Adaptive writing interface

• US 10,007,406 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bending Spoons SpA
• Original Assignee: Evernote Corp. (Bending Spoons SpA)
• Inventors: Libin, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): Nabi, Reza
• Application Number:
  US14/943,154
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 715767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

Adapting an interface for a word processor includes automatically switching to a focus mode in response to detecting that a user is entering text into a document being entered for a first amount of time, where in the focus mode, a window of the word processor shows only text of the document and includes automatically switching to a perspective mode in response to detecting that a user has stopped entering text for a second amount of time, where in the perspective mode, the window of the word processor includes user-actuated controls to apply formatting to the document, save the document, and import non-textual objects into the document. The second amount of time may vary according to whether a user is looking at the window of the word processor. Font size may be enlarged when the word processor is in the focus mode.

Claims

1. A method of adapting an interface for a word processor displayed by a display of a computing device, comprising:

automatically switching to displaying, by the display, a focus mode in response to detecting that a user has entered text into a document for a first amount of time, wherein in the focus mode, a window of the word processor shows text of the document and does not show user-actuated controls to apply formatting to the document, save the document, and/or import non-textual objects into the document; and

automatically switching to displaying, by the display, a perspective mode in response to detecting that a user has stopped entering text for a second amount of time, wherein in the perspective mode, the window of the word processor includes the user-actuated controls, wherein the second amount of time varies based on at least one of;

eye-tracking, spatial gesture recognition of the user, physical activities of the user, attention span of the user between applications, content scanning of the user, and changes in position of the user.

2. A method, according to claim 1, wherein the second amount of time varies according to whether a user is looking at the window of the word processor.

3. A method, according to claim 1, wherein the spatial gestures and position of the user are determined using spatial sensors of wearable devices of the user.

4. A method, according to claim 3, wherein the wearable devices of the user include at least one of:

activity tracking wristware, position sensing wristware, smart glasses, smart clothing, and smart earware.

5. A method, according to claim 1, wherein the window of the word processor is maximized to a window size that corresponds to a display size of the display when the word processor is in the focus mode.

6. A method, according to claim 1, wherein font size of the text is enlarged when the word processor is in the focus mode.

7. A method, according to claim 1, wherein the window of the word processor is displayed in a first portion of the display of the computing device;

the method further comprising;

switching to displaying, by the display, an auto-clipping mode in response to a user selecting a fragment from a second portion of the display that is distinct from the first portion of the display, wherein, in the auto-clipping mode, the fragment is automatically pasted into the document in response to one of;

the user finishing selection of the fragment and the user positioning a cursor inside the window of the word processor.

8. A method, according to claim 7, wherein the user finishes selection of the fragment by releasing a mouse button and, in response thereto, text from the application is inserted at a location in the document corresponding to a location of the cursor in the document prior to selecting the fragment.

9. A method, according to claim 7, wherein following pasting the fragment, a button that allows the user to undo pasting the fragment is displayed by the display.

10. A method, according to claim 7, wherein auto-clipping is performed when the user places the window of the word processor next to the second portion of the display prior to selecting the fragment.

11. A method, according to claim 7, wherein a button that allows the user to accept or reject automatically switching into one of the modes is displayed by the display.

12. A method, according to claim 11, wherein parameters for switching between modes are based, at least in part, on previous choices made by the user to accept or reject automatically switching into one of the modes.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 1, wherein the spatial gestures and position of the user are determined using spatial sensors of wearable devices of the user.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 15, wherein the wearable devices of the user include at least one of:

activity tracking wristware, position sensing wristware, smart glasses, smart clothing, and smart earware.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing software that adapts an interface for a word processor displayed by a display, the software comprising:

executable code that automatically switches to displaying, by the display, a focus mode in response to detecting that a user has entered text into a document for a first amount of time, wherein in the focus mode, a window of the word processor shows text of the document and does not show user-actuated control to apply formatting to the document, save the document, and/or import non-textual objects into the document; and

executable code that automatically switches to displaying, by the display, a perspective mode in response to detecting that a user has stopped entering text for a second amount of time, wherein in the perspective mode, the window of the word processor includes the user-actuated controls, wherein the second amount of time varies based on at least one of;

eye-tracking, spatial gesture recognition of the user, physical activities of the user, attention span of the user between applications, content scanning of the user, and changes in position of the user.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 13, wherein the second amount of time varies according to whether a user is looking at the window of the word processor.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 13, wherein the window of the word processor is maximized to a window size that corresponds to a display size of the display when the word processor is in the focus mode.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 13, wherein font size of the text is enlarged when the word processor is in the focus mode.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 13, wherein the window of the word processor is displayed in a first portion of the display of the computing device, the software further comprising:

executable code that switches to displaying, by the display, an auto-clipping mode in response to a user selecting a fragment from a second portion of the display that is distinct from the first portion of the display, wherein, in the auto-clipping mode, the fragment is automatically pasted into the document in response to one of;

the user finishing selection of the fragment and the user positioning a cursor inside the window of the word processor.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 19, wherein the user finishes selection of the fragment by releasing a mouse button and, in response thereto, text from the application is inserted at a location in the document corresponding to a location of the cursor in the document prior to selecting the fragment.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 19, wherein following pasting the fragment, a button that allows the user to undo pasting the fragment is displayed by the display.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 19, wherein auto-clipping is performed when the user places the window of the word processor next to the second portion of the display that includes the prior to selecting the fragment.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 19, wherein a button that allows the user to accept or reject automatically switching into one of the modes is displayed by the display.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 23, wherein parameters for switching between modes are based, at least in part, on previous choices made by the user to accept or reject automatically switching into one of the modes.