Organizing pointers to objects

• US 20060173807A1
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ZI Corporation of Canada Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Wildenflycht, Tommy, Weir, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90344 by using string matching techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

The invention may be a method of organizing pointers. The pointers may identify addresses where objects are stored. The pointers may be stored in arrays so that the pointers corresponding to the most recently selected objects are stored nearer to ends of the arrays than are the pointers corresponding to less recently selected objects. The invention may be embodied as a machine designed to carry out the method, or as a memory device that is capable of causing a computer to carry out the method.

Claims

1. A method of providing objects, comprising:

providing a plurality of objects, each object being potentially desired by a user;

storing the objects in a database, each object having a unique address;

storing pointers in an array, the array having a start and an end, and each pointer identifying one of the unique addresses;

receiving an input from a user;

retrieving one of the pointers to provide a first pointer, the first pointer being located at the end of the array and the first pointer corresponding to the input;

retrieving one of the objects to provide a first object, the first object being located at the address identified by the first pointer;

retrieving one of the pointers to provide a second pointer, the second pointer being located further from the end of the array than the first pointer, and the second pointer corresponding to the input;

retrieving one of the objects to provide a second object, the second object being located at the address identified by the second pointer;

providing the first object and the second object to the user;

receiving a selection from the user indicating which of the provided objects is a desired object; and

storing the pointer corresponding to the desired object so that the pointer corresponding to the desired object becomes the end of the array.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the first object and the second object includes providing the first object before the second object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the first object before the second object includes providing the first object temporally before the second object.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the first object before the second object includes providing the first object spatially before the second object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first object is provided above the second object.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing duplicate entries of pointers from the array.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to storing the pointer corresponding to the desired object, the pointer is deleted from the array.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving one of the pointers to provide a third pointer, the third pointer being located further from the end of the array than the second pointer, and the third pointer corresponding to the input;

retrieving one of the objects to provide a third object, the third object being located at the address identified by the third pointer; and

providing the third object to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first pointer is retrieved before the second pointer.

10. A machine, comprising:

an input device having at least two keys;

a database of objects, each object being potentially desired by a user, and each object having a unique address;

an array of pointers, the array having a start and an end, and each pointer identifying one of the unique addresses;

a processor capable of executing instructions;

executable instructions capable of causing the processor to (a) receive an input from a user, the input corresponding to keys selected by the user, (b) retrieve one of the pointers to provide a first pointer, the first pointer being located at the end of the array and the first pointer corresponding to the input, (c) retrieve one of the objects to provide a first object, the first object being located at the address identified by the first pointer, (d) retrieve one of the pointers to provide a second pointer, the second pointer being located further from the end of the array than the first pointer, and the second pointer corresponding to the input, (e) retrieve one of the objects to provide a second object, the second object being located at the address identified by the second pointer, (f) provide the first object and the second object to the user, (g) receive a selection from the user indicating which of the provided objects is a desired object, and (h) store the pointer corresponding to the desired object so that the pointer corresponding to the desired object becomes the end of the array.

11. The machine of claim 10, further comprising a monitor capable of displaying the first object and the second object.

12. The machine of claim 11, wherein the monitor is capable of displaying the first object before the second object.

13. The machine of claim 12, wherein monitor is capable of temporally providing the first object before the second object.

14. The machine of claim 12, wherein the monitor is capable of spatially providing the first object before the second object.

15. The machine of claim 14, wherein the first object is provided above the second object.

16. The machine of claim 10, wherein the instructions are capable of causing the processor to remove duplicate entries of pointers from the array.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the instructions are capable of deleting from the array the pointer corresponding to the desired object, prior to the pointer being saved at the end of the array.

18. The machine of claim 10, wherein the instructions are capable of causing the processor to retrieve the first pointer before the second pointer.

19. The machine of claim 10, wherein at least one of the keys corresponds to more than one character.

20. A computer readable memory device having stored thereon instructions that are executable by a computer, the instructions causing a computer to (a) receive an input from a user, (b) retrieve a fist pointer from an array, the first pointer being located at the end of the array and the first pointer corresponding to the input, (c) retrieve an object from a database to provide a first object, the first object being located at the address identified by the first pointer, (d) retrieve one of the pointers to provide a second pointer, the second pointer being located further from the end of the array than the first pointer, and the second pointer corresponding to the input, (e) retrieve one of the objects to provide a second object, the second object being located at the address identified by the second pointer, (f) provide the first object and the second object to the user, (g) receive a selection from the user indicating which of the provided objects is a desired object, and (h) store the pointer corresponding to the desired object so that the pointer corresponding to the desired object becomes the end of the array.

21. The memory device of claim 20, wherein the instructions are capable of causing the computer to display the first object and the second object on a monitor.

22. The memory device of claim 21, wherein the instructions cause the first object to be displayed before the second object.

23. The memory device of claim 20, wherein the instructions are capable of causing the computer to remove duplicate entries of pointers from the array.

24. The memory device of claim 20, wherein the instructions are capable of deleting from the array the pointer corresponding to the desired object, prior to the pointer being saved at the end of the array.