Pen-based interface for a notepad computer

• US 20060136840A1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Keely, Leroy Bertrand Jr., Young, Douglas Alan, Palay, Andrew James
• Granted Patent: US 7,559,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A notepad computer with a page display region displaying a page of a document on which a user can write using a pen or stylus type writing tool is provided. Associated with the page is an interface that can be used with the pen. The interface includes a core task tool region adjacent to the page where tool icons are partially visible until the pen is brought near one of the icons. The tool icon becomes fully visible when the pen is within the region of the icon. The tool when activated can pop-up a radial pop-up menu located at an edge of the document where all the menu choices are located in a semi-circle away from the edge so that the users hand while holding the pen and making a selection does not block the choices. A page flipping tool is located in a corner of the page and is an explicit two-stroke menu allowing selection of a next or previous page. A page scrolling tool is located along an edge of the page, the scrolling tool when activated is an implicit button allowing scrolling in one implied direction. The interface also includes a stack region adjacent to said page display region having one or more stack icons each representing a stack of documents. The icon is also an explicit two-stroke radial pop-up menu having forward and backward choices for selecting documents in the stack and a stack document list display displaying a list of documents in the stack when the stack icon is touched by an input pen. The interface also includes a typing tool overlaying a portion of the page and including a writing zone where a user handwrites strokes and, a page zone comprising part of the page where typed text corresponding to the handwritten strokes is displayed as the handwriting occurs.

Claims

1. A display, comprising:

an image information display region having a displayed edge; and

a radial pop-up menu located at the edge of the region, having menu choices in a semi-circle toward the region,

wherein the radial pop-up menu is displayed in either a first orientation or a second different orientation based on an orientation of a pen relative to the display.

2. A display as recited in claim 1, wherein when the edge is a left edge, the semicircle is tilted downward avoiding obstruction by a hand positioned for left-handed writing.

3. A display, comprising:

an information display region; and

a radial pop-up menu located in the region, having menu choices in a semi-circle away from an orientation of a user'"'"'s hand,

wherein the orientation of the user'"'"'s hand is determined by a user'"'"'s pen orientation.

4. A display as recited in claim 3, wherein when the user is left handed, the semicircle is tilted downward.

5. A display, comprising:

a radial pop-up menu located having menu choices in a semi-circle, wherein the radial pop-up menu is displayed in either a first manner or a second different manner based on an orientation of a pen relative to the display.

6. The display of claim 5, wherein the first manner is a first orientation and the second manner is a second different orientation.

7. The display of claim 5, wherein the radial pop-up menu has only two menu choices, and wherein the first manner and the second manner differ from each other in a position of the two menu choices relative to each other.

8. The display of claim 7, wherein the two menu choices consist of a first menu choice and a second menu choice, and wherein the first menu choice is selected by a pen stroke in a first direction and the second menu choice is selected by a pen stroke in a second opposite direction.