Method of processing annotations using filter conditions to accentuate the visual representations of a subset of annotations

Abstract

A method of processing annotations is provided in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. The method includes the step of loading a plurality of annotations into a memory, each annotation being defined by properties. The method includes the step of displaying in a workspace window a first visual representation of each of the annotations. The method includes the step of receiving a filter command which specifies a condition which may be operative to derive an included annotation set and an excluded annotation set. The method includes deriving a second visual representation of each of the annotations of the excluded annotation set different from the first visual representations of the annotations of the excluded annotation set.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary computer system that may be capable to perform functions for use with aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of system components of the exemplary computer system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary output of the computer program capable of performing the methodology of the present invention, including a menu bar, a tool bar, a workspace window, a markup window, and a property window;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of processing annotations and using a graphical computer application in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a tree diagram illustrating the categories and hierarchical organization of properties relating to an annotation;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary output after adding a second annotation, demonstrating the grouping functionality;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary output after adding a third annotation, further demonstrating another aspect of the grouping functionality;

FIG. 8 is an exemplary output after adding a fourth annotation;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary output showing the functionality of a filter command including an overlaid selection window; and

FIG. 10 is an exemplary output following the results of the filter command.

Claims

1. A method of processing annotations associated with a document having graphic elements overlaid on a background, the annotations and the document being displayed on an output device of a data processing device having a memory, the method comprising: loading a plurality of annotations into the memory, each annotation being defined by properties;displaying in a workspace window a first visual representation of each of the annotations loaded in the memory as defined by the properties;displaying in a markup window a catalog having entries descriptive of the annotations loaded in memory, the entries depicting values of the properties defining the annotations;receiving a filter command which specifies a condition, the filter command being operative to derive an included annotation set and an excluded annotation set, the included annotation set being defined by those annotations with properties matching the condition, the excluded annotation set being the plurality of annotations less the included annotations;deriving a second visual representation of the each of the annotations of the excluded annotation set different from the first visual representations of the annotations of the excluded annotation set; anddisplaying in the workspace window each of the second visual representations of the annotations of the excluded annotation set.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: refreshing the markup window with the entries descriptive of the annotations of the excluded annotation set being removed from the catalog.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein multiple sub-conditions comprise the condition

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the properties defining the annotations is an appearance type property, the appearance type property having a first value while displaying the first visual representation of the annotation of the excluded annotation set, the deriving step further comprising: transforming the first value of the appearance type property into a second value.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: generating a corresponding grayscale representation of the graphic elements, the grayscale representation including a brightness component; andmodifying the brightness component of the grayscale representation to fade the grayscale representation of the graphic elements into the background.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: deriving a second visual representation of each of the annotations of the included annotation set different from the first visual representation of each of the annotations of the included annotation set; anddisplaying in the workspace window each of the second visual representations of the annotations of the included annotation set.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the properties defining the annotations is an appearance type property, a first appearance type property defining each of the annotations of the excluded annotation set, and a second appearance type property defining each of the annotations of the included annotation set.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first appearance type property has an initial first value while displaying the first visual representation of the respective annotation of the excluded annotation set, the step of deriving the second visual appearance of the respective annotation of the excluded annotation set further comprising: transforming the initial first value into a resultant first value.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second appearance property has an initial second value while displaying the first visual representation of the respective annotation of the included annotation set, the step of deriving the second visual appearance of the respective annotation of the included annotation set further comprising: transforming the initial second value into a resultant second value.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the transforming step of the initial first value is different from the transforming step of the initial second value.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first appearance type property defines a color and the initial first value is representative of the color, the transforming step of the initial first value further includes the steps of: converting the initial first value of the color to a corresponding grayscale value; andadjusting the grayscale value to a resultant first value.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the resultant first value is preset.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the grayscale value is adjusted by a preset number.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: grouping the entries of the catalog according to one of the properties of the respective one of the annotations loaded in the memory; andgenerating a grouping header in the catalog, the grouping header being representative of one of the properties of the annotation by which the entries are being grouped.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the catalog is a table having a plurality of rows and columns, each column being related to one of the properties of the annotations and each row being related to one of the annotations.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the table includes a column header for each column, a first column header being descriptive of the property contained in a first column, the method further comprising the step of: displaying in the vicinity of the first column header a first value selection window including a first listing having first elements representative of each of the values of the property contained in the first column.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the filter command is triggered by a selection of one of the first elements of the first listing, the first value of the selected first element being a first sub-condition comprising the condition by which the included annotation set is defined.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a second column header is descriptive of the property contained in a second column, the method further comprising the step of: displaying in the vicinity of the second column header a second value selection window including a second listing having second elements representative of each of the values of the property contained in the second column;the filter command being triggered by a selection of one of the second elements of the second listing, the second value of the selected second element being a second sub-condition comprising the condition by which the included annotation set is defined, the first sub-condition and second sub-condition being combined to form the condition.

19. A method of using a graphical computer application, the method comprising the steps of: placing a plurality of annotations on a workspace window, each of the annotations being defined by properties and having a first visual appearance; andinvoking a filter command on a markup window to specify a condition, the filter command being operative to derive an included annotation set and an excluded annotation set, the included annotation set being defined by those annotations with properties matching the condition, the excluded annotation set being the plurality of annotations less the included annotations, the filter command being further operative to display a second visual representation of each of the annotations of the excluded annotation set different from the first visual representations of the annotations of the excluded annotation set.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the filter command is operative to display a second visual representation of the annotations of the included annotation set different from the first visual representation of each of the annotations of the included annotation set.

21. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a data processing apparatus including a memory and an output device, the medium tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the data processing apparatus to perform a method of processing annotations associated with a document having graphic elements overlaid on a background, the method comprising: loading a plurality of annotations into the memory, each annotation being defined by properties;displaying in a workspace window a first visual representation of each of the annotations loaded in the memory as defined by the properties;displaying in a markup window a catalog having entries descriptive of the annotations loaded in memory, the entries depicting values of the properties defining the annotations;receiving a filter command which specifies a condition, the filter command being operative to derive an included annotation set and an excluded annotation set, the included annotation set being defined by those annotations with properties matching the condition, the excluded annotation set being the plurality of annotations less the included annotations;deriving a second visual representation of the each of the annotations of the excluded annotation set different from the first visual representations of the annotations of the excluded annotation set; anddisplaying in the workspace window each of the second visual representations of the annotations of the excluded annotation set.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 22, the method further comprising the step of: deriving a second visual representation of each of the annotations of the included annotation set different from the first visual representation of each of the annotations of the included annotation set; anddisplaying in the workspace window each of the second visual representations of the annotations of the included annotation set.