Abstract: The spatial separations between clusters of objects on the electronic work surface are analyzed to automatically generate borders, which may be used in at least two manners. The borders may become explicit editable borders within an output image. Alternatively, the borders created may be implicit ephemeral borders. According to an aspect, a method uses the sufficient stability grouping technique to determine grouping of elements in the input image array into the text lines in the output text lines array. According to another aspect, a method uses the sufficient stability grouping technique to determine the amount of vertical expansion to apply to each text line so as to create text regions in the output array which correspond to the text lines in the input text lines array. According to yet another aspect, a method takes the text regions array as input and extracts enclosure borders from the text regions.

Abstract: Media input streams are retrieved by a notetaking device and referenced for playback. The media streams are from microphones, video cameras, and media players present during a notetaking session. Facilities provided by the notetaking device allow a user to capture stills from the media streams, make annotations, and reference important events that occur during a notetaking session. Thumbnails, snaps, and backgrounds may be created from the input media streams and are used to reference into the media streams which are stored for later playback. A channel changer allows a user to switch between the various media streams during either notetaking or playback. A timeline is automatically generated that references important events, including slide changes, presented during a notetaking session.

Abstract: Domain objects for use in a freeform graphics system. Domain objects are context specific representations of information that are used in a freeform graphics system. Domain objects are represented in a freeform graphics system by a graphic object (icon) representing an instance of the domain object. The icon representing a domain object may be manipulated like any other graphic object. Domain objects are defined by a domain object class which define attributes, a set of action rules and layouts. The attributes describe the information or data associated with the domain object. The set of action rules map user actions and system events to operations that may be performed on the domain object. The layouts define how domain object information is displayed as an icon. The attributes may have computed values. An attribute have it's value computed based on the value(s) other attribute(s) or based on the spatial positioning of the icon representing the data object on a work surface.

Abstract: A system for controlling the playback of a recorded session. Timestream and event information for the session is captured by one or more recording devices. Playback of a session is performed under the control of a session access device. A session access device utilizes event information to create a user interface for controlling session replay. In the present invention, a window acting as a player for playing back a timestream for a shared representation media (e.g. an electronic whiteboard) is also used for controlling playback of the session. Each graphical object in the window is associated with one or more events (e.g. a creation event, an editing event, a move event or a deletion event). Selection of a graphical object enables playback time to be moved to the time for one of the associated events. The selection made may also be on an area of the window. This will enable the user to view all events related to graphical objects in the selected area (as some graphical objects may be erased or moved).

Abstract: A system for controlling the playback of a recorded session utilizing a window acting as a player for playing back a timestream for a shared representation media, such as an electronic whiteboard. Timestream and event information for the session is captured by one or more recording devices. Playback of a session is performed under the control of a session access device which utilizes event information to create a user interface for controlling session replay. The user interface includes the window for playing back the timestream of a shared representation media. Each graphical object in the window is associated with one or more events (e.g. a creation event, an editing event, a move event or a deletion event). Selection of a graphical object enables playback time to be moved to the time for one of the associated events. Selection may also be made on an area of the window.

Abstract: The spatial separations between clusters of objects on the electronic work surface are analyzed to automatically generate borders, which may be used in at least two manners. The borders may become explicit editable borders within an output image. Alternatively, the borders created may be implicit ephemeral borders. According to an aspect, a method uses the sufficient stability grouping technique to determine grouping of elements in the input image array into the text lines in the output text lines array. According to another aspect, a method uses the sufficient stability grouping technique to determine the amount of vertical expansion to apply to each text line so as to create text regions in the output array which correspond to the text lines in the input text lines array. According to yet another aspect, a method takes the text regions array as input and extracts enclosure borders from the text regions.

Abstract: An electronic multimedia document system provides temporal icons that provide indices into a recording of a meeting or presentation. The temporal icons index the times of occurrence of events and beginning times, ending times, and time spans of timestreams. The temporal icons provide complete playback control of the document through a gestural interface.

Abstract: Meeting support objects for supporting meeting objectives for use in a freeform graphics system. Meeting support objects are representations of dynamic information that is used to support various common activities performed in meetings, such as decision making, assigning action items, agenda tracking, etc. Meeting support objects are defined by a domain object class. The domain object class defines attributes, a set of action rules and layouts. The attributes describe the information or data associated with the meeting support object. Further, the underlying attribute values represented by the icon may change, based on predefined spatial parameters, as the result of user actions performed on the icon (e.g. via a gesture) or upon the occurrence of a system event. The set of action rules map user actions and system events to operations that may be performed on the meeting support object. The layouts define how meeting support object information is displayed as an icon.

Abstract: An electronic multimedia document system provides temporal icons that provide indices into a recording of a meeting or presentation. The temporal icons index the times of occurrence of events and beginning times, ending times, and time spans of timestreams. The temporal icons provide complete playback control of the document through a gestural interface.

