Patent ID: 7685539

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a continuous touch stylus-based user input; and responsive to receiving the continuous touch stylus-based user input, displaying a menu comprising multiple selectable items that are simultaneously displayed, the multiple selectable items to allow a user to select an item of the multiple selectable items, wherein: selection of a first item of the multiple selectable items causes a first action comprising directing a computer system to interpret one or more subsequent stylus-based user inputs as hover cursor input or handwriting input; and an alternate selection of a second item of the multiple selectable items causes a second action that is different from the first action, the second action comprising: directing the computer system to interpret one or more subsequent stylus-based user inputs as hover cursor input or handwriting input, wherein selection of a selectable item that directs the computer system to interpret one or more subsequent stylus-based user inputs as handwriting input allows the user to provide handwriting input without being confined to a window of an underlying program.