Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100158379 | IMAGE BACKGROUND REMOVAL - A request is received to enter a background removal mode. A marquee is displayed for specifying a portion of an image to be provided to a foreground extraction engine (“FEA”). The portion of the image defined by the marquee is provided to the FEA. The FEA identifies the foreground and returns it to the application program. The image is displayed with the foreground distinguished from the background. If the marquee is re-sized or re-positioned, the portion of the image defined by the marquee is provided to the FEA. A line segment may be drawn over the background to define a portion of the image for inclusion in the foreground. A line segment may also be drawn over the foreground to define a portion of the image for inclusion in the background. Upon exit of the background removal mode, only the foreground of the image is displayed. | 06-24-2010 |
20130019172 | LAUNCHER FOR CONTEXT BASED MENUS - A launching mechanism for context based menus is provided. A launcher indicator may be provided at a fixed or dynamic location on a user interface enabling a user to activate a context based menu through a variety of touch or gesture actions, as well as keyboard, mouse, or similar device inputs, directly related to the indicator or through inference from an action on the displayed content such as selection of a portion of the content. The launcher indicator may provide contextual information such as a type of available context based menu and appear/disappear in an animated fashion. Location of the indicator may also be dynamically adjusted based on selected content, user action location (i.e., location of a touch), available display area, and so on. Upon activation of the menu, the launcher indicator may disappear or be displayed at a center of the context based menu. | 01-17-2013 |
20130019173 | MANAGING CONTENT THROUGH ACTIONS ON CONTEXT BASED MENUS - Context based menus are employed for content management through touch or gesture actions, keyboard entries, mouse or pen actions, and similar input. Context based menus may be deployed using a variety of shapes, forms, and content. Different actions and combinations of actions enable users to activate submenus, execute commands, or collapse context based menus. By enabling viewing of menus and execution of commands through context based menus positioned in relation to displayed content user experience is enhanced when interacting with user interfaces with limited display area. | 01-17-2013 |
20130019174 | LABELS AND TOOLTIPS FOR CONTEXT BASED MENUS - Tooltips associated with a context based menu are presented for providing information about executable commands on the context based menu. Tooltips may provide information about how to interact with the context based menu including what graphical icons on the context based menu represent and what actions a user can take to execute commands from the context based menu. The tooltips may be brief labels of the commands on the context based menu and may also expand to descriptive tooltips providing more information about the commands. The tooltips may be automatically presented in response to a detected period of inactivity by a user and may additionally be presented in response to detection of a user action such as a press and hold action in association with one or more commands on the context based menu, and may be displayed in a variety of positions around the context based menu. | 01-17-2013 |
20130019175 | SUBMENUS FOR CONTEXT BASED MENU SYSTEM - One or more submenus associated with context based menus are provided. A context based menu may include top level commands/items available for execution on selected content or activation of submenu(s) that include additional executable commands. Additional commands may be executed through the submenu(s) by tap, swipe, or press and hold actions. Upon selection of a termination item or execution of a command, a submenu may be hidden and/or a parent menu displayed. | 01-17-2013 |
20130019182 | DYNAMIC CONTEXT BASED MENUS - Context based menus that can be dynamically positioned, laid out, and activated are provided for tap, swipe, and press-and-hold type interactions. Presenting a plurality of executable commands and/or links to submenus, a context based menu may be displayed in various shapes and forms in relation to selected content displayed on a user interface and/or other factors such as available display space, user attributes, and similar ones. Submenus presenting commands within a category may be displayed in place of, adjacent to, or overlapping with a parent context based menu. Menu position, contents, and/or shape may be adjusted in response to changes in selected content, user contact location, changes in user interface, and the like. | 01-17-2013 |
20130019203 | PROVIDING CUSTOMIZATION OF CONTEXT BASED MENUS - Context based menus are customizable to extend features to meet user demand. An application providing the context based menu reads a custom configuration from an XML file or receives input through a user interface to construct a context based menu. The custom configuration hosts attribute information for placement of controls, visualization or controls, and/or behavior of controls in the menu. Custom configuration is editable and provides features to add and remove controls from a default context based menu. | 01-17-2013 |
20130019204 | ADJUSTING CONTENT ATTRIBUTES THROUGH ACTIONS ON CONTEXT BASED MENU - Context based menus are employed for content attribute adjustment through touch or gesture actions, keyboard entries, mouse or pen actions, and similar input. Context based menus are deployed to adjust displayed attributes of content. In some examples, a slider enables the user to visually confirm selected attribute such as a font size. Other content attributes may be adjusted using context based attribute menus providing granular adjustment for incremental attribute values. Attributes including line weights and gradient based values are adjustable through context based attribute menus. | 01-17-2013 |
