Automated system and method for annotation using callouts

Claim 2

In a system comprising a processor, a visual display operatively coupled to the processor, and an activatable pointing device, an automated method of providing a callout in a display field of the visual display, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication that the pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first display location in the display field; receiving an indication that the pointing device was moved while activated to point to a second display location in the display field, then deactivated; providing a vehicle for selecting formatting criteria for the callout; in response to a selection of formatting criteria through the vehicle, automatically creating with the system a callout that conforms with the selected formatting criteria, the callout comprising a stem region and an annotation region, the stem region having a first vertex displayed proximally to the designated first display location and a second vertex displayed proximally to the annotation region, the annotation region being displayed proximally to the designated second display location; anchoring the callout to an item in the visual display; and in response to movement of the item to a new location in the visual display, moving the callout anchored to that item to the new location.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of anchoring the callout to a new item in response to movement of the callout to a new location in the visual display.

Claim 4

A computer-implemented method for creating a callout, the callout having an annotation region that can contain information and the callout also having a stem that can indicate a relationship between the annotation region and an item, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication that a pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first display location in a visual display; receiving an indication that the pointing device was deactivated while the pointing device was pointing to a second display location in the visual display; and creating the callout, wherein the stem of said callout has an origin vertex near the first display location and a terminal vertex near the second display location, the origin vertex and the terminal vertex are on opposite ends of the stem, and the annotation region of said callout is also located near the second display location.

Claim 5

A computer-implemented method for creating a callout, the callout having an annotation region that can contain information and the callout also having a stem that can indicate a relationship between the annotation region and an item, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication that a pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first display location in a visual display; receiving an indication that the pointing device was deactivated while the pointing device was pointing to a second display location in the visual display; and creating the callout, wherein the stem of said callout has an origin vertex near the first display location and a terminal vertex near the second display location, the origin vertex and the terminal vertex are on opposite ends of the stem, and the annotation region of said callout is also located near the second display location.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of creating an annotation in the annotation region that pertains to the item indicated by the stem.

Claim 7

The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of: receiving from a user through a graphical user interface a format for the callout, the format comprising a shape for the annotation region and a shape for the stem; and displaying the callout conforming to the format.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of displaying, at each moment while the pointing device is activated, an outline of a callout that would be created were the pointing device deactivated at that moment.

Claim 9

The method of claim 3, wherein the callout is created in a document in a word processing application.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of anchoring the callout to a paragraph of text in the document.

Claim 11

The method of claim 8, further comprising the following step: in response to movement of the paragraph to a new location in the document, moving the callout anchored to that paragraph to the new location.

Claim 12

A computer-implemented method for creating a callout in a document in a word processing application, the callout having an annotation region and a stem, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication that a pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first location in the document; receiving an indication that the pointing device was deactivated while the pointing device was pointing to a second location in the document; creating the callout, wherein the stem of said callout has an origin vertex near the first location and a terminal vertex near the second location, the origin vertex and the terminal vertex are on opposite ends of the stem, and the annotation region of said callout is also located near the second location; anchoring the callout to a paragraph of text in the document; and in response to movement of the paragraph to a new location in the document, moving the callout anchored to that paragraph to the new location.

Claim 13

A computer-implemented method for creating a callout in a document in a word processing application, the callout having an annotation region and a stem, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication that a pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first location in the document; receiving an indication that the pointing device was deactivated while the pointing device was pointing to a second location in the document; creating the callout, wherein the stem of said callout has an origin vertex near the first location and a terminal vertex near the second location, the origin vertex and the terminal vertex are on opposite ends of the stem, and the annotation region of said callout is also located near the second location; anchoring the callout to a paragraph of text in the document; and in response to movement of the paragraph to a new location in the document, moving the callout anchored to that paragraph to the new location.

Claim 14

The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of anchoring the callout to a new paragraph in response to movement of the callout to a new location.

