Methods and systems for implementing auto-complete in a web page

• US 20040039988A1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Conundrum IP LLC (UiPath Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Kyu-Woong, Wales, Karen E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,185,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/505
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for facilitating auto-completion of user data input in a web page. The method includes receiving, during execution time of the web page, first user data input in a first data input field of the web page. The method also includes analyzing, during the execution time, the first user data input to ascertain among plurality of dictionary objects a first dictionary object. The first dictionary object represents a dictionary object from which candidate matches against the first user data input would be presented to a user of the web page. The plurality of dictionary objects are associated with the first data input field during build time of the web page. The method additionally includes matching at least a portion of the first user data input against members of the first dictionary object to obtain a first list of candidate matches. The method further includes presenting the first list of candidate matches to the user of the web page.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating auto-completion of user data input in a web page, comprising:

receiving, during execution time of said web page, first user data input in a first data input field of said web page;

analyzing, during said execution time, said first user data input to ascertain among plurality of dictionary objects a first dictionary object, said first dictionary object representing a dictionary object from which candidate matches against said first user data input would be presented to a user of said web page, said plurality of dictionary objects being associated with said first data input field during build time of said web page;

matching at least a portion of said first user data input against members of said first dictionary object to obtain a first list of candidate matches; and

presenting said first list of candidate matches to said user of said web page.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving second user data input in said first data input field;

revising said first list of candidate matches based on additional information in said second user data input to obtain a second list of candidate matches, members of said second list of candidate matches being also members of said first dictionary object; and

presenting said second list of candidate matches to said user in lieu of said first list of candidate matches.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said web page is implemented using at least one of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and the Extensible Markup Language (XML).

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 wherein said first user data input is analyzed using a data analyzing technique that includes parsing said first user data input.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein an association between a second data input field in said web page and one of said plurality of dictionary objects varies responsive to which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein a number of data input fields in said web page changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein information presented in said web page changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein information presented in a subsequent web page that is presented later in time relative to said web page changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of dictionary objects is a file containing historical data entries by said user of said web page.

10. A method for implementing auto-completion of user data input in a web page, comprising:

associating, during build time, a first data input field in said web page with a plurality of dictionary objects; and

thereafter, providing said web page for use during execution time, wherein said web page is configured to facilitate matching, during said execution time, at least a portion of first user data input into said first data input field against members of a first one of said plurality of dictionary objects to obtain a first list of user-selectable candidate choices, wherein one of said user-selectable candidate choices in said first list, when selected by a user of said web page, is assigned to a variable associated with said first data input field.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of said web page is implemented using at least one of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and the Extensible Markup Language (XML).

12. The method of claim 10 wherein at least a portion of said web page is implemented using the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said first user data input is analyzed to ascertain which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects would be employed as said first one of said plurality of dictionary objects prior to said matching.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said first user data input is analyzed using a data analyzing technique that includes parsing said portion of said first user data input.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein an association between a second data input field in said web page and one of said plurality of dictionary objects varies responsive to which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first one of said plurality of dictionary objects.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein a number of data input fields in said web page changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first one of said plurality of dictionary objects.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein information presented in said web page changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first one of said plurality of dictionary objects.

18. A computer-implemented arrangement for facilitating auto-completion of user data input in a web page, comprising:

a data input arrangement configured to receive, during execution time of said web page, a first set of user-input characters in a first data input field of said web page;

logic configured to analyze, during said execution time, said first set of user-input characters to ascertain among plurality of dictionary objects a first dictionary object, said first dictionary object representing a dictionary object from which candidate matches against said first user data input would be presented to a user of said web page, said plurality of dictionary objects being associated with said first data input field during build time of said web page;

logic configured to match said first set of user-input characters against members of said first dictionary object to obtain a first list of candidate matches; and

a data presentation arrangement for presenting said first list of candidate matches to a user of said web page.

19. The computer-implemented arrangement of claim 18 wherein an association between a second data input field in said web page and one of said plurality of dictionary objects varies responsive to which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

20. The computer-implemented arrangement of claim 18 wherein at least a portion of said web page is implemented using a mark-up language.

21. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein, said computer readable code being configured to facilitate auto-completion of user data input in a computer display screen, comprising:

computer readable code for receiving, during execution time for rendering said computer display screen, first user data input in a first data input field of said computer display screen;

computer readable code for analyzing, during said execution time, said first user data input to ascertain among plurality of dictionary objects a first dictionary object, said first dictionary object representing a dictionary object from which candidate matches against said first user data input would be presented to a user of said computer display screen, said plurality of dictionary objects being associated with said first data input field during build time of said computer display screen;

computer readable code for matching at least a portion of said first user data input against members of said first dictionary object to obtain a first list of candidate matches; and

computer readable code for presenting said first list of candidate matches to said user of said computer display screen.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21 further comprising:

computer readable code for receiving second user data input in said first data input field;

computer readable code for revising said first list of candidate matches based on additional information in said second user data input to obtain a second list of candidate matches, members of said second list of candidate matches being also members of said first dictionary object; and

computer readable code for presenting said second list of candidate matches to said user in lieu of said first list of candidate matches.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein at least a portion of said computer display screen is implemented using at least one of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and the Extensible Markup Language (XML).

24. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein said computer display screen is a web page.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein said first user data input is analyzed using a data analyzing technique that includes parsing said first user data input.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein an association between a second data input field in said computer display screen and one of said plurality of dictionary objects varies responsive to which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein a number of data input fields in said computer display screen changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein information presented in said computer display screen changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein information presented in a subsequent computer display screen that is presented later in time relative to said computer display screen changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

30. An arrangement for facilitating auto-completion of user data input in a web page, comprising:

means for receiving, during execution time of said web page, a first set of user-input characters in a first data input field of said web page;

means for analyzing, during said execution time, said first set of user-input characters to ascertain among plurality of dictionary objects a first dictionary object, said first dictionary object representing a dictionary object from which candidate matches against said first user data input would be presented to a user of said web page, said plurality of dictionary objects being associated with said first data input field during build time of said web page;

means for matching said first set of user-input characters against members of said first dictionary object to obtain a first list of candidate matches; and

means for presenting said first list of candidate matches to a user of said web page.

31. The arrangement of claim 30 wherein at least a portion of said web page is implemented using at least one of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and the Extensible Markup Language (XML).

32. The arrangement of claim 30 wherein an association between a second data input field in said web page and one of said plurality of dictionary objects varies responsive to which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

33. The arrangement of claim 30 wherein a number of data input fields in said web page changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

34. The arrangement of claim 30 wherein information presented in said web page changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

35. The arrangement of claim 30 wherein information presented in a subsequent web page that is presented later in time relative to said web page changes depending on which dictionary object in said plurality of dictionary objects is employed as said first dictionary object.

36. A computer software product having an auto-completion capability for user data input, said computer software product comprising:

a data input arrangement for receiving, during execution time of said computer software product, a first user data input;

logic for comparing, during said execution time, said first user data input with members of a first dictionary to obtain a set of candidate choices, said first dictionary being selected, during said execution time responsive to said first user data input, from a plurality of dictionaries associated with said data input arrangement during build time of said computer software product; and

a data output arrangement for presenting in a computer display screen said set of candidate choices.

37. The computer software product of claim 36 wherein at least a portion of said computer display screen is implemented using at least one of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and the Extensible Markup Language (XML).

38. The computer software product of claim 36 wherein at least a portion of said computer display screen is implemented using a mark-up language.

39. The computer software product of claim 36 wherein said data input arrangement is a first data input field in said computer display screen.

40. The computer software product of claim 39 wherein an association between a second data input field in said computer display screen and one of said plurality of dictionaries varies responsive to which dictionary in said plurality of dictionaries is employed as said first dictionary.

41. The computer software product of claim 38 wherein a number of data input fields in said computer display screen changes depending on which dictionary in said plurality of dictionaries is employed as said first dictionary.

42. The computer software product of claim 38 wherein information presented in said computer display screen changes depending on which dictionary in said plurality of dictionaries is employed as said first dictionary.

43. The computer software product of claim 38 wherein said data output arrangement is a data display panel in said computer display screen, said data display panel being configured to display at least one user-selectable candidate match from said set of candidate matches.

44. The computer software product of claim 38 further comprising logic for disabling a default auto-complete feature prior to presenting in said computer display screen said set of candidate choices.