Insertion location tracking for controlling a user interface

• US 20040225965A1
• Filed: 05/06/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dodge, Steve, Torset, Todd A., Mak, William, Garside, Adrian J., Keely, Leroy B., Wick, Thomas R., Leno, Grady
• Application Number:
  US10/431,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225965A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/531
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for controlling the behavior of a data entry user interface, such as a data input panel, based upon the status of an insertion location. For example, both the position and content of a data input panel are provided based upon the detected characteristics of the insertion location. Further, a technique for invoking or dismissing a data entry user interface may be provided based upon the status of an insertion location.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a data entry user interface, comprising:

obtaining characteristics of an insertion location for controlling a data entry user interface; and

controlling a data entry user interface based upon the obtained characteristics of the insertion location.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the obtained characteristics of the insertion location that the insertion location is located within an edit control for receiving a random arrangement of characters; and

providing a data entry user interface with a keyboard surface for entering a random arrangement of characters.

3. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the obtained characteristics of the insertion location that the insertion location is associated with a language type; and

providing a data entry user interface with a writing surface for receiving electronic ink written in the language type.

4. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of insertion location messages, each message containing characteristics of the insertion location; and

obtaining the characteristics for controlling from at least one of the plurality of insertion location messages.

5. The method recited in claim 4, further comprising:

storing each of the received plurality of insertion location messages; and

periodically sampling an insertion location message from the plurality of stored insertion location messages.

6. The method recited in claim 5, further comprising:

employing a first programming thread to store each of the received plurality of insertion location messages; and

employing a second programming thread to periodically sample an insertion location message from the plurality of stored insertion location messages.

7. The method recited in claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the data entry user interface for the insertion of data into a software application process being hosted by a software system process; and

employing a thread maintained by the software application process as the first thread.

8. The method recited in claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the data entry user interface for the insertion of data into a software application process being hosted by a software system process; and

employing a thread maintained by the software application process as the second thread.

9. The method recited in claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the data entry user interface for the insertion of data into a software application process being hosted by a software system process; and

employing a thread maintained by the software system process as the first thread.

10. The method recited in claim 6, further comprising:

displaying the data entry user interface for the insertion of data into a software application process being hosted by a software system process; and

employing a thread maintained by the software system process as the second thread.

11. The method recited in claim 4, further comprising:

monitoring the characteristics of the insertion location included with each of the received plurality of insertion location messages; and

controlling the data entry user interface based upon changes in the characteristics of the insertion location included with the received plurality of insertion location characteristics.

12. The method recited in claim 4, further comprising:

monitoring the characteristics of the insertion location included with each of the received plurality of insertion location messages;

determining current characteristics of the insertion location based upon an order in which the insertion location messages were issued; and

controlling the data entry user interface based upon the determined current characteristics of the insertion location characteristics

13. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the data entry user interface for the insertion of data into a software application process being hosted by a software system process; and

wherein the characteristics of the insertion location are provided by the software application process.

14. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the data entry user interface for the insertion of data into a software application process being hosted by a software system process; and

wherein the characteristics of the insertion location are provided by the software system process.

15. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the data entry user interface for the insertion of data into a software application process being hosted by a software system process;

receiving a focus message relating to a data input focus state of the software application process; and

further controlling the operation of the data entry user interface based upon the received focus message.

16. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the data entry user interface for the insertion of data into a software application process being hosted by a software system process;

receiving an application user interface message relating to an application user interface state of an application user interface provided by the software application process; and

further controlling the operation of the data entry user interface based upon the received application user interface message.

17. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the insertion location include position information for the insertion location.

18. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the data entry user interface for the insertion of data into a software application process being hosted by a software system process; and

wherein the characteristics of the insertion location include application user interface information identifying an application user interface information in which the insertion location is located.

19. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the language type is alphanumeric.

20. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the language type is pictographic.

21. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the obtained characteristics of the insertion location that the insertion location is proximal to a boundary of a work space; and

rendering the data entry user interface at a position such that the data entry user interface remains within the boundary of the work space.

22. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the obtained characteristics of the insertion location that the insertion location is proximal to a boundary of a work space; and

rendering the data entry user interface with a size such that the data entry user interface remains within the boundary of the work space.

23. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the obtained characteristics of the insertion location that the insertion location is within an edit control for receiving an Internet universal resource address location; and

providing the data entry user interface with a keyboard surface having dedicated keys for one or more of the character strings in the group consisting of “

www”

, “

org”

, “

com”

, “

net” and

“

gov”

.

24. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the obtained characteristics of the insertion location that the insertion location is within an edit control for receiving numeric data; and

providing the data entry user interface with a keyboard surface having numeric keys.

25. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining from the obtained characteristics of the insertion location that the insertion location is within an edit control for receiving numeric data; and

providing the data entry user interface with button that, when activated, provides a keyboard surface having numeric keys.

26. A method of controlling a data entry user interface, comprising:

determining a status of an insertion location; and

providing an invocation interface for invoking a data entry user interface based upon the determined status of the insertion location.

27. The method recited in claim 26, further comprising:

providing a target invocation interface, such that a data entry user interface is invoked in response to a pointing device passing over the target invocation interface.

28. The method recited in claim 26, further comprising:

providing a target invocation interface, such that a data entry user interface is invoked in response to a pointing device passing proximal to the target invocation interface.

29. The method recited in claim 26, further comprising:

providing a target invocation interface in response to a detected position of an insertion location.

30. The method recited in claim 26, further comprising:

providing a target invocation interface in response to a detection of an insertion location within a desired control.