Methods and Systems for Interacting with a Digital Marking Surface

• US 20150067593A1
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: HENERLAU, Paul R., OWEN, James E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,811,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to methods and systems for interacting with a digital marking surface, in particular, to methods and systems for deactivating an ink tool. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a tap gesture, or other gesture, on an ink mark associated with an ink tool may deactivate the ink tool, if the ink tool is active. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a deactivation ink tool may effectuate the deactivation of an active ink tool when a first ink mark associated with the deactivation ink tool is placed on a first ink mark associated with the active ink tool. According to a third aspect of the present invention, a deactivation ink tool may effectuate the deactivation of an active ink tool when an ink mark associated with the deactivation ink tool is placed on a user-input solicitation mechanism associated with the active ink tool. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a deactivation ink tool may effectuate the deactivation of an active ink tool when an ink mark associated with the deactivation ink tool is placed on an otherwise unmarked portion of a digital marking surface.

Claims

1. A method for deactivating an ink tool, said method comprising:

receiving, in a digital-marking-surface system, an ink unit;

determining if said received ink unit is a tap gesture;

determining if said received ink unit intersects an existing ink unit; and

when said received ink unit intersects an existing ink unit and said received ink unit is a tap gesture;

determining if a user-input solicitation mechanism (UISM) is displayed, on a digital marking surface of said digital-marking-surface system, in conjunction with said existing ink unit; and

when a UISM is displayed in conjunction with said existing ink unit;

canceling said UISM; and

deactivating an ink tool associated with said UISM.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

said received ink unit consists of a number of points;

said points are contained within a first region; and

said determining if said received ink unit is a tap gesture comprises;

determining said received ink unit is a tap gesture when said number of points is less than a first threshold and a size measure of said first region less than a second threshold.

3. A method as described in claim 2, wherein said first threshold is three pixels.

4. A method as described in claim 2, wherein said second threshold is 10 pixels by 10 pixels.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said deactivating said ink tool comprises removing said existing ink unit from said digital marking surface.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said canceling said UISM comprises removing said UISM from said digital marking surface.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein said digital marking surface is part of a combined input/display device, wherein said combined input/display device supports user placement of a digital ink mark on said digital marking surface.

8. A method for deactivating an ink tool, said method comprising:

receiving an ink unit in a digital-marking-surface system;

determining if the shape of said received ink unit matches a shape associated with a deactivation ink tool; and

when said shape of said received ink unit matches a shape associated with a deactivation ink tool;

determining a content intersected by said received ink unit; and

when said content intersected by said received ink unit comprises a first ink unit;

determining if a UISM is displayed, on a digital marking surface of said digital-marking-surface system, in conjunction with said first ink unit; and

when a UISM is displayed in conjunction with said first ink unit;

canceling said UISM; and

deactivating an ink tool associated with said UISM.

9. A method as described in claim 8, wherein said deactivating said ink tool comprises removing said first ink unit from said digital marking surface.

10. A method as described in claim 8, wherein said canceling said UISM comprises removing said UISM from said digital marking surface.

11. A method as described in claim 8, wherein said digital marking surface is part of a combined input/display device, wherein said combined input/display device supports user placement of a digital ink mark on said digital marking surface.

12. A method for deactivating an ink tool, said method comprising:

receiving an ink unit in a digital-marking-surface system;

determining if the shape of said received ink unit matches a shape associated with a deactivation ink tool; and

when said shape of said received ink unit matches a shape associated with a deactivation ink tool;

determining a content intersected by said received ink unit; and

when said content intersected by said received ink unit comprises a user-input solicitation mechanism (UISM);

canceling said UISM; and

deactivating an ink tool associated with said UISM.

13. A method as described in claim 12, wherein said deactivating said ink tool comprises removing an ink-tool mark associated with said ink tool from a digital marking surface.

14. A method as described in claim 12, wherein said canceling said UISM comprises removing said UISM from a digital marking surface.

15. A method as described in claim 12, wherein said digital-marking-surface system comprises a combined input/display device, wherein said combined input/display device supports user placement of a digital ink mark on a digital marking surface.

16. A method for deactivating an ink tool, said method comprising:

receiving an ink unit in a digital-marking-surface system;

determining if the shape of said received ink unit matches a shape associated with a deactivation ink tool; and

when said shape of said received ink unit matches a shape associated with a deactivation ink tool;

determining a content intersected by said received ink unit; and

when no content is intersected by said received ink unit;

determining if a UISM is displayed on a digital marking surface of said digital-marking-surface system; and

when a UISM is displayed on said digital marking surface;

canceling said UISM; and

deactivating an ink tool associated with said UISM.

17. A method as described in claim 16, wherein said deactivating said ink tool comprises removing an ink-tool mark associated with said ink tool from said digital marking surface.

18. A method as described in claim 16, wherein said canceling said UISM comprises removing said UISM from said digital marking surface.

19. A method as described in claim 16, wherein said digital-marking-surface system comprises a combined input/display device, wherein said combined input/display device supports user placement of a digital ink mark on said digital marking surface.