Freeform encounter selection tool

• US 8,132,125 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Iwema, Marieke, Keely, Leroy B., Jones, F. David, Jarrett, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US11/555,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/230, 715/231, 715/268, 345/156, 345/157
• 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. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to instantiate one or more program modules that facilitate freeform selection of electronic ink using a digitizer that is connected to the processor, the one or more program modules comprising:

a user interface module that collects points for a plurality of unconnected freeform selection paths, wherein each of the plurality of unconnected freeform selection paths is created in response to a user holding a user input device against the digitizer while dragging the user input device across the digitizer such that the resulting selection path touches a graphical object and displaying a simultaneous selection of each of the plurality of graphical objects based upon the freeform selection paths on a display surface wherein each of the plurality of unconnected freeform selection paths includes selection ink and the graphical objects include handwritten electronic ink strokes input via the digitizer; and

an encounter selection module for simultaneously selecting each of the graphical objects responsive to the freeform selection paths touching the graphical objects;

wherein the user interface module displays a graphical hollow appearance for the plurality of graphical objects responsive to selection of the plurality of graphical objects by the encounter selection module, the graphical hollow appearance comprising a perimeter of the handwritten ink strokes having a dark contrast with respect to an interior of the strokes bounded by the perimeter.

2. The media of claim 1, in which the encounter selection module includes an ink classification mode for classify the plurality of graphical objects into a semantical ink structure.

3. The media of claim 2, in which the semantic ink structure is at least one of an ink word and an ink paragraph.

4. The media of claim 1, in which the encounter selection module includes a union selection mode for a union select mode operable to select the plurality of graphical objects on said display surface with a plurality of freeform selection paths.

5. The media of claim 1, in which the encounter selection module includes a property detection mode for selecting a plurality of graphical objects responsive to a predetermined property value of said graphical objects.

6. The media of claim 1, in which the user interface module displays a graphical handle at opposing ends of the freeform selection path.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein selecting each of the graphical objects includes determining that at least a portion of the at least one freeform selection path intersects one or more x-y Cartesian coordinates associated with the graphical object.

8. The media of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of graphical objects is encountered by a selection path according to an order, and further comprising storing the order of selection of the graphical objects.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising automatically numbering a list of the plurality of graphical objects according to the stored order of encounter.

10. A computer-implemented method of selecting a plurality of graphical objects in a computer system having a digitizer, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at the computer, user input for displaying a selection of the plurality of graphical objects, the user input comprising a plurality of freeform selection paths being unconnected, in which each selection path is created in response to a user providing input to the digitizer, wherein said input includes a drag motion across the digitizer such that the resulting selection path touches at least one of the plurality of graphical objects and includes a first end and a second end, and the ends are at different locations on a display surface such that the selection path does not form an enclosed shape, and

selecting, using the computer, each of the plurality of graphical objects responsive to at least one of the freeform selection paths touching the graphical object.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10, in which the plurality of graphical objects are ink objects and the plurality of selection paths are selection ink.

12. The method in accordance with claim 10, in which the plurality of graphical objects includes ink objects and non-ink objects and the plurality of selection paths are selection ink.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, further including a step of classifying the ink object into a semantical structure for selection.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting each of the graphical objects includes determining that at least a portion of the at least one freeform selection path intersects one or more x-y Cartesian coordinates associated with the graphical object.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of graphical objects is encountered by a selection path according to an order, and further comprising storing the order of selection of the graphical objects.

16. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of selecting a plurality of graphical objects in a computer system having a digitizer that is connected to the processor, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a selection of a property value for a characteristic of ink comprising the plurality of graphical objects on which to at least partially base selection of the graphical objects;

receiving user input for displaying a selection of the plurality graphical objects, the user input comprising a plurality of freeform selection paths being unconnected, in which each selection path is created in response to a user holding a user input device against the digitizer while dragging the user input device across the digitizer such that the resulting selection path encounters a graphical object and includes a first end and a second end, and the ends are at different locations on a display surface such that the selection path does not form an enclosed shape, and

selecting, using the computer, each of the plurality of graphical objects responsive to at least one of the freeform selection paths encountering the graphical object and the graphical object including the property value, wherein selecting each of the plurality of graphical objects includes determining that at least a portion of the at least one freeform selection path satisfies a preset tolerance value corresponding to a predetermined distance from the graphical object.

17. The media of claim 16, further comprising displaying an encounter selection tool having a first graphical appearance.

18. The media of claim 17, further comprising displaying the encounter selection tool with a second graphical appearance in response to the graphical selection tool encountering one of the plurality of graphical objects.

19. The media of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of graphical objects is encountered by a selection path according to an order, and further comprising storing the order of selection of the graphical objects.

20. The media of claim 19, further comprising automatically numbering a list of the plurality of graphical objects according to the stored order of encounter.