INPUT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140359642A1
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: NEED, DWAYNE
• Granted Patent: US 10,048,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method, medium and system for use in a computing environment for managing input information. The system for facilitating input management in a computerized environment may include an input manager for processing events received from an input provider. The system may additionally include a staging area including a stack of events created by the input manager. The staging area allows access by external components. The external components may include a set of filters capable of accessing and manipulating the stack of input events and a set of monitors capable of monitoring manipulation of the stack of events.

Claims

1. A system for exposing events for both logical input and physical input, the system comprising:

a promoter for turning physical input associated with a primary event to logical input associated with secondary event; and

a dictionary accessible to an application, wherein the dictionary associates the primary event of the physical input with the secondary event of the logical input based on inheriting a dictionary of the primary event to a dictionary of the secondary event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the promoter includes an internal promoter and an external promoter, wherein the internal promoter works within the application and the external promoter works outside of the application.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a promotion policy that selects the internal promoter or external promoter to process a selected event.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the logical input comprises application programming interfaces that provide an abstraction for physical input.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the logical input comprises combines multiple physical devices into a single logical experience.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising application programming interfaces map a new device to an existing interface for an existing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the dictionary stores a state of a selected event and an element on which the selected event is acting on.

8. A computer-implemented method for exposing events for both logical input and physical input, the method comprising:

receiving a physical input for an application, the physical input associated with a primary event;

promoting the physical input associated with the primary event to a logical input associated with a secondary event such that a dictionary accessible to the application is provided, wherein the dictionary associates the primary event of the physical input with the secondary event of the logical input based on inheriting a dictionary of the primary event to a dictionary of the secondary event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the promoter includes an internal promoter and an external promoter, wherein the internal promoter works within the application and the external promoter works outside of the application.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a promotion policy that selects the internal promoter or external promoter to process a selected event.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the logical input comprises comprising application programming interfaces that provide an abstraction for physical input.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the logical input comprises combines multiple physical devices into a single logical experience.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising application programming interfaces map a new device to an existing interface for an existing device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the dictionary stores a state of a selected event and an element on which the selected event is acting on.

15. One or more computer-storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when used by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method for exposing events for both logical input and physical input, the method comprising:

receiving a physical input for an application, the physical input associated with a primary event;

promoting the physical input associated with the primary event to a logical input associated with a secondary event such that a dictionary accessible to the application is provided, wherein the dictionary associates the primary event of the physical input with the secondary event of the logical input based on inheriting a dictionary of the primary event to a dictionary of the secondary event.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the promoter includes an internal promoter and an external promoter, wherein the internal promoter works within the application and the external promoter works outside of the application, wherein a promotion policy selects the internal promoter or external promoter to process a selected event.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the logical input comprises application programming interfaces that provide an abstraction for physical input.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the logical input comprises combines multiple physical devices into a single logical experience.

19. The media of claim 15, further comprising application programming interfaces map a new device to an existing interface for an existing device.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein the dictionary stores a state of a selected event and an element on which the selected event is acting on.