JP4808029B2 - Focus management using aerial points - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates generally to systems, methods, and computer-readable media that store computer-executable instructions for providing stylus focus in a pen-type computing system or other computing system.

  A typical computer system, particularly a computer system using a graphical user interface (GUI), includes one or more individual input devices, such as a keyboard for entering text, and one or more buttons for operating the user interface. Optimized to accept user input from a pointing device such as a mouse with An example of such a GUI is the user interface of a Windows® computer operating system (available from Microsoft, Redmond, Washington, USA). The ubiquitous keyboard and mouse interface provides fast creation and modification of documents, spreadsheets, database fields, drawings, photos and more.

  In the GUI, several individual and / or independent “control elements” (also referred to herein as “user interface elements”) are visible on the screen at a time and / or utilized within the interface. (See, for example, control elements 302-330 of interface screen 300 of FIG. 3). A typical GUI user interface uses the concept of “keyboard focus” (the part that accepts input from the keyboard) to determine which control elements of the interface receive keystrokes typed into the computer system by the user (or For example, determine whether to receive other input from another source. In at least some instances, the appearance of a user interface element having keyboard focus changes in some way as a visual indication that informs the user of the final destination of subsequent keystrokes or other input. Through the use of keyboard focus, the user can quickly and easily determine the destination of the next keyboard stroke or other input, and can make any necessary or desired changes to the focus (eg, from certain control elements). Tab the input cursor to the control element (tab) and / or click a mouse button in the display of another control element, etc.). If no element of the user interface has keyboard focus, computer systems typically ignore keystrokes entered until keyboard focus is established on one of the available control elements.

  In recent years, the popularity of pen-type computer systems such as tablet PCs has increased. In a pen-based computing system, an electronic “pen” or stylus can be used to capture user input (similar to writing with a pen or pencil on paper). In fact, in at least some pen-based computing systems, all user inputs can be entered and manipulated using an electronic pen, and the user interface can be fully controlled using only the electronic pen. In such a system, for example, an electronic pen for a pen-based computing system typically does not have a “tab” key or other buttons that can establish a focus area in the same way as a keyboard or mouse, so that The use of “keyboard focus” is not possible or convenient in at least all situations.

  By “tapping” the electronic pen within the desired control element, or by pressing a button on the pen (if present) while hovering over the desired control element While establishing focus is effective, it does not give a very satisfying or natural user experience. For example, when filling a form (form, form) (form shown in FIG. 3) using a pen-type computing system, the user can control each control element box (for example, control elements 302 to 330) of the form. ), It may be necessary to tap the electronic pen to establish focus on the element before entering the electronic ink data into the control element box. If you do not tap the control element box before entering the electronic ink by writing, the electronic ink data will not be received, will not be received, will be received incompletely, and / or the input ink data will be incorrect There is a possibility of being led to the destination. Users may not immediately notice that the system is not receiving or receiving ink correctly, which may require rewriting data and / or other corrective action There is also. Also, it is not natural as a writing experience that the box needs to be tapped before writing in the control element box. These factors often frustrate the user and worsen the user experience with a pen-based computing system.

  Furthermore, many control elements 302-330 in the user interface 300 are relatively small in size. This is not a problem when the user inputs input information into the control elements 302 to 330 using the keyboard (the font can be appropriately and automatically adjusted to the size of the control element), When a user attempts to hand-write information into a control element using an electronic pen, difficulty may arise due to the small size. As a result of this difficulty, data may be incompletely entered and / or not entered, which can be frustrating for users of electronic ink and pen based computing systems. A natural writing experience on other systems that provide a “writing pad” apart from the control element box where the data is ultimately displayed (such as some handheld or pocket-sized computing devices) Cannot be obtained.

  Thus, it is easy to establish “stylus focus” and input data for use with pen-based computing systems and other devices in the form of electronic ink and / or accepting input from an electronic pen or stylus A natural and reliable scheme is needed in the art.

  Aspects of the present invention provide systems, methods, and methods for providing and / or managing stylus focus in the form of electronic ink and / or with a pen-based computing system or other device that accepts input from an electronic pen or stylus. And a computer-readable medium. Such systems and methods include: (a) receiving input indicating that the stylus is in proximity to the digitizer (eg, via an input device associated with the digitizer), and (b) eg, (i) the stylus. Providing focus to a control element corresponding to the position of the stylus (eg, using a computer processor) when the is positioned in the proximity of the digitizer and / or (ii) when the stylus actually touches the digitizer surface; Can be included. Focus establishment can be used for any suitable purpose without departing from the invention, for which purpose the associated control element is ready to receive input (e.g., receiving electronic ink or other input). ), “Wake up” the system from low power mode and / or standby mode, trigger an increase in digitizer polling frequency to detect input data, and / or other desired or appropriate processing Includes triggering. If necessary, stylus focus can be maintained separately from and / or simultaneously with mouse focus and / or keyboard focus. Also, stylus focus need not be limited to a single control element with a single stylus focus in a computing system. A system and method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention accepts input from multiple styluses and provides and / or maintains separate stylus focus independently and simultaneously for control elements corresponding to the position of each stylus. can do. Additional aspects of the invention relate to computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing various methods and / or operating various systems, including systems and methods as described above.

  The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent and fully understood from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

  As mentioned above, aspects of the present invention provide a pen-based computing system that accepts input from an electronic pen or stylus in the form of electronic ink and / or a system and method that provides stylus focus during operation of other systems. And a computer readable medium. The explanation below is subdivided to help the reader. This sub-item includes: “Terminology”, “General Description of Various Aspects of the Invention”, “Exemplary Hardware”, “Exemplary Systems, Methods, and Computer-Readable Media According to the Invention”, and “Conclusion”. Is included.

I. Terminology The following terms are used in this specification and have the following meanings unless otherwise indicated or unless otherwise apparent from the context.

  “Pen” —Any type of user input device useful for entering ink into an electronic document and / or otherwise manipulating or controlling the electronic document. The terms “pen” and “stylus” are used interchangeably herein.

  "Pen-Down Event"-an event that is triggered when the pen touches the digitizer. Typically, a pen down event ends when the pen leaves the digitizer surface (this is also referred to herein as a “pen-up event”).

  “Hover” —Position or placement of a pen close or close to the digitizer surface, but not in contact with the surface. Stopping movement at a specific time period or at a specific location or position is not required to constitute a “hover” motion. For example, “hover” can occur during a period in which the user continuously moves the pen toward the digitizer surface and contacts the digitizer surface.

  “Focus” —Indicating or determining an element, range, or portion of a user interface that accepts input (eg, a target range or element that accepts input). In some cases, the visible portion of the interface or the entire input range, and / or the entire interface may have focus.

