Entry and editing of electronic ink

• US 20030215142A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chambers, Robert L., Sailor, Richard K., Feldman, Kyril, Zielinski, Tobiasz A., Gounares, Alexander, Dodge, Steve, Torset, Todd A., Goldberg, Arin J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/190
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32

Abstract

A control and its associated programming interface for allowing entry of electronic ink, editing and other manipulation of the ink, and/or recognition of the ink. Ink may be stored in a data structure such as an ink object that permits later retrieval by applications. As is the case with text that may be bolded, underlined, italicized, and the like, the describe control and its programming interface may permit ink information to be manipulated as easily as text, while providing the richness of handwritten ink.

Claims

1. In a control, a method for manipulating ink, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving data;

interpreting the data as ink;

associating the ink with at least one property; and

storing the ink with the at least one property as an ink object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ink comprises a plurality of strokes, the method further including storing the plurality of strokes as a plurality of respective stroke objects.

3. The method of claim 2, further including the step of generating an event in response to one of the strokes ending.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one property includes at least one of bold, italic, and color.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the step of receiving a command to apply the at least one property to the ink.

6. The method of claim 1, further including displaying the ink.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of displaying the ink includes displaying the ink in accordance with the at least one property.

8. In a control, a method for manipulating ink, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving data in a display area;

interpreting the data as ink;

displaying the ink in the display area;

recognizing the ink as text; and

replacing the displayed ink with the text.

9. The method of claim 8, further including associating at least one property with the text and displaying the text in accordance with the at least one property.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one property is at least one of bold, italic, and color.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of recognizing includes recognizing the ink based on a predetermined recognition context.

12. A graphical user interface configured to interface a user with a control, the graphical user interface comprising:

a first display space configured to receive ink;

a control having a first mode switch, the control configured to store the ink when the first mode switch is in a first setting, and causing the ink to be recognized as text when the first mode switch is in a second setting; and

a second display space configured to display within the second display space either the ink or the text depending upon the setting of the first mode switch.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the control is configured to store the ink as an ink object when the first mode switch is in the first setting.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the first and second display spaces are a same display space.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the first display space is displayed on a touch-sensitive display, the ink being received in accordance with movements of a stylus relative to the touch-sensitive display within the first display space.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 12, further including a property function for applying at least one property to the ink when the first mode switch is in the first setting and to the text when the first mode switch is in the second setting.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein the at least one property is at least one of bold, italic, and color.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the control further includes a second switch, the control further configured to accept or not accept ink input to the first display space depending upon a setting of the second switch.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the control is further configured to wait for a predetermined amount of time before causing the ink to be recognized as text when the first switch is in the second setting.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 19, wherein the predetermined amount of time is in the range of about 100 milliseconds to about 5000 milliseconds.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the control further includes means for applying at least one property to the ink, the second display space being configured to display the ink in accordance with the at least one property.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the control further includes a third switch, the control being configured to cause the ink to be recognized as text by calling upon one at least one of a plurality of recognizers depending upon a setting of the third switch.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the first mode switch is associated with a displayed element.