Patent ID: 6683600
Filing Date: 2004-01-27
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method of providing an adaptive pen mode selection within a pen input based computing system having one or more user selected operating modes including an ink pen input mode, a text input mode, and a data item selection mode, the method comprising:detecting a pen stroke having a location within a window on a display of the computing system, the pen stroke possesses properties including the location including a starting location, and ending location, a direction, and one or more segments of constant slope; determining a location of all existing data items displayed within the window containing the location of the pen press, the existing data items possess properties including a data type, a position, a size, and a selection location, and a persistence age; if the computer is operating in the data item selection mode, selecting all data items having location that corresponds to the location of the pen stroke; if the computer is not operating in the data item selection mode, perform the following: determining whether the user desired to select all data items having location that corresponds to the location of the pen stroke using the direction property of the pen stroke and the persistence age of the existing data items; and selecting all data items determined to be intended to be selected by the pen stroke; wherein the selection location for the data item comprises a selection location, a selection size, and a selection direction; a pen stroke is within the selection location when the pen stroke location corresponds to a location within the area defined by the selection location, the selection size, and the selection direction; and the selecting all data items determined to be intended to be selected by the pen stroke further comprises: determining if direction of the pen stroke is in a selection direction; determining if the location of the pen stroke is within the selection location of all data items; determining if the persistent age of all data items is greater than a predetermined period; and if direction of the pen stroke is in a selection direction, selecting all data items having the pen stroke within the selection location and the persistent age is greater than the predetermined period.