Contact picker interface

• US 20040210844A1
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Denise L., Perlow, Jonathan D., Owens, John-Anthony, van Dok, Cornelis K., Silbey, Marc A., Pettinati, Fabio
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

An interface for enabling a user to quickly access contact information automatically displays a list of expected contacts that are most likely to be selected by the user when attention is directed to an appropriate object requiring contact information. When a contact is selected, the corresponding and appropriate contact information is automatically entered. If a user does not select a listed contact, but instead begins manually typing in the contact information then the interface performs a search and displays a list of unexpected contacts having contact information matching the typed input from the user. Various criteria can be used to identify which contacts will be presented to the user and how they will be presented.

Claims

1. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that includes a user interface that is configured to display contact information at the display device, a method for intuitively obtaining contact information from at least one contact information directory, the method comprising:

receiving focus input directed at an input object that is displayed at the display device, the input object being configured to receive desired contact information for enabling a desired function to be performed with the contact information; and

upon receiving the focus input, obtaining and displaying a list of contacts based on a likelihood of selection criteria, each of the listed contacts being obtained from the at least one contact information directory.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the likelihood of selection criteria includes an aging property, such that contacts that have been selected more recently than other contacts have a greater likelihood of selection than the other contacts.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein likelihood of selection criteria is based on non-textual characteristics.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the non-textual characteristics include image mapping characteristics.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the image mapping characteristics include facial attributes.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the listed contacts is associated with multiple different values that can be used to provide the desired contact information.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one of the listed contacts is displayed in a manner that is distinct from a manner in which other contacts are displayed in the list of contacts.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the listed contacts, the method further includes displaying the desired contact information, the desired contact information corresponding to the selected one of the contacts.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contacts displayed in the list are displayed with the desired contact information and prior to being selected by the user.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the listed contacts, the method further includes providing contact information associated with the selected one of the listed contacts to an application that is configured to use the contact information.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein multiple contacts can be selected from the list and batched together, such that contact information corresponding to each of the selected contacts will be presented to the application.

24. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing the method recited in claim 1.

25. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein the likelihood of selection criteria includes an aging property, such that contacts that have been selected more recently than other contacts have a greater likelihood of selection than the other contacts.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein likelihood of selection criteria is based on non-textual characteristics.

27. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein at least one of the listed contacts is associated with multiple different values that can be used to provide the desired contact information.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 27, wherein the at least one of the listed contacts is displayed in a manner that is distinct from a manner in which other contacts are displayed in the list of contacts.

29. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the listed contacts, the method further includes displaying the desired contact information, the desired contact information corresponding to the selected one of the contacts.

30. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein the contacts displayed in the list are displayed with the desired contact information and prior to being selected by the user.

31. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the listed contacts, the method further includes providing contact information associated with the selected one of the listed contacts to the application that is configured to use the contact information.

32. A computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein multiple contacts can be selected from the list and batched together, such that contact information corresponding to each of the selected contacts will be presented to the application.

12. In an application programming interface on a computing system that is connected with a display device, a method for intuitively providing contact information to an application from at least one contact information directory, the method comprising;

receiving a request from an application for a contact picker dialog, the contact picker dialog being configured to display a list of contacts having related contact information that can be used by the application to perform a desired function;

in response to the request, generating a list of contacts obtained from at least one contact information directory;

displaying the list of contacts in an order that is based on a likelihood of selection criteria; and

in response to a user input selecting at least one of a contact and the contact information related to the contact, providing the contact information to the application.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the request for the contact picker dialog is received from the application in response to focus input being directed at an object displayed by the application.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the object is a type-in line.

15. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the contact information includes at least one of a name, an address and a telephone number.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein likelihood of selection criteria is based on non-textual characteristics.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the non-textual characteristics include image mapping characteristics.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the image mapping characteristics include facial attributes.

19. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the at least one of the listed contacts is displayed in a manner that is distinct from a manner in which other contacts are displayed in the list of contacts.

20. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the listed contacts, the method further includes displaying the contact information related to the selected contact.

22. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the contacts displayed in the list are displayed with the related contact information and prior to being selected by the user.

23. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the likelihood of selection criteria includes an aging property, such that contacts that have been selected more recently than other contacts have a greater likelihood of selection than the other contacts.

33. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing the method recited in claim 12.

34. A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the request for the contact picker dialog is received from the application in response to focus input being directed at an object displayed by the application.

35. A computer program product as recited in claim 34, wherein the object is a type-in line.

36. A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein likelihood of selection criteria is based on non-textual characteristics.

37. A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the at least one of the listed contacts is displayed in a manner that is distinct from a manner in which other contacts are displayed in the list of contacts.

38. A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the listed contacts, the method further includes displaying the contact information related to the selected contact.

39. A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the contacts displayed in the list are displayed with the related contact information and prior to being selected by the user.

40. A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the likelihood of selection criteria includes an aging property, such that contacts that have been selected more recently than other contacts have a greater likelihood of selection than the other contacts.