  “Render” or “rendered” or “rendering” —determine how information (including text, graphics, and / or electronic ink) is displayed on the screen, printed, or output in some other way process.

  “Computer-readable medium” means any available medium that can be accessed by a user on a computer system. By way of example, and not limitation, "computer readable media" can include computer storage media and communication media. "Computer storage media" includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented as a method or technique for storing information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data Is included. “Computer storage media” includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage device, magnetic cassette, magnetic Tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or other media that can be used to store desired information and that can be accessed by a computer are included. “Communication media” typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of the above media should also be included within the scope of “computer-readable media”.

II. Schematic Description of Various Aspects of the Invention Aspects of the invention include systems for managing stylus focus in a pen-based computing system or other device that accepts input from a pen or stylus in the form of electronic ink and / or Regarding the method. Such systems and methods (a) receive input indicating that the stylus is in close proximity to the digitizer (eg, via an input device associated with the digitizer), and (b) correspond to the position of the stylus. It may include providing focus to the first control element (eg, using a computer processor). In at least some embodiments of the present invention, an input indicating the presence of a stylus is received first before the stylus is actually in contact with the digitizer surface, although it is located near the digitizer surface. In use, the stylus continues to move toward the digitizer surface, and once in contact with the surface, the digitizer can accept input (as electronic ink or other input) within the digitizer range corresponding to the control element that has focus. .

  Additional and / or alternative aspects of the invention include: (a) determining whether the first stylus is in close proximity to the digitizer surface (eg, via an input device associated with the digitizer); And (b) (i) determining that the first stylus is in proximity to the digitizer, or (ii) contacting the first stylus and the digitizer surface, and corresponding to the position of the first stylus. The present invention relates to a system and method for managing stylus focus, including providing focus to a control element (eg, using a computer processor). In systems and methods according to at least some of these aspects of the present invention, as soon as the stylus actually touches an available control element on the digitizer surface and an initial stylus presence indication is generated, The stylus focus can be established.

  Focus establishment can be used for any purpose, including conventional reasons and purposes associated with establishing keyboard focus and / or mouse focus as known in the art without departing from the invention. In some embodiments of the system and method according to the present invention, focus establishment may be used to prepare an associated control element for receiving input (eg, input receiving electronic ink or other input). Prepare the range, retrieve and / or accept data indicating various characteristics of the input data such as data type (ink, erase, highlight, select, etc.). Alternatively, in at least some embodiments of the present invention, once stylus focus is established, the establishment may cause the system to “wake” from a low power mode and / or standby mode and initiate a more active processing mode. it can. As another specific example, the system optionally determines the digitizer polling frequency for looking for input data (eg, looking for new input electronic ink or other input) in at least one range of digitizers associated with the control element receiving focus. Establishing stylus focus can be used as a trigger to increase. Any other suitable or desired process can be triggered when stylus focus is achieved without departing from the invention.

  In at least some embodiments of the system and method according to the present invention, when the stylus leaves the digitizer without contacting the digitizer surface and no longer receives an input indicating that the stylus is in proximity, the first control element The focus can be canceled. As another alternative, when the stylus leaves as described above, focus may be maintained on the first control element at least until a new focus position is established. As yet another alternative, when the stylus leaves as described above, the focus is maintained on the first control element for a predetermined period of time, and if no new focus position is established, the focus is canceled and a new focus is established. In some cases, a new control element can be re-established. The focus can move from control element to control element as the stylus hovers over the user interface and moves.

  The position or establishment of the stylus focus relative to the control element represented on the digitizer screen or user interface can be established in any suitable manner without departing from the invention. For example, the control element that receives the stylus focus determines the identity of the control element (if any) located closest to the stylus when the stylus is hovering near the digitizer surface but is not touching, and its control Can be established by giving focus to an element. If the control element is not itself capable of stylus focus but is contained in a control element capable of stylus focus, one of its "container" or "parent" elements can be assigned stylus focus .

  In at least some embodiments of the present invention, the establishment of the stylus focus can also be communicated to the user in any manner without departing from the present invention. The focus can be signaled, for example, by a color change, interface style change, layout change, or other visual indication associated with the control element receiving the focus. As another example, a cursor or pointing element is displayed and / or changes when the appearance of the cursor or pointing element is in an element that has stylus focus compared to when it is elsewhere in the interface can do. As yet another example, the establishment of the stylus focus may be notified to the user by a voice instruction. In some more specific embodiments, the establishment of stylus focus can be signaled by magnifying and rendering a view of at least a portion of the display of the control element that receives focus. Enlarging the display of the control element may be useful to provide an expanded range for entering input that is directed to the control element that has focus (e.g., to enter electronic ink or other input) Is expanded). Other displays and / or combinations of the above-described displays are possible without departing from the invention. Also, if it is desirable, no visual, audible, or other indication is required to inform the establishment of stylus focus.

  If necessary, in at least some embodiments of the systems and methods according to the present invention, the stylus focus can be maintained separately from and / or simultaneously with the mouse focus and / or keyboard focus. Also, in at least some examples, stylus focus need not be limited to focus in a single control element and / or focus associated with a single physical stylus. More specifically, in systems and methods according to at least some embodiments of the present invention, inputs from multiple styluses are received and individual stylus focus is independently and simultaneously applied to control elements corresponding to the position of each stylus. Can be provided and maintained.

  Additional aspects of the invention relate to computer readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing various methods and / or operating various systems, including the systems and methods as described above.

III. Exemplary Hardware FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a general purpose digital computing environment that can be used to implement various aspects of the invention. In FIG. 1, the computer 100 includes a processing device 110, a system memory 120, and a system bus 130 that couples various system components including the system memory 120 to the processing device 110. The system bus 130 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The system memory 120 can include read only memory (ROM) 140 and random access memory (RAM) 150.

  A basic input / output system 160 (BIOS) including basic routines that help transfer information between elements in the controller 100 at the time of startup or the like is stored in the ROM 140. The computer 100 reads and writes a hard disk drive 170 that reads and writes a hard disk (not shown), a magnetic disk drive 180 that reads and writes a removable magnetic disk 190, and a removable optical disk 192 such as a CD-ROM and other optical media. An optical disk drive 191 to perform can also be included. The hard disk drive 170, magnetic disk drive 180, and optical disk drive 191 are connected to the system bus 130 by a hard disk drive interface 192, a magnetic disk drive interface 193, and an optical disk drive interface 194, respectively. These drives and associated computer readable media provide non-volatile storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for personal computer 100. Those skilled in the art will recognize other types of data that can be accessed by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), etc. It will be appreciated that other computer readable media may also be used in this exemplary operating environment.

