Smart copy/paste of graphical nodes

• US 9,639,230 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wong, Karen K., Howe, Andrew J., Gilbert, Brent, Hoyer, Crystal L., Kotler, Matthew J., Mannisto, Mikko T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tank, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/234,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 715273, 715762-763, 715769-770, 715825, 715853-855, 707805, 707809, 717113
• 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 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines

Abstract

When using graphical diagrams, cutting and pasting operations may take advantage of predefined relationships to intelligently insert and remove items from the diagram. A text data model may be interpreted sequentially or hierarchically to construct various diagrams. Pasting operations will bring new data into the diagram and data model while conforming the new data to the diagram definition. Cutting operations may cause the data model and diagram to be healed to conform to the diagram definition.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

presenting a data view of a diagram that includes a first text item and a second text item, the diagram including a set of relationship rules that describe an acceptable relationship type and a first relationship of the acceptable relationship type defined between the first text item and the second text item;

receiving user input comprising at least a selection of the first text item and a command to copy a third text item, with at least a portion of the user input being directed at the first text item in the data view;

in response to receiving the user input, automatically pasting the third text item into the data view, the automatically pasting comprising;

dissolving the first relationship between the first text item and the second text item;

establishing a second relationship of the acceptable relationship type between the first text item and the third text item;

establishing a third relationship of the acceptable relationship type between the third text item and the second text item; and

inserting a graphical object corresponding to the third text item into a pictorial view that includes graphical objects corresponding to the first text item and the second text item, the pictorial view being distinct from and non-overlapping with respect to the data view.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting the graphical object comprises:

displaying the inserted graphical object, the graphical object corresponding to the first text item and the graphical object corresponding to the second text item in the pictorial view in a manner that visually indicates in the pictorial view the establishment of the second relationship of the acceptable relationship type between the first text item and the third text item and the establishment of the third relationship of the acceptable relationship type between the third text item and the second text item.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceptable relationship type is hierarchical.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceptable relationship type is sequential.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acceptable relationship type is peer to peer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dissolving and establishing steps are performed in accordance with the set of relationship rules.

7. A computer readable storage hardware comprising computer executable instructions configured to perform a method comprising:

presenting a data view of a diagram that includes a first text item, a second text item and a third text item, the diagram including a set of relationship rules that describe an acceptable relationship type, a first relationship of the acceptable relationship type defined between the first text item and the second text item, and a second relationship of the acceptable relationship type defined between the second text item and the third text item;

receiving user input comprising at least a selection of the second text item, with at least a portion of the user input being directed at the second text item in the data view;

in response to receiving the user input, automatically removing the second text item from the data view, the automatically removing comprising;

dissolving the first relationship between the first text item and the second text item;

dissolving the second relationship between the second text item and the third text item;

establishing a third relationship of the acceptable relationship type between the first text item and the third text item; and

removing a graphical object corresponding to the second text item from a pictorial view that includes graphical objects corresponding to the first text item, the second text item and the third text item, the pictorial view being distinct from and non-overlapping with respect to the data view.

8. The computer readable storage hardware of claim 7, wherein the removing the graphical object comprises:

displaying the graphical object corresponding to the first text item and the graphical object corresponding to the third text item in the pictorial view in a manner that visually indicates in the pictorial view the establishment of the third relationship of the acceptable relationship type between the first text item and the third text item.

9. The computer readable storage hardware of claim 7, wherein the acceptable relationship type is hierarchical.

10. The computer readable storage hardware of claim 7, wherein the acceptable relationship type is sequential.

11. The computer readable storage hardware of claim 7, wherein the acceptable relationship type is peer to peer.

12. The computer readable storage hardware of claim 7, wherein the dissolving and establishing steps are performed in accordance with the set of relationship rules.

13. A system, comprising:

an instruction execution apparatus; and

a computer storage media that stores computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions being executable by the instruction execution apparatus to perform steps comprising;

presenting a data view of a diagram that includes a plurality of text items, the diagram including a set of relationship rules that describe an acceptable relationship type and one or more relationships of the acceptable relationship type defined between corresponding ones of the text items;

receiving user input indicating that a text item should be added to or removed from the data view, with at least a portion of the user input directed at the text item in the data view; and

in response to receiving the user input, automatically establishing or dissolving one or more relationships between selected text items in the data view and automatically establishing or dissolving one or more relationships between selected graphical objects in a pictorial view of the diagram, the selected graphical objects corresponding to the selected text items, the pictorial view being distinct from and non-overlapping with respect to the data view.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the acceptable relationship type is hierarchical.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the acceptable relationship type is sequential.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the acceptable relationship type is peer to peer.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the user input indicating that a text item should be added to or removed from the data view comprises user input indicating that a text item should be pasted into the data view.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the user input indicating that a text item should be pasted into the data view comprises user input indicating that a text item should be pasted as a parent into the data view.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the user input indicating that a text item should be pasted into the data view comprises user input indicating that a text item should be pasted as a child into the data view.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the user input indicating that a text item should be added or removed from the data view comprises user input indicating that a text item should be cut from the data view.