Utility object for specialized data entry

• US 9,671,921 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Zielinski, Tobias, Chambers, Robert L., Wick, Thomas R., Torset, Todd A., Garside, Adrian J., Feldman, Kyril, Dodge, Steve, Murayama, Takanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LE V
• Application Number:
  US12/358,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,056 Days
• Field of Search: 715792, 715808, 715804, 715798, 715780, 715773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

An object is associated with one or more controls in a software application. An object associated with a control determines the operation of the data entry user interface when the data entry user interface is being employed to enter data into the control. More particularly, the object may communicate interface e characteristics to a component that is responsible for providing the user interface to the user. Such a component may be, for example, a shared software module that renders the user interface on a display, receives input data from the user through the user interface, and routes the entered data to a designated destination. Alternately, the object itself may create a user interface having the specified characteristics.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a handwriting capture panel including a first region configured for displaying an edit control window and a second region for displaying a data input panel that initially comprises a writing surface;

the data input panel positioned in the handwriting capture panel on the basis of a horizontal offset value that is used to provide a horizontal offset between a vertical boundary edge of the data input panel and a vertical boundary edge of the edit control window that prevents obscuring of at least a portion of text displayed in the edit control window, wherein the data input panel automatically displays a keyboard in place of the writing surface responsive to the edit control window being used for receiving a password and wherein the data input panel is displayed in the handwriting capture panel based on a pointing device positioned proximal to the edit control window, wherein;

the horizontal offset value is a variable value that is settable by an application via a horizontal offset property contained in a first utility object, wherein the first utility object is associated with a control that determines the operation of the data entry user interface when the data entry user interface is being employed to enter data into the control; and

at least a data input panel height or a data input panel width is adjusted to fit within the handwriting capture panel; and

a second utility object that monitors failed input events, wherein the monitoring comprises;

determining that an input focus changed before an object inserted user input into an attached control, and

alerting an application that the input was not properly delivered.

2. The computer system of claim 1, the horizontal offset is further provided to prevent obscuring of at least a portion of a title associated with the edit control window.

3. The computer system of claim 2, the title comprises right-justified text and the horizontal offset value is expressly selected to accommodate the right justification and prevent obscuring of the at least a portion of the title.

4. The computer system of claim 2, the title comprises left-justified text and the horizontal offset is provided to accommodate the left justification and prevent obscuring of the at least a portion of the title.

5. The computer system of claim 1, the at least a portion of text displayed in the edit control window being displayed therein in response to inputting text into the handwriting capture panel.

6. The computer system of claim 1, the horizontal offset value is settable to a negative value.

7. The computer system of claim 1, the vertical boundary edge of the data input panel and the vertical boundary edge of the edit control window are closest to one another among all respective edges of the data input panel and the edit control window.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the horizontal offset value is expressed as a pixel equivalent of a measurement distance.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the measurement distance is relative to fractions of an inch.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the horizontal offset value has a default value defined by a pixel equivalent of 1/16 of an inch.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the horizontal offset property is readable and writable by the application.

12. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to effectuate operations comprising;

displaying a handwriting capture panel including a first region for an edit control window and a second region for a data input panel that initially comprises a writing surface, wherein positioning the data input panel in the handwriting capture panel on the basis of a horizontal offset value that is used to provide a horizontal offset between a vertical boundary edge of the data input panel and a vertical boundary edge of the edit control window that prevents obscuring of at least a portion of text displayed in the edit control window, wherein the data input panel automatically displays a keyboard in place of the writing surface responsive to the edit control window being used for receiving a password and wherein the data input panel is displayed in the handwriting capture panel based on a pointing device positioned proximal to the edit control window, wherein;

the horizontal offset value is a variable value that is settable by an application via a horizontal offset property contained in a first utility object, wherein the first utility object is associated with a control that determines the operation of the data entry user interface when the data entry user interface is being employed to enter data into the control; and

at least a data input panel height or a data input panel width is adjusted to fit within the handwriting capture panel; and

monitoring, by a second utility object, failed input events, wherein the monitoring comprises;

determining that an input focus changed before an object inserted user input into an attached control, and

alerting an application that the input was not properly delivered.

13. The device of claim 12, the horizontal offset is further provided to prevent obscuring of at least a portion of a title associated with the edit control window.

14. The device of claim 13, the horizontal offset value accommodates a right-justification of the title that prevents obscuring of the at least a portion of the title.

15. The device of claim 13, the horizontal offset that accommodates a left-justification of the title text that prevents obscuring of the at least a portion of the title.

16. The device of claim 12, the at least a portion of text displayed in the edit control window being displayed therein in response to inputting text into the handwriting capture panel.

17. The device of claim 12, the operations further comprising setting the horizontal offset value to a negative value.

18. A memory storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a computing device cause said computing device to effectuate operations comprising:

displaying a handwriting capture panel including a first region for an edit control window and a second region for a data input panel that initially comprises a writing surface;

positioning the data input panel in the handwriting capture panel on the basis of a horizontal offset value that is used to provide a horizontal offset between a vertical boundary edge of the data input panel and a vertical boundary edge of the edit control window that prevents obscuring of at least a portion of text displayed in the edit control window, wherein the data input panel automatically displays a keyboard in place of the writing surface responsive to the edit control window being used for receiving a password and wherein the data input panel is displayed in the handwriting capture panel based on a pointing device positioned proximal to the edit control window, wherein;

the horizontal offset value is a variable value that is settable by an application via a horizontal offset property contained in a first utility object, wherein the first utility object is associated with a control that determines the operation of the data entry user interface when the data entry user interface is being employed to enter data into the control; and

at least a data input panel height or a data input panel width is adjusted to fit within the handwriting capture panel; and

monitoring, by a second utility object, failed input events, wherein the monitoring comprises;

determining that an input focus changed before an object inserted user input into an attached control, and

alerting an application that the input was not properly delivered.

19. The memory of claim 18, the horizontal offset value is expressed as a pixel equivalent of a measurement distance.

20. The memory of claim 18, the horizontal offset property is readable and writable by the application.