  A plurality of program modules can be stored in the hard disk drive 170, magnetic disk 190, optical disk 192, ROM 140, or RAM 150. The program modules include an operating system 195, one or more application programs 196, and other programs. Module 197 and program data 198 are included. A user can input commands and information into the computer 100 through input devices such as a keyboard 101 and a pointing device 102 (such as a mouse). Other input devices (not shown) may be a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 110 through a serial port interface 106 coupled to the system bus 130, but with other interfaces such as a parallel port, game port, or universal serial bus (USB). You may connect. In addition, these devices may be coupled directly to the system bus 130 via a suitable interface (not shown).

  A monitor 107 or other type of display device can also be connected to the system bus 130 via an interface, such as a video adapter 108. In addition to the monitor 107, personal computers typically include other peripheral output devices (not shown) such as speakers and printers. In one example, a pen digitizer 165 and associated pen or stylus 166 are provided for capturing freehand input in digital form. Although FIG. 1 shows the connection between the pen digitizer 165 and the serial port interface 106, in practice the pen digitizer 165 may be coupled directly to the processing unit 110 or in parallel, as is known in the art. The processor 110 may be coupled in any suitable manner, such as via a port or other interface and the system bus 130. Further, although the digitizer 165 is separated from the monitor 107 in FIG. 1, the usable input range of the digitizer 165 may be a common range with the display range of the monitor 107. Furthermore, the digitizer 165 may be built in the monitor 107 or may exist as a separate device that covers the monitor 107 or is otherwise attached to the monitor 107.

  The computer 100 can operate in a network environment that uses logical connections with one or more computers, such as a remote computer 109. The remote computer 109 may be a server, router, network PC, peer device, or other common network node, and for simplicity of illustration only the memory storage device 111 is shown in FIG. Including many or all of the elements mentioned above in the context of. The logical connection shown in FIG. 1 includes a local area network (LAN) 112 and a wide area network (WAN) 113. Such networking environments are commonly found in offices, corporate computer networks, intranets, and the Internet using both wired and wireless connections.

  When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 100 is connected to the local area network 112 through a network interface or adapter 114. When used in a WAN networking environment, the personal computer 100 typically includes a modem 115 or other means for establishing a communications link through a wide area network 113 such as the Internet. The modem 115 may be internal or external to the computer 100 and can be connected to the system bus 130 via the serial port interface 106. In the network environment, the program module illustrated in the context of the personal computer 100 or a part thereof can be stored in a remote memory storage device.

  It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other techniques for establishing a communications link between the computers can be used. The existence of various well-known protocols such as TCP / IP, Ethernet (registered trademark), FTP, HTTP, and UDP is assumed, and the system operates in a user server configuration that allows a user to retrieve a web page from a web-based server. be able to. Various conventional web browsers can be used to display and manipulate web page data.

  While the environment of FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary environment, it will be appreciated that other computing environments may be used. For example, one or more embodiments of the present invention can use an environment of fewer aspects than all of the various aspects shown in FIG. 1 and described above, and these aspects can be understood by those skilled in the art. Can appear in any combination and sub-combination.

  FIG. 2 shows a pen-type personal computer (PC) 201 that can be used in accordance with various aspects of the present invention. Any or all of the features, subsystems, and functions of the system of FIG. 1 may be included in the computer of FIG. The pen-type personal computer system 201 includes a large display surface 202, for example, a digitized flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, on which a plurality of windows 203 are displayed. The user can use the stylus 204 to select, mark or write in the digitized display range. Examples of suitable digitizing display panels include electromagnetic pen digitizers such as those available from Mutoh (now known as FinePoint Innovations) or Wacom Technology. Other types of pen digitizers such as optical digitizers can also be used. The pen-based computing system 201 performs gestures performed using the stylus 204 to perform conventional computer application tasks such as data manipulation, text entry and spreadsheets, creation, editing, and modification of word processing programs. Interpret.

  The stylus 204 can include buttons or other equipment to enhance functionality. In one example, the stylus 204 can be implemented as a “pencil” or “pen”, in which case one end constitutes the writing portion, the other end constitutes the end portion as the “eraser” and the “eraser” side Moving the edge on the display indicates the portion of electronic ink on the display to be erased. Other types of input devices such as a mouse, trackball, keyboard, etc. can also be used. Further, in a touch sensitive display or a proximity sensitive display, a part of a display image can be selected or designated using a user's own finger. For this reason, the term “user input device” used in the present invention has a broad definition and encompasses many variations of well-known input devices.

  In various examples, the system provides an ink platform as a set of COM (Common Object Model) services that an application can use to capture, manipulate, and store ink. The ink platform can also include markup languages including languages such as extensible markup language (XML). In addition, the system can use DCOM as another implementation. Microsoft's Win32 programming model and. Additional implementations including the Net programming model can be used. These platforms are commercially available and are known in the art.

  In addition to use with full-performance pen-based computing systems or “tablet PCs” (eg, convertible laptops or “slate” type tablet PCs), aspects of the present invention include electronic inks. Can be used in conjunction with other types of pen-based computing systems and / or other devices that accept data and / or accept electronic pen or stylus input, such devices include handheld or Present users with palmtop computing systems, personal digital assistants, pocket personal computers, mobile and cellular phones, pagers, and other communications equipment, watches, home appliances, and printed or graphic information And the like / or electronic pen, or other devices and systems including capable monitor or other display device and / or a digitizer input using a stylus.

  The invention will now be described in relation to the remaining figures, which show various embodiments and information of the invention that will help explain the invention. The specific figures and information contained in this detailed description should not be construed as limiting the invention.

IV. Exemplary Systems, Methods, and Computer-Readable Media According to the Present Invention As described above, aspects of the present invention generally include electronic pen-based computers that accept electronic ink as input data and / or accept input data from a pen or stylus. The present invention relates to a system and method for managing “stylus focus” in an imaging system and / or other devices. The primary purpose of the device “focus” is to determine and / or determine which user interface receives input to be made. FIG. 3 shows an example of a user interface screen 300 that is typically displayed on a graphical user interface. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the screen 300 requires the user's contact information to be entered into a variety of different control elements 302-330 (although those skilled in the art will understand any data and information without departing from this invention Will be recognized). As described above, for keyboard input, keyboard focus uses the “TAB” key to tab to the next control element 302-330 and / or use a mouse to select a specific user interface. By clicking on the representation of elements 302-330, settings and / or changes can be made between a variety of different control elements 302-330. As another alternative, the keyboard focus can be set automatically within a particular control element 302-330 by an application program (eg, to set the initial keyboard focus).

