# US 10,768,775 B2 · Text direction indicator > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,768,775 B2 - Document ID: US10768775B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/481,144 - Filed: 2017-04-06 - Published: 2018-10-11 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-06 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Harish Dhawan; Rahul Dhaundiyal; Jitendra Kumar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10768775B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/04812: Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects - G06F 3/018: {Input/output arrangements for oriental characters} - G06F 3/0219: {Special purpose keyboards} - G06F 3/04892: Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key (arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038) - G06F 40/166: Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Systems, methods, and computer-executable instructions for indicating a text direction are disclosed. Operations for indicating a text direction may include determining an insertion point in a bidirectional document. A keyboard layout at the insertion point is determined. A visual characteristic for a cursor, that indicates a text direction of the first keyboard layout, is selected based upon the keyboard layout. A cursor with the visual characteristics is displayed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for indicating a text direction, the system comprising: a processor; and memory coupled to the processor, the memory including instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: determining a first insertion point in a bidirectional document comprising at least two languages, wherein the at least two languages comprise a left-to-right (LTR) language and a right-to-left (RTL) language; determining a first keyboard layout at the first insertion point, wherein the first keyboard layout comprises a left-to-right mode or a right-to-left mode; identifying a visual characteristic of a directional portion of a first cursor comprising both a main portion and the directional portion, the visual characteristic distinguishing the directional portion from the main portion, and wherein the directional portion of the first cursor indicates a text direction of text to be entered at the first insertion point, based upon the first keyboard layout; and displaying the first cursor comprising the main portion and the directional portion at the first insertion point, wherein the directional portion is located left of the main portion of the first cursor when the first keyboard layout is in the LTR mode, and wherein the directional portion is located right of the main portion of the first cursor when the first keyboard layout is in the RTL mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first cursor is a text cursor, wherein the visual characteristic comprises at least two vertical bars with a same height as the text cursor and located at a first side of the main portion and abutting the main portion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the first keyboard layout is the RTL mode, and wherein the at least two vertical bars are located to the right of the main portion of the text cursor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the first keyboard layout is the LTR mode, and wherein the at least two vertical bars are located to the left of the main portion of the text cursor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the at least two vertical bars comprise a first vertical bar of a first color that abuts the main portion of the text cursor and a second vertical bar of a second color that abuts the first vertical bar, wherein the second color is a lighter shade of the first color, and wherein a width of the main portion of the text cursor is equal to a width of the at least two vertical bars. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the first color is a lighter shade of a color of the main portion of the text cursor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: determining a second insertion point in the bidirectional document; determining a second keyboard layout at the second insertion point, wherein the second keyboard layout is different from the first keyboard layout; setting a visual characteristic of a second cursor, that indicates a text direction at the second insertion point, based upon the second keyboard layout; and displaying the second cursor at the second insertion point simultaneously with the first cursor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first cursor is a mouse cursor. ### Claim 9 A method for indicating a text direction, the method comprising: determining a first insertion point in a bidirectional document comprising at least two languages, wherein the at least two languages comprise a left-to-right (LTR) language and a right-to-left (RTL) language; determining a first keyboard layout at the first insertion point, wherein the first keyboard layout comprises a left-to-right mode or a right-to-left mode; identifying a visual characteristic of a directional portion of a first cursor comprising both a main portion and the directional portion, the visual characteristic distinguishing the directional portion from the main portion, and wherein the directional portion of the first cursor indicates a text direction of text to be entered at the first insertion point, based upon the first keyboard layout; and displaying the first cursor comprising the main portion and the directional portion at the first insertion point, wherein the directional portion is located left of the main portion of the first cursor when the first keyboard layout is in the LTR mode, and wherein the directional portion is located right of the main portion of the first cursor when the first keyboard layout is in the RTL mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first cursor is a text cursor , wherein the visual characteristic comprises at least two vertical bars with a same height as the text cursor and located at a first side of the main portion and abutting the main portion, and wherein a width of the main portion of the text cursor is equal to a width of the at least two vertical bars. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first keyboard layout is the RTL mode, and wherein the at least two vertical bars are located to the right of the main portion of the text cursor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first keyboard layout is the LTR mode, and wherein the at least two vertical bars are located to the left of the main portion of the text cursor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the at least two vertical bars comprise a first vertical bar of a first color that abuts the main portion of the text cursor and a second vertical bar of a second color that abuts the first vertical bar, wherein the second color is a lighter shade of the first color. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first color is a lighter shade of a color of the main portion of the text cursor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: determining a second insertion point of the bidirectional document; determining a second keyboard layout at the second insertion point, wherein the second keyboard layout is different from the first keyboard layout; setting a visual characteristic of a second cursor based upon the second keyboard layout; and displaying the second cursor simultaneously with the first cursor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the first cursor is a mouse cursor. ### Claim 17 A computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computing device to notify user interface (UI) components of state changes, the stored instructions comprising: instructions to determine a first insertion point in a bidirectional document comprising at least two languages, wherein the at least two languages comprise a left-to-right (LTR) language and a right-to-left (RTL) language; instructions to determine a first keyboard layout at the first insertion point, wherein the first keyboard layout comprises a left-to-right mode or a right-to-left mode; instructions to identify a visual characteristic of a directional portion of a first cursor comprising both a main portion and the directional portion, the visual characteristic distinguishing the directional portion from the main portion and, wherein the directional portion of the first cursor indicates a text direction of text to be entered at the first insertion point, based upon the first keyboard layout; and instructions to display the first cursor comprising the main portion and the directional portion at the first insertion point, wherein the directional portion is located left of the main portion of the first cursor when the first keyboard layout is in the LTR mode, and wherein the directional portion is located right of the main portion of the first cursor when the first keyboard layout is in the RTL mode. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the first cursor is a text cursor, wherein the visual characteristic comprises at least two vertical bars with a same height as the text cursor and located at a first side of the main portion and abutting the main portion, and wherein a width of the main portion of the text cursor is equal to a width of the at least two vertical bars. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the first keyboard layout is RTL, and wherein the at least two vertical bars are located to the right of the main portion of the text cursor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the first keyboard layout is LTR, and wherein the at least two vertical bars are located to the left of the main portion of the text cursor.