System and Method for Issuing Commands to Applications Based on Contextual Information

• US 20110167340A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, Bradford Allen, Swales, Stephen W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,223,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/257
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A system and method for issuing commands to an application based on contextual information. A control application receives an indication that a text manipulation event has occurred in a user interface of a second application. Next, the control application queries the second application to obtain contextual information established by the second application prior to the event, the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event that occurred in the user interface of the second application. The control application then issues one or more commands to the second application based on the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

a control application stored in the memory, the control application comprising instructions to;

receive an indication that a text manipulation event has occurred in a user interface of a second application;

query the second application to obtain contextual information established by the second application prior to the event, the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event that occurred in the user interface of the second application; and

issue one or more commands to the second application based on the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event; and

the second application stored in the memory, the second application comprising instructions to;

respond to queries from the control application requesting the contextual information; and

execute the one or more commands issued by the control application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the contextual information relating to the text manipulation event includes a logical location and a predetermined unit of text relating to the text manipulation event.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined unit of text is selected from the group consisting of:

a character, a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a line of text, a section of a document, and a document.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the logical location of the text manipulation event is selected from the group consisting of:

a point between two characters in the user interface of the second application; and

a range including one or more characters that is selected in the user interface of the second application.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a respective query from the control application requesting the contextual information of the text manipulation event includes a physical location of the text manipulation event in the user interface of the second application, and the logical location of the text manipulation event corresponds to the physical location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the text manipulation event is selected from the group consisting of:

an insertion of one or more characters;

a deletion one or more characters;

a selection of one or more characters; and

a deselection of one or more characters.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control application includes instructions to determine the one or more commands, based on the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event, prior to issuing one or more commands to the second application.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions to determine the one or more commands include instructions to:

determine that the contextual information and text manipulation event indicate a sequence of characters that represent a single character;

determine one or more single characters from a plurality of possible single characters based on the contextual information and text manipulation event; and

generate one or more commands for instructing the second application to display, for user selection, the one or more single characters from the plurality of possible single characters.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions to determine the one or more commands include instructions to:

determine that the contextual information and text manipulation event indicate a sequence of characters that represent a potentially misspelled word;

determine one or more words from a plurality of possible words that represent a correct spelling of the potentially misspelled word; and

generate one or more commands for instructing the second application to display, for user selection, the one or more words from the plurality of possible words.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the instructions to determine the one or more commands include instructions to:

determine that the contextual information and text manipulation event indicate a sequence of characters that represent a portion of a word;

determine one or more candidate words in accordance with the portion of the word; and

generate one or more commands for instructing the second application to display, for user selection, the one or more candidate words.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the second application includes instructions to determine the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions to determine the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event include instructions to:

determine a text direction associated with a logical location of the text manipulation event; and

determine boundaries of a predetermined text unit that includes the text associated with the logical location of the text manipulation event based on the text direction.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the control application includes instructions to receive the text manipulation event in the user interface of the second application.

14. The system of claim 1, the second application includes instructions to notify the control application that contextual information obtained by the control application from the second application can no longer be relied upon by the control application.

15. The system of claim 1, the second application includes instructions to notify the control application that a selection of text in the second application has changed.

16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a computer system including one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs including a control application and a second application, the one or more processors executing the one or more programs to perform the operations of;

receiving, by the control application, an indication that a text manipulation event has occurred in a user interface of a second application;

querying, by the control application, the second application to obtain contextual information established by the second application prior to the event, the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event that occurred in the user interface of the second application; and

issuing, by the control application, one or more commands to the second application based on the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein in response to the querying by the control application, the method includes:

determining, by the second application, the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event; and

responding, by the second application, to the querying by the control application by providing the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event that occurred in the user interface of the second application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining, by the second application, the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event includes:

determining a text direction associated with a logical location of the text manipulation event; and

determining boundaries of a predetermined text unit that includes the text associated with the logical location of the text manipulation event based on the text direction.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein in response to the issuing of the one or more commands by the control application, the method includes executing, by the second application, the one or more commands issued by the control application.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the contextual information relating to the text manipulation event includes a logical location and a predetermined unit of text relating to the text manipulation event.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined unit of text is selected from the group consisting of:

a character, a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a line of text, a section of a document, and a document.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the logical location of the text manipulation event is selected from the group consisting of:

a point between two characters in the user interface of the second application; and

a range including one or more characters that is selected in the user interface of the second application.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a respective query from the control application requesting the contextual information of the text manipulation event includes a physical location of the text manipulation event in the user interface of the second application, and the logical location of the text manipulation event corresponding to the physical location.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the text manipulation event is selected from the group consisting of:

an insertion of one or more characters;

a deletion one or more characters;

a selection of one or more characters; and

a deselection of one or more characters.

25. The method of claim 16, including determining, by the control application, the one or more commands, based on the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event, prior to issuing one or more commands to the second application.

26. The method of claim 25,

determining that the contextual information and text manipulation event indicate a sequence of characters that represent a single character;

determining one or more single characters from a plurality of possible single characters based on the contextual information and text manipulation event; and

generating one or more commands for instructing the second application to display, for user selection, the one or more single characters from the plurality of possible single characters.

27. The method of claim 25,

determining that the contextual information and text manipulation event indicate a sequence of characters that represent a potentially misspelled word;

determining one or more words from a plurality of possible words that represent a correct spelling of the potentially misspelled word; and

generating one or more commands for instructing the second application to display, for user selection, the one or more words from the plurality of possible words.

28. The method of claim 25,

determining that the contextual information and text manipulation event indicate a sequence of characters that represent a portion of a word;

determining one or more words from a plurality of candidate words, each comprising a complete words that incorporates the portion of the word; and

generating one or more commands for instructing the second application to display, for user selection, the one or more candidate words.

29. The method of claim 16, including receiving, by the control application, the text manipulation event in the user interface of the second application.

30. The method of claim 16, including notifying, by the second application, the control application that contextual information obtained by the control application from the second application can no longer be relied upon by the control application.

31. The method of claim 16, including notifying, by the second application, the control application that a selection of text in the second application has changed.

32. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a computer, the one or more programs comprising:

a control application comprising instructions to;

receive an indication that a text manipulation event has occurred in a user interface of a second application;

query the second application to obtain contextual information established by the second application prior to the event, the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event that occurred in the user interface of the second application; and

issue one or more commands to the second application based on the contextual information providing context to the text manipulation event; and

the second application comprising instructions to;

respond to queries from the control application requesting the contextual information; and

execute the one or more commands issued by the control application.