Patent Abstract:
A system and method processes designating regions in an electronic text to associate with those selected regions freely editable popup windows. In a preferred embodiment, embedded tag delimiters are used to mark out the boundaries of the selected region and the content of the popup window. In an alternative embodiment, keystroke combinations are utilized to associate a selected region in an electronic document with a popup window, and the popup window is then freely editable.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This application claims priority based on U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/114,575, entitled “System and Method for Associating Popup Windows with Selective Portions of a Document,” filed Dec. 31, 1998. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The widespread acceptance of modern word processing systems has increased the demand for text manipulation features. One common and even expected feature on word processing packages and other software applications is the ability to highlight, underscore or otherwise mark regions of text out of an electronic document. The marked region can be made to stand out for emphasis, linkage to network sites, or for other purposes. 
     One textual markup feature that is useful in some presentations is a popup window, that is, a section of text which appears when a cursor or other onscreen locator hovers over a predetermined section of text. This feature is used in Help menus and toolbars, for example, in which a small upper block of text appears when a given subject or section is hovered over, adding comments or expanding a description of that section. However in available word processing technologies, there is no ability to insert or edit popup windows freely within documents. Other drawbacks exist. More powerful document annotation technology is desirable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention overcoming these and other problems in the art relates to a system and method for associating popup windows with selected regions of a document. The invention permits a user to take a highlighted or otherwise selected region within an electronic document and append or attach to it a popup window with embedded information of a desired type, for display when the document is subsequently viewed in that section. This is accomplished in part by employing freely movable popup delimiter tags, which can be positioned and re-positioned within a document to highlight the enclosed information and associate with that information a popup message, graphic or other information. 
     An object of the invention is to provide a system and method that allows users to select highlighted regions of electronic documents to insert freely editable popup windows. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method that allows user to create more flexible and information-rich documents. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an illustration of a computer workstation processing an electronic document according to the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an illustration of an electronic document in which a highlighted region has a popup window associated with it, according to the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an illustration of embedded delimiter tags within the electronic document processed according to the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of popup windows according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The invention will be described with respect to a workstation  120  at which a user processes an electronic text  108 . Workstation  120  includes a display screen  102 , such as a computer display screen, which displays electronic text  108 . Display screen can be a CRT, LCD or other type of computer or other display. Workstation  120  includes a central processing unit  110 , which may contain a controller operating under programmed control, storage and memory connected by an electronic bus and related circuitry (not shown) that will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art. Workstation  120  for instance can be a personal computer running the Microsoft Windows™95, 98 or NT™ operating systems, or Linux, Unix or other operating systems. 
     Display  102  displays the electronic text  108  to the user and receives input from the user to manipulate the text and its characteristics. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the input devices to the central processing unit  110  include a keyboard  112 , although it will be appreciated that other types of input devices, such as mice, trackballs, microphones with speech to text converters and others are contemplated for use by the invention. Keyboard  112  includes a set of keys  114 , including a set of alphanumeric keys such as the QWERTY keyboard, and cursor arrow keys  116 . Cursor arrow keys  116  have arrows indicating directions marked on them, and striking those keys cause a cursor  104  displayed on display  102  to move in a corresponding direction, as understood by persons skilled in the art. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the selected text is highlighted and, with a series of keystrokes or menu or icon selections, a popup window is associated with the selected text. An example of this embodiment is provided in FIG.  1 . In the electronic text  108 , the user has highlighted a region of the text as highlighted region  106 . Highlighted region  106  may be shown on display  102  in a different color, in a different intensity or otherwise displayed as a distinct region within electronic text  108 . Alternatively, the highlighted region could have the same appearance as a non-highlighted region. In the illustrated embodiment, the user wishes to append a popup window  130  to the highlighted region  106 . Cursor  104 , which may be a blinking or solid bar, arrow or other onscreen marker is located two words from the end of the sentence, in the illustration. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the association of the popup window  130  to the highlighted region  106  is executed by first striking a predetermined set of keystroke or keystrokes on keys  114 , to initiate the popup processing. That set of keystrokes might be, for example, the depression of the “Control” key and holding that key down while hitting the “P” key, for popup. Once the predetermined set of keystrokes is input, the cursor  104  may be automatically shifted to an upper screen area called the display popup window  130  above the highlighted region  106 . Within the confines of popup window  130 , the user can keyboard a textual messages or other popup information region  132  to be presented whenever the document is viewed and the cursor comes within a predetermined relationship with the highlighted region  106 . The popup information region  132  may include network linkages such as Internet URLs (Universal Resource Locator), graphical or other information. 
