Insertion point bungee space tool

• US 20020059350A1
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Iwema, Marieke, Jones, F. David, Lui, Charlton E., Jarrett, Rob, Cazzanti, Susanne Alysia Clark, Keely, Leroy B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,941,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/530
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A computer system and method for providing user feedback when creating, modifying, or editing electronic documents. An insertion point icon is placed in a document at a position for insertion and/or deletion of text, graphics, data, etc. Upon receiving an user input indicating movement, the insertion point icon is divided into two icons, one stationary at the position, and one moving with user input. When movement is complete, space contained between the icons may be deleted or inserted. The system may be used to shift handwritten text to subsequent lines on an electronic document containing handwritten text, and may be used to bring two groups of text together, deleting space in between. A connection line may be displayed between the icons to provide feedback regarding the action to be taken.

Claims

1. A method for editing documents on a computer system, comprising the steps of:

inserting an insertion point icon at a first position in an electronic document;

receiving one or more user inputs indicating movement from said first position to a second position;

responsive to said one or more user inputs, displaying an origin icon at said first position, and displaying a moving icon at said second position; and

moving one or more portions of said electronic document responsive to said one or more user inputs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said insertion point icon includes one or more directional indicators.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said origin icon and said moving icon include one or more directional indicators.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more of said user inputs is generated using a stylus.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a connection line between said origin icon and said moving icon as said moving icon moves.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a connection line between said origin icon and a point on a margin of said electronic document corresponding to said second position.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of moving said moving icon responsive to said one or more user inputs, and keeping said origin icon stationary while said moving icon moves.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of moving said one or more portions of said electronic document further comprises the step of inserting space between said first position and said second position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said electronic document is a text document having a directional flow, and said moved portion of said electronic document is located downstream, in said directional flow, from said first position prior to said step of moving said one or more portions of said electronic document.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of moving said moving icon further comprises the step of terminating movement of said moving icon when said one or more user inputs indicates movement beyond an end of said electronic document.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of moving said one or more portions of said electronic document further comprises the step of deleting space between said first position and said second position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said electronic document is a text document having a directional flow, and said moved portion of said electronic document is located downstream, in said directional flow, from said first position prior to said step of moving said portion of said electronic document.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said deleted space is contiguous space within said electronic document, and said step of moving said moving icon further comprises the step of terminating movement of said moving icon when said one or more user inputs indicates movement beyond the end of a contiguous space having an end at said first position.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for carrying out the steps recited in claim 1.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said user input identification of said first location and said user input identification of said second location are generated using a pointing device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said pointing device is a stylus.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said second user input identification identifies movement from said first location.

15. In a portable computing device having a display and a stylus, a method of editing electronic documents comprising the steps of:

displaying a portion of said electronic document on said display;

generating first icon at a first location in said electronic document responsive to one or more user inputs;

detecting movement of said stylus from said first location to a second location in said electronic document; and

responsive to said detected movement, moving a portion of said electronic document to either increase or delete space in said electronic document.

16. A document editing method on a computer system, comprising the steps of:

receiving user input identification of a first location in an electronic document;

receiving user input identification of a second location in said electronic document, said second location being different from said first location;

inserting space in said electronic document between said first location and said second location.

20. A computer system, comprising:

a stylus;

a processor; and

a digitizer;

wherein responsive to one or more user inputs, said processor causes an insertion point icon displayed on said digitizer to become two icons, where a first one of said icons is a stationary icon, and a second one of said icons is a moving icon.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said one or more user inputs identifies movement from a first position of said insertion point icon to a second position.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more user inputs comprises a dragging of said stylus across a portion of said digitizer.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said insertion point icon includes directional indicators.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein said stationary and said moving icon each include a directional indicator.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said directional indicator of said stationary and said moving icons are located in an area of an electronic document between said stationary and moving icons.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said directional indicator of said stationary and said moving icons are located external to an area of an electronic document between said stationary and moving icons.