Editing the text of an arbitrary graphic via a hierarchical list

• US 9,489,359 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gilbert, Brent, Shelly, Cynthia C., Pritting, Gary A., St. Amant, Kim Tapia, Kotler, Matthew J., Wolf, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORR, HENRY W
• Application Number:
  US13/933,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 715/731, 715/763
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

The present invention includes a graphics software program that automatically creates graphical content when a user creates or modifies a hierarchical list of content data and chooses from one of a plurality of graphical definition choices for the graphical elements. In addition, the present invention includes a user interface with three different displays. The first display presents the user with one or more galleries including a gallery with a plurality of graphical definitions. The second display is a content entry area. The final display is a drawing canvas.

Claims

1. A system for editing graphical content, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and containing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method, comprising;

receiving a first line of text and a second line of text in a content entry area;

receiving one or more formats in addition to the first line of text and the second line of text;

based at least in part on the one or more formats, determining a hierarchical relationship between the first line of text and the second line of text;

receiving a selection of a first graphical layout definition; and

displaying graphical content in a drawing canvas area, comprising;

combining the first line of text with the first graphical layout definition to generate a first shape;

combining the second line of text with the first graphical layout definition to generate a second shape;

displaying the first shape in the drawing canvas area, wherein the first shape at least substantially encapsulates the first line of text;

displaying the second shape in the drawing canvas area, wherein the second shape at least substantially encapsulates the second line of text; and

displaying a transition between the first shape and the second shape, the transition representing the hierarchical relationship between the first line of text and the second line of text;

receiving one or more changes to the graphical content in the drawing canvas area, wherein the one or more changes are made to at least one of;

the first shape, the second shape, and the transition; and

creating corresponding modifications in the content entry area as the one or more changes to the graphical content are received, wherein the corresponding modifications are made to at least one of;

the first line of text, the second line of text, and the one or more formats.

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

receiving one or more modifications in the content entry area, wherein the one or more modifications are made to at least one of;

the first line of text, the second line of text, and the one or more formats in the content entry area.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising:

creating corresponding changes to the graphical content in the drawing canvas area as the one or more modifications are received in the content entry area, wherein the corresponding changes are made to at least one of;

the first shape, the second shape, and the transition.

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

receiving a selection of a second graphical definition;

displaying modified graphical content in the drawing canvas area, comprising;

combining the first line of text with the second graphical definition to display a third shape, the third shape at least substantially encapsulating the first line of text;

combining the second line of text with the second graphical definition to display a fourth shape, the fourth shape at least substantially encapsulating the second line of text; and

displaying the transition between the third shape and the fourth shape, the transition representing the relationship between the first line of text and the second line of text.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more changes are made directly to the transition of the graphical content in the drawing canvas area and the corresponding modifications are to the one or more formats in the content entry area.

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

receiving a modification to the first line of text that is substantially encapsulated by the first shape in the drawing canvas area; and

making a corresponding change to the first line of text in the content entry area, wherein the corresponding change is made in the content entry area as the modification is received in the drawing canvas area.

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

receiving a change to the first line of text in the content entry area; and

making a corresponding modification to the first line of text that is substantially encapsulated by the first shape in the drawing canvas area, wherein the corresponding modification is made in the drawing canvas area as the change is received in the content entry area.

8. A computer storage device having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving content in a content entry area, wherein the content comprises one or more formats, and wherein the one or more formats determine a relationship between at least a first portion of the content and a second portion of the content;

displaying graphical content that comprises one or more graphical elements in a drawing canvas area, comprising;

displaying a first shape in the drawing canvas area, wherein the first shape substantially encapsulates the first portion of the content;

displaying a second shape in the drawing canvas area, wherein the second shape substantially encapsulates the second portion of the content; and

displaying a transition between the first shape and the second shape, wherein a relationship between the first shape and the second shape corresponds to the relationship between the first portion of the content and the second portion of the content;

receiving one or more changes to the content in the content entry area, wherein the one or more changes include adding or removing one or more formats to the content;

modifying the one or more graphical elements of the graphical content in the drawing canvas area as the one or more changes to the content are received in the content entry area, wherein the one or more changes to the one or more formats cause corresponding changes in the relationships between the one or more graphical elements; and

substantially simultaneously displaying the one or more changes to the content in the content entry area and the modified one or more graphical elements in the drawing canvas area.