     When the user has finished inputting the popup information region  132  that he or she desires, then the user strikes a second set of predetermined keystrokes to indicate that the popup information region  132  is complete and processing is at a point in which termination of the popup operation is desired. This second set of keystrokes may be the same Control/P keystroke as the first set, or another according to particular implementations. Upon entry of the second set of predetermined keystrokes, display  102  displays electronic text  108  in the form shown in FIG.  2 . In this state, the highlighted region of electronic text  108 , when hovered over by cursor  104 , now displays popup window  130  with popup information region  132  above the regular textual content, in balloon fashion. When cursor  104  then moves outside the boundary of highlighted region  106 , popup window  130  disappears. 
     It is also anticipated that the invention can be implemented without the use of highlighted text. For example, a form that is a digital replication of a paper form could have hidden links associated with selected text for detailed explanation of the selected text. It is also anticipated that the popup window could require some action in addition to a predetermined relationship between the cursor and the selected text. For example, the cursor could change appearance once the predetermined relationship between the cursor and the selected text was established. Then, upon an additional user input, such as the clicking of a mouse key, the popup window could be presented to the user. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 3, in one embodiment the activation of the first set of keystrokes to execute the selective highlighting of the invention works to modify a pair of embedded delimiter tags  124  and  126 . Embedded delimiter tag  124  is shown as a begin tag, while embedded delimiter tag  126  is shown as an end tag, and each is shown in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) format. It will be appreciated however that other types of document delimiters and conventions for highlighting are contemplated. Associated with embedded delimiter tags  124  and  126  are popup delimiter tags  134  and  136  which mark the beginning and end of the popup information region  132  stored in an electronic file along with the other tags and regular text, graphical and other data. 
     Upon the inputting of the popup information region  132  by the user, the popup end tag  136  is stored indicating an end to that content. Modifications to the highlighted region  106  can be performed, as well as to the popup information region  132 , by invoking the same predetermined keystroke combinations. 
     The invention also contemplates the preparation and storage of computer software in a machine-readable format such as a floppy or other magnetic, optical or other drive, which upon execution carries out the selective highlight actions of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates processing steps carrying out the selective highlighting action of the invention. Processing begins in step  200 . In step  202 , the currently highlighted region is presented on display  102 . Keystroke input is accepted in step  204  to initiate a popup attachment to the highlighted region, such as Control/P. In step  206 , keyboard input is accepted to enter the popup information region  132  above the highlighted region  106 . In step  208 , second keystroke input is accepted to confirm and mark the end of the popup information region. In step  210 , the embedded delimiter tags including the popup delimiter tags are stored to reflect the new popup information region. In step  212 , the popup window  130  is displayed upon hovering of the cursor or other onscreen marker above the highlighted region  106 . In step  214 , processing ends. 
     The foregoing description of the system and method of the invention is illustrative, and variations in configuration and implementation will occur to persons skilled in the art. For instance, while the attachment of the popup window and content to the highlighted region has been described as including inputting of text, other information such as graphical information, URL or other network links, sound or graphic files can also be appended to the popup window  130 . It is similarly contemplated that the popup could be a dynamic display, having a scripting agent that provides the resulting popup display based upon a variety of factors, including a user profile. 
     The attachment of a popup window can also be adapted to operate on footnotes, headers and other special areas of electronic text  108 . Moreover popup windows can be applied to areas of documents which are not necessarily text, such as scanned-in drawings or other graphical areas. Yet further, while the invention has been described as associating a single popup window with a highlighted area, two or more popup windows could be associated with a given area, and popup windows can be nested (popups on popups) if desired. The scope of the invention is intended to be limited only by the following claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6