  Computer mice can also have an associated “focus”. Typically, the mouse can be moved freely on the user interface screen 300 (eg, a conventionally used way of moving the mouse without clicking the right or left mouse button), and this movement of the mouse results in a pointer associated with the mouse. An element moves within the interface screen 300 (eg, an arrow, cursor, or other pointer element moves). In such a system, the mouse focus can correspond to user interface elements 302-330 whose representation is located directly below or behind the mouse pointer element, and this focus moves the mouse pointer over the interface screen 300. Can change freely according to The specific control elements 302 to 330 that receive “mouse focus” perform “hit test”, and the (X, Y) coordinates of the position of the mouse pointer are set to the positions of the representations of the user interface elements 302 to 330 on the user interface screen 300. Can be determined by comparing to coordinates or other information associated with, and determining which user interface element representations 302-330 (if any) are below or behind the pointer element. User interface element 302-330 corresponding to the (X, Y) coordinate of the mouse pointer position can be determined (if any) and specified to receive focus (if any). Can do. Any desired visual display or other "mouse focus" establishment display can be used, or no display is required if it is desired.

  However, establishing and managing “stylus focus” on a pen-based computing system or other device or system involves several steps compared to establishing and managing “mouse focus” or “keyboard focus”. There are significant differences and challenges. The stylus differs from the mouse and keyboard in several major ways. For example, a stylus is an absolute pointing device (you can only point and interact with elements 302-330 on the screen 300) whereas a mouse is a relative pointing device (continue the mouse). ) To scroll to a predetermined range from outside the screen 300). The pointing element of the mouse can always be detected by the computer system, and is always located within the visible range of the user interface screen 300 (however, the actual element visible on the screen changes as the mouse moves). Is possible). In contrast, the stylus (which itself constitutes a pointing element) can be in direct contact with the surface 332 of the user interface screen, or can be placed away from the user interface screen surface 332. The stylus can also be placed at a location where it can be detected or sensed by the digitizer, or it can be placed outside the range of such detection away from the digitizer. Also, when an input is placed in a control element 302-330 that has the focus of the mouse or keyboard, the input (from the keyboard or another source) is fixedly directed to that control element 302-330. In contrast, input attempted from a stylus (e.g. in the form of electronic ink) starts within a control element 302-330 with stylus control, but the user writes and / or otherwise enters input data. As it tries to do so, it may move out of its control elements 302-330 (e.g. into another focusable control element area or an area where focus is not possible). Also, input attempted from the stylus begins outside all control elements 302-330 capable of focusing on the interface, after which the user writes and / or otherwise enters input data. It may move into control elements 302-330 that can be focused as they are attempted. Finally, at least some styluses do not have “buttons” (similar to the “TAB” key on the keyboard or the left mouse button) that can actively set, activate, or change the focus on the control elements 302-330. . However, even if there is a button, before writing or writing data to a desired control element 302-330 to establish a stylus focus, Pressing the stylus button while hovering at a short distance from elements 302-330 (eg 0.5 to 2 inches (1.27 cm to 5.08 cm)) is a natural or smooth user experience. Absent.

  In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention, in at least some cases, by the operating system and / or application program when the stylus hovers near the user interface surface 332 and is within the detection range of the digitizer. The code is executed to establish stylus focus at control elements 302-330 of user interface 300 where the representation is located directly below or near the tip of the stylus. The stylus can be detected by the digitizer when hovering near the digitizer surface 332 in any manner, including conventional ways known to those skilled in the art, without departing from the present invention. For example, some styluses are “active”, which is used herein to refer to energy transmitted by and / or detectable by the digitizer when the stylus is located near the digitizer surface 332. Means sending, reflecting, changing, or otherwise modifying data, or other information. By way of example, some styluses can include circuitry or other structures that receive energy emitted from the digitizer and / or modify the magnetic or electronic field transmitted and / or sensed by the digitizer, Presence can be sensed by the digitizer from changes in the detected magnetic or electric field. As another example, some styli can transmit or reflect data, electric or magnetic fields, or other energy or information that can be detected by a digitizer. Any suitable or desired manner of sensing or detecting the presence of the stylus when the stylus is located near the user interface screen surface 332 can be used without departing from the invention. The combination of a stylus and a digitizer can be designed to detect the stylus at virtually any suitable position relative to the digitizer surface, but a conventional pen-based computer using at least some active pens. In a scanning system, the stylus can first be detected when it is at a distance of about 0.5 to 2 inches (1.27 cm to 5.08 cm) from the digitizer surface, and in some examples, is approximately 0 from the digitizer surface. It can be detected first when it is at a distance of 5 to 1 inch (1.27 cm to 2.54 cm).

  An example of establishing and managing stylus focus according to the present invention will now be described in connection with FIG. Assume that at start S400, the stylus starts outside the digitizer detection range and the presence of the stylus cannot be detected by the system. In this example, there are no user interface elements 302-330 having stylus focus at this point. At S402, the system checks to determine if a stylus (or pen) is detected near the digitizer surface 332; If “No”, the process returns to S402, and after a short period of time, the system again checks for a stylus near the digitizer surface 332;

  If a stylus is detected in S402 (Yes in S402, eg, when the user moves the stylus closer to the digitizer to write to the digitizer and moves closer to the digitizer surface 332), according to this embodiment of the invention. The system and method generate an “in-air” point corresponding to the position on the surface 332 of the stylus where the stylus is hovering (or approaching) the surface 332 (S404). ). This “air” point can be, for example, a point on the digitizer surface 332 closest to the tip of the stylus (eg, (X, Y) coordinates), a point where the detected electric or magnetic field is strongest, weak, or most changeable , A point at which a focused beam emitted from or reflected by the stylus is detected, and so on. Any method of detecting and determining “in the air” points can be used without departing from the present invention. When the stylus is detected in this way, the ink color, stroke width, stroke type (input ink stroke, erase stroke, highlight stroke, selection, etc.), stylus ID information, user ID information Various characteristics associated with the stylus and / or received input data can be retrieved by the application and / or computing system or entered into the application program and / or computing system.

  This “air” point (eg, the (X, Y) coordinate of the position where the stylus is hovering) is used in systems and methods according to at least some embodiments of the present invention to control elements 302-to receive stylus focus. A “hit-testing” can be performed that can be used to determine 330. In at least some user interfaces, the control elements 302-330 or other items in the interface 300 can be arranged in a hierarchy. FIG. 3 shows an example of this type of hierarchical arrangement. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, control elements 302-306 can be included in a common “name” control element 334. Similarly, the control elements 308-318 can be included in the common “home address” control element 336, and the control elements 320-330 can be included in the common “work address” control element 338. All of these control elements can be included in a common parent control element (eg, “ENTER CONTACT INFORMATION” element), and the parent control element itself is also one or more additional elements. Can be included in various parent control elements. Thus, some embodiments of the present invention even when the stylus focus cannot be given to an element that is directly adjacent to the “in-air” point of the stylus (eg, when the stylus is located between individual control elements 302-330). The system and method in accordance with at least some examples include stylus focus on larger “parent” or “container” elements (eg, elements 334, 336, 338) that correspond to the in-air points where the stylus is located. Can be given.

