Method, System and Computer Readable Medium for Addressing Handling From a Computer Program

• US 20100281354A1
• Filed: 07/22/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arendi S.A.R.L. (Arendi Holding LTD.)
• Original Assignee: Arendi S.A.R.L. (Arendi Holding LTD.)
• Inventors: Hedloy, Atle
• Granted Patent: US 7,921,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A method, system and computer readable medium for providing for providing a function item, such as a key, button, icon, or menu, tied to a user operation in a computer, whereby a single click on the function item in a window or program on a computer screen, or one single selection in a menu in a program, initiates retrieval of name and addresses and/or other person or company related information, while the user works simultaneously in another program, e.g., a word processor. The click on the function item initiates a program connected to the button to search a database or file available on or through the computer, containing the person, company or address related data, in order to look up data corresponding to what the user types, or partly typed, e.g., name and/or address in the word processor, the correct data from the database, data related to the typed data, e.g., the name of the person, company, or the traditional or electronic address, or other person, or company, or address related data, and alternatively the persons, companies, or addresses, are displayed and possibly entered into the word processor, if such related data exists.

Claims

1. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions which, when loaded on a computer, establish processes for contact information handling, implemented by a document editing program running in the computer, the processes comprising:

allowing a user to enter textual information into a document using the document editing program;

displaying the textual information in the document electronically using the document editing program;

allowing, in the document editing program, a user to select in the document at least a portion of the textual information while the textual information is displayed;

following user selection of textual information in the document, analyzing, by the document editing program, the selected textual information to determine if the selected textual information is regarded by the document editing program as contact information and what type or types of contact information the selected textual information is;

providing an input device configured by the document editing program to allow the user to initiate an operation, such operation being of a type depending at least in part on the type or types of contact information of the selected textual information, the operation comprising identifying at least part of the selected textual information to use as a search term in order to find second information, of a specific type or types, associated in an information source with the search term;

after identifying at least part of the selected information to use as a search term, and in consequence of receipt by the document editing program of an execute command from the input device, performing the operation, wherein the operation further comprises;

causing an electronic search in the information source, by an information management program external to the document editing program, for the search term in order to find whether the search term is included in the information source; and

performing an action having a type,

wherein the type of action depends at least in part on whether the search term is included in the information source, and if the search term is so included, and if the information source includes the second information, the action comprises causing insertion of at least part of the second information into the document.

2. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein:

when the information source does not include the search term, the action comprises causing indication to the user that the information source does not include the search term.

3. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein:

when (i) the information source includes the search term, (ii) the selected textual information includes a name, (iii) the information source further includes the second information, and (iv) the second information includes an address, the action further comprises causing insertion of at least part of the address into the document.

4. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 3, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein, when the second information includes a plurality of addresses, the operation further comprises allowing the user to choose one of the plurality of addresses to use for insertion into the document.

5. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein, when the selected textual information includes information that is not in the information source, the operation further comprises:

allowing the user to cause storage of at least some of the selected textual information in the information source.

6. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 5, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein, when the selected textual information includes a name and an address and the information source does not include the name, allowing the user to cause storage comprises allowing the user to cause storage of at least part of the selected information in the information source as a new contact.

7. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein the information source is available over a network.

8. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein the information source includes an e-mail address and the operation includes causing an e-mail to be sent to the e-mail address.

9. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein, when the type or types of contact information includes a name, the operation includes causing display by the information management program of at least part of a contact information record in the information source corresponding to the name.

10. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein the document editing program is a spreadsheet program.

11. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further establish processes wherein the type of operation includes updating the document with information from the information source.

12. A method, for contact information handling, implemented by running a document editing program in a computer, the method comprising:

allowing a user to enter textual information into a document using the document editing program;

displaying the textual information in the document electronically using the document editing program;

allowing, in the document editing program, a user to select in the document at least a portion of the textual information while the textual information is displayed;

following user selection of textual information in the document, analyzing, by the document editing program, the selected textual information to determine if the selected textual information is regarded by the document editing program as contact information and what type or types of contact information the selected textual information is;

providing an input device configured by the document editing program to allow the user to initiate an operation, such operation being of a type depending at least in part on the type or types of contact information of the selected textual information, the operation comprising identifying at least part of the selected textual information to use as a search term in order to find second information, of a specific type or types, associated in an information source with the search term;

after identifying at least part of the selected information to use as a search term, and in consequence of receipt by the document editing program of an execute command from the input device, performing the operation, wherein the operation further comprises;

causing an electronic search in the information source, by an information management program external to the document editing program, for the search term in order to find whether the search term is included in the information source; and

performing an action having a type,

wherein the type of action depends at least in part on whether the search term is included in the information source, and if the search term is so included, and if the information source includes the second information, the action comprises causing insertion of at least part of the second information into the document.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein:

when the information source does not include the search term, the action comprises causing indication to the user that the information source does not include the search term; and

when (i) the information source does include the search term, (ii) the selected textual information includes a name, (iii) the information source further includes the second information, and (iv) the second information includes an address, the action further comprises causing insertion of at least part of the address into the document.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein, when the second information includes a plurality of addresses, the operation further comprises allowing the user to choose one of the plurality of addresses to use insertion into the document.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein, when the selected textual information includes information that is not in the information source, and the operation further comprises:

allowing the user to cause storage of at least some of the selected textual information in the information source;

wherein, when the selected textual information includes a name and an address and the information source does not include the name, allowing the user to cause storage comprises allowing the user to cause storage of at least part of the selected information in the information source as a new contact.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein the information source is available over a network.

17. A method according to claim 12, wherein the information source includes an e-mail address and the operation includes causing an e-mail to be sent to the e-mail address.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein, when the type or types of contact information includes a name, the operation includes causing display by the information management program of at least part of a contact information record in the information source corresponding to the name.

19. A method according to claim 12, wherein the type of operation includes updating the document with information from the information source.

20. An apparatus for contact information handling, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to perform processes that include;

allowing a user to enter textual information into a document using a document editing program;

displaying the textual information in the document electronically using the document editing program;

allowing, in the document editing program, a user to select in the document at least a portion of the textual information while the textual information is displayed;

following user selection of textual information in the document, analyzing, by the document editing program, the selected textual information to determine if the selected textual information is regarded by the document editing program as contact information and what type or types of contact information the selected textual information is;

providing an input device configured by the program to allow the user to initiate an operation, such operation being of a type depending at least in part on the type or types of contact information of the selected textual information, the operation comprising identifying at least part of the selected textual information to use as a search term in order to find second information, of a specific type or types, associated in an information source with the search term;

after identifying at least part of the selected information to use as a search term, and in consequence of receipt by the document editing program of an execute command from the input device, performing the operation, wherein the operation further comprises;

causing an electronic search in the information source, by an information management program external to the document editing program, for the search term in order to find whether the search term is included in the information source; and

performing an action having a type,

wherein the type of action depends at least in part on whether the search term is included in the information source, and if the search term is so included, and if the information source includes the second information, the action comprises causing insertion of at least part of the second information into the document.