METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING AUTO-COMPLETION OF INFORMATION

• US 20090119575A1
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Velusamy, Umashankar
• Granted Patent: US 8,713,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

An approach is provided for auto-completion functions. Textual input is received from a user via an application, a profile metadata is retrieved based on the textual input, a script is generated based on the profile metadata, and the script is transmitted to the application, wherein the script provides auto-completion of information corresponding to the textual input using the profile metadata.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a textual input from a user via an application;

retrieving a profile metadata based on the textual input; and

selectively generating a script based on the profile metadata for transmission of the script to the application, wherein the script provides auto-completion of information corresponding to the textual input using the profile metadata.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the textual input specifies a portion of addressing information, and the information that is auto-completed is a remaining portion of the addressing information.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the profile metadata is based on zip code, community information, or a combination thereof.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the profile metadata includes total number of streets, total number of streets with directional prefix, total number of streets with directional suffix, total number of streets with thoroughfare, nature of street number ranges, information specifying whether any of the streets have the same name as the directional prefixes, actual elements, alphabetical weightage on the street names, or a combination thereof.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the application is a browser application.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the textual input is provided to the application for a telecommunications service, and the information includes name of a wire center, the user being a customer representative or a subscriber.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the profile metadata is used to auto-complete the information.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a textual input from a user via an application; and

a processor configured to selectively generate a script based on the profile metadata and data associated with the profile metadata for transmission of the script to the application,

wherein the script provides auto-completion of information corresponding to the textual input using the data associated with the profile metadata.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the textual input specifies a portion of addressing information, and the information that is auto-completed is a remaining portion of the addressing information.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the profile metadata is based on zip code, community information, or a combination thereof.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the profile metadata includes total number of streets, total number of streets with directional prefix, total number of streets with directional suffix, total number of streets with thoroughfare, nature of street number ranges, information specifying whether any of the streets have the same name as the directional prefixes, actual elements, alphabetical weightage on the street names, or a combination thereof.

12. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the application is a browser application.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the textual input is provided to the application for a telecommunications service, and the information includes name of a wire center, the user being a customer representative or a subscriber.

14. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the profile metadata is used to auto-complete the information.

15. A system comprising:

an application server configured to receive a textual input from a user via a browser application; and

a database configured to store a profile metadata, which is retrieved by the application server based on the textual input,

wherein the application server is further configured to selectively generate a script based on the profile metadata for transmission of the script to the browser application, wherein the script provides auto-completion of information corresponding to the textual input using the profile metadata.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the textual input specifies a portion of addressing information, and the information that is auto-completed is a remaining portion of the addressing information.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein the profile metadata is based on zip code, community information, or a combination thereof.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the profile metadata includes total number of streets, total number of streets with directional prefix, total number of streets with directional suffix, total number of streets with thoroughfare, nature of street number ranges, information specifying whether any of the streets have the same name as the directional prefixes, actual elements, alphabetical weightage on the street names, or a combination thereof.

19. A system according to claim 15, wherein the textual input is provided to the application for a telecommunications service, and the information includes name of a wire center, the user being a customer representative or a subscriber.

20. A system according to claim 15, wherein the browser application resides in a computing device that is configured to store the information for subsequent auto-completion of user inputs.

21. A system according to claim 15, wherein the browser application resides in a computing device, and the information was not previously locally stored in the computing device.

22. A system according to claim 15, wherein the profile metadata is pre-built and periodically updated.

23. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the profile metadata is used to auto-complete the information.