  FIG. 5 shows another example of a user interface screen 500 having hierarchical control elements. When filling out a test or survey, the individual answers 502 can form individual “leaf” or “child” nodes or control elements of the hierarchical tree structure of control elements, while each question 504-510. Can form "root", "container", or "parent" nodes or control elements that have leaf or child nodes associated with them. Rather than allowing each child node or leaf node 502 to have stylus focus separately, stylus focus can be ensured on the parent context elements 504-510. When the stylus hovers near a portion of the parent control element 504-510, the entire parent control element 504-510 receives the stylus focus and inputs data to any of the individual leaf nodes 502 within that parent control element 504-510. You can enable input.

  Then, returning to the exemplary method shown in FIG. 4, as previously described, an aerial point corresponding to the position of the stylus is generated in S404. The system and method according to this embodiment of the invention then determines, at S406, whether a particular position and / or element close to the stylus position is capable of stylus focus (as described above in conjunction with FIG. 5) Not all control elements or ranges in it need to be independently capable of stylus focus, and certain control elements or ranges receive stylus focus by code associated with the operating system and / or application program Can be determined or set if possible). If the position of the control element or the underlying user interface corresponding to a particular position of the stylus is not stylus focusable (answer “No”), then the system and method according to this embodiment of the present invention then places the element in a hierarchical structure. In step S408, it is determined whether the element is the last (that is, the highest) element. If not the last element (answer “No”), the system and method according to this embodiment of the invention moves to the parent element (S410) and returns to S406 to determine whether the parent element is stylus focusable. judge. In the example shown in FIG. 5, if the user's pen is initially hovering near the leaf element 502, the system and method according to this embodiment of the present invention allows the leaf element 502 to be stylus focused at S406. Judge that there was no. Next, in S408, the system and method according to the present embodiment determines that the leaf element 502 is included in the parent element 504, and when S406 is repeated, the element 504 is determined to be stylus focusable.

  If it is determined in S408 that the element under consideration is the last element in the hierarchical structure and / or is the only element in the hierarchical structure (answer “Yes”), if there is further processing necessary Can be performed (S412), and the procedure can return to S402 (midpoint A). Any suitable or desired process can be performed without departing from the invention. For example, an error message or text box can be generated to provide appropriate information to the user. Another possibility is to give the default stylus focus to the top hierarchical element of the interface or to a predetermined part of the interface. As yet another possible example, if neither the element under the stylus or its parent element (if any) allows stylus focus, at least some embodiments of the system and method according to the present invention The element also does not receive the stylus focus and the system and method can wait for the stylus to be moved further. Other suitable schemes for dealing with this situation can be used without departing from the invention.

  If it is determined in S406 that the element under consideration is capable of stylus focus (the original control element that the stylus is hovering near or its parent element; the answer to S406 is “Yes”) The system and method according to this embodiment may execute code that provides stylus focus to the element (S414). The element that receives the stylus focus can be notified of this stylus focus grant (eg, by an operating system and / or application program) and can take appropriate action and / or perform desired processing ( Increase the size of the control element, increase the polling frequency, etc. as described in more detail below). Alternatively, additional processing can be performed before determining whether to give stylus focus to that particular element (a particular element relative to some other element in the interface, such as another element in the hierarchy. Or (does not give focus to any element (under some given circumstances)).

  Once the stylus focus is established, the system and method according to this embodiment of the present invention then determines whether the stylus has contacted the digitizer surface (S416). If “Yes”, the system accepts input (eg, electronic ink or other input) or performs some other appropriate action (S418), and the procedure ends (S420) (optionally returns to S402, the next May wait for input). In this embodiment of the system and method according to the present invention, a stylus focus is established and the user begins to enter data or the system begins to receive input in other ways (eg, by writing or in some other way). And the stylus focus does not change during the pen-down event (optionally, even if data input (such as electronic ink input) continues outside the control element that has focus). This ensures that all data entered during the pen-down event is sent to the control element that initiated the data entry (optionally, the control element can be moved in the user interface). Control element may leave the pen during a pen-down event, but once focus is established, the data received during that pen-down event will leave the pen during the event. Even receive that control element with focus). Optionally, when the user input device moves outside the control element that has focus during the pen-down event, receipt of input data may be terminated (and optionally focus may be lost). In order to change the stylus focus in some embodiments of the present invention, the user must lift the stylus a sufficient distance from the digitizer surface so that the stylus cannot be detected by the digitizer (pen up event), resulting in It is necessary to start the procedure of FIG. 4 again. As an alternative, the stylus focus is such that when the pen is lifted off the digitizer surface and moved to a range on the user interface surface corresponding to another control element, the stylus can always be detected by the digitizer during that period. May also be changed automatically. Optionally, only after a predetermined time delay and / or only when the stylus has moved a predetermined minimum distance from the previous control element with focus and / or the last associated with the previous control element with focus The stylus focus can be changed in the above various situations only when a predetermined minimum distance is moved from the position.

  In at least some embodiments of the present invention, if the pen first touches a digitizer area where it cannot receive focus or input (eg, the range between control elements capable of receiving focus) If the pen moves to a focusable control element during the pen down event, focus is not established during the pen down event. Alternatively, if it is desired, focus may be established when the pen crosses into focusable control elements (if any) during a pen down event without departing from the invention. Optionally, if focus is established in the above situation, the input to the focusable element is the input data generated or entered during the pendown event before the pen moves into the focusable control element Of all or at least a portion of.

  If, at S416, the system and method according to this embodiment of the present invention determines that the stylus is not touching the digitizer screen, the procedure returns to S402 to determine if the pen is still within the area. If it is no longer in range (answer “No”), the stylus focus can be canceled (S422) and the attempt to detect the pen after a short period of time can be resumed. If the stylus is still detectable (the answer is “Yes” in S402), the procedure is repeated until a pen down event occurs (ie, the stylus touches the digitizer surface) or the pen is moved away. Without departing from the present invention, the stylus remains detectable (e.g., in the hover position) and before the stylus contacts the digitizer surface, another control element from a range corresponding to the control element with the stylus. The stylus focus can be moved from the control element to the control element on the user interface screen. If it is also desired, at S422, the stylus focus can remain at the last control element with focus, optionally for a predetermined time and / or until a new stylus focus is established.

