Graphic indexing system

• US 5,867,150 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 02/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compaq Computer Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Eric E., Friend, John L., Bricklin, Daniel, Levin, Peter H., Kelley, Winslow B.
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US08/474,373
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 345/118, 345/120, 345/173, 345/112, 382/313, 382/314, 178/18, 178/19, 395/358
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/18 of spreadsheets form-filling G06F40/174

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selecting and indexing stored information for subsequent retrieval. The indexing system of the present invention indexes pages by storing a reference to a graphic segment of the displayed original page (instead of a copy of the graphic segment) as an index entry. Retrieval of the original page or image is accomplished by choosing from a listing of several categories of indexes, and then selecting an index entry displayed in the index gallery. The present invention provides a selection method using a lasso-tap gesture that allows the user to select a portion of the text for indexing (or other operations) without disrupting the natural handwriting action. Selection is accomplished using a closed (or nearly closed) curve followed by a recognized gesture within the closed curve. A local minimum established by the end points of the closed curve must fall within a specified range to identify the closed curve as a selection lasso. In one embodiment, recognized gestures for selection, enlargement, deletion and indexing are supported. Different segments from the same page or image may be compiled in the same index, or in different indexes. Indexing segments may be selected from any displayed page in the file, including spreadsheet pages or word processor pages, in addition to calendar pages and blank notebook pages.

Claims

1. A method of selecting at least a portion of information displayed on a display as selected information and an operation to be performed upon said selected information through a stream of drawing input, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying within said stream of drawing input a first stroke that substantially encircles at least a part of said information and that is used either for selecting said at least a part of said information or for performing a drawing function other than selecting said at least a part of said information, wherein said first stroke comprises a plurality of points positioned along said first stroke between a start point, a next-to-the-last point, and an end point, and said first stroke has horizontal bounds and vertical bounds;

identifying within said stream of drawing input a second stroke that at least partially identifies a gesture and said operation to be selected; and

identifying said at least a portion of said information as being selected as said selected information and said operation as being selected when at least one predetermined condition relating only said first stroke and said gesture has been satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first stroke can be recognized as a lasso.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

determining a first distance between said start point and said end point of said first stroke;

determining a second distance between said start point and said next-to-the-last point;

determining a plurality of near-end distances between said start point and each of said plurality of points in said first stroke by working from a one of said plurality of points closest to said next-to-the-last point toward said start point until a local minimum is found, or until a specified number of said plurality of near-end distances have been determined;

comparing, from a set of distances including said first distance, said second distance, and said plurality of near-end distances, and from a set of points including said end point, said next-to-the-last point, and said plurality of points, one of said set of distances that corresponds to one of said set of points with two other of said set of distances that each correspond to a neighboring point located adjacent to said one of said set of points;

assigning said one of said set of distances as said local minimum when said one of said set of distances is less than said two other of said set of distances;

selecting a smallest distance from said set of distances as said local minimum when said assigning step fails to assign any of said one of said set of distances as said local minimum; and

comparing said local minimum to a standard to determine whether said first stroke qualifies as a lasso.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said assigning step assigns said one of said set of distances as said local minimum when said one of said set of distances is both less than one of said two other of said set of distances that is closest to said end point, and less than another of said two other of said set of distances plus a jitter factor.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said jitter factor is defined as:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">(((ND.sup.2)*1.1).sup.1/2)

wherein ND is said another of said two other of said set of distances.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said specified number is 1/8 of a total number of points in said first stroke.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said standard is based upon said horizontal bounds and said vertical bounds of said first stroke.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of:

selecting as said standard, a first standard when both said horizontal bounds and said vertical bounds of said first stroke are separated by at most 24 typographical points; and

selecting as said standard, a second standard when both said horizontal bounds and said vertical bounds of said first stroke are separated by more than 24 typographical points.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said first standard requires that said local minimum have neither a horizontal nor vertical component greater than 5 typographical points.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said second standard requires that said local minimum have neither a horizontal nor vertical component greater than 12 typographical points.

11. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

identifying said first stroke as not selecting said at least a portion of said information as said selected information and as not selecting said operation in the absence of said second stroke.

12. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

identifying said first stroke as not selecting said at least a portion of said information as said selected information and as not selecting said operation when said second stroke is not identified within said stream of drawing input within a specified period of time after the identification of said first stroke.

13. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

identifying said first stroke and said second stroke as not selecting said at least a portion of said information as said selected information and as not selecting said operation when a subsequent action is taken and said subsequent action is unrelated to the selection of said operation.

14. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

identifying said first stroke and said second stroke as not selecting said at least a portion of said information as said selected information and as not selecting said operation when a subsequent stroke is drawn within an interior portion of said first stroke.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting said at least a portion of said information as said selected information and selecting said operation is completed when a drawing means is removed from a close proximity with a display means after said first stroke and said second stroke have been drawn.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting said at least a portion of said information as said selected information and selecting said operation is completed when a subsequent stroke is drawn at least a predetermined distance away from said first stroke and said second stroke.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting said at least a portion of said information as said selected information and selecting said operation is completed when there is an absence of at least one subsequent stroke within said stream of drawing input for at least a specified period of time.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said operation is a deletion operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be deleted and said gesture invokes said deletion operation.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said operation is an enlargement operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be enlarged and said gesture invokes said enlargement operation.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said operation is a move operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be moved and said gesture invokes said move operation.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein said operation is a copy operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be copied and said gesture invokes said copy operation.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said operation is an indexing operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as an index segment within a document and said gesture invokes said indexing operation.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein said operation is a deletion operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be deleted and said gesture invokes said deletion operation.

24. The method of claims 1 wherein said operation is an enlargement operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be enlarged and said gesture invokes said enlargement operation.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein said operation is a move operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be moved and said gesture invokes said move operation.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein said operation is a copy operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be copied and said gesture invokes said copy operation.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said operation is an indexing operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be used as an index segment within a document and said gesture invokes said indexing operation.

28. A method of selecting at least a portion of information displayed on a display as selected information and an operation to be performed upon said selected information through a stream of drawing input, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying within said stream of drawing input a first stroke that substantially encircles at least a part of said information;

identifying with said stream of drawing input a second stroke;

identifying within said stream of drawing input a third stroke that at least partially identifies a gesture and said operation to be selected; and

identifying said at least a portion of said information as being selected as said selected information when at least one predetermined condition relating only said first stroke and said second stroke has been satisfied, and said operation as being selected when at least one predetermined condition relating only said third stroke and at least one of said first stroke and said second stroke has been satisfied.

29. The method of claim 28 further including the step of:

identifying said operation as not being selected when said first stroke and at least one of said second stroke and said third stroke do not satisfy a predetermined spatial relationship.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is a deletion operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be deleted and said gesture invokes said deletion operation.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is an enlargement operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be enlarged and said gesture invokes said enlargement operation.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is a move operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be moved and said gesture invokes said move operation.

33. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is a copy operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be copied and said gesture invokes said copy operation.

34. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is an indexing operation, said first stroke identifies said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be used as an index segment within a document and said gesture invokes said indexing operation.

35. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is a deletion operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be deleted and said gesture invokes said deletion operation.

36. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is an enlargement operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be enlarged and said gesture invokes said enlargement operation.

37. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is a move operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be moved and said gesture invokes said move operation.

38. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is a copy operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be copied and said gesture invokes said copy operation.

39. The method of claim 28 wherein said operation is an indexing operation, said first stroke identifies a part of said information other than said at least a part of said information as said at least a portion of said information that is to be used as an index segment within a document and said gesture invokes said indexing operation.