Semantic user interface
First Claim
1. A system for permitting a user to implement functionality on a computer, the functionality being provided across a plurality of application programs or within an environment created by an operating system, the computer including a data entry device, comprising:
- means for monitoring all data entered or selected by a user within and one of the plurality of application programs or within the environment created by the operating system, said data including one or more alphabetic letters, symbols and/or words, wherein certain combinations of data represent action words;
a wordbase having stored therein a plurality of item records, each item record having an action word and one of a plurality of associated functions;
means for searching said wordbase for a match with an action word entered by said user; and
means for performing said function associated with said action word.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method that allows a user to use their everyday language or user defined words to operate a computer in a highly efficient way. In short, every word, letter, control character and symbol is potentially actionable. A computer user'"'"'s productivity is dramatically increased by making available those functions that enable a user to produce most of his work through simple, language-based commands. The present invention provides an intuitive interface, referred to as a semantic user interface (SUI), that enhances the operation of the current standard window-based interface in a manner that is simple, richer and natural. By leveraging all of the richness and power inherent in a user'"'"'s language, the present invention provides an important tool that allows the personal computer to operate in a manner that is much closer to our natural way of interacting. A user is allowed to enter "commands" in his everyday natural language in order to control the operations of the computer. All commands are language-based and user-defined. These commands can be entered from any context of the user'"'"'s computer (e.g., any application or operating system workspace). The commands allows a user to launch applications and navigate within applications by using language rather than clicks from a pointing device such as a mouse. It also allows the replacement of keystrokes with stored words or keystrokes. The system also keeps a complete archive record of all the text content the user provides as input, regardless of which application program or operating system window the user is operating in at the time. The combined set of all user defined commands and the memory of all the input text that is stored in the archive constitutes the personality profile and is transportable from one computer to another.
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Citations
100 Claims
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1. A system for permitting a user to implement functionality on a computer, the functionality being provided across a plurality of application programs or within an environment created by an operating system, the computer including a data entry device, comprising:
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means for monitoring all data entered or selected by a user within and one of the plurality of application programs or within the environment created by the operating system, said data including one or more alphabetic letters, symbols and/or words, wherein certain combinations of data represent action words; a wordbase having stored therein a plurality of item records, each item record having an action word and one of a plurality of associated functions; means for searching said wordbase for a match with an action word entered by said user; and means for performing said function associated with said action word. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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45. A method for permitting a user to implement functionality on a computer having a graphical user interface and data entry device, comprising:
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1) providing a wordbase having a plurality of item records, each item record having stored therein an action word, organizing said item records to define at least one personal profile, wherein said action word comprises natural language or code word text strings; 2) associating a plurality of agents with said wordbase, wherein each agent performs one of a plurality of functions; 3) associating said action word stored in said wordbase