Abstract: A computer controlled display system for defining flow regions. A flow region enables a user to view long lists of data items on the work surface of a graphical display system. In a flow region, a rectangular region typically the size of the viewable work surface area, is organized into columnar columns. The items in the long list are mapped to the columnar columns. As items are added to or deleted from the list, the items contained within the columnar columns may "flow" to other columns. In this organization the items in the top of the list are in the first column and the list is displayed in columnar fashion from left to right. Thus, all items in the list may be displayed in the viewable work surface area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for organizing a workspace of a graphical input system that utilizes borders to define regions within the workspace. The present invention addresses the problem of determining the scope of structure operations. Structures, e.g. a list, table or other group of items having some fixed relationship by introducing the notion of a border dynamically created on such systems using available areas on the workspace. Some ambiguity may exist as to where a structure begins or ends. Further, such structure operations may cause a structure to overlay another structure. Borders are used to tessellate a work surface into non-overlapping regions. Typically, within each region is a structure. Deleting borders on a tessellated work surface may cause others borders to be deleted with the object being to maintain a completely tessellated work surface. Further, various border types, visually represented by different line types, are enabled which in turn provide for defining different types of regions.

Abstract: When dynamically grouping a plurality of graphic objects, such as displayed on a graphic input display apparatus, a cluster tree is formed for the plurality of graphic objects. The cluster tree is based on a plurality of different types of distance measures. These include a time distance and a spatial distance. These distances are combined to form a distance metric indicting a distance between a pair of the graphic objects. Each level of the cluster tree defines a new cluster of the graphic objects. At least one of the graphic objects is selected. The different cluster levels of the cluster tree containing the selected graphic object are displayable. The displayed cluster of the graphic objects can be modified to increase or decrease the cluster level of the cluster containing the selected graphic object.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for animating editing changes on a display device is provided. The invention is designed to operate preferably with a graphical editing system that permits both handwritten and typewritten data entry. Both the primary changes made by the user and the contextual changes resulting from the primary changes are animated at a visually apparent rate in multiple steps to permit a user and other viewers of the display device to understand the effects of an editing change on surrounding objects. The number of steps in which the changes are animated depends on the number of changes which must be made and the operation performed.

Abstract: A system for creating and manipulating groups of graphic objects using enclosures. A persistent graphic object, such as a closed loop is drawn around a set of graphic objects as an enclosure. When the enclosure is selected the enclosure and the set of graphic objects within are grouped. Besides moving graphic objects into and out of the enclosure, the contents of a group can then be modified by 1) graphically altering the enclosure loop to include or remove graphic objects, 2) fusing groups by moving one of them so that their enclosure loops overlap (i.e., they "fuse" into one), 3) fusing groups through gestures which "touch" enclosure loops of the groups to be fused or 4) splitting the group into multiple groups through a splitting gesture.

Abstract: A graphical editing system is provided which allows a user to draw number of commonly used gestures called primitive command gestures together in essentially one stroke. The primitive gestures are chosen to represent gestural syntax, analogous to a textual command syntax. The primitive gestures are concatenated. i.e., connected in a series of commands by a gestural operator called a break feature. Every input composite gesture is scanned to detect the break features. When found, the composite gesture is broken up into primitive gestures and each gesture is interpreted and executed in the order in which the individual gestures were drawn. The preferred break feature is sharp angle drawn between consecutive primitive gestures. In a composite gesture consisting of two primitive gestures, one being the selection gesture, the break feature is recognized as any departure from the selection gesture.

Abstract: In a computer controlled display system capable of supporting free form graphical input, techniques for maintaining the topology of a node-link structure when nodes are moved. When a node is moved, arbitrarily shaped links to other nodes will automatically be reshaped. The manner in which the link reshapes will depend on where a node is moved relative to the node to which it is linked. Various techniques for reshaping the node in order to retain the node-link structure topology are provided. A link may be reshaped by curve transformation or flipping the link shape about an axis. Curve transformation is a technique wherein the shape characteristics of a link are retained no matter where the node is moved. However, links that intersect, i.e. pass through, the nodes may arise from such reshaping.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing a group of graphic objects so as to maximize usage of a display area on a computer controlled graphics display system. The present invention provides a means for "collapsing" a group of graphic objects so that the group is represented by a container icon. The container icon occupies a smaller amount of display area than the group of objects. The group is recallable (i.e. expanded) by "tapping" on the container icon. Alternatively, the group may be located on a separate accessible area of the display space. The container icon is itself a graphical object and can be moved, copied or deleted. Any change of attributes, e.g. color, of the graphical object causes a corresponding change to the group of graphic objects.

Abstract: A graphical editing system which allows a user to modify a selection gesture without having to redraw the entire gesture. The system defines a selection with an enclosure that is treated as a graphical object that can be contorted in a style consistent with the specific application. The enclosure can be altered, i.e., reshaped by a set of gestures which allow the user to expand or reduce the size of the enclosure. These alteration gestures activate specified points or portions of the enclosure to control its shape. If a selection enclosure is drawn, it can be altered to include or exclude additional data by drawing a line segment that is detected by its location relative to the selection enclosure as an alteration gesture to reshape the existing enclosure to include the line segment.