Combining and displaying multiple document areas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9632993-B2
Application number	US-201514824367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A method includes storing, in response to marking by a user of an area of a displayed document, information on the marked area; displaying an icon representing the marked area; conducting the storing operation and the displaying operation for a different area; and creating, in response to an operation by the user for arranging two or more icons to be in contact with each other, a joined icon by joining the icons together; and combining marked areas represented by the two or more respective icons, according to a state of contact. A corresponding computer program product and computer system are also disclosed herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of combining a plurality of areas of a document and displaying the plurality of combined areas in a display area, using a computer, the method comprising:
storing, in response to a user marking an area of a displayed the document, information on the marked area;
displaying an icon representing the marked area; conducting the storing operation and the displaying operation for a different area; and
forming, in response to an operation by the user for arranging two or more icons to be in contact with each other, a joined icon by joining the icons together; and
combining marked areas represented by the two or more respective icons, according to a state of contact; and
terminating the combining of the marked areas in response to an operation for separating the joined icon by the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the icon includes displaying a created icon even when the marked area is moved out of the display area as a result of an operation such as scrolling a display screen.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the icon includes determining a shape of the icon on the basis of content of the marked area.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing a shape of the icon before and after joining the icon.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing the joined icon and changing a combining state of the marked areas in response to an operation by the user for separating part of the joined icon, enabling contact of a new icon, or rotating the joined icon.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying includes displaying, near the icon, part of the information on an area represented by the icon, displaying the area represented by the icon in a reduced size, as an icon, or displaying any text input by the user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displayed document is one of a plurality of displayed documents, and wherein the marked area displays at least portions of the plurality of displayed documents.

8. A device for combining and displaying a plurality of areas of a document, the device comprising computer hardware components configured to perform a method comprising:
storing, in response to a user marking an area of a displayed the document, information on the marked area;
displaying an icon representing the marked area;
conducting the storing operation and the displaying operation for a different area; and
forming, in response to an operation by the user for arranging two or more icons to be in contact with each other, a joined icon by joining the icons together; and
combining marked areas represented by the two or more respective icons, according to a state of contact; and
terminating the combining of the marked areas in response to an operation for separating the joined icon by the user.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein displaying the icon includes displaying a created icon even when the marked area is moved out of the display area as a result of an operation such as scrolling a display screen.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein displaying the icon includes determining a shape of the icon on the basis of content of the marked area.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises changing a shape of the icon before and after joining the icon.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises changing the joined icon and changing a combining state of the marked areas in response to an operation by the user for separating part of the joined icon, enabling contact of a new icon, or rotating the joined icon.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the displaying includes displaying, near the icon, part of the information on an area represented by the icon, displaying the area represented by the icon in a reduced size, as an icon, or displaying any text input by the user.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the displayed document is one of a plurality of displayed documents, and wherein the marked area displays at least portions of the plurality of displayed documents.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• MOCHIZUKI Tomoka
• Shioya Tomohiro
• Unno Asuka
• WEN Lianzi

Classifications

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title

• G06F3/04842 Primary

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F40/106 Primary

  Display of layout of documents; Previewing · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title