Input management system and method

• US 10,048,993 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Need, Dwayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US14/462,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20140359642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 719318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method, medium and system for use in a computing environment for managing input information. The system for facilitating input management in a computerized environment may include an input manager for processing events received from an input provider. The system may additionally include a staging area including a stack of events created by the input manager. The staging area allows access by external components. The external components may include a set of filters capable of accessing and manipulating the stack of input events and a set of monitors capable of monitoring manipulation of the stack of events.

Claims

1. A system for exposing events for both logical input and physical input, the system comprising:

at least one processor and memory configured to provide computer program instructions to the at least one processor;

a promoter configured to turn physical input associated with a primary event into logical input associated with a secondary event, the physical input associated with a first physical input device and the logical input associated with a second physical input device, wherein the first physical input device is different from the second physical input device, wherein the first physical input device is incompatible with an application and the second physical input device is compatible with the application, and wherein the first physical input device maps to an existing interface of the second physical input device to the application; and

a dictionary accessible to the application, the dictionary associating the primary event with the secondary event based at least on a dictionary of the secondary event inheriting a dictionary of the primary event, such that the primary event that is incompatible with the application simulates an existing event using the secondary event that is compatible with the application through the existing interface, wherein corresponding dictionaries of events store states of events, a state of the secondary event at least comprising position information associated with the logical input, wherein the position information is associated with executing the secondary event such that the position information is extracted from the dictionary of the secondary event for executing the primary event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the promoter includes an internal promoter and an external promoter, wherein the internal promoter works within the application and the external promoter works outside of the application.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a promotion policy that selects the internal promoter or external promoter to process a selected event.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the logical input comprises application programming interfaces that provide an abstraction for physical input.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the logical input combines multiple physical input devices into a single logical experience.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising application programming interfaces that map the first physical input device to the existing interface of the second physical input device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein dictionaries store the dictionary stores the corresponding states of events and corresponding elements on which the events are acting on.

8. A computer-implemented method for exposing events for both logical input and physical input, the method comprising:

receiving a physical input for an application, the physical input of a first device, the physical input associated with a primary event;

promoting the physical input of the first physical input device, the physical input associated with the primary event to a logical input of a second physical input device, the first physical input device is different from the second physical input device, wherein the first physical input device is incompatible with the application and the second physical input device is compatible with the application, wherein the first physical input device maps to an existing interface of the second physical input device to the application, and

wherein the logical input associated with a secondary event such that a dictionary accessible to the application is provided, the dictionary associating the primary event with the secondary event based at least on a dictionary of the secondary event inheriting a dictionary of the primary event, such that the primary event that is incompatible with the application simulates an existing event using the secondary event that is compatible with the application through the existing interface, wherein corresponding dictionaries of events store states of events, a state of the secondary event at least comprising position information associated with the logical input, wherein the position information is associated with executing the secondary event such that the position information is extracted from the dictionary of the secondary event for executing the primary event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the promoter includes an internal promoter and an external promoter, wherein the internal promoter works within the application and the external promoter works outside of the application.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a promotion policy that selects the internal promoter or external promoter to process a selected event.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the logical input comprises comprising application programming interfaces that provide an abstraction for physical input.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the logical input combines multiple physical input devices into a single logical experience.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising application programming interfaces that map the first physical input device to the existing interface of the second physical input device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein dictionaries store the corresponding states of events and corresponding elements on which the events are acting on.

15. One or more hardware computer-storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method for exposing events for both logical input and physical input, the method comprising:

receiving a physical input for an application, the physical input of a first device, the physical input associated with a primary event;

promoting the physical input of the first physical input device, the physical input associated with the primary event to a logical input of a second physical input device, the first physical input device is different from the second physical input device, wherein the first physical input device is incompatible with the application and the second physical input device is compatible with the application, wherein the first physical input device maps to an existing interface of the second physical input device to the application, and

wherein the logical input associated with a secondary event such that a dictionary accessible to the application is provided, the dictionary associating the primary event with the secondary event based at least on a dictionary of the secondary event inheriting a dictionary of the primary event, such that the primary event that is incompatible with the application simulates an existing event using the secondary event that is compatible with the application through the existing interface, wherein corresponding dictionaries of events store states of events, a state of the secondary event at least comprising position information associated with the logical input, wherein the position information is associated with executing the secondary event such that the position information is extracted from the dictionary of the secondary event for executing the primary event.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the promoter includes an internal promoter and an external promoter, wherein the internal promoter works within the application and the external promoter works outside of the application, wherein a promotion policy selects the internal promoter or external promoter to process a selected event.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the logical input comprises application programming interfaces that provide an abstraction for physical input.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the logical input combines multiple physical input devices into a single logical experience.

19. The media of claim 15, further comprising application programming interfaces that map the first physical input device to the existing interface of the second physical input device.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein dictionaries store the corresponding states of events and corresponding elements on which the events are acting on.