Freeform encounter selection tool

• US 7,137,077 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jarrett, Robert J., Iwema, Marieke, Jones, F. David, Keely, Leroy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): THERIAULT, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US10/207,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20040021701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 345/179, 715/863, 715/854
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A freeform selection tool for a computer system with a graphical user interface allows a user to draw a freeform selection path so as to select one or more graphical objects. The user is provided with the freedom to input selection ink, in any orientation, and using any desired selection path size provided by the select tool. The selecting tool may change the visual appearance of any graphical object once selected. The selecting tool provides the ability to select ink or graphical object with a particular property to be used for the selection. The selecting tool can recognize various selection gestures coordinated with a semantic relationship of the ink so that the number of selection ink strokes can be minimized. The selecting tool may change for different selection modes depending on the type of graphical object encountered and change of the context for a particular selection.

Claims

1. A system having a plurality of computer executable components for a computer processor, the system comprising:

a user interface component for displaying a selection of at least one graphical object based upon a freeform selection path on a display surface, and

a selection component for selecting the at least one graphical object encountered by the freeform selection path;

wherein the at least one graphical object further includes a plurality of graphical objects formed of at least ink strokes, one or more of the objects having a first ink property and another one of the objects having a second ink property, and the selection component being configurable to select only the object associated with the first ink property during said encountering, regardless of said encountering of the objects having the second ink property.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, in which the user interface component is configurable to change the graphical appearance of the at least one graphical object encountered by the freeform selection path, the graphical appearance being different from a graphical appearance of the freeform selection path.

3. The system in accordance with claim 2, in which the user interface component is configurable to surround the at least one graphical object with a graphical halo.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first ink property and the second ink property are selected from a group comprising a color value, a bold value, or a value indicative of a particular user associated with the ink strokes.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, in which the freeform selection path comprises selection ink.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, in which the freeform selection path has a first end and a second end, the user interface component being configurable to display a graphical handle at the first end and the second end of the freeform selection path.

7. The system in accordance with claim 5, in which the at least one graphical object comprises ink strokes created by an input device responsive with the display surface.

8. The system in accordance with claim 1, in which the system further includes a classifier component configured to classify said plurality of graphical objects into a semantic structure associated with the ink strokes for providing input to said selection component.

9. The system in accordance with claim 8, in which the plurality of graphical objects are selected responsive to the semantic structure.

10. The system in accordance with claim 9, in which the semantic structure is a word object.

11. The system in accordance with claim 9, in which the semantic structure is a paragraph object.

12. The system in accordance with claim 2, in which the freeform selection path further comprises selection ink and the at least one graphical object further comprises an ink stroke.

13. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the display includes a z-axis such that movement of selection ink associated with the z-axis is responsive to changes in pressure applied to the display surface.

14. The system in accordance with claim 1, in which the display surface is responsive to electromagnetic input.

15. The system in accordance with claim 1, in which the display surface is responsive to pressure input.

16. The system in accordance with claim 1, in which the least one graphical object comprises a first graphical object and a second graphical object, the first graphical object being formed in ink and the second graphical object including text, and the system further including a recognizer component configured to recognize the second graphical object so as to cause the user interface component to display a graphical cursor.

17. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a display; and

a memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by said processor, cause the computer system to perform the steps of;

displaying a selection of a plurality graphical ink objects based upon a freeform selection path of selection ink drawn on the display,

displaying a graphical handle at each of a first end and a second end of the selection path of selection ink;

wherein the graphical handle has a shape including a vertical portion connected to triangular portion and the vertical portion indicates a vertical bounds of the selection ink; and

selecting the plurality of graphical ink objects responsive to a detection by the selection ink.

18. The computer system in accordance with claim 17, in which the computer executable instructions causes the computer system to display a change in a graphical appearance of the plurality of graphical ink objects responsive to said detection, the graphical appearance being difference from a graphical appearance of the selection ink.

19. The computer system in accordance with claim 18, in which the computer executable instructions causes the computer system to display the plurality of graphical ink objects with a graphical halo for each graphical ink object.

20. The computer system in accordance with claim 17, in which the graphical ink objects further includes a first plurality of graphical ink objects having a first property and a second plurality of graphical ink objects having a second property, the first property and the second property being different, and in which the computer executable instructions causes the computer system to select only the graphical ink objects having the first property regardless of the graphical ink objects having the second property.

21. The computer system in accordance with claim 17, in which the computer executable instructions cause the computer system to classify said plurality of graphical objects into a semantic structure.

22. The computer system in accordance with claim 21, in which the semantic structure is a word ink object.

23. The computer system in accordance with claim 21, in which the semantic structure is a paragraph ink object.

24. The computer system in accordance with claim 17, in which the display is responsive to electromagnetic input from a stylus.

25. The computer system in accordance with claim 17, in which the display is responsive to pressure input from a stylus.

26. The computer system in accordance with claim 17, in which the computer executable instructions cause the computer system to recognize the graphical ink objects and a text word so as to display a graphical cursor for selecting said text word.

27. The computer system in accordance with claim 17, in which the computer executable instructions cause the computer system to perform a union select mode operable to select the plurality of graphical ink objects with a plurality of unconnected freeform selection paths.

28. A method of selecting an ink object graphically represented to a user, comprising the steps of:

receiving user input for displaying a selection the ink object based upon a freeform selection path on a display surface,

displaying opposing graphical handles responsive to receiving user input for indicating a first end and a second end of the selection path, the graphical handles indicating a vertical bounds of the selection path and at least one of the handles having a triangular section, and

selecting the ink object responsive to an encounter with the freeform selection path.

29. The method in accordance with claim 28, further including a step of displaying a change in a graphical appearance of the ink object responsive to said detection, the graphical appearance being difference from a graphical appearance of the selection path.

30. The method in accordance with claim 28, further including a step of displaying a graphical halo for the ink object.

31. The method in accordance with claim 28, further including a step of selecting the ink object only based on a color value of the ink object.

32. The method in accordance with claim 28, wherein the receiving step includes user input for a selection of machine generated text in the selection path, and further comprising displaying a graphical cursor for the text.