20130019205 | DETERMINING GESTURES ON CONTEXT BASED MENUS - Context based menus are employed for content management through touch or gesture actions, keyboard entries, mouse or pen actions, and similar input. Different actions and combinations of actions enable users to activate sub-menus, execute commands, or collapse context based menus. Gestures associated with the actions are determined through action analysis. The action analysis includes tap action hit target region analysis and swipe action direction, angle, and/or length analysis. | 01-17-2013 |
20130019206 | PROVIDING ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES ON CONTEXT BASED RADIAL MENUS - Radial context based menus are employed for content management through touch or gesture actions, keyboard entries, mouse or pen actions, and similar input. Different actions and combinations of actions enable users to activate submenus, execute commands, or collapse context based menus. Accessibility features are integrated with radial context based menus to ease user interaction with radial context based menu controls. Distinct accessibility controls are superimposed on radial context based menu controls to aid with command interactions. Additionally, contrast schemes are implemented on radial context based menu controls and surrounding regions to differentiate the context base menu controls for visual acuity. | 01-17-2013 |
20130019208 | MANAGING CONTENT COLOR THROUGH CONTEXT BASED COLOR MENU - Context based color menus are employed to assign a color to content through touch or gesture actions, keyboard entries, mouse or pen actions, and similar input. Context based color menus are deployed to assign a color through color controls. Color controls are positioned in a variety of forms and potentially expand to multiple levels of color control sets. An example color menu positions a set of top level color controls on an inside region of a context based color menu while positioning a set of color controls corresponding to shades of one of the top level controls on an outside region of the menu. Sub-menus are used to provide shades of colors associated with color controls adjacent to a sub-menu launcher. | 01-17-2013 |
20140049521 | Feedback Via an Input Device and Scribble Recognition - Feedback via an input device associated with an interaction with a point of interest (POI) and scribble recognition is provided. When using an input device to navigate a GUI, various POIs may be determined as elements beneficial for a user to notice, pay attention to, or avoid. When an input is received that may be associated with a POI, feedback may be provided. Feedback may include haptic, visual, or audible feedback. Scribble recognition may also be provided. When using an input device (e.g., digital pen), a user may “scribble” in a margin to test pen attributes. Upon recognizing a scribble, alternative pen attributes may be presented in a contextual menu. In addition, the scribble may be automatically erased upon selection of a pen attribute or upon receiving input in another area of the UI or alternatively, feedback may be provided prior to erasure of the scribble input. | 02-20-2014 |
20140164886 | MODIFICATION OF FILE GRAPHIC APPEARANCE WITHIN A COLLECTION CANVAS - A collection environment comprises a collection canvas. The collection canvas may have included therein written text and a file graphic associated with a media file. Responsive to an invocation of the media file, media controls with which to control a media mode associated with the media file are presented. Responsive to a modification to the media mode initiated through the media controls, an appearance of the file graphic is modified to reflect the modification to the media mode. | 06-12-2014 |
20140173602 | Matching Opportunity to Context - A task application for automatic task management based on content and context awareness is provided. As task items are inputted into the task application, the task items may be parsed for context data (e.g., time data, location data, people data, etc.) and associated with the task item. Additionally, context data may be input manually by a user. Task items may be stored in a “now,” “later,” “someday,” or “done” contextual task list. As context changes, (e.g., time, location, activity, people, etc.) task items with correlating context data may be prioritized. A notification may be presented to the user to alert him of an upcoming or present opportunity to achieve or complete a task item. Accordingly, a user may be provided with a list of task items that may be relevant to the user according to context. | 06-19-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100275156 | Managing Data Across a Semantic Data View and a Presentation Data View - Managing data across a semantic data view and a presentation data view may be provided. A semantic model may be represented in a semantic data view and a presentation model may be represented in a presentation data view. The presentation model may correspond to a graphical representation of the semantic model. In addition, a command may be received directed toward the semantic data view or the presentation data view. The semantic model and the presentation model may be operated upon according to the received command. Furthermore, the semantic model represented in the semantic data view and the presentation model represented in the presentation data view may be updated in response to operating on the semantic model and the presentation model according to the received command. The semantic model and the presentation model may be simultaneously maintained in a volatile memory in a computer. | 10-28-2010 |
20120005608 | SMART COPY/PASTE OF GRAPHICAL NODES - When using graphical diagrams, cutting and pasting operations may take advantage of predefined relationships to intelligently insert and remove items from the diagram. A text data model may be interpreted sequentially or hierarchically to construct various diagrams. Pasting operations will bring new data into the diagram and data model while conforming the new data to the diagram definition. Cutting operations may cause the data model and diagram to be healed to conform to the diagram definition. | 01-05-2012 |
