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

• US 7,568,168 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• 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 P
• Application Number:
  US11/224,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 715/230, 715/231, 715/232, 715/233, 715/800, 715/802, 715/804, 715/805, 715/767, 715/744, 715/745, 715/747, 715/789
• 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 system for annotating a system having a display for displaying a non-modifiable page of a document having objects comprising:

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

means for providing a window for each annotation 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 window containing an annotation of at least one other object means for navigating directly to said at least one other annotation window to the annotation of said at least one other object; and

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

2. The computer system according to claim 1, said means for receiving comprising:

means for receiving a selection of the object; and

means for 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 system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving a user input; and

means for displaying said at least one other annotation in said window.

4. The computer system according to claim 3, further comprising:

means for 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 system according to claim 3, further comprising:

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

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

7. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

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

8. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving an annotation of the object;

means for determining a position of the object in the document; and

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

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

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

11. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein said means for determining comprises:

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

12. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein said means for determining comprises:

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

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

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

13. A computer system for a user to annotate objects of a non-modifiable page of a document displayed on a display in a system, comprising:

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

means for providing a window for each annotation 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 annotation windows, each having an annotation of another object of said document; and

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

14. The computer system according to claim 13, said means for receiving further comprising:

means for receiving a selection of the object; and

means for 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 system according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving a user input; and

means for displaying said at least one other annotation in said window.

16. The computer system according to claim 15, further comprising:

means for 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 system according to claim 15, further comprising:

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

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

19. The computer system according to claim 13, further comprising:

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

20. The computer system according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for receiving an annotation of the object;

means for determining a position of the object in the document; and

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

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

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

23. The computer system according to claim 20, wherein said means for determining comprises:

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

24. The computer system according to claim 20, wherein said means for determining comprises:

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

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

means for 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.