SUPPORTING INTELLIGENT USER INTERFACE INTERACTIONS

• US 20120166522A1
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: MacLaurin, Matthew Bret, Moore, George, Murillo, Oscar E.
• Application Number:
  US12/978,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166522A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Concepts and technologies are described herein for supporting intelligent user interface interactions. Commands accepted by applications can be published or determined. Before or during access of the application, the commands can be presented at clients to indicate commands available for interfacing with the application. The commands can be presented with information indicating how the user interface and/or input device of the client may be used to execute the available commands. Input received from the client can be compared to the available commands to determine if the input matches an available command. Contextual data relating to the client, preferences, and/or other data also can be retrieved and analyzed to determine the intent of the client. The intent can be used to identify an intended command and to modify the input to match the intended command. The modified input can be transmitted to the application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for supporting intelligent user interface interactions, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

receiving input from a client, the input being associated with a web application being accessed by the client via a user interface;

retrieving command data associated with the web application, the command data indicating one or more commands supported by the web application;

determining if the input corresponds to the one or more commands supported by the web application; and

in response to determining that the input does not correspond to the one or more commands,

determining an input intended by the client, and

generating modified input corresponding to one or more of the commands supported by the web application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to determining that the input does not correspond to the one or more commands, retrieving contextual data associated with the client, the contextual data indicating one or more capabilities of the client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more capabilities of the client comprise an input device supported by the client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the command data is obtained from a server computer hosting the web application, the command data being generated by an authorized entity associated with the web application and hosted by the server computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the command data is generated by the interface manager upon determining that the command data is not hosted by the server computer, wherein generating the command data comprises mining the web application to determine input expected by the web application.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising in response to determining that the input does not correspond to the one or more commands, retrieving preferences associated with a user of the client.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the input intended by the client comprises analyzing the command data, the contextual data, and the preferences to interpret the input.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the preferences comprise data tracked during interactions between the client and the web application.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the preferences comprise data generated during interactions between the client and the interface manager.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the web application comprises computer executable code configured for access via a computer executing a web-based operating system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the input corresponds to the one or more commands comprises

generating a user interface overlay comprising an indication of one or more commands corresponding to the received input and one or more user interface controls corresponding to the one or more commands, and

receiving selection of one or more of the user interface controls corresponding to one or more of the one or more commands.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the modified input comprises generating the one or more commands corresponding to the selected user interface control, and submitting the one or more commands to the web application.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

tracking interactions between the client and the web application; and

reporting the interactions to at least one authorized entity associated with the web application.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a user interface when the web application is accessed, the user interface being configured to display the one or more commands supported by the web application and an indication of input at the client that corresponds to the one or more commands.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

tracking interactions between the client and the web application; and

generating preferences based, at least partially, upon the interactions tracked.

15. A computer-implemented method for supporting intelligent user interface interactions, the computer-implemented method comprising performing computer-implemented operations for:

accessing a web application via a client configured to execute a web-based operating system;

retrieving command data associated with the web application, the command data indicating one or more commands supported by the web application;

presenting a user interface at the client, the user interface being configured to display the one or more commands supported by the web application and an indication of input at the client that corresponds to the one or more commands;

receiving input at the client;

determining if the input corresponds to the one or more commands supported by the web application; and

in response to determining that the input does not correspond to the one or more commands, determining an intended input and generating modified input corresponding to one or more of the commands supported by the web application.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the command data comprises data indicating one or more user interfaces for generating the one or more commands, and wherein the input received is generated by a user interface not indicated by the command data.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining if the input corresponds to the one or more commands comprises generating a user interface overlay comprising an indication of one or more commands corresponding to the received input and one or more user interface controls corresponding to the one or more commands, and receiving selection of one or more of the user interface controls.

19. A computer-readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereupon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

retrieve command data associated with a web application hosted by a server computer, the command data indicating one or more commands supported by the web application;

detect an interaction between a client and the web application;

generate a user interface overlay for display at the client, the user interface overlay being configured to display the one or more commands supported by the web application and an indication of input at the client that corresponds to the one or more commands;

receive input from a client, the input being associated with a web application being accessed by the client via a user interface;

determine if the input corresponds to the one or more commands supported by the web application; and

in response to determining that the input does not correspond to the one or more commands,

retrieve contextual data associated with the client, the contextual data indicating one or more capabilities of the client,

retrieve preferences associated with the client,

determine an input intended by the client based, at least partially, upon the input, the command data, the preferences, and the contextual data, and

generate modified input corresponding to one or more of the commands supported by the web application.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein determining if the input corresponds to the one or more commands comprises

generating a second user interface overlay comprising an indication of one or more commands corresponding to the received input and one or more user interface controls corresponding to the one or more commands, and

receiving selection of one or more of the user interface controls corresponding to one or more of the one or more commands.