US5563996A — Computer note pad including gesture based note di…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 232 words

A method for manipulating notes on the screen of a computer display, the method comprising: generating an initial note area on a screen of a computer display; dividing said initial note area into a plurality of note areas in response to at least one division gesture implemented by moving a pointing means across the width of the screen such that a left edge of the division gesture is within a first defined distance of a left side of said computer display and a right edge of the division gesture is within a second defined distance of a right side of said computer display, wherein the division gesture is made in a horizontal motion having a slope of less than a predefined slope value, wherein each division gesture creates divider indicia on said semen which visually separates two adjacent note areas and which divider indicia includes one or more header function buttons specifying a command to be taken on a note associated with the divider indicia; modifying the size of a selected note area in response to a sizing gesture made to a divider indicia associated with said selected note area; and scrolling at least some of the plurality of note areas such that they are sequentially displayed in response to a scrolling command, wherein the plurality of note areas have arbitrary sizes and are at least initially delimited by the division gestures.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 232 words

A method for manipulating notes on the screen of a computer display, the method comprising: generating an initial note area on a screen of a computer display; dividing said initial note area into a plurality of note areas in response to at least one division gesture implemented by moving a pointing means across the width of the screen such that a left edge of the division gesture is within a first defined distance of a left side of said computer display and a right edge of the division gesture is within a second defined distance of a right side of said computer display, wherein the division gesture is made in a horizontal motion having a slope of less than a predefined slope value, wherein each division gesture creates divider indicia on said semen which visually separates two adjacent note areas and which divider indicia includes one or more header function buttons specifying a command to be taken on a note associated with the divider indicia; modifying the size of a selected note area in response to a sizing gesture made to a divider indicia associated with said selected note area; and scrolling at least some of the plurality of note areas such that they are sequentially displayed in response to a scrolling command, wherein the plurality of note areas have arbitrary sizes and are at least initially delimited by the division gestures.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 34 words

A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of generating an initial note area on a computer screen includes creating a first data structure including a note number and a note dimension.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 63 words

A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of dividing said initial note area comprises: detecting a theoretical line drawn on said display by said pointing means; determining whether said theoretical line is a division gesture; and generating a header bar on said computer display for a new note area if said theoretical line is determined to be a division gesture.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 48 words

A method as recited in claim 3 wherein said step of detecting a theoretical line comprises: collecting a plurality of sample points corresponding to a movement of said pointing means across said display; and creating said theoretical line from at least two of said plurality of sample points.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 134 words

A method as recited in claim 4 wherein said step of determining whether said theoretical line is a division gesture implemented by said pointing means on said screen includes one or more of the following steps: determining whether there is a sample point farther from said theoretical line than a predetermined maximum distance value; determining whether the absolute value of a sum of the signed distances of said plurality of sample points from said theoretical line is greater than a predetermined maximum sum value; determining whether the absolute value of a slope of said theoretical line differs from a predetermined slope by more than a predetermined maximum slope value; and determining whether either end of said theoretical line is separated from an edge of said screen by more than a predetermined maximum margin value.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of modifying the size of a selected note area comprises: detecting said sizing gesture; and moving said divider indicia as indicated by said sizing gesture.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 50 words

A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of scrolling at least one note area comprises: detecting said scrolling command; and scrolling said at least one note area in a direction indicated by said scrolling command such that divider indicia on said screen move in a quantized fashion.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 188 words

A method for generating header divider indicia of note areas on a computer display comprising: detecting a division gesture on a screen of a computer display as implemented by moving a pointing means across the width of the display such that a left edge of the division gesture is within a first defined distance of a left side of said computer display and a right edge of the division gesture is within a second defined distance of a right side of said computer display, wherein the division gesture is made in a horizontal motion having a slope of less than a predefined slope value; and generating a divider indicia header bar on said display as indicated by said division gesture, said divider indicia header bar visually separating two adjacent note areas and including one or more header function buttons specifying a command to be taken on a note associated with the divider indicia, wherein saw note areas have arbitrary sizes at least initially delimited by the division gestures, and wherein the note areas may be scrolled such that they are sequentially displayed in response to a scrolling command.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 188 words

A method for generating header divider indicia of note areas on a computer display comprising: detecting a division gesture on a screen of a computer display as implemented by moving a pointing means across the width of the display such that a left edge of the division gesture is within a first defined distance of a left side of said computer display and a right edge of the division gesture is within a second defined distance of a right side of said computer display, wherein the division gesture is made in a horizontal motion having a slope of less than a predefined slope value; and generating a divider indicia header bar on said display as indicated by said division gesture, said divider indicia header bar visually separating two adjacent note areas and including one or more header function buttons specifying a command to be taken on a note associated with the divider indicia, wherein saw note areas have arbitrary sizes at least initially delimited by the division gestures, and wherein the note areas may be scrolled such that they are sequentially displayed in response to a scrolling command.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 51 words

A method as recited in claim 8 wherein said step of detecting a division gesture comprises: creating a theoretical line from a gesture made on said screen by said pointing means; comparing said theoretical line to predetermined criteria; and recognizing a division gesture if said theoretical line meets said predetermined criteria.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 40 words

A method as recited in claim 9 wherein said step of creating a theoretical line comprises: collecting a plurality of sample points along a gesture path; creating said theoretical line including at least two of said plurality of sample points.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 42 words

A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said theoretical line is created from two of said sample points selected at or near opposing ends of said gesture path by using said two sample points as end points of the theoretical line.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 28 words