  The various procedures described above in connection with FIG. 4 are merely examples of suitable processes that can be performed in some embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other procedures may be performed and / or the procedures described in connection with FIG. 4 may be modified without departing from the present invention. For example, certain steps illustrated or described may be altered, the order of steps may be changed, some steps may be omitted, and / or additional steps may be added without departing from the invention. As another specific example, the method of determining which control element display is located near the pen position can be modified from the “hit test” procedure described above without departing from the present invention. In addition, the operating system can perform a part or all of the aerial focus management determination procedure as described with reference to FIG. 4 at convenient time intervals as needed or without departing from the present invention. And / or application programs can be designed. For example, in situations where there is a large amount of background processing, some or all of the aerial focus management procedures (such as hit testing) may be performed less frequently to increase the availability of the processor for other processing. it can. Also, the above procedure can be performed less frequently, for example when the computer is in a low power mode, a sleep mode, or a battery saving mode.

  Any suitable action or process can be performed or initiated as a result of obtaining a stylus focus without departing from the invention. For example, a visual or audio display such as a color change, a user interface style change, a user interface layout change, a beep sound, etc. can be provided to indicate that the stylus focus has been established. 3 and 6 show another example of processing that can be performed as a result of the control element receiving stylus focus. As described above, FIG. 3 shows a user interface screen 332 having various control elements 302-330. An arrow 350 in FIG. 3 represents a stylus that is approaching the interface screen 332 but is hovering near the screen 332 at a position such that the digitizer associated with the screen 332 detects the presence and position of the stylus. In this embodiment of the invention, when the stylus focus is established, the user interface changes to a screen 352 shown in FIG. Specifically, in this example, the stylus is approaching the screen 332 in proximity to the control element 312 (associated with the “city” control element of the interface “home address” control element). As shown in FIG. 6, when stylus focus is established on the control element 312, the size of the control element 312 is enlarged, and this element size remains this enlarged size as long as the stylus focus is on the control element 312. . In at least some examples, the stylus position 350 in the expanded box 354 is in the same relative position as the stylus position 350 in the control element 312 before the size is expanded (thus expanded from a smaller size). Provide users with a smooth transition to size). Increasing the size of the control element with focus may be particularly useful in pen-based computing systems where the user attempts to write and enter electronic ink on the control element (smaller control elements allow the user to It may be difficult or impossible to enter the necessary data using an electronic pen and / or electronic ink). Also, the increase in size may be useful in situations where the user interface, screen size, and / or control elements themselves are fairly small.

  If the stylus is moved outside the control element 312 in this example of the invention, the stylus focus of this element 312 is lost and the enlarged box 354 disappears. Optionally, the loss of stylus focus occurs only after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the stylus moved away from the control element 312 or moved out of the digitizer's detection range, causing minor unintentional stylus movement by the user. The loss of the stylus focus due to can also be prevented. As yet another alternative, the stylus focus may be used at this other appropriate time, such as until the stylus is no longer detected near the digitizer, until a new focus is established, and / or until other suitable or desired time. You can stay in this element 312 until. As yet another alternative, the enlarged box 354 may include adjacent control elements in addition to the control element that was originally centered so that the enlarged box 354 does not disappear and the stylus focus is restored to the original control. It is also possible to move from an element (control element 312 in the above example) to one of the control elements adjacent to that element. Other suitable schemes that accommodate movement of the stylus out of the original element with focus can be used without departing from the invention.

  As a result of obtaining the stylus focus, additional and / or other actions can be performed without departing from the invention. For example, achieving stylus focus can be used to “prepare” the entire system and / or certain control elements to receive input. As a more specific example, the stylus focus can be used to “wake” the system from a power saving or “standby” mode. As another example, achieving stylus focus can be used as a trigger to cause the system to frequently examine the range associated with the control element for input (e.g., input electronic data or other input data Instruct the digitizer to check or "polling" more frequently in search, and optionally increase the frequency in the interface area, especially corresponding to control elements with stylus focus).

  As a further example, use a stylus focus before a pen down event (eg when the pen is hovering near the digitizer surface) to determine various features or characteristics of input data that is input into the focused area (E.g. ink color, ink highlight characteristics, pen tip characteristics, whether ink data should be collected in a "pressure sensitive" manner, type of input data (ink, erase, highlight, selection, etc.) )). By retrieving data related to the ink characteristics of the focused area using a period that is “in the air”, the system and method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention allows a pen-down event to actually occur. Ink rendering can be started immediately and quickly, thereby providing a more natural pen and inking experience (for example, ink is displayed immediately when a pen down event occurs, It feels like it flows into the electronic document from the tip of the electronic pen).

  As yet another example, stylus focus establishment can be used in other ways in systems and methods according to at least some embodiments of the present invention to prepare the system to receive incoming electronic ink data. A large amount of data is typically associated with input electronic ink in a pen-based computing system (eg, ink position, ink color, ink pressure, digitizer points crossed by a stylus, direction of stylus movement, ink Parsing data, stroke ID information, user ID information, data related to language data, etc. Systems and systems in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention use stylus focus to set and / or allocate, for example, a data structure (such as a hierarchical document tree structure) to receive and store ink data in memory. For example, by setting and / or allocating a storage area for storing mirror trees and ink snapshots for layout analysis, classification, parsing, recognition, etc., deleting cached data from various storage areas, etc. The system can be ready to receive ink. Without deviating from the invention, as a result of achieving stylus focus, other suitable or desired processing or actions can be triggered.

  The systems and methods according to at least some embodiments of the present invention are also not limited to providing and maintaining a stylus focus associated with a single stylus. Any number of stylus focuses can be established and maintained without departing from the invention. For example, a stylus focus can be detected, established, and maintained for a first control element, while the digitizer receives input indicating that the second stylus is located near the digitizer. The stylus focus can be applied and maintained on the second control element corresponding to the position of the second stylus. It is also possible for the second stylus to enter data within a range corresponding to the first control element (which already has stylus focus in this example) without departing from the invention.

  In a more specific example of the system and method according to the present invention, an aerial point can be used to determine a control element having a stylus focus. In this example, only the aerial point is used to change the stylus focus. The reason is that once an input ink stroke starts, it is assumed that all data associated with that stroke (ie during the pen down event) is continuously associated with that same control element. (At least until the pen leaves its control element range, optionally until a pen up event occurs even if the pen leaves its control element range). In this example, only one control element of the interface will have stylus focus at a time. If the system and method according to this embodiment of the invention can receive input from multiple styluses, only the stylus in the control element with stylus focus can input input ink, but control with focus Every stylus in the element can independently enter ink (or other input data). All other styli (stylus located outside the control element with stylus focus) behave like a mouse. In this example, a control element with stylus focus does not lose stylus focus until at least all stylus leaves the range of the control element and / or goes out of the digitizer's detection range.