Claim 15

A computer-implemented method for modifying a callout having an annotation region and a stem, in a specified format, the stem having a far vertex and a near vertex on its opposite ends, the far vertex located in an original position further away from the annotation region than the near vertex, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication that the annotation region has been selected through the activation of a pointing device; receiving an indication that the pointing device has been deactivated while pointing to a new location; changing the callout by locating the annotation region proximate to the new location, and modifying the stem, without changing the stem's adherence to the specified format, by locating the near vertex near the new location of the annotation region and leaving the far vertex in the original position; and displaying, at each moment while the pointing device is activated, an outline of a modified callout that would be created were the pointing device deactivated at that moment.

Claim 16

A computer-implemented method for modifying a callout having an annotation region and a stem, in a specified format, the stem having a far vertex and a near vertex on its opposite ends, the far vertex located in an original position further away from the annotation region than the near vertex, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an indication that the annotation region has been selected through the activation of a pointing device; receiving an indication that the pointing device has been deactivated while pointing to a new location; changing the callout by locating the annotation region proximate to the new location, and modifying the stem, without changing the stem's adherence to the specified format, by locating the near vertex near the new location of the annotation region and leaving the far vertex in the original position; and displaying, at each moment while the pointing device is activated, an outline of a modified callout that would be created were the pointing device deactivated at that moment.

Claim 17

A computer-implemented method for manipulating, in a word processing environment, a callout having an annotation region and a stem, the method comprising the steps of: anchoring the callout to a paragraph of text; and in response to movement of the paragraph to a new location within a document, moving the callout anchored to that paragraph to the new location.

Claim 18

A computer-implemented method for manipulating, in a word processing environment, a callout having an annotation region and a stem, the method comprising the steps of: anchoring the callout to a paragraph of text; and in response to movement of the paragraph to a new location within a document, moving the callout anchored to that paragraph to the new location.

Claim 19

The method of claim 13, wherein the stem has a far vertex and a near vertex on opposite ends of the stem, the far vertex located further away from the annotation region than the near vertex, and wherein the callout is anchored to the paragraph containing the far vertex.

Claim 20

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of anchoring the callout to a new paragraph in response to movement of the callout to a new location.

Claim 21

The method of claim 15, wherein movement of the callout to a new location does not cause the callout to be anchored to a new paragraph if the callout was locked when anchored to the paragraph.

Claim 22

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of deleting the callout in response to deletion of the paragraph to which the callout is anchored.

Claim 23

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of providing a display that indicates the paragraph to which the callout is anchored.

Claim 24

A computer-readable medium for use with a system comprising a processor, a visual display operatively coupled to the processor, and an activatable pointing device, said computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing an automated method of providing a callout in a display field of the visual display, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving an indication that the pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first display location in the display field; b) receiving an indication that the pointing device was moved while activated to point to a second display location in the display field, then deactivated; c) providing a vehicle for selecting formatting criteria for the callout; d) in response to a selection of formatting criteria through the vehicle, automatically creating with the system a callout that conforms with the selected formatting criteria, the callout comprising a stem region and an annotation region, the stem region having a first vertex displayed proximally to the designated first display location and a second vertex displayed proximally to the annotation region, the annotation region being displayed proximally to the designated second display location; e) anchoring the callout to an item in the visual display; and f) in response to movement of the item to a new location in the visual display, moving the callout anchored to that item to the new location.

Claim 25

A computer-readable medium for use with a system comprising a processor, a visual display operatively coupled to the processor, and an activatable pointing device, said computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing an automated method of providing a callout in a display field of the visual display, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving an indication that the pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first display location in the display field; b) receiving an indication that the pointing device was moved while activated to point to a second display location in the display field, then deactivated; c) providing a vehicle for selecting formatting criteria for the callout; d) in response to a selection of formatting criteria through the vehicle, automatically creating with the system a callout that conforms with the selected formatting criteria, the callout comprising a stem region and an annotation region, the stem region having a first vertex displayed proximally to the designated first display location and a second vertex displayed proximally to the annotation region, the annotation region being displayed proximally to the designated second display location; e) anchoring the callout to an item in the visual display; and f) in response to movement of the item to a new location in the visual display, moving the callout anchored to that item to the new location.