9. The computer storage device according to claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a graphical definition; and

displaying modified graphical content in the drawing canvas area, wherein the modified graphical content is a combination of the content and the graphical definition.

10. The computer storage device according to claim 8, wherein the one or more changes are made directly to the one or more graphical elements of the graphical content in the drawing canvas area, and corresponding changes are substantially simultaneously reproduced in the content in the content entry area.

11. The computer storage device according to claim 8, further comprising:

displaying a live preview of the graphical content before presenting the graphical content in the drawing canvas area.

12. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display device and one or more user interface selection devices, a computer-implemented method of providing graphical content, comprising:

receiving a selection of a graphical definition, wherein the selected graphical definition comprises one of;

a process diagram, a cycle diagram, a relationship diagram, or a pyramid diagram;

receiving textual content in a content entry area, wherein the textual content comprises at least a first portion of content and a second portion of content;

receiving one or more formats in addition to the textual content, wherein the one or more formats determine a relationship between the first portion of content and the second portion of content;

displaying graphical content in a drawing canvas area, comprising;

combining the first portion of content with the selected graphical definition to display a first shape, the first shape at least substantially encapsulating the first portion of content;

combining the second portion of content with the selected graphical definition to display a second shape, the second shape at least substantially encapsulating the second portion of content;

displaying a transition between the first shape and the second shape, the transition representing the relationship between the first portion of content and the second portion of content; and

receiving a modification to the graphical content in the drawing canvas area; and

in response to receiving the modification, making a corresponding change to at least one of the textual content and the one or more formats displayed in the content entry area as the change is received in the drawing canvas area.

13. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the textual content is a hierarchical list.

14. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the textual content is received when a user copies and pastes the textual content into the content entry area.

15. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the textual content is received when a user types the textual content in the content entry area.

16. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the textual content is linked to information in another application.

17. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the graphical content is based on the textual content and a default graphical definition.

18. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the graphical content is automatically created in the drawing canvas area as the textual content is received in the content entry area.

19. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the textual content is automatically created in the content entry area as graphical content is received in the drawing canvas area.

20. The computer system according to claim 12, further comprising:

displaying a live preview of the graphical content before presenting the graphical content in the drawing canvas area.

21. The computer system according to claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a second selection of a graphical definition; and

automatically modifying the graphical content based on the second selected graphical definition as the second selection is received.

22. The computer system according to claim 21, wherein automatically modifying the graphical content comprises:

combining the first portion of content with the second selected graphical definition to display a third shape, the third shape at least substantially encapsulating the first portion of content;

combining the second portion of content with the second selected graphical definition to display a fourth shape, the fourth shape at least substantially encapsulating the second portion of content; and

displaying a transition between the third shape and the fourth shape, the transition representing the relationship between the first portion of content and the second portion of content.

23. The computer system according to claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a modification to the first portion of content that is substantially encapsulated by the first shape in the drawing canvas area; and

making a corresponding change to the first portion of content in the content entry area, wherein the corresponding change is made in the content entry area as the modification is received in the drawing canvas area.

24. The computer system according to claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a change to the first portion of content in the content entry area; and

making a corresponding modification to the first portion of content that is substantially encapsulated by the first shape in the drawing canvas area, wherein the corresponding modification is made in the drawing canvas area as the change is received in the content entry area.

25. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein a server computer system receives the textual content, and wherein the server computer system automatically creates the graphical content to send to a client computer system.