Automatic data retrieval system based on context-traversal history

• US 20070061278A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Muller, Michael, Schirmer, Andrew, Rokosz, Vaughn
• Granted Patent: US 7,454,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A data retrieval system and method provide automatic retrieval of information based on a context-traversal history. A transferable object is identified in a first context while the user is operating in the first context. Information used to retrieve the transferable object is automatically stored without user involvement. The automatically stored information is used to copy the transferable object to an object receptor in a second context while the user operates in the second context.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving an object associated with a previously traversed context for use in a current context, the method comprising:

identifying a transferable object in a first context while the user is operating in the first context;

automatically storing, without user involvement, information used to retrieve the transferable object;

accessing the automatically stored information in order to copy the transferable object to an object receptor in a second context while the user operates in the second context.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically storing occurs when the user transitions from the first context to the second context.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically copying the transferable object to the object receptor in the second context.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user, while the user is operating in the second context, that the transferable object is available for retrieval so that the user can manually initiate copying the transferable object to the object receptor in the second context.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferable object is a first transferable object, and further comprising:

identifying a second transferable object in the first context; and

notifying the user that the first and second transferable objects are each are available for the object receptor so that the user can select which one of the transferable objects to retrieve.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferable object is a first transferable object, and further comprising:

identifying a second transferable object;

comparing the first and second transferable objects; and

notifying the user of a detected relationship between the transferable objects based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first and second transferable objects are from different contexts.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of comparing comprises identifying an attribute value that is common to the first and second transferable objects.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of comparing comprises identifying an attribute that increases in value from the first transferable object to the second transferable object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the object receptor is a first object receptor, and further comprising:

identifying a second object receptor in the second context; and

notifying the user that the first and second object receptors are eligible for receiving a copy of the transferable object so that the user can choose which object receptor receives the transferable object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferable object is a first transferable object and the object receptor is a first object receptor, and further comprising:

identifying a second transferable object in the first context while the user is operating within the first context;

automatically storing, without user involvement, information used to retrieve the second transferable object; and

copying the second transferable object at the second object receptor in the second context during the same retrieve operation in which the first transferable object is copied at the first object receptor in the second context.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording context traversals by the user as a sequence of discrete historical periods, with each historical period corresponding to one of the contexts within which information for retrieving one or more transferable objects has been automatically stored.

13. A system for retrieving information, comprising:

a memory buffer;

a processor executing one or more application programs to provide a first and a second context within which the user can operate; and

a data retrieval program, executable by the processor, (1) identifying a transferable object in the first context while the user is operating in the first context, (2) automatically storing in the memory buffer, without user involvement, information used to retrieve the transferable object, and (3) accessing the information automatically stored in the memory buffer in order to copy the transferable object to an object receptor in the second context while the user operates in the second context.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the data retrieval program automatically stores the information when the user transitions from the first context to the second context.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the data retrieval program automatically copies the transferable object to the object receptor in the second context.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the transferable object is a first transferable object and the object receptor is a first object receptor, and wherein the data retrieval program (1) identifies a second transferable object in the first context while the user is operating within the first context, (2) automatically stores in the memory buffer, without user involvement, information used to retrieve the second transferable object, and (3) copies the second transferable object at the second object receptor in the second context during the same retrieve operation in which the first transferable object is copied at the first object receptor in the second context.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the data retrieval program records context traversals by the user as a sequence of discrete historical periods, with each historical period corresponding to one of the contexts within which information for retrieving one or more transferable objects has been automatically stored.

18. A computer program product for use with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

program code for identifying a transferable object in a first context while the user is operating in the first context;

program code for automatically storing, without user involvement, information used to retrieve the transferable object; and

program code for accessing the automatically stored information in order to copy the transferable object to an object receptor in a second context while the user operates in the second context.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the program code for automatically storing stores the information when the user transitions from the first context to the second context.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising program code for automatically copying the transferable object to the object receptor in the second context when the user transitions to the second context.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the transferable object is a first transferable object and the object receptor is a first object receptor, and further comprising:

program code for identifying a second transferable object in the first context while the user is operating in the first context;

program code for automatically storing, without user involvement, information used to retrieve the second transferable object; and

program code for copying the second transferable object at the second object receptor in the second context during the same retrieve operation in which the first transferable object is copied at the first object receptor in the second context.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising program code for recording context traversals by the user as a sequence of discrete historical periods, with each historical period corresponding to one of the contexts within which information for retrieving one or more transferable objects has been automatically stored.

23. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for use with a computer system having a display and capable of generating a user interface through which a user may interact with the computer system, the computer data signal comprising:

program code for identifying a transferable object in a first context while the user is operating in the first context;

program code for automatically storing, without user involvement, information used to retrieve the transferable object; and

program code for accessing the automatically stored information in order to copy the transferable object to an object receptor within a second context while the user operates in the second context.

24. The computer data signal of claim 23, wherein the program code for automatically storing operates to store the information when the user transitions from the first context to the second context.

25. The computer data signal of claim 23, further comprising program code for automatically copying the transferable object to the object receptor in the second context when the user transitions to the second context.

26. The computer data signal of claim 23, wherein the transferable object is a first transferable object and the object receptor is a first object receptor, and further comprising:

program code for identifying a second transferable object in the first context while the user is operating within the first context;

program code for automatically storing, without user involvement, information used to retrieve the second transferable object; and

program code for copying the second transferable object at the second object receptor in the second context during the same retrieve operation in which the first transferable object is copied at the first object receptor in the second context.

27. The computer data signal of claim 23, further comprising program code for recording context traversals by the user as a sequence of discrete historical periods, with each historical period corresponding to one of the contexts within which information for retrieving one or more transferable objects has been automatically stored.