System and method for text editor text alignment control

• US 9,176,940 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Dent, Terrill Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Velez-Lopez, Mario M
• Application Number:
  US13/837,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20140281942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 715/256
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A method for an electronic device having an input device and a display, including, displaying a block of text within a text editing application, displaying, in proximity of the block of text, an alignment control interface after a precondition is met, detecting a dragging motion associated with the alignment control interface, modifying an alignment of the block of text based, at least in part, on the detected dragging motion, detecting an end of the dragging motion, and, displaying, in a predetermined position associated with the alignment of the block of text, the alignment control interface. An electronic device including a display, an input device, a memory, and a processor, the processor being configured to execute the method.

Claims

1. A method for an electronic device having an input device and a display, the method comprising:

displaying a block of text within a text editing application;

displaying, in proximity of the block of text and within a text presentation portion of the text editing application, an alignment control interface after a precondition is met;

detecting a dragging motion associated with the alignment control interface, the dragging motion changing a position of the alignment control interface relative to the block of text;

modifying an alignment of the block of text based, at least in part, on the detected dragging motion, wherein modifying the alignment of the block of text based on the detected dragging motion comprises modifying the alignment of the block of text based on the position of the alignment control interface relative to the block of text;

detecting an end of the dragging motion that results in a modified alignment of the block of text; and

updating the alignment control interface based on the modified alignment of the block of text.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the precondition is met, unless, during a predetermined time period, one of the following occurs:

receiving an input reflecting placement of a caret in a block of text;

receiving an input reflecting repositioning of the caret;

receiving a character input;

or

detecting an input reflecting selection of an application outside of the text editing application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined time period is 300 milliseconds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the alignment of the block of text based on the position of the alignment control interface relative to the block of text comprises:

modifying the alignment of the block of text to be left aligned when the alignment control interface is in a left region of the block of text;

modifying the alignment of the block of text to be right aligned when the alignment control interface is in a right region of the block of text, or

modifying the alignment of the block of text to be centered when the alignment control interface is in a middle region of the block of text.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the alignment control interface based on the modified alignment of the block of text comprises:

displaying the alignment control interface in a left region of the block of text when the modified alignment of the block of text is set to left aligned;

displaying the alignment control interface in a right region of the block of text when the modified alignment of the block of text is set to right aligned;

or

displaying the alignment control interface in a middle region of the block of text when the modified alignment of the block of text is set to centered.

6. A method for an electronic device having an input device and a display, the method comprising:

displaying a block of text within a text editing application;

displaying, in proximity of the block of text and within a text presentation portion of the text editing application, a float control interface after a precondition is met;

detecting a dragging motion associated with the float control interface, the dragging motion changing a position of the float control interface relative to the display;

modifying a position of the block of text based, at least in part, on the detected dragging motion, wherein modifying the position of the block of text based on the detected dragging motion comprises modifying the position of the block of text based on the position of the floating control interface relative to the display;

detecting an end of the dragging motion that results in a modified position of the block of text; and

updating the float control interface based on the modified position of the block of text.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the precondition is met, unless, during a predetermined time period, one of the following occurs:

receiving an input reflecting placement of a caret in a block of text;

receiving an input reflecting repositioning of the caret;

receiving a character input;

or

detecting an input reflecting selection of an application outside of the text editing application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined time period is 300 milliseconds.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein modifying the position of the block of text based on the position of the float control interface relative to the display comprises:

modifying the position of the block of text to be left aligned when the float control interface is in a left region of the display;

modifying the position of the block of text to be right aligned when the float control interface is in a right region of the display, or

modifying the position of the block of text to be centered when the float control interface is in a middle region of the display.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein updating the float control interface based on the modified position of the block of text comprises:

displaying the float control interface in a left region of the block of text when the modified position of the block of text is in a left region of the display;

displaying the float control interface in a right region of the block of text when the modified position of the block of text is in a right region of the display;

or

displaying the float control interface in a middle region of the block of text when the modified position of the block of text is in a middle region of the display.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a display, configured to display characters;

an input device;

a memory storing one or more instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the one or more instructions to perform operations comprising;

displaying a block of text within a text editing application;

displaying, in proximity of the block of text and within a text presentation portion of the text editing application, an alignment control interface after a precondition is met;

detecting a dragging motion associated with the alignment control interface, the dragging motion changing a position of the alignment control interface relative to the block of text;

modifying an alignment of the block of text based, at least in part, on the detected dragging motion, wherein modifying the alignment of the block of text based on the detected dragging motion comprises modifying the alignment of the block of text based on the position of the alignment control interface relative to the block of text;

detecting an end of the dragging motion that results in a modified alignment of the block of text; and

updating the alignment control interface based on the modified alignment of the block of text.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the precondition is met, unless, during a predetermined time period, one of the following occurs:

receiving an input reflecting placement of a caret in a block of text;

receiving an input reflecting repositioning of the caret;

receiving a character input;

or

detecting an input reflecting selection of an application outside of the text editing application.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the predetermined time period is 300 milliseconds.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein modifying the alignment of the block of text based on the position of the alignment control interface relative to the block of text comprises:

modifying the alignment of the block of text to be left aligned when the alignment control interface is in a left region of the block of text;

modifying the alignment of the block of text to be right aligned when the alignment control interface is in a right region of the block of text, or

modifying the alignment of the block of text to be centered when the alignment control interface is in a middle region of the block of text.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein updating the alignment control interface based on the modified alignment of the block of text comprises:

displaying the alignment control interface in a left region of the block of text when the modified alignment of the block of text is set to left aligned;

displaying the alignment control interface in a right region of the block of text when the modified alignment of the block of text is set to right aligned;

or

displaying the alignment control interface in a middle region of the block of text when the modified alignment of the block of text is set to centered.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a display, configured to display characters;

an input device;

a memory storing one or more instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the one or more instructions to perform operations comprising;

displaying a block of text within a text editing application;

displaying, in proximity of the block of text and within a text presentation portion of the text editing application, a float control interface after a precondition is met;

detecting a dragging motion associated with the float control interface, the dragging motion changing a position of the float control interface relative to the display;

modifying a position of the block of text based, at least in part, on the detected dragging motion, wherein modifying the position of the block of text based on the detected dragging motion comprises modifying the position of the block of text based on the position of the float control interface relative to the block of text;

detecting an end of the dragging motion that results in a modified position of the block of text; and

updating the float control interface based on the modified position of the block of text.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the precondition is met, unless, during a predetermined time period, one of the following occurs:

receiving an input reflecting placement of a caret in a block of text;

receiving an input reflecting repositioning of the caret;

receiving a character input;

or

detecting an input reflecting selection of an application outside of the text editing application.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the predetermined time period is 300 milliseconds.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein modifying the position of the block of text based on the position of the float control interface relative to the display comprises:

modifying the position of the block of text to be left aligned when the float control interface is in a left region of the display;

modifying the position of the block of text to be right aligned when the float control interface is in a right region of the display, or

modifying the position of the block of text to be centered when the float control interface is in a middle region of the display.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein updating the float control interface based on the modified position of the block of text comprises:

displaying the float control interface in a left region of the block of text when the modified position of the block of text is in a left region of the display;

displaying the float control interface in a right region of the block of text when the modified position of the block of text is in a right region of the display;

or

displaying the float control interface in a middle region of the block of text when the modified position of the block of text is in a middle region of the display.