System and method for customizing note flags

• US 7,793,233 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cardon, Jeffry N., Sellers, Timothy D., Kim, Myungsub
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Núñez; Jordany
• Application Number:
  US10/387,287
• Time in Patent Office: 2,736 Days
• Field of Search: 715/805, 715/781
• US Class Current: 715/805
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32

Abstract

A method and system for customizing note flags allows a user to change the look or “feel” of a note flag. A user can be provided with several options in order to create note flags that are visually distinguishable from one another. In this way, the note flags can be used to visually distinguish a first note or first set of notes from a second note or second set of notes. The method and system can also link note flags with a particular action or operation within a document editing module or with action or an operation in another application program relative to a document editing module. In other words, a note flag can initiate an operation in another application program or within the document editing module (or both) when a particular note flag is selected by a user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for customizing note flags comprising:

receiving notes from an input device;

selecting a note;

receiving an ink gesture;

wherein the ink gesture received is inked in a shape of a note flag on a display;

automatically processing the received ink gesture to determine the shape of the note flag that was inked on the display;

wherein processing the received ink gesture comprises comparing the shape of the received ink gesture to a shape for each of the note flags until a match is found;

automatically selecting a note flag whose shape matches the shape of the note flag that was inked on the display;

wherein each note flag is associated with a different shape;

displaying formatting options for the selected note flag;

displaying a preview of changes made to the selected note flag;

saving changes made to the selected note flag on storage medium; and

displaying a note flag summary;

wherein displaying the note flag summary comprises extracting each note that has an associated note flag; and

displaying the extracted notes with each associated note flag separately from a display of the notes and initiating action in another application program in response to determining that the note flag is selected within the note flag summary.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if a change to an icon associated with the selected note flag is desired.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying Icon options for the selected note flag.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying Icon options for the selected note flag in a table format.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a selection of an icon option.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if a change in a highlight color for text corresponding to a note flag is desired.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying highlight options for the selected note flag.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying highlight options for the selected note flag in a table format.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a selection of a highlight option.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if a change in color for text corresponding to a note flag is desired.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying color options for the selected note flag.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying color options for the selected note flag in a table format.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a selection of a color option.

14. A computer-implemented method for distinguishing a first set of notes from a second set of notes, comprising:

receiving note data from an input device;

wherein the note data comprises notes;

receiving a note flag ink gesture;

wherein the note flag ink gesture is inked in a shape of a note flag;

automatically processing the received ink gesture to determine the note flag that was inked;

automatically selecting a note flag from determining the shape of the note flag ink gesture that was inked;

wherein each note flag is associated with a different shape;

automatically displaying the note flag adjacent to note data in response to detecting the note flag ink gesture that is in the shape of the note flag;

wherein the note flag that is displayed adjacent to the note data is in the shape of the received ink gesture;

determining if the note flag is associated with an operation of one of a program;

supporting the note flag and another application program; and

displaying a note flag summary;

wherein displaying the note flag summary comprises extracting each note within the note data that has an associated note flag; and

displaying the extracted notes with each associated note flag separately from a display of the note data and initiating action in another application program in response to determining that the note flag is selected within the note flag summary.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising modifying at least one of text and ink adjacent to an insertion point.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein modifying comprises highlighting the at least one text and ink with predetermined color.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein modifying comprises changing a color of the at least one text and ink.

18. A computer system for marking notes with note flags and customizing note flags,

comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory storage device;

a display device coupled to the processing unit for displaying data; and

a program stored in the memory storage device for providing instructions to the processing unit,

the processing unit responsive to the instructions of the program, operable for;

receiving notes;

receiving an ink gesture;

wherein the ink gesture received is in a shape of a note flag;

automatically processing the received ink gesture to determine the note flag that was inked;

wherein processing the received ink gesture comprises comparing the shape of the received ink gesture to a shape for each of the note flags until a match is found;

automatically selecting a note flag from determining the shape of the ink gesture that was inked;

wherein each note flag is associated with a different shape;

automatically positioning the note flag adjacent to one of the notes;

receiving a command to change a formatting of a note flag;

displaying formatting options for a note flag; and

displaying a note flag summary;

wherein displaying the note flag summary comprises extracting each note that has an associated note flag; and

displaying the extracted notes with each associated note flag separately from a display of the notes without associated note flags.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying a preview of changes selected for a note flag.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising saving changes made to a selected note flag on storage medium.