Techniques using captured information

• US 20080168050A1
• Filed: 01/08/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Henderson, Paul E., Panabaker, Ruston, Reyes, August de los
• Granted Patent: US 8,082,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database

Abstract

Techniques are provided utilizing captured information. The captured information includes at least one of audio and image information. In response to connecting a capture device including the captured information to another device, the captured information is downloaded to the other device, a text portion is formed corresponding to the captured information, and at least a portion of the captured information and text portion is stored. A selected action is automatically performed using at least one of the text portion and the captured information.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing captured information comprising:

receiving captured information including at least one of audio and image information;

in response to connecting a capture device including the captured information to another device, downloading the captured information from the capture device to the other device, forming a text portion corresponding to the captured information, and storing at least a portion of the captured information and text portion; and

automatically performing a selected action using at least one of the text portion and the captured information to infer said selected action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the text portion includes query terms and the selected action includes performing a search query, the query terms being included in a portion of the captured information represented using data stored in a file on the capture device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing the captured information while the capture device is connected to the other device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing the captured information while the capture device is not connected to other device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling an automated action selection mode in connection with processing captured information causing automated selection of an action based on inferences of the text portion, and wherein the automated action selection mode is a selectable option that can be disabled.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the inferences are determined using one or more of keywords, syntax rules, formatting, and data typing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of downloading the captured information from a capture device to the other device, forming a text portion corresponding to the captured information, and downloading the captured information and text portion for storage are all performed automatically in response to connecting the capture device to the other device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes posting at least a portion of the captured information and the text portion to a website location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes invoking an application on the other device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes specifying user account information in connection with performing the action.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes transmitting at least a portion of the captured information to at least one of:

an email application, an electronic calendar application.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the captured information includes one or more portions of audio information and each portion of the audio information is used in connection with performing a different action.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing resulting information obtained as a result of performing the selected action on the capture device.

14. A method of using captured information comprising:

storing captured information at a server; and

providing a service to a registered user of the service for performing one or more operations using the captured information, the plurality of operations including performing one or more actions using the captured information, the service including a selectable automated selection mode causing interpretation of at least a portion of the captured information in connection with automatically selecting an action to be performed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more actions include a first action for performing a search using search query terms included in the captured information, and a second of the actions including performing an action other than a search and using at least a portion of the captured information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more operations include at least one management operation for managing the captured information stored on the server.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the service is automatically invoked in response to connecting a capture device including the captured information to another device having connectivity to the server, and the service automatically stores results of a selected action on the server and associated the captured information with the results.

18. A method of utilizing captured information comprising:

in response to receiving captured information including at least one of audio and image information, downloading the captured information, forming a text portion corresponding to the captured information, and storing the captured information and text portion;

receiving an automated action selection mode setting indicating whether to automatically select an action to be performed;

if said automated action selection mode setting indicates to perform automated action selection, automatically selection an action to be performed;

if said automated action selection mode indicates not to perform automated action selection, selecting an action to be performed using other processing; and

performing said action using at least one of the captured information and the text portion,

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said automated action selection mode is enabled in connection with processing captured information causing said action to be automatically determined based on inferences of the text portion.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the inferences are determined using one or more of keywords, syntax rules, formatting, and data typing.