Claim 26

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implemented method for creating a callout, the callout having an annotation region that can contain information and the callout also having a stem that can indicate a relationship between the annotation region and an item, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving an indication that a pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first display location in a visual display; b) receiving an indication that the pointing device was deactivated while the pointing device was pointing to a second display location in the visual display; and c) creating the callout, wherein the stem of said callout has an origin vertex near the first display location and a terminal vertex near the second display location, the origin vertex and the terminal vertex are an opposite ends of the stem, and the annotation region of said callout is also located near the second display location.

Claim 27

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implemented method for creating a callout, the callout having an annotation region that can contain information and the callout also having a stem that can indicate a relationship between the annotation region and an item, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving an indication that a pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first display location in a visual display; b) receiving an indication that the pointing device was deactivated while the pointing device was pointing to a second display location in the visual display; and c) creating the callout, wherein the stem of said callout has an origin vertex near the first display location and a terminal vertex near the second display location, the origin vertex and the terminal vertex are an opposite ends of the stem, and the annotation region of said callout is also located near the second display location.

Claim 28

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implemented method for creating a callout created in a document in a word processing application, the callout having an annotation region that can contain information and the callout also having a stem that can indicate a relationship between the annotation region and an item, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving an indication that a pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first display location in a visual display; b) receiving an indication that the pointing device was deactivated while the pointing device was pointing to a second display location in the visual display; c) creating the callout, wherein the stem of said callout has an origin vertex near the first display location and a terminal vertex near the second display location, the origin vertex and the terminal vertex are on opposite ends of the stem, and the annotation region of said callout is also located near the second display location; d) anchoring the callout to a paragraph of text in the document; and e) in response to movement of the paragraph to a new location in the document, moving the callout anchored to that paragraph to the new location.

Claim 29

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implemented method for creating a callout created in a document in a word processing application, the callout having an annotation region that can contain information and the callout also having a stem that can indicate a relationship between the annotation region and an item, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving an indication that a pointing device was activated while the pointing device was pointing to a first display location in a visual display; b) receiving an indication that the pointing device was deactivated while the pointing device was pointing to a second display location in the visual display; c) creating the callout, wherein the stem of said callout has an origin vertex near the first display location and a terminal vertex near the second display location, the origin vertex and the terminal vertex are on opposite ends of the stem, and the annotation region of said callout is also located near the second display location; d) anchoring the callout to a paragraph of text in the document; and e) in response to movement of the paragraph to a new location in the document, moving the callout anchored to that paragraph to the new location.

Claim 30

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implemented method for modifying a callout having an annotation region and a stem, in a specified format, the stem having a far vertex and a near vertex on its opposite ends, the far vertex located in an original position further away from the annotation region than the near vertex, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving an indication that the annotation region has been selected through the activation of a pointing device; b) receiving an indication that the pointing device has been deactivated while pointing to a new location; c) changing the callout by locating the annotation region proximate to the new location, and modifying the stem, without changing the stem's adherence to the specified format, by locating the near vertex near the new location of the annotation region and leaving the far vertex in the original position; and d) displaying, at each moment while the pointing device is activated, an outline of a modified callout that would be created were the pointing device deactivated at that moment.

Claim 31

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implemented method for modifying a callout having an annotation region and a stem, in a specified format, the stem having a far vertex and a near vertex on its opposite ends, the far vertex located in an original position further away from the annotation region than the near vertex, the method comprising the steps of: a) receiving an indication that the annotation region has been selected through the activation of a pointing device; b) receiving an indication that the pointing device has been deactivated while pointing to a new location; c) changing the callout by locating the annotation region proximate to the new location, and modifying the stem, without changing the stem's adherence to the specified format, by locating the near vertex near the new location of the annotation region and leaving the far vertex in the original position; and d) displaying, at each moment while the pointing device is activated, an outline of a modified callout that would be created were the pointing device deactivated at that moment.

Claim 32

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implemented method for manipulating, in a word processing environment, a callout having an annotation region and a stem, the method comprising the steps of; anchoring the callout to a paragraph of text; and in response to movement of the paragraph to a new location within a document, moving the callout anchored to that paragraph to the new location.

Claim 33

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer-implemented method for manipulating, in a word processing environment, a callout having an annotation region and a stem, the method comprising the steps of; anchoring the callout to a paragraph of text; and in response to movement of the paragraph to a new location within a document, moving the callout anchored to that paragraph to the new location.