20120127178 | MAINTAINING GRAPHICAL PRESENTATIONS BASED ON USER CUSTOMIZATIONS - A method and system for rendering graphics based on user customizations in a computer graphics application are disclosed. The customizations relate to various properties of one or more graphical elements in the graphic. Such properties include positioning, size, formatting and other visual attributes associated with the graphical elements. These properties may be defined as either semantic properties or presentation properties. Semantic properties are persistent across all graphic definitions. Presentation properties are specific to the graphic definition to which each particular graphic belongs. Thus, a customization to a semantic property of a displayed graphic is preserved in memory for application not only to the currently displayed graphic, but also to all other graphic definitions that may be displayed in the future. In contrast, a customization to a presentation property is only preserved for the currently displayed graphic, and thus not preserved for all other graphic definitions. | 05-24-2012 |
20130024791 | MAINTAINING GRAPHICAL PRESENTATIONS BASED ON USER CUSTOMIZATIONS - A method and system for rendering graphics based on user customizations in a computer graphics application are disclosed. The customizations relate to various properties of one or more graphical elements in the graphic. Such properties include positioning, size, formatting and other visual attributes associated with the graphical elements. These properties may be defined as either semantic properties or presentation properties. Semantic properties are persistent across all graphic definitions. Presentation properties are specific to the graphic definition to which each particular graphic belongs. Thus, a customization to a semantic property of a displayed graphic is preserved in memory for application not only to the currently displayed graphic, but also to all other graphic definitions that may be displayed in the future. In contrast, a customization to a presentation property is only preserved for the currently displayed graphic, and thus not preserved for all other graphic definitions. | 01-24-2013 |
20130232410 | AUTOMATICALLY CONVERTING TEXT TO BUSINESS GRAPHICS - A facility for generating a graphic image is described. The facility receives from a user a body of text whose creation is not subject to any rules or prototypes. The facility discerns from the body of text a textual organization. The facility then generates a graphic image conveying the discerned textual organization. | 09-05-2013 |
20130290839 | EDITING THE TEXT OF AN ARBITRARY GRAPHIC VIA A HIERARCHICAL LIST - The present invention includes a graphics software program that automatically creates graphical content when a user creates or modifies a hierarchical list of content data and chooses from one of a plurality of graphical definition choices for the graphical elements. In addition, the present invention includes a user interface with three different displays. The first display presents the user with one or more galleries including a gallery with a plurality of graphical definitions. The second display is a content entry area. The final display is a drawing canvas. | 10-31-2013 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090080801 | ALTERING THE APPEARANCE OF A DIGITAL IMAGE USING A SHAPE - Technologies are described herein for altering the appearance of a digital image using a shape. A mask edit mode of operation is provided in which an application program displays a mask shape superimposed on a digital image. The application program also provides user interface controls for altering the size, position, and rotation of the digital image independently of the mask shape, and user interface controls for altering the size, position, and rotation of the mask shape independently of the digital image. When a cropping request is received, the portion of the digital image within the mask shape is mapped onto the mask shape, thereby creating a mask-cropped shape, and a normal editing mode is entered. In the normal editing mode a set of user interface controls is provided for modifying the size, position, and rotation of the mask-cropped shape. | 03-26-2009 |
20090319897 | ENHANCED USER INTERFACE FOR EDITING IMAGES - A digital image editing system and method are presented that allow a user to visualize a range of changes to an image. The system determines a range of parameter values for a parameter of a selected filter. Then, the system creates multiple thumbnails of the image where each thumbnail illustrates a representation of the image with a different parameter value within the range of parameter values of the filter applied to the image. The system displays the created thumbnails in a user interface from which a user can select a thumbnail to apply the parameter value represented by the selected thumbnail. Thus, the digital image editing system allows the user to visually select an appropriate parameter value among the values accepted by the filter. | 12-24-2009 |
20110313803 | Social Task Lists - Providing access to task lists via social communications systems is provided. A user may expose a list authoring surface and associated task lists to other users via one or more social communications systems. When another user attempts to access contents of the list authoring surface, the user attempting access may be required to provide permissions credentials, or the attempting user's social communications account may be designated as a permissioned account from which access to the contents of the list authoring surface may be obtained. Version control management may be applied to the accessed task lists to ensure accessing users receive access to most up-to-date versions of accessed task lists. Once an accessing user obtains access to a given task list, the accessing user may comment on accessed tasks, make changes to accessed tasks and/or collaborate on accessed tasks. | 12-22-2011 |
