DYNAMICALLY CHANGING KEY SELECTION BASED ON CONTEXT

• US 20130055138A1
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: de Halleux, Jonathan Paul, Moskal, Michal J., Tillmann, Nikolai, Fahndrich, Manuel A.
• Application Number:
  US13/217,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055138A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/33 Intelligent editors

Abstract

Editing functionality is described herein for creating a structured data item by dynamically presenting a key arrangement that is deemed suitable at each instance of an editing session. Each key is associated with a component of the structured data item. Upon activation of one of these keys, the editing functionality adds a corresponding component to the item being created. The editing functionality can be implemented on any user device, but is particularly suited for implementation on a handheld computing device having a limited input mechanism and a display mechanism.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by computing functionality, for creating a structured data item having plural components, comprising:

determining a current position within a structured data item being created, the current position corresponding to a current context;

identifying suitability information that describes, for each candidate component within a set of candidate components, a suitability of the candidate component for inclusion in the structured data item within the current context;

selecting a key arrangement based on the suitability information, the key arrangement having at least one key corresponding to a respective candidate component;

rendering the key arrangement on a display surface of a user device;

receiving a selection of a next component in response to activation, by the user, of a key in the key arrangement, to provide a selected component;

adding the selected component to the structured data item; and

repeating said determining, identifying the suitability information, selecting, rendering, receiving, and adding at least one time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device comprises a handheld user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the structured data item comprises a program, and wherein the plural components of the structured data item comprise program fragments of the program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability information is based on, at least in part, component relevance information which describes a set of components that can be legally selected within the current context.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability information is based on, at least in part, context information that identifies prior content, if any, in the structured data item with respect to the current position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability information is based on, at least in part, context information that identifies subsequent content, if any, in the structured data item with respect to the current position.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability is based on, at least in part, at least one other structured data item created by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability information is based on, at least in part, other structured data items created by a plurality of users.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability information is based on, at least in part, selection patterns exhibited in a plurality of structured data items.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability information is based on, at least in part, history information that describes a history of selections of components by the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitability information is based on, at least in part, history information that describes a history of selections of components by plurality of users.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said rendering comprises rendering the key arrangement as a matrix of keys on the display surface of the user device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one key invites the user to explore additional candidate components that are not currently represented by the matrix of keys.

14. A handheld user device, comprising:

a display surface for displaying information;

a touch-sensitive input device, integrated with the display surface, for inputting information;

an interface module for providing an editing experience to the user that enables the user to create a structured data item having plural components; and

a key determination module for determining a key arrangement for presentation by the interface module on the display surface, the key determination module determining the key arrangement based on one or more of;

context information that describes a current position within the structured data item, the current position corresponding to a current context;

component relevance information which describes a set of components that can be legally selected within the current context;

selection patterns exhibited in a plurality of structured data items; and

history information that describes a history of selections of components.

15. The user device of claim 14, wherein the structured data item comprises a program, and wherein the plural components of the structured data item comprise program fragments of the program.

16. The user device of claim 14, wherein the context information identifies prior content, if any, in the structured data item with respect to the current position.

17. The user device of claim 14, wherein the context information identifies subsequent content, if any, in the structured data item with respect to the current position.

18. The user device of claim 14, wherein the key determination module determines the key arrangement based on all of the context information, component relevance information, selection patterns, and history information.

19. A computer readable storage medium for storing computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions providing editing functionality when executed by one or more processing devices of a user device, the computer readable instructions comprising:

logic for determining a current position within a program that is being created, associated with a current context;

logic for identifying suitability information that describes, for each candidate program fragment within a set of candidate program fragments, a suitability of the candidate program fragment for inclusion in the program within the current context;

logic for selecting a key arrangement based on the suitability information, the key arrangement having at least one key corresponding to a candidate program fragment;

logic for rendering the key arrangement on a display surface of a portable user device;

logic for receiving a selection of a next program fragment in response to activation, by the user, of a key in the key arrangement, to provide a selected program fragment; and

logic for adding the selected program fragment to the program.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein said logic for identifying the suitability information identifies the suitability information based on at least:

context information that describes prior content and subsequent content in the program with respect to the current position, if the prior content and the subsequent content exist;

component relevance information which describes a set of components that can be legally selected within the current context;

selection patterns exhibited in a plurality of programs; and

history information that describes a history of selections of program fragments.