  Additional optional features in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention allow stylus focus to be established as a result of contact between the stylus and the digitizer surface. In some cases, the stylus may be a digitizer, especially when the computing system is in low power or standby mode, or when the digitizer does not poll frequently to detect the presence of the stylus in other situations. There is a possibility of contacting the digitizer surface before it is detected in the hover direction at a position close to the surface. This can also occur in situations where the user quickly places the pen on the digitizer surface and begins typing. In such a situation, the system and method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention provides stylus focus (and as a result of contact) to the control element at the position where the digitizer surface and stylus are in contact, and accepts input data. Can establish focus by tapping and does not require a second pen down event to initiate data entry. The determination of the control element that receives the stylus focus, which is made as a result of contact with the stylus, is, for example, by taking into account the hierarchical arrangement of the control element and other user interface elements as described above (X, Y) of the stylus contact This can be done in any suitable manner, including hit testing using coordinates.

  If desired, the stylus focus can be maintained separately from the mouse focus and / or keyboard focus and / or another stylus focus, as described above, without departing from the invention. Thus, while one user initiates and maintains stylus focus, another user (or the same user) can use a mouse and / or keyboard and / or another stylus to transfer data to another control element. Can be entered.

  Also, focus need not be established in response to detection of a stylus located near the digitizer surface in all cases. If it is desirable, in at least some cases, without departing from the present invention, the application program and / or operating system may refuse focus and / or stop data transmission related to focus establishment It can contain code and / or send events. For example, if an element does not have a range for receiving input electronic ink (such as a text label or an unchangeable picture element), there may be no reason to allow that element to receive focus. Also, if an element reaches the limit of electronic ink it can receive for any reason, it can refuse focus on that element. As yet another example, for a field that a user can write or is intended to write only once (such as a user ID and / or password field), ink already exists in that field, ie already entered. The focus cannot be accepted (optionally after a certain period of time). The focus rejection can be applied on a per control element basis or in other ways without departing from the invention.

  Finally, the present invention also relates to a computer readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing various methods, including the systems and methods described above, and / or for use in various systems. The computer readable medium can comprise computer executable instructions stored in various embodiments of the computer readable medium described above.

V. CONCLUSION In some cases, the above specification describes stylus and mouse interaction with a “control element” in a user interface and the position of the stylus and mouse with respect to the “control element”. This is a brief description used for ease of transmission and for convenience. In practice, a “control element” includes computer code residing in a computer application program and / or operating system program. Thus, those skilled in the art state that this brief description is actually located near the display of the various control elements that exist on the user interface or as part of the user interface. I understand that. One skilled in the art will further appreciate that these interactions can activate the underlying control elements represented in the user interface, send input to those control elements, and / or otherwise utilize the control elements. .

  While various embodiments of the invention have been described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention includes all combinations and subcombinations of these embodiments within its scope. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that the above examples are merely illustrative of various aspects of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1 is a schematic diagram of a general purpose digital computing environment in which certain aspects of the invention may be implemented. 1 is a diagram of a pen-based personal computing (PC) environment in which certain aspects of the invention may be implemented. FIG. 4 is an exemplary rendering of a user interface that can achieve stylus focus in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for managing stylus focus according to at least some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 4 is an exemplary rendering by user interface that can achieve stylus focus according to some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an exemplary rendering of a user interface after stylus focus has been achieved with the control element having focus expanded.

Claims (51)

