geometric shape.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the presumptive drafting solution comprises a way to complete drawing an object.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 13 wherein the presumptive drafting solution comprises a way to complete placing an object.

25. An apparatus for providing a presumptive drafting solution in a computer system comprising:

(a) a computer system having a memory, a display device, and a cursor control device coupled thereto;

(b) a computer drawing program executing on the computer system, wherein the computer drawing program is configured to;

(i) receive input from the cursor control device to control an input movement in the computer of a cursor over an existing drawing having a plurality of geometric shapes;

(ii) identify a relevant geometric shape based on a combined geometric pattern formed by a pattern traced by the cursor moving over the existing drawing;

(iii) maintain a pool a plurality of geometric shapes from the existing drawing;

(iv) prioritize the identified relevant geometric shape in the pool of the plurality of geometric shapes based on pattern matching of the combined geometric pattern to the pool of the plurality of the geometric shapes; and

(v) provide a suggestion for a presumptive drafting solution based on the identified relevant geometric shape and the prioritization.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the computer drawing program is configured to prioritize by sorting the pool of the plurality of the geometric shapes.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the computer drawing program is configured to prioritize by limiting available solutions to higher priority solutions until at least one higher priority solution has been rejected.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the identified relevant geometric shape is given lower priority than another geometric shape.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the identified relevant geometric shape is given higher priority than another geometric shape.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the relevant geometric shape is a line and the movement comprises the cursor moving along the line at a steep angle.

31. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the relevant geometric shape is a line and the movement comprises the cursor moving along the line at a shallow angle, nearly paralleling the line.

32. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the movement comprises hovering over a geometric shape.

33. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the movement comprises a gesture over a geometric shape.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the gesture comprises a circle.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the gesture comprises an X.

36. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the movement comprises the cursor moving away from a geometric shape along an extension, and wherein the extension is identified as the relevant geometric shape.

41. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the presumptive drafting solution comprises a way to complete drawing an object.

42. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the presumptive drafting solution comprises a way to complete placing an abject.