Method and system for creating temporary visual indicia

• US 8,977,975 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Yalovsky, Mark, Clarke, Simon P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Benjamin J
• Application Number:
  US12/791,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20100241969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/751, 715/203, 715230-233
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink

Abstract

The present invention relates to new and improved embodiments of systems and methods for using a “pen” input as a temporary pointer to highlight a portion of a document and having the “ink” disappear. In embodiments, a method and system for temporarily marking a portion of a document comprises sending a marking directive that produces a visual indicia on a document being viewed on two or more display devices connected over a network, waiting a period of time, and automatically erasing the visual indicia on the document being viewed on the two or more display devices.

Claims

1. A method for temporarily marking a portion of a document executed by a computer system having at least one memory and at least one processing unit, the method comprising:

sending the document from a first computer to a second computer, wherein the first computer and the second computer are connected via a peer-to-peer application over a network;

displaying the document on a first display window of the first computer;

generating a first marking directive at the first computer;

sending the first marking directive from the first computer to the second computer, wherein the first marking directive comprises information for displaying a first visual indicia on the document in a second display window on the second computer, and wherein the first marking directive sent to the second computer further comprises information for automatically erasing the first visual indicia on the document in the second display window after a first predetermined amount of time without receiving an erase directive;

displaying the first visual indicia on the document in the first display window;

receiving a second marking directive from the second computer;

in response to receiving the second marking directive, displaying a second visual indicia on the document in the first display window;

automatically erasing the first visual indicia on the document in the first display window after the first predetermined amount of time, wherein the information in the first marking directive causes the first visual indicia to be automatically erased on the document in the second display window after the first predetermined amount of time, and wherein the document continues to be displayed in the first display window and in the second display window; and

automatically erasing the second visual indicia on the document in the first display window after a second predetermined amount of time.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a pen as pointer directive; and

receiving edits to the document, wherein the edits correspond to the first marking directive and the second marking directive.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first visual indicia and the second visual indicia are viewable on the document in the second display window on the second computer.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first predetermined amount of time and the second predetermined amount of time are the same.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

wherein when an erase directive for the first visual indicia is received at the first computer before the first predetermined period of time elapses, the method further comprises;

erasing the first visual indicia on the document in the first display window before the first predetermined period of time elapses; and

sending an erase directive for the first visual indicia from the first computer to the second computer; and

wherein the step of automatically erasing the first visual indicia is performed only when no erase directive for the first visual indicia is received before the first predetermined period of time elapses.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

wherein when an erase directive for the second visual indicia is received at the first computer before the second predetermined period of time elapses, the method further comprises;

erasing the second visual indicia on the document in the first display window before the second predetermined period of time elapses; and

sending an erase directive for the second visual indicia from the first computer to the second computer; and

wherein the step of automatically erasing the second visual indicia is performed only when no erase directive for the second visual indicia is received before the second predetermined period of time elapses.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first visual indicia and the second visual indicia are automatically erased at different times.

8. A computer system comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

at least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processing unit and containing computer-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processing unit perform a method of providing temporary visual indicia on a document, the method comprising;

sending the document from a first computer to a second computer, wherein the first computer and the second computer are connected via a peer-to-peer application over a network;

displaying the document on a first display window of the first computer;

generating a first marking directive at the first computer;

sending the first marking directive from the first computer to the second computer, wherein the first marking directive comprises information for displaying a first visual indicia on the document in a second display window on the second computer, and wherein the first marking directive sent to the second computer further comprises information for automatically erasing the first visual indicia on the document in the second display window after a first predetermined amount of time without receiving an erase directive;

displaying the first visual indicia on the document in the first display window;

receiving a second marking directive from the second computer;

in response to receiving the second marking directive, displaying a second visual indicia on the document in the first display window;

automatically erasing the first visual indicia on the document in the first display window after the predetermined amount of time, wherein the information in the first marking directive causes the first visual indicia to be automatically erased on the document in the second display window after the first predetermined amount of time, and wherein the document continues to be displayed in the first display window and in the second display window; and

automatically erasing the second visual indicia on the document in the first display window after a second predetermined amount of time.

9. The computer system as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

receiving data associated with the second marking directive that specifies the second visual indicia is disappearing ink.

10. The computer system as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

automatically erasing the second visual indicia on the document in the first display window after a second predetermined amount of time.

11. The computer system as defined in claim 10, wherein the first visual indicia and the second visual indicia are automatically erased at different times.

12. The computer system as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

wherein when an erase directive for the first visual indicia is received at the first computer before the first predetermined period of time elapses, the method further comprises;

erasing the first visual indicia on the document in the first display window before the first predetermined period of time elapses; and

sending an erase directive for the first visual indicia from the first computer to the second computer; and

wherein the step of automatically erasing the first visual indicia is performed only when no erase directive for the first visual indicia is received before the first predetermined period of time elapses.

13. The computer system as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an erase directive for the second visual indicia from the second computer; and

erasing the second visual indicia on the document in the first display window.

14. The computer system as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

wherein when an erase directive for the first visual indicia is received from the second computer before the predetermined period of time elapses, the first visual indicia is erased on the document in the first display window before the predetermined period of time elapses; and

wherein the step of automatically erasing the first visual indicia is performed only when no erase directive for the first visual indicia is received before the first predetermined period of time elapses.

15. A computer storage device comprising computer-executable instructions that upon execution cause a computing system to perform a method of generating temporary visual indicia on a document, the method comprising:

sending the document from a first computer to a second computer, wherein the first computer and the second computer are connected via a peer-to-peer application over a network;

displaying the document on a first display window of the first computer;

generating a first marking directive at the first computer;

sending the first marking directive from the first computer to the second computer, wherein the first marking directive comprises information for displaying a first visual indicia on the document in a second display window on the second computer, and wherein the first marking directive sent to the second computer further comprises information for automatically erasing the first visual indicia on the document in the second display window after a first predetermined amount of time without receiving an erase directive;

displaying the first visual indicia on the document in the first display window;

receiving a second marking directive from the second computer;

in response to receiving the second marking directive, displaying a second visual indicia on the document in the first display window;

automatically erasing the first visual indicia on the document in the first display window after the first predetermined amount of time, wherein the information in the first marking directive causes the first visual indicia to be automatically erased on the document in the second display window after the first predetermined amount of time, and wherein the document continues to be displayed in the first display window and in the second display window; and

automatically erasing the second visual indicia on the document in the first display window after a second predetermined amount of time.

16. The computer storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a pen as pointer directive; and

receiving edits to the document, wherein the edits correspond to the first marking directive and the second marking directive.

17. The computer storage device of claim 15, wherein the first visual indicia and the second visual indicia are viewable on the document in the second display window on the second computer.

18. The computer storage device of claim 15, wherein the first predetermined amount of time and the second predetermined amount of time are the same.

19. The computer storage device of claim 15, further comprising:

wherein when an erase directive for the first visual indicia is received at the first computer before the first predetermined period of time elapses, the method further comprises;

erasing the first visual indicia on the document in the first display window before the first predetermined period of time elapses; and

sending an erase directive for the first visual indicia from the first computer to the second computer; and

wherein the step of automatically erasing the first visual indicia is performed only when no erase directive for the first visual indicia is received before the first predetermined period of time elapses.

20. The computer storage device of claim 15, wherein the first visual indicia and the second visual indicia are automatically erased at different times.