Receiving an input indicating that the first stylus is located in the hover direction near the digitizer, the first stylus being positioned without contacting the surface of the digitizer in the hover direction;
Determining a position of the first stylus in the hover direction relative to display of a plurality of control elements of a user interface on a screen;
By specifying the first control element for receiving the input, a step of providing focus to the first control element corresponding to the position in the hover direction of the determined first stylus, Providing the focus includes determining whether the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Giving focus to the first control element;
Receiving an input in the first control element;
In response to determining that the first control element is not capable of stylus focus,
Determining whether a parent element of the first control element including the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the parent element of the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Give focus to the parent element,
Receiving the input in the parent element.   The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises electronic ink. Moving the first stylus from the digitizer without contacting the surface of the digitizer, and the input indicating that the first stylus is located nearby is no longer received;
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of canceling focus from the first control element.   The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing focus includes zooming and rendering a view of at least a portion of the display of the first control element. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining mouse focus separately from the focus corresponding to the position of the first stylus in the hover direction. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining keyboard focus separately from the focus corresponding to a position of the first stylus in the hover direction. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second input indicating that a second stylus is located in a hover direction near the digitizer.   8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing focus to a second control element corresponding to a position of the second stylus in the hover direction. Moving the first stylus from a first range corresponding to the first control element to a second range corresponding to a second control element;
The method of claim 1, further comprising: changing focus from the first control element to the second control element.   The method of claim 9, wherein the first stylus does not contact the digitizer surface before moving from the first range to the second range.   The method of claim 10, wherein the first stylus contacts a surface of the digitizer before moving from the first range to the second range. A first whether the determining whether the stylus is located in the hover direction near the surface of the digitizer, the first stylus and steps positioned in a state not in contact with the surface of the digitizer of the hover direction ,
Determining a position of the first stylus in the hover direction;
(A) in response to a determination that the first stylus is positioned in the hover direction near the digitizer, or (b) a contact between the first stylus and the digitizer surface, by the first stylus. by specifying the first control element for receiving the input, and providing focus to the first control element corresponding to the determined position of the first stylus,
Receiving an input in a range of the surface of the digitizer corresponding to the first control element,
Providing the focus includes determining whether the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Giving focus to the first control element;
Receiving an input in the first control element;
In response to determining that the first control element is not capable of stylus focus,
Determining whether a parent element of the first control element including the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the parent element of the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Give focus to the parent element,
A method comprising receiving an input in the parent element. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining that the first stylus is located near the digitizer surface and providing the focus in response to the determination. The method of claim 12, further comprising sensing a contact between the first stylus and the digitizer surface and providing the focus in response to the sensing.   13. A method according to claim 1 or 12, wherein the step of providing focus comprises providing an enlarged range for accepting input directed to the first control element. 13. A method according to claim 1 or 12, further comprising the step of preparing the first control element to receive an input.   The method of claim 16, wherein the step of preparing includes increasing a polling frequency in the range of the digitizer corresponding to the first control element. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether a second stylus is located in a hover direction near a surface of the digitizer. When the position of the second stylus corresponds to the range of the digitizer corresponding to a second control element, (a) determining that the second stylus is positioned in the hover direction near the digitizer, or (b 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: focusing the second control element in response to contact between the second stylus and the digitizer surface.   20. A method according to claim 8 or 19, characterized in that the focus on the second control element is provided in coexistence with the focus on the first control element. Moving the first stylus from a first range corresponding to the first control element to a second range corresponding to a second control element;
The method of claim 12, further comprising: changing focus from the first control element to the second control element. 13. The method of claim 1 or 12, further comprising providing at least one of a visual display or an audio display when focus is given. A compatible input device to generate an input indicating that the first stylus is located near hover direction of the digitizer, the first stylus without contacting the surface of the digitizer of the hover direction An input device located at
Determining a position of the first stylus in the hover direction;
By specifying the first control element for receiving the input, which is programmed and adapted to provide focus to the first control element corresponding to the position of the determined first stylus hover direction With a processor,
Providing the focus includes determining whether the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Giving focus to the first control element;
Receiving an input in the first control element;
In response to determining that the first control element is not capable of stylus focus,
Determining whether a parent element of the first control element including the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the parent element of the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Give focus to the parent element,
A system for receiving an input in the parent element.   The system of claim 23, wherein the input comprises an electronic ink input.   The processor further moves the first stylus from the digitizer to such an extent that the input indicating that the first stylus is located nearby is no longer received without touching the surface of the digitizer. 24. The system of claim 23, programmed and adapted to cancel focus from the first control element.   The processor is further programmed and adapted to determine the position of the first stylus in the hover direction relative to a display of a plurality of control elements of a user interface on a screen prior to providing the focus. 24. The system of claim 23, characterized in that   The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to maintain mouse focus separate from focus corresponding to a position of the first stylus in the hover direction.   24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to maintain keyboard focus separate from the focus corresponding to the position of the first stylus in the hover direction.   24. The system of claim 23, wherein the input device is further adapted to generate a second input indicating that a second stylus is located in a hover direction near the digitizer.   The processor is further programmed and adapted to provide focus to a second control element corresponding to a position of the second stylus in a hover direction in response to the second input. 30. The system according to 29. An input device adapted to generate an input indicating when a first stylus is located in the hover direction near the surface of the digitizer, the first stylus being adapted to generate the input of the digitizer in the hover direction. An input device located without touching the surface;
Determining the position of the first stylus in the hover direction; (a) determining that the first stylus is positioned in the hover direction near the digitizer; or (b) the first stylus and the digitizer surface. in response to the contact, and, by specifying the first control element for receiving the input, giving focus to the first control element corresponding to the determined position of the first stylus, A program and a processor adapted to accept input in a range of the digitizer surface corresponding to the first control element;
Providing the focus includes determining whether the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Giving focus to the first control element;
Receiving an input in the first control element;
In response to determining that the first control element is not capable of stylus focus,
Determining whether a parent element of the first control element including the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the parent element of the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Give focus to the parent element,
A system for receiving an input in the parent element.   The processor is further programmed and adapted to provide an expanded range for accepting input directed to the first control element in response to the first control element receiving focus. The system according to claim 23 or 31.   32. A system according to claim 23 or 31, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to prepare the first control element to receive input in response to receiving the focus.   The processor is programmed and adapted to prepare the first control element to receive the input by increasing a polling frequency in the range of the digitizer corresponding to the first control element. 34. The system of claim 33.   32. The system of claim 31, wherein the input device is further adapted to generate a second input that indicates a second stylus is positioned in a hover direction near the digitizer.   The processor further comprises: (a) the second stylus is positioned in the hover direction near the digitizer when the position of the second stylus corresponds to a range of the digitizer corresponding to a second control element. 36. Programmed and adapted to provide focus to the second control element in response to a determination, or (b) contact between the second stylus and the digitizer surface. System.   37. A system according to claim 30 or 36, wherein the focus on the second control element is given in coexistence with the focus on the first control element.   The processor further moves from the first control element when the first stylus is moved from a first range corresponding to the first control element to a second range corresponding to a second control element. 32. System according to claim 23 or 31, wherein the system is programmed and adapted to change focus to the second control element.   The system of claim 31, wherein the processor is further programmed and adapted to provide at least one of a visual display or an audio display when given focus. Receiving an input indicating that the first stylus is located in the hover direction near the digitizer, the first stylus being positioned without contacting the surface of the digitizer in the hover direction;
Determining a position of the first stylus in the hover direction;
By specifying the first control element for receiving the input, a step of providing focus to the first control element corresponding to the position of the determined first stylus hover direction,
Providing the focus includes determining whether the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Giving focus to the first control element;
Receiving an input in the first control element;
In response to determining that the first control element is not capable of stylus focus,
Determining whether a parent element of the first control element including the first control element is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the parent element of the first control element is capable of stylus focus,
Give focus to the parent element,
A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for executing a method comprising: receiving an input in the parent element. The method further comprises:
When the first stylus is moved from the digitizer without touching the surface of the digitizer and the input indicating that the first stylus is located nearby is no longer received, from the first control element 41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, comprising the step of canceling focus. The method further comprises:
41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, comprising increasing a polling frequency in the range of the digitizer corresponding to the first control element. The method further comprises:
41. The computer readable medium of claim 40, comprising receiving a second input indicating that a second stylus is located in a hover direction near the digitizer. The method further comprises:
44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, comprising: focusing a second control element corresponding to a position of the second stylus in a hover direction in response to the second input. Determining whether a first stylus is located in a hover direction near a surface of the digitizer, the first stylus contacting the surface of the digitizer in an instruction to perform a method including the following steps: Don't step and
A first whether the determining whether the stylus is located in the hover direction near the surface of the digitizer, the first stylus and steps positioned in a state not in contact with the surface of the digitizer of the hover direction ,
Determining a position of the first stylus in the hover direction;
Determining whether the first control element corresponding to the determined position of the first stylus is capable of stylus focus;
In response to determining that the first control element is not capable of stylus focus, determining whether a parent element of the first control element including the first control element is capable of stylus focus. When,
In response to determining that the parent element of the first control element is capable of stylus focus, providing a focus to the parent element and receiving an input at the parent element. A computer readable medium having executable instructions stored thereon. The method further comprises:
46. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 or 45, comprising providing an expanded range for receiving input directed at the parent element in response to receiving the focus. The method further comprises:
46. The computer readable medium of claim 45, comprising increasing a polling frequency in the range of the digitizer corresponding to the parent element. The method further comprises:
46. The computer readable medium of claim 45, further comprising determining whether a second stylus is positioned in a hover direction near the surface of the digitizer. The method further comprises:
(A) determining that the second stylus is located near the digitizer when the position of the second stylus corresponds to a range of the digitizer corresponding to the second control element; or (b) the 49. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, further comprising providing focus to the second control element in response to contact between a second stylus and the digitizer surface. The method further comprises:
When the first stylus is moved from the first range corresponding to the parent element to the second range corresponding to the second control element, the focus is changed from the parent element to the second control element. 46. The computer readable medium of claim 40 or 45, comprising steps. The method further comprises:
46. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 or 45, comprising providing at least one of a visual display or an audio display when focused.

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