A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said theoretical line is created from three or more of said sample points which are taken along said gesture path.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method as recited in claim 12 wherein said theoretical line is created from at least a majority of said sample points by a least-mean-square (LMS) method.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said step of comparing said theoretical line to said predetermined criteria comprises: determining whether any sample point is further from said theoretical line than a predetermined amount.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 48 words

A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said step of comparing said theoretical line to said predetermined criteria comprises: determining whether the absolute value of a sum of the signed distances of said plurality of sample points from said theoretical line is greater than a predetermined amount.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 43 words

A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said step of comparing said theoretical line to said predetermined criteria comprises: determining whether the absolute value of a slope of said theoretical line differs from a predetermined slope by more than a predetermined amount.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 42 words

A method as recited in claim 10 wherein said step of comparing said theoretical line to said predetermined criteria comprises: determining whether either end of said theoretical line is separated from an edge of said screen by more than a predetermined amount.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the one or more header function buttons specify commands selected from the group consisting of filing and routing.

Claim 21

Independent Claim 183 words

A method for moving a divider bar indicia which separates two adjacent areas on a screen of a computer display at least one of said areas including a note which contains one or more objects, said method comprising: detecting the selection of the divider indicia by a pointing means; detecting a sizing gesture made with said pointing means; comparing the position of the divider indicia with the position of the one or more objects; moving said divider indicia as indicated by said sizing gesture by changing a dimension of said note so as to prevent any part of the one or more objects in the note from becoming obscured; and thereafter, re-drawing at least said note on said screen, wherein said divider indicia visually separates two adjacent note areas and includes one or more header function buttons specifying a command to be taken on a note associated with the divider indicia wherein said note areas have arbitrary sizes delimited by the divider indicia, and wherein the note areas may be scrolled such that they are sequentially displayed in response to a scrolling command.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 183 words

A method for moving a divider bar indicia which separates two adjacent areas on a screen of a computer display at least one of said areas including a note which contains one or more objects, said method comprising: detecting the selection of the divider indicia by a pointing means; detecting a sizing gesture made with said pointing means; comparing the position of the divider indicia with the position of the one or more objects; moving said divider indicia as indicated by said sizing gesture by changing a dimension of said note so as to prevent any part of the one or more objects in the note from becoming obscured; and thereafter, re-drawing at least said note on said screen, wherein said divider indicia visually separates two adjacent note areas and includes one or more header function buttons specifying a command to be taken on a note associated with the divider indicia wherein said note areas have arbitrary sizes delimited by the divider indicia, and wherein the note areas may be scrolled such that they are sequentially displayed in response to a scrolling command.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 22 words

A method as recited in claim 19 wherein said pointing means comprises stylus means contacting a screen of a pen-based computer system.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 40 words

A method as recited in claim 20 wherein said sizing gesture comprises contacting said stylus means with said screen over header bar means of said divider indicia and moving said stylus means without lifting said stylus means from said screen.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 218 words

A computer system comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; a display coupled to the processor; and one or more computer-implemented processes running on the processor and residing, at least in part, in the memory, the processes including (a) means for detecting a division gesture made by a pointer on the display said division gesture implemented by moving the pointer across the width of the screen such that a left edge of the division gesture is within a first defined distance of a left side of said computer display and a right edge of the division gesture is within a second defined distance of a right side of said computer display, wherein the division gesture is made in a horizontal motion having a slope of less than a predefined slope value; and (b) means for creating a header at a location of the division gesture and a note associated with the header, said header visually separating two adjacent note areas and including one or more header function buttons specifying a command to be taken on a note associated with the divider indicia, wherein said note areas have arbitrary sizes at least initially delimited by division gestures, and wherein the note areas may be scrolled such that they are sequentially displayed in response to a scrolling command.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 218 words

A computer system comprising: a processor; a memory coupled to the processor; a display coupled to the processor; and one or more computer-implemented processes running on the processor and residing, at least in part, in the memory, the processes including (a) means for detecting a division gesture made by a pointer on the display said division gesture implemented by moving the pointer across the width of the screen such that a left edge of the division gesture is within a first defined distance of a left side of said computer display and a right edge of the division gesture is within a second defined distance of a right side of said computer display, wherein the division gesture is made in a horizontal motion having a slope of less than a predefined slope value; and (b) means for creating a header at a location of the division gesture and a note associated with the header, said header visually separating two adjacent note areas and including one or more header function buttons specifying a command to be taken on a note associated with the divider indicia, wherein said note areas have arbitrary sizes at least initially delimited by division gestures, and wherein the note areas may be scrolled such that they are sequentially displayed in response to a scrolling command.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 41 words

A computer system as recited in claim 22 further comprising means for routing the note to a location outside the computer system; and means for filing the note in one or more folders residing, at least in part, in the memory.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 41 words

A computer system as recited in claim 23 wherein said routing means includes a routing button which forms a first part of said header and wherein said filing means includes a filing button which forms a second part of said header.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 40 words

A computer system as recited in claim 22 wherein the one or more computer-implemented processes further comprise: means for detecting a sizing gesture made with the pointer; and means for moving the divider indicia as indicated by the sizing gesture.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 24 words

A computer system as recited in claim 22 wherein the one or more computer-implemented processes further comprise means for scrolling in a quantized fashion.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 26 words

A computer system as recited in claim 22 wherein the one or more computer-implemented processes further comprise means for creating a data record for the note.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-10-08	2000-04-08	2000-10-08	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-10-08	2004-04-08	2004-10-08	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-10-08	2008-04-08	2008-10-08	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Computer note pad including gesture based note division tools and method

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag