Method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for creating asides within an electronic document

• US 7,231,597 B1
• Filed: 10/07/2002
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Simmons, Alex J., Pratley, Christopher H., Yalovsky, Mark, Braun, Owen C., Engrav, Peter L., Sinofsky, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl; Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonshock; Dennis G.
• Application Number:
  US10/266,009
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 715/512, 715/805, 715/776, 715/804
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for creating asides within an electronic document are provided. The keystroke combination is defined for creating an aside with an electronic document. If the keystroke combination is received, a location is identified within the electronic document for an aside object. Once the location for the aside has been determined, an outline object is created at the location. The outline object holds text or other contents for the aside. An insertion point is then placed within the object. The user may then enter keystrokes or other data into the second object. If the keystroke combination is again entered, the insertion point is returned to its location immediately prior to moving the insertion point to the aside object. The keystroke combination for creating an aside and the keystroke combination for returning from the aside may be identical. Asides may also be created in various portions of an electronic document, such as a title portion, in a similar manner.

Claims

1. A method for creating an aside within an electronic document, the method comprising:

receiving a first input placing an insertion point in an outline object at a first location within a viewable portion of the electronic document;

receiving and displaying a second input at the insertion point;

determining whether the second input includes a key command requesting that the aside be created within the electronic document;

in response to determining that the second input includes the key command, identifying a second location within the viewable portion of the electronic document for a first new object such that the first new object is created in a non-overlapping fashion with respect to the outline object;

creating the first new object at the second location such that the first new object is viewable;

moving the insertion point to within the first new object;

receiving and displaying a third input at the insertion point;

determining that the third input received and displayed at the insertion point is greater than a predetermined size;

in response to determining that the third input received and displayed at the insertion point is greater than the predetermined size, identifying a third location within the viewable portion of the electronic document for a second new object such that the second new object is created in a non-overlapping fashion with respect to the outline object and the first new object;

creating the second new object at the third location such that the second new object is viewable;

moving the insertion point to within the second new object;

receiving and displaying a fourth input at the insertion point;

determining whether the fourth input includes the key command; and

in response to determining that the fourth input includes the key command, returning the insertion point to the outline object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying formatting to the third input displayed within the first new object that distinguishes the third input from data displayed in other portions of the electronic document.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the following comprise keystrokes:

the first input, the second input, the third input, and the forth input.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the following comprise pen input:

the first input, the second input, the third input, and the forth input.

5. The method of claim 2,

wherein determining whether the second input includes the key command requesting that the aside be created within the electronic document comprises determining whether the second input includes the key command requesting that the aside be created within a title area of the electronic document;

and

wherein identifying the second location comprises, in response to determining that the second input includes the key command, identifying the second location within the title area of the electronic document.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first new object comprises an aside object.

7. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

8. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 1.

9. A method for creating an aside within an electronic document, the method comprising:

receiving input placing an insertion point at a location within the viewable portion of the electronic document;

receiving and displaying input at the insertion point;

determining whether the input includes a key command requesting that an aside be created within a body area or a key command indicating that an aside be created in a title area of the electronic document;

in response to determining that the input includes a request to create an aside in the body area of the electronic document, identifying a location within the viewable portion of the body area of the electronic document for a new object such that the new object is created in a non-overlapping fashion, the location for the new object being different than the location of the insertion point, creating the new object at the identified location such that the new object is viewable and moving the insertion point to a location within the new object, receiving and displaying input at the insertion point, and applying formatting to the input displayed within the new object that distinguishes the input from data displayed in other portions of the electronic document, and creating an overflow object for a portion of the input received and displayed at the insertion point when the input received and displayed at the insertion point is greater than a predetermined size;

in response to determining that the input includes a request to create an aside in the title area of the electronic document, identifying a location within the title area of the electronic document for the new object, the location for the new object being different than the location of the insertion point, creating the new object at the identified location and moving the insertion point to a location within the new object, and receiving and displaying input at the insertion point, and applying formatting to the input displayed within the new object that distinguishes the input from data displayed in other portions of the electronic document;

determining whether the input includes the key command; and

in response to determining that the input includes the identical key command, returning the insertion point to its location prior to moving the insertion point to the location within the new object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the new object comprises an outline object.

11. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 9.

12. A computer-controlled apparatus capable of performing the method of claim 9.