Automatic adaptive computer screen generation

• US 5,682,538 A
• Filed: 08/12/1994
• Issued: 10/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wall Data, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Lemire, John P., Barnes, Todd Allan, Jenny, Patrick D., Mortensen, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/289,911
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 395/148, 395/149, 395/155-161, 395/600, 395/201-204, 395/228-229, 395/230-234, 395/606-607, 395/615, 395/766-771, 364/401, 364/403, 364/408, 364/419.07, 364/419.1, 364/419.13, 364/419.14, 364/419.15, 364/419.16, 364/419.17, 382/217-219
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the automatic completion of a computer generated screen including a plurality of fields. As the user completes each field in the screen with an alphanumeric string, the alphanumeric string is associated with an identification number. The alphanumeric string entries in the fields of the screen can be represented as a sequence of identification strings. As each screen is completed by the user, the present invention generates a sequence of identification strings representative of the screen. The rows are stored in memory and are used to automatically complete later screens at the user'"'"'s command. When a user wishes to automatically complete the screen, the fields of the current screen that contain alphanumeric strings are analyzed. Once all of the fields have been analyzed and a sequence of identification numbers formed, the sequence of identification numbers for the current screen is compared to the plurality of sequences of identification numbers for prior screens.

Claims

1. A method of automatically completing an electronic form on a data input screen having a plurality of fields, wherein a subset of said plurality of field contain an alphanumeric string previously input by a user, said method comprising the steps of:

a) formulating a history of previously entered screens, said history including a plurality of previously entered screens;

b) analyzing each of the subset of said plurality of fields of said data input screen, wherein said subset of said plurality of fields includes two or more fields of said plurality of fields;

c) generating a sequence of identification numbers by assigning a predetermined identification number to each said alphanumeric string of each of the subset of the plurality of fields of said data input screen according to said analysis of each of the subset of the plurality of fields, said predetermined identification number being unique to each said alphanumeric string;

d) comparing the contents of each of said subset of said plurality of fields of said data input screen with the previously entered contents of said subset of said plurality of fields in said plurality of previously entered screens according to said generated sequence of identification numbers; and

e) selecting and visually presenting to said user a selected one of said previously entered screens as the completed electronic form according to said comparison, said selected one of said previously entered screens having the most similarity to said input screen.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of formulating a history comprises the step of:

a) generating a sequence of predetermined identification numbers for each previously entered screen, said sequence of predetermined identification numbers comprising individual predetermined identification numbers assigned to each alphanumeric strings in said subset of plurality of fields in each said previously entered screen.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of selecting said selected one of said previously entered screen includes the steps of:

(a) comparing said sequence of identification numbers for said data input screen to each of said sequence of identification numbers for each of said previously entered screens; and

(b) determining which of said sequence of identification numbers for each of said previously entered screens includes the most matches to said sequence of identification numbers for said data input screen.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of generating a match level, said match level indicative of the degree of similarity between said data input screen and a previously entered screen.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said user has the option of selecting a previously entered screen that has a lower match level.

6. An apparatus for automatically completing an electronic form on a data input screen having a plurality of fields, wherein a subset of said plurality of fields contain an alphanumeric string previously input by a user, said apparatus comprising:

a) means for formulating a history of previously entered screens, said history including a plurality of previously entered screens;

b) means for analyzing each of the subset of plurality of fields of said data input screen, wherein said subset of said plurality of fields includes two or more fields of said plurality of fields;

c) means for generating a sequence of identification numbers by assigning a predetermined identification number to each said alphanumeric string of each of the subset of the plurality of fields of said data input screen according to said analysis of each of the subset of the plurality of fields, said predetermined identification number being unique to each said alphanumeric string;

d) means for comparing the contents of each of said subset of plurality of fields of said data input screen with the previously entered contents of said subset of plurality of fields in said plurality of previously entered screens according to said generated sequence of identification numbers; and

e) means for selecting and visually presenting to said user a selected one of said previously entered screens as the completed electronic form according to said comparison, said selected one of said previously entered screens having the most similarity to said data input screen.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said means for formulating a history further comprises:

means for generating a sequence of predetermined identification numbers for each previously entered screen, said sequence of predetermined identification numbers comprising individual predetermined identification numbers assigned to each alphanumeric string in said subset of plurality of fields in each said previously entered screen.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for selecting said selected one of said previously entered screen further includes:

(a) means for comparing said sequence of identification numbers for said data input screen to each of said sequence of identification numbers for each of said previously entered screens; and

(b) means for determining which of said sequence of identification numbers for each of said previously entered screens includes the most matches to said sequence of identification numbers for said data input screen.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 further including means for generating a match level, said match level indicative of the degree of similarity between said data input screen and a previously entered screen.

10. A method of automatically completing an electronic form on a data input screen having a plurality of fields, wherein a subset of said plurality of field contain an alphanumeric string previously input by a user, said method comprising the steps of:

a) generating a sequence of predetermined identification numbers for each previously entered screen, said sequence of predetermined identification numbers comprising individual predetermined identification numbers assigned to each alphanumeric strings in said subset of plurality of fields in each said previously entered screen.

b) analyzing each of the subset of said plurality of fields of said data input screen, wherein said subset of said plurality of fields includes two or more fields of said plurality of fields;

c) generating a sequence of identification numbers by assigning a predetermined identification number to each said alphanumeric string of each of the subset of the plurality of fields of said data input screen according to said analysis of each of the subset of the plurality of fields, said predetermined identification number being unique to each said alphanumeric string;

d) comparing the contents of each of said subset of said plurality of fields of said data input screen with the previously entered contents of said subset of said plurality of fields in said plurality of previously entered screens according to said generated sequence of identification numbers; and

e) selecting and visually presenting to said user a selected one of said previously entered screens as the completed electronic form according to said comparison, said selected one of said previously entered screens having the most similarity to said input screen.

11. An apparatus for automatically completing an electronic form on a data input screen having a plurality of fields, wherein a subset of said plurality of fields contain an alphanumeric string previously input by a user, said apparatus comprising:

a) means for generating a sequence of predetermined identification numbers for each previously entered screen, said sequence of predetermined identification numbers comprising individual predetermined identification numbers assigned to each alphanumeric string in said subset of plurality of fields in each said previously entered screen;

b) means for analyzing each of the subset of plurality of fields of said data input screen, wherein said subset of said plurality of fields includes two or more fields of said plurality of fields;

c) means for generating a sequence of identification numbers by assigning a predetermined identification number to each said alphanumeric string of each of the subset of the plurality of fields of said data input screen according to said analysis of each of the subset of the plurality of fields, said predetermined identification number being unique to each said alphanumeric string;

d) means for comparing the contents of each of said subset of plurality of fields of said data input screen with the previously entered contents of said subset of plurality of fields in said plurality of previously entered screens according to said generated sequence of identification numbers; and

e) means for selecting and visually presenting to said user a selected one of said previously entered screens as the completed electronic form according to said comparison, said selected one of said previously entered screens having the most similarity to said data input screen.