Two step content selection with auto content categorization

• US 9,841,881 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2013
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Zhen, Huang, Jerry, Mak, Chiu Chun Bobby
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Justin
• Application Number:
  US14/074,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20150135103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

In a first step of a two step content selection operation, initial content can be selected by detecting movement of a content selection object with respect to a computing device. The selection area can be calculated based on the object movement that is detected. The content within the selection area can be selected and displayed in a second display area in which content of different types are separated into logical units. All or part of the initial content can be enlarged, enabling the second step of the selection operation in which a subset of the initial content is selected. Content can be transformed before being pasted into the target.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

a display connected to the at least one processor, the display configured to display source content;

the at least one processor configured to;

select first content from the source content displayed on the display based on detected movement of a content selection object across a surface of the display; and

responsive to selection of the first content from the source content, categorize the first content based on content types to form subsections of the first content, the subsections of the first content respectively comprising different content types;

the display further configured to separately display the subsections of the first content responsive to the selection of the first content from the source content;

the at least one processor further configured to select a particular subsection of the first content from the subsections of the first content separately displayed on the display the display is further configured to, responsive to selection of the particular subsection of the first content, enlarge the particular subsection of the first content on the display; and

the at least one processor is further configured to;

select second content from the particular subsection of the first content enlarged on the display; and

responsive to selection of the second content, copy the second content selected from the particular subsection of the first content.

2. The system of claim 1, the at least one processor further configured to:

detect a start selection point and an ending release point of the detected movement of the content selection object; and

determine the first content to be selected from the source content displayed on the display based on the start selection point and the ending release point.

3. The system of claim 2, the at least one processor further configured to:

calculate a selection area, wherein, to calculate the selection area, the at least one processor is further configured to;

determine an x coordinate of the start selection point, the x coordinate of the start selection point being a first x coordinate of the selection area;

determine an x coordinate of the ending release point, the x coordinate of the ending release point being a second x coordinate of the selection area;

when the first x coordinate of the selection area is not at a left edge of the source content, modify the first x coordinate of the selection area to be at the left edge of the source content; and

when the second x coordinate of the selection area is not at a right edge of the source content, modify the second x coordinate of the selection area to be at the right edge of the source content;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the source content within the selection area as the first content.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, to select the second content from the particular subsection of the first content enlarged on the display, the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a start selection point and an end selection point when the particular subsection of the first content is enlarged on the display; and

select content in an area defined by the start selection point and the end selection point as the second content.

5. The system of claim 1, the at least one processor further configured to:

transform the second content selected from the particular subsection of the first content; and

paste at least a portion of the second content selected from the particular subsection of the first content as transformed into a specified target at a specified paste location.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein, to transform the second content selected from the particular subsection of the first content, the at least one processor is further configured to translate the second content selected from the particular subsection of the first content from a first language to a second language.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein, to transform the second content selected from the particular subsection of the first content, the at least one processor is further configured to convert an image into digitized text.

19. The system of claim 5, wherein, to transform the second content selected from the particular subsection of the first content, the at least one processor is further configured to perform optical character recognition.

6. A method comprising:

causing source content to be displayed on a display;

receiving, by a processor of a computing device, an indication of initial content to be selected from the source content displayed on the display, the initial content indicated by movement of a selection object across a surface of the display, the movement of the selection object having a start selection point and an ending release point;

responsive to receiving the indication of the initial content to be selected from the source content;

categorizing the initial content based on content types to create subsections of the initial content, wherein the subsections of the initial content comprise different, respective content types; and

causing the subsections of the initial content to be displayed in different sub-displays on the display;

selecting a particular subsection of the initial content from the subsections of the initial content displayed in the different sub-displays on the display;

responsive to selecting the particular subsection of the initial content, causing the particular subsection of the initial content to be enlarged on the display;

selecting a subset of the particular subsection of the initial content enlarged on the display; and

responsive to selecting the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content, copying the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein causing the subsections of the initial content to be displayed in the different sub-displays on the display further comprises:

causing at least one of the subsections of the initial content to be enlarged on the display.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content displayed on the display is selected by specifying a start selection point and an end selection point on the display displaying the particular subsection of the initial content.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a target;

transforming the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content; and

pasting at least a portion of the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content as transformed into the target.

10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions which when executed cause at least one processor of a computing device to:

cause source content to be displayed in a first display area on a touchscreen display;

select initial content from the source content displayed in the first display area on the touchscreen display, the initial content selected based on detecting contact of a content selection object with a surface of the touchscreen display at a start selection point and detecting maintained contact of the content selection object with the surface of the touchscreen display to an ending release point;

responsive to the initial content being selected;

categorize the initial content based on content types to form subsections of the initial content, wherein the subsections of the initial content comprise different, respective content types; and

cause the subsections of the initial content to be separately displayed in a second display area on the touchscreen display;

enlarge a particular subsection of the initial content displayed in the second display area on the touchscreen display responsive to selection of the particular subsection of the initial content from the subsections of the initial content;

select a subset of the particular subsection of the initial content enlarged in the second display area on the touchscreen display; and

responsive to the subset of the initial content being selected, transform the subset of the initial content.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a first subsection of the initial content is categorized into a first content category corresponding to one of text data, image data, video data, spreadsheet data or calendar data, and a second subsection of the initial content is categorized into a second content category corresponding to a different one of text data, image data, video data, spreadsheet data or calendar data as compared to the first subsection.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the second display area overlays the first display area on the touchscreen display.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content is transformed by being translated from a first language to a second language.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content is transformed by being converted to digitized text.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the subsections of the initial content are enlarged on the touchscreen display when caused to be separately displayed in the second display area on the touchscreen display.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, comprising further computer-readable instructions which when executed cause the at least one processor to:

paste the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content as transformed into a specified target at a specified paste location.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content is transformed by performing optical character recognition on the subset of the particular subsection of the initial content.