20110314375 | Personal Assistant for Task Utilization - An electronic personal assistant that uses task information to obtain task performance assistance and help content is provided. Tasks from an electronic tasks application may be utilized by the personal assistant application to search a variety of information sources for task performance functionality and help content related to the tasks. The personal assistant may provide functionality to help a user actually perform a given task. Alternatively, once help content is obtained, a new task may be generated or the related task may be modified to provide the help content or to provide a link to the help content. The personal assistant application may provide the help content in a separate user interface or cause an application from which the help content is obtained to be launched. | 12-22-2011 |
20110314402 | Flagging, Capturing and Generating Task List Items - Generation of a task or reminder in an electronic task list authoring surface from a variety of data or information locations or media without the need for launching a separate task or reminder application and without the need for moving focus away from an information location or media presently in use is provided. Generation of a task or task reminder may be accomplished from a variety of information locations or media. When an information item is flagged or captured and a task/reminder is generated, one or more pieces of metadata may be applied to the flagged information item for enhancing the subsequent use of the associated generated task or reminder. | 12-22-2011 |
20110314404 | Context-Based Task Generation - A triggering mechanism for generating task reminders based on contextual information associated with the tasks is provided. Contextual information may be extracted from a variety of sources and may be related to one or more tasks. Based on the contextual information, task reminders may be generated and may be presented in a manner that makes the task reminders more useful to an end user. | 12-22-2011 |
20110314418 | List Authoring Surface - A list authoring surface (LAS) is provided that includes a lightweight user interface component for entering, displaying, manipulating, and providing reminders for one or more tasks that takes the place of hand-written notes, scraps of paper, or “sticky” notes. The list authoring surface may be deployed across a multitude of software applications and may be readily accessed anywhere on a stationary or mobile desktop or display screen. Information may be manually or automatically entered into the list authoring surface user interface. An event timeline that uses a “fuzzy” reminder method allows for reminders to be associated with tasks where some tasks must be accomplished or must occur at hard dates/times, but where other tasks may be accomplished or may occur during soft or “fuzzy” date/time ranges. | 12-22-2011 |
20120035925 | Population of Lists and Tasks from Captured Voice and Audio Content - Automatic capture and population of task and list items in an electronic task or list surface via voice or audio input through an audio recording-capable mobile computing device is provided. A voice or audio task or list item may be captured for entry into a task application interface or into a list authoring surface interface for subsequent use as task items, reminders, “to do” items, list items, agenda items, work organization outlines, and the like. Captured voice or audio content may be transcribed locally or remotely, and transcribed content may be populated into a task or list authoring surface user interface that may be displayed on the capturing device (e.g., mobile telephone), or that may be stored remotely and subsequently displayed in association with a number of applications on a number of different computing devices. | 02-09-2012 |
20130067373 | EXPLICIT TOUCH SELECTION AND CURSOR PLACEMENT - A system and method for implementing an efficient and easy to user interface for a touch screen device. A cursor may be placed by a user using simple inputs. The device operates places the cursor coarsely and refines the cursor placement upon further input from the user. Text may be selected using a gripper associated with the cursor. The user interface allows text selection without occluding the text being selected with the user's finger or the gripper. For selecting text in a multi-line block of text, a dynamic safety zone is implemented to simplify text selection for the user. | 03-14-2013 |
20130080979 | EXPLICIT TOUCH SELECTION AND CURSOR PLACEMENT - A system and method for implementing an efficient and easy to user interface for a touch screen device. A cursor may be placed by a user using simple inputs. The device operates places the cursor coarsely and refines the cursor placement upon further input from the user. Text may be selected using a gripper associated with the cursor. The user interface allows text selection without occluding the text being selected with the user's finger or the gripper. For selecting text in a multi-line block of text, a dynamic safety zone is implemented to simplify text selection for the user. | 03-28-2013 |
20130091205 | Multi-User and Multi-Device Collaboration - Multi-user, multi-computing device collaborative work experience is provided. One or more computing devices, including wired and wireless personal computers, laptop computers, servers, handheld mobile computing devices, for example, mobile telephones, tablet type computers, slate type computers and the like, may be linked together to allow users of such devices to engage in a collaborative work session. Information for each user engaged in the collaborative work session may be displayed on the one or more devices along with any content such as agenda items, documents, data, images, and the like. User participation may be tracked, and information on user participation, work session communications and content may be stored for subsequent use. | 04-11-2013 |
