Snap To Element Analytical Tool

• US 20070165034A1
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mielke, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 7,705,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/475
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

An analytical tool for measuring spacing between elements in a web page is provided. In one implementation, the analytical tool identifies locations indicated on a web page and automatically determines one or more elements in proximity to those indicated locations. The analytical tool automatically identifies points on the determined elements associated with the indicated locations and calculates the distance between those points. The calculated distance is displayed on the web page. The automatically identified points and a graphical representation of a measuring ruler between the points may also be displayed to enhance usability.

Claims

1. One or more device-readable media encoded with device-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

receiving a selection to perform a measurement on a web page;

identifying a first indicated location on the web page;

automatically determining a first point on a first element of the web page associated with the first indicated location;

identifying a second indicated location on the web page;

automatically determining a second point on a second element of the web page associated with the second indicated location;

calculating a distance between the first point and second point; and

displaying the distance on the web page.

2. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the first element within a predetermined distance from the first indication location; and

determining a position of the first point on the first element based, at least in part, on the first indicated location.

3. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the position of the first point on the first element is an end point of a feature of the first element.

4. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second points are on the same element.

5. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second points are on different features of the same element.

6. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying a graphical ruler on the web page, the graphical ruler connecting the first and second points.

7. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the graphical ruler includes tick marks.

8. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the graphical ruler is displayed in a user-selected color.

9. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, comprising displaying graphical points on the web page that represent the first and second points.

10. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

providing a zoom display area that magnifies a section of the web page; and

enabling a selection of at least one of the first or second indicated locations from within the zoom display area.

11. One or more device-readable media encoded with a device-executable components, comprising:

an application configured to display a web page; and

a ruler utility configured to identify two locations indicated on the web page and to determine at least one element on the web page in proximity to the indicated locations, the rule utility further configured to determine two points on the at least one element associated with the indicated locations and to determine the distance between the two points.

12. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the ruler utility is further configured to determine the at least one element by identifying the element within a predetermined distance from the at least one of the indication location.

13. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the predetermined distance is ranged from one to ten pixels.

14. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the two points are on at least one of the same element or different elements.

15. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the application is a web browser.

16. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the ruler utility is incorporated as a component of the web browser.

17. The one or more device-readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the ruler utility is further configured to provide a zoom display area that displays a section of the web page in magnification and to enable the indication of at least one of the locations from the zoom display area.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for displaying a web page;

means for identifying locations indicated on a web page;

means for determining one or more elements in proximity to the locations;

means for snapping points on the one or more elements, the snapped points being corresponding to the indicated locations;

means for calculating the distance between the snapped points; and

means for displaying the distance.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising means for snapping the points to features on the same element.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising means for displaying a graphical ruler connecting the two snapped points on the web page.