Automatic height adjustment for electronic highlighter pens and mousing devices

• US 7,659,890 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Simmons, Alex J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro; Leonid
• Application Number:
  US10/804,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,153 Days
• Field of Search: 345/179, 345/173, 345/156, 715859-863
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects

Abstract

Methods and systems provide for automatic adjustment of electronic highlighter cursor height in response to a determined height of images or typed or handwritten text to be highlighted. The highlighter thickness or cursor height of an electronic highlighter, such as an electronic pen or mousing device, automatically adjusts based on the text or images the user is highlighting. When the user focuses the electronic highlighter on text or images to be highlighted, the height of the text or images is determined, and the height or thickness of the highlighter cursor is automatically adjusted.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium containing computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer automatically adjust the electronic ink height of an electronic highlighter device, comprising:

selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed handwritten text selection;

in response to engaging the electronic pen with the computer-displayed handwritten text selection, automatically determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection from the engagement, wherein determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection from the engagement includes determining an average height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection without considering the length of any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection;

after the automatic determination of the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection, setting the electronic ink height of the electronic pen to the determined height, wherein the set electronic ink height of the electronic pen is configured to highlight the average height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection without highlighting any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection; and

after the setting of the electronic ink height of the electronic pen to the determined height, receiving a highlight input via the electronic pen, wherein the highlight input causes the distribution of the electronic ink at the determined height onto the computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, whereby selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device includes selecting an electronic mousing device for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

and

whereby engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed handwritten text selection includes focusing a cursor of the electronic mousing device over the computer-displayed handwritten text selection and clicking the electronic mousing device for distributing electronic ink onto the computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

3. A computer-implemented method for automatically adjusting the electronic ink height of an electronic highlighter device, comprising:

selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed handwritten text selection;

in response to engaging the electronic pen with the computer-displayed handwritten text selection, automatically determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection from the engagement, wherein determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection from the engagement includes determining an average height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection without considering the length of any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection;

after the automatic determination of the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection, setting the electronic ink height of the electronic pen to the determined height, wherein the set electronic ink height of the electronic pen is configured to highlight the average height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection without highlighting any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection; and

after the setting of the electronic ink height of the electronic pen to the determined height, receiving a highlight input via the electronic pen, wherein the highlight input causes the distribution of the electronic ink at the determined height onto the computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, whereby selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device includes selecting an electronic mousing device for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

and

whereby engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed handwritten text selection includes focusing a cursor of the electronic mousing device over the computer-displayed handwritten text selection and clicking the electronic mousing device for distributing electronic ink onto the computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

5. A system for automatically adjusting the electronic ink height of an electronic highlighter device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer-executable instruction are configured for;

selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed handwritten text selection;

in response to engaging the electronic pen with the computer-displayed handwritten text selection, automatically determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection from the engagement, wherein determining the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection from the engagement includes determining an average height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection without considering the length of any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection;

after the automatic determination of the height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection, setting a height of a cursor for inputting electronic highlighter ink to the determined height, wherein the height of the cursor is configured to highlight the average height of the computer-displayed handwritten text selection without highlighting any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the computer-displayed handwritten text selection;

after the setting of the height of the cursor to the determined height, receiving a highlight input via the electronic pen, wherein the highlight input causes the distribution of the electronic ink at the determined height onto the computer-displayed handwritten text selection;

after disengaging the highlight input engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed object other than the computer-displayed handwritten text selection;

in response to engaging the electronic pen with the computer-displayed object, automatically discarding the determined height and determining the height of the computer-displayed object from the engagement;

after the automatic determination of the height of the computer-displayed object, setting the electronic ink height of the electronic pen to the determined height; and

after the setting of the electronic ink height of the electronic pen to the determined height, receiving a highlight input via the electronic pen, wherein the highlight input causes the distribution of the electronic ink at the determined height onto the computer-displayed object.

6. The system of claim 5, whereby selecting an electronic pen for functioning as an electronic highlighter device includes selecting an electronic mousing device for functioning as an electronic highlighter device;

and

whereby engaging the electronic pen with a computer-displayed handwritten text selection includes focusing a cursor of the electronic mousing device over the computer-displayed handwritten text selection and clicking the electronic mousing device for distributing electronic highlighter ink onto the computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-displayed object is an image and the determined height is a height of the image.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-displayed object is font text and the determined height is a font size.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-displayed object is a second computer-displayed handwritten text selection and the determined height is a height of the second computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-displayed object is a second computer-displayed handwritten text selection and the determined height is determined from an average height of the second computer-displayed handwritten text selection without considering the length of any ascending or any descending character segments of any characters comprising the second computer-displayed handwritten text selection.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer-displayed object is a second computer-displayed handwritten text selection and the determined height is determined from ruled lines of a display.