System and method for calling attention to a location of departure in a display

• US 8,468,452 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2005
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Zellweger, Polle T., Chang, Bay-Wei, Mackinlay, Jock D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US11/302,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20060150080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,743 Days
• Field of Search: 715/706, 715/711, 715/715, 715/803, 715/804, 715/861, 715/205
• US Class Current: 715/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/00 Animation

Abstract

A system and method that calls attention to a location of departure in a display includes and interaction system and a content presentation system. The interaction system identifies each interaction with an area in a first display. The content presentation system upon return to the first display from a second display changes the first display to draw attention to the identified area with an animation. The animation expires after a first period of time.

Claims

1. A system for calling attention to a location of departure in a display, comprising:

a document comprising one or more hyperlinks each associated with an annotation and a descriptor comprising any shape for display to a user;

an identification module to identify movement of a cursor over one of the hyperlinks and to display the annotation associated with that hyperlink with the descriptor adjacent to the displayed annotation, wherein the annotation and the descriptor are assigned a common color as an indicator that the annotation is temporarily displayed;

a freeze display module to assign a freeze status to the annotation such that the annotation remains displayed and to assign a different common color for the freeze status to the annotation and the descriptor as an indication that the annotation is frozen;

a detection module to detect a selection of the hyperlink by the user and to traverse to a further document associated with the selected hyperlink;

an annotation module to identify the annotation associated with the selected hyperlink as the most recent traversed annotation and to change an assigned common color of that annotation to another color indicating a most recent traverse status;

a change module to return to the document and to gradually change the most recent traverse status color of the most recent traversed annotation to a further color for a previous visit status indicating that the annotation is previously visited;

a thaw module to remove the freeze status from the annotation and the associated descriptor;

a reduction module to continually reduce a size of the annotation and the associated descriptor upon returning from the further document to the document until the annotation and the associated descriptor completely disappear from the display; and

a processor to execute the modules.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the reduction is initiated in an amount of time substantially after return to the document.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the amount of time is between 300 milliseconds and one second.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

permanently presenting the annotation upon receipt of a selection from the user for the annotation.

5. A method for calling attention to a location of departure in a display, comprising:

providing a document comprising one or more hyperlinks each associated with an annotation an a descriptor comprising any shape for display to a user;

identifying movement of a cursor over one of the hyperlinks and displaying the annotation associated with that hyperlink with the descriptor adjacent to the displayed annotation, wherein the annotation and the descriptor are assigned a common color as an indicator that the annotation is temporarily displayed;

assigning a freeze status to the annotation such that the annotation remains displayed;

assigning a different common color for the freeze status to the annotation and the descriptor as an indication that the annotation is frozen;

detecting a selection of the hyperlink by the user and traversing to a further document associated with the selected hyperlink;

identifying the annotation associated with the selected hyperlink as the most recent traversed annotation and changing an assigned common color of that annotation to another color indicating a most recent traverse status;

returning to the document and gradually changing the most recent traverse status color of the most recent traversed annotation to a further color for a previous visit status indicating that the annotation is previously visited;

removing the freeze status for the annotation and the associated descriptor; and

continually reducing a size of the annotation and the associated descriptor upon returning from the further document to the document until the annotation and the associated descriptor completely disappear from the display.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

initiating the reduction in an amount of time substantially after return to the document.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the amount of time is between 300 milliseconds and one second.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

permanently presenting the annotation upon receipt of a selection from the user for the annotation.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform:

providing a document comprising one or more hyperlinks each associated with an annotation and a descriptor comprising any shape for display to a user;

identifying movement of a cursor over one of the hyperlinks and displaying the annotation associated with that hyperlink with the descriptor adjacent to the displayed annotation, wherein the annotation and the descriptor are assigned a common color as an indicator that the annotation is temporarily displayed;

assigning a freeze status to the annotation such that the annotation remains displayed;

assigning a different common color for the freeze status to the annotation and the descriptor as an indication that the annotation is frozen;

detecting a selection of the hyperlink by the user and traversing to a further document associated with the selected hyperlink;

identifying the annotation associated with the selected hyperlink as the most recent traversed annotation and changing an assigned common color of that annotation to another color indicating a most recent traverse status;

returning to the document and gradually changing the most recent traverse status color of the most recent traversed annotation to a further color for a previous visit status indicating that the annotation is previously visited;

removing the freeze status for that annotation and the associated descriptor; and

continually reducing a size of the annotation and the associated descriptor upon returning from the further document to the document until the annotation and the associated descriptor completely disappear from the display.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, further comprising:

initiating the reduction in an amount of time substantially after return to the document.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the amount of time is between 300 milliseconds and one second.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 9, further comprising:

permanently presenting the annotation upon receipt of a selection from the user for the annotation.