20130091440 | Workspace Collaboration Via a Wall-Type Computing Device - Multi-user, multi-computing device collaborative work experience is provided. One or more computing devices, including wired and wireless personal computers, laptop computers, servers, handheld mobile computing devices, for example, mobile telephones, tablet type computers, slate type computers and the like, may be linked together to allow users of such devices to engage in a collaborative work session. Information for each user engaged in the collaborative work session may be displayed on the one or more devices along with any content such as agenda items, documents, data, images, and the like. User participation may be tracked, and information on user participation, work session communications and content may be stored for subsequent use. | 04-11-2013 |
20130091453 | Motivation of Task Completion and Personalization of Tasks and Lists - Personalized task management is provided. A “doodling” zone or pane is provided in association with an electronic task interface that allows for entry of sketches, notes, the playing of games, and the like in association with entry, editing and use of task or list items in the task interface. In addition, task items entered into the task interface may be associated with other information, including previously entered or accomplished tasks, third party task content, enterprise task content, or other content. As tasks are completed, a completing user may be rewarded with a variety of on-display animations, gifts, reward items and/or other positive feedback. | 04-11-2013 |
20130091465 | Interactive Visualization of Multiple Software Functionality Content Items - Interactive visualization of multiple software functionality content items is provided. A variety of content items may be associated with each other according to one or more association attributes. A visualization presentation of one or more of the content items may be displayed in a visualization interface. Organization of content items may be made in association with a visualization ordering based on one or more logical attributes. An ordered navigation interface component may be provided to allow navigation of the displayed content items in a moving visualization such that a focused on content item may be displayed in a main or primary display position. Users may interact with each content item displayed in the visualization interface to include providing edits, comments, feedback, and the like. | 04-11-2013 |
20130097481 | Application of Comments in Multiple Application Functionality Content - Application of comments to a variety of application functionality content is provided. Comments may be entered and displayed in a comments user interface component directly in line in the text or other objects of a document or other content item. Displayed comments may be collapsed to a simplified comments tab that may remain displayed in the associated document or content item. Selection of the comments tab may allow for expansion of the comments user interface component to full size. The comments tab may likewise be collapsed to an icon or other image displayed next to the associated content, and the icon or other image may be configured to provide an indication of the length of an associated comments conversation thread. One or more social feedback mechanisms may be employed to show feedback on a given component or portion of a document or content item. | 04-18-2013 |
20130097490 | Application of Multiple Content Items and Functionality to an Electronic Content Item - Application of content and associated functionality from multiple content sources to an electronic content item is provided. Content from a first document may be displayed over a second document via a user interface component. If desired, such content may be inserted into the second document, and application functionality associated with the inserted content may be retained after it is inserted into the second document. One or more navigation means may be provided for conveniently navigating inside a content item (e.g., a document) for adding new content or for reviewing or editing existing content. In addition, a number of content views and content mappings may be provided. | 04-18-2013 |
20130097544 | Authoring of Data Visualizations and Maps - A visualization of computer-enabled information in association with a computer-enabled map is provided. One or more data items may be imported onto a computer-generated mapping surface. A data visualization application may obtain location information, for example, physical address or latitude/longitude coordinates, for each data item. A map showing a geographical area large enough to contain each data item may be automatically generated and displayed, and each data item may be located on the map and may be identified by an identifying icon or label. Selection of an icon or label for any of the data items may cause display of information about the data item. The map display and visualization of the data items on the map display may be dynamically modified as one or more other data items are imported onto the visualization surface or as one or more existing data items are removed from the visualization surface. | 04-18-2013 |
20140207867 | Multi-User and Multi-Device Collaboration - Multi-user, multi-computing device collaborative work experience is provided. One or more computing devices, including wired and wireless personal computers, laptop computers, servers, handheld mobile computing devices, for example, mobile telephones, tablet type computers, slate type computers and the like, may be linked together to allow users of such devices to engage in a collaborative work session. Information for each user engaged in the collaborative work session may be displayed on the one or more devices along with any content such as agenda items, documents, data, images, and the like. User participation may be tracked, and information on user participation, work session communications and content may be stored for subsequent use. | 07-24-2014 |