US 2010/0064238 A1 · ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT EDITING EMPLOYING MULTIPLE CURSORS

Abstract

Two independently adjustable and positionable cursors are employed in a visual interface for editing an electronic document. The document may comprise text symbols, text objects, and graphics objects, among others. If both cursors are located in close proximity within the document, then these cursors may be simultaneously displayed in a single window. Otherwise, two areas of the document, each comprising one of the cursors, may be simultaneously displayed using a separate window for each cursor, or alternately selected and displayed in a single window. Copy or cut operations may be made with one cursor, while paste operations may be repeated using the second cursor. Cursor locations may be left unchanged, or they may be moved between or within editing operations. The two cursors may be freely controlled by an enhanced pointing device, such as a high-dimensional touchpad providing at least four independently adjustable parameters.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for facilitating computer editing of an electronic document, the electronic document comprising a plurality of objects that are graphically rendered in a layout comprising a plurality of unique locations, the method comprising:

positioning a first cursor at a first screen location within the electronic document responsive to user input from a first pair of parameters produced by a touchpad, the touchpad providing at least four independently adjustable parameters;
positioning a second cursor at a second screen location within the electronic document responsive to user input from a second pair of parameters produced by the touchpad, wherein the first and second cursors are independently displayable, positionable, and operable at any of the plurality of unique locations of the electronic document;
defining a selection string via the first cursor based upon a selected contiguous arrangement of at least one object of the plurality of objects;
transferring the selection string to a location within the electronic document as determined by the second location of the second cursor;
and
wherein the first and second sensors are of different types located in different regions of the user interface device.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Electronic document editing employing multiple cursors

Life of this patent

Electronic document editing employing multiple cursors

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19