Enter-then-act input handling

• US 20040066418A1
• Filed: 06/07/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: Tosey, Joseph Peter Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,020,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

The present invention utilizes input handling to provide enter-then-act capability for user inputs. User inputs are received, and a set of one or more secondary applications are executed using the input. A priority rating may then be calculated for each of the one or more secondary applications in the set, the priority rating indicating how pertinent the input was to a corresponding application.

Claims

1. A method for handling user input comprising:

receiving the input in an input window;

running a set of one or more secondary applications using the input; and

calculating a priority rating for each of said one or more secondary applications in said set, said priority rating indicating how pertinent the input was to a corresponding application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying output from said secondary application having the highest priority rating in a secondary output window.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the user with information as to the application with the highest priority rating.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying output from said secondary application having the highest priority rating in a secondary output window if the user agrees.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said priority rating is at a high rating if the corresponding secondary application ran successfully with the input and does not require additional user intervention.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said priority rating is at a medium rating if the corresponding secondary application ran successfully with the input but requires additional user intervention.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said priority rating is at a low rating if the corresponding secondary application did not run successfully with the input.

8. A method for handling user input to a limited display device, comprising:

receiving the input in an input window through controls on the limited display device;

running a set of one or more secondary applications using the input; and

calculating a priority rating for each of said one or more secondary applications in said set, said priority rating indicating how pertinent the input was to a corresponding application.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying output from said secondary application having the highest priority rating in a secondary output window.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the user with information as to the application with the highest priority rating.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying output from said secondary application having the highest priority rating in a secondary output window if the user agrees.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising mapping a button on the limited display device to menu options of said secondary application having the highest priority rating.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising modifying a label for said button to match a name of said secondary application.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said displaying includes displaying the current time and date in a geographic location indicated by information in a record of a selected contact if said secondary application with the highest rating is a contact manager.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said current time and date is determined by utilizing the current time in the user'"'"'s location and modifying the time ahead or behind according to a mapping of area code information to time zone.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said priority rating is at a high rating if the corresponding secondary application ran successfully with the input and does not require additional user intervention.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein said priority rating is at a medium rating if the corresponding secondary application ran successfully with the input but requires additional user intervention.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein said priority rating is at a low rating if the corresponding secondary application did not run successfully with the input.

19. An apparatus for handling user input comprising:

an input window monitor;

a secondary application executor coupled to said input window monitor; and

a secondary application priority rating calculator coupled to said secondary application executor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a highest priority secondary application output displayer coupled to said secondary application priority rating calculator.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a user information secondary application priority rating provider coupled to said secondary application priority rating calculator.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a user selected secondary application output displayer coupled to said user information secondary application priority rating provider.

23. An apparatus for handling user input to a limited display device, comprising

an limited display device input window monitor;

a secondary application executor coupled to said input window monitor; and

a secondary application priority rating calculator coupled to said secondary application executor.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a highest priority secondary application output displayer coupled to said secondary application priority rating calculator.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a user information secondary application priority rating provider coupled to said secondary application priority rating calculator.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a user selected secondary application output displayer coupled to said user information secondary application priority rating provider.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a secondary application menu option button mapper coupled to said a secondary application priority rating calculator.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a button label modifier coupled to said secondary application menu option button mapper.

29. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a contact current time and date displayer coupled to said secondary application priority rating calculator.

30. An apparatus for handling user input comprising:

means for receiving the input in an input window;

means for running a set of one or more secondary applications using the input; and

means for calculating a priority rating for each of said one or more secondary applications in said set, said priority rating indicating how pertinent the input was to a corresponding application.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising means for displaying output from said secondary application having the highest priority rating in a secondary output window.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising means for providing the user with information as to the application with the highest priority rating.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising means for displaying output from said secondary application having the highest priority rating in a secondary output window if the user agrees.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said priority rating is at a high rating if the corresponding secondary application ran successfully with the input and does not require additional user intervention.

35. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said priority rating is at a medium rating if the corresponding secondary application ran successfully with the input but requires additional user intervention.

36. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said priority rating is at a low rating if the corresponding secondary application did not run successfully with the input.

37. An apparatus for handling user input to a limited display device, comprising:

means for receiving the input in an input window through controls on the limited display device;

means for running a set of one or more secondary applications using the input; and

means for calculating a priority rating for each of said one or more secondary applications in said set, said priority rating indicating how pertinent the input was to a corresponding application.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for displaying output from said secondary application having the highest priority rating in a secondary output window.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for providing the user with information as to the application with the highest priority rating.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising means for displaying output from said secondary application having the highest priority rating in a secondary output window if the user agrees.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for mapping a button on the limited display device to menu options of said secondary application having the highest priority rating.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, further comprising means for modifying a label for said button to match a name of said secondary application.

43. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said means for displaying includes means for displaying the current time and date in a geographic location indicated by information in a record of a selected contact if said secondary application with the highest rating is a contact manager.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said current time and date is determined by utilizing the current time in the user'"'"'s location and modifying the time ahead or behind according to a mapping of area code information to time zone.

45. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said priority rating is at a high rating if the corresponding secondary application ran successfully with the input and does not require additional user intervention.

46. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said priority rating is at a medium rating if the corresponding secondary application ran successfully with the input but requires additional user intervention.

47. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said priority rating is at a low rating if the corresponding secondary application did not run successfully with the input.

48. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for handling user input, the method comprising:

receiving the input in an input window;

running a set of one or more secondary applications using the input; and

calculating a priority rating for each of said one or more secondary applications in said set, said priority rating indicating how pertinent the input was to a corresponding application.

49. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for handling user input to a limited display device, the method comprising:

receiving the input in an input window through controls on the limited display device;

running a set of one or more secondary applications using the input; and

calculating a priority rating for each of said one or more secondary applications in said set, said priority rating indicating how pertinent the input was to a corresponding application.