DOCUMENT DIVIDING AND MERGING

• US 20150074520A1
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Muto, Satoshi, Yokoyama, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,747,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/114 Pagination
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to dividing and merging documents on a touch panel. A method includes dividing a document displayed on a touch panel having a display function using an information processing device connected to the touch panel. Positions of two different points on the touch panel are identified in response to a user indicating the two different points in the document. The document is divided, by a computer processor, based on a line segment extending from a starting point to an end point of a traced line traced by the user. The line segment is used as a dividing line in response to the user tracing the traced line on the touch panel so as to traverse the two different points.

Claims

1. A method for dividing a document displayed on a touch panel having a display function using an information processing device connected to the touch panel, the method comprising:

identifying the positions of two different points on the touch panel in response to a user indicating the two different points in the document; and

dividing, by an information processing device, the document based on a line segment extending from a starting point to an end point of a traced line traced by the user, wherein the line segment is used as a dividing line in response to the user tracing the traced line on the touch panel so as to traverse the two different points.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying the line segment.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dividing comprises dividing the document using the line segment extending from the starting point to the end point of the traced line, in response to the user sliding the two different points away from each other.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the document includes text, and the dividing comprises:

parsing the text;

determining an appropriate spot for dividing the text on the basis of the parsing; and

dividing the document using the appropriate spot for dividing the text as the boundary.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein determining the appropriate spot for dividing the text on the basis of the parsing comprises identifying at least one of an end of a sentence and an end of a paragraph.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the document includes a plurality of graphic objects, and the dividing comprises:

calculating a center point of each graphic object;

determining a center point of each display region divided by the line segment; and

dividing the document into two documents on the basis of the determination so the graphic objects are separated and the graphic objects are included in separate documents.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the edges of a first document and a second document in response to the user indicating a first point in the first document and a second point in the second document; and

merging the first document and the second document using a traced edge as the merger edge in response to the user tracing an edge of either one of the first and second documents.

8. A system for dividing a document displayed on a touch panel having a display function using an information processing device connected to the touch panel, the system comprising:

an information processing device configured to;

identify the positions of two different points on the touch panel in response to a user indicating the two different points in the document; and

divide the document based on a line segment extending from a starting point to an end point of a traced line traced by the user, wherein the line segment is used as a dividing line in response to the user tracing the traced line on the touch panel so as to traverse the two different points.

9. The system of according to claim 8, wherein the information processing device is further configured to display the line segment.

10. The system of according to claim 8, wherein, to perform the dividing, the information processing device is further configured to divide the document using the line segment extending from the starting point to the end point of the traced line, in response to the user sliding the two different points away from each other.

11. The system of according to claim 8, wherein the document includes text and, to perform the dividing, the information processing device is configured to:

parse the text;

determine an appropriate spot for dividing the text on the basis of the parsing; and

divide the document using the appropriate spot for dividing the text as the boundary.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein, to determine the appropriate spot for dividing the text on the basis of the parsing, the information processing device is configured to identify at least one of an end of a sentence and an end of a paragraph.

13. The system of according to claim 8, wherein the document includes a plurality of graphic objects and, to perform the dividing, the information processing device is further configured to:

calculate a center point of each graphic object;

determine a center point of each display region divided by the line segment; and

divide the document into two documents on the basis of the determination so the graphic objects are separated and the graphic objects are included in separate documents.

14. The system of according to claim 8, wherein information processing device is further configured to:

identify the edges of a first document and a second document in response to the user indicating a first point in the first document and a second point in the second document; and

merge the first document and the second document using a traced edge as the merger edge in response to the user tracing an edge of either one of the first and second documents.

15. A computer program product for dividing a document displayed on a touch panel, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to:

identify the positions of two different points on the touch panel in response to the user indicating the two different points in the document; and

divide the document based on a line segment extending from a starting point to an end point of a traced line traced by the user, wherein the line segment is used as a dividing line in response to the user tracing the traced line on the touch panel so as to traverse the two different points.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, the the processor being further configured to display the line segment.

17. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the dividing further comprises dividing the document using the line segment extending from the starting point to the end point of the traced line, in response to the user sliding the two different points away from each other.

18. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the document includes text, and the dividing further comprises:

parsing the text;

determining an appropriate spot for dividing the text on the basis of the parsing; and

dividing the document using the appropriate spot for dividing the text as the boundary.

19. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the document includes a plurality of graphic objects, and the dividing further comprises:

calculating a center point of each graphic object;

determining a center point of each display region divided by the line segment; and

dividing the document into two documents on the basis of the determination so the graphic objects are separated and the graphic objects are included in separate documents.

20. The computer program product according to claim 15, the processor being further configured to:

identify the edges of a first document and a second document in response to the user indicating a first point in the first document and a second point in the second document; and

merge the first document and the second document using a traced edge as the merger edge in response to the user tracing an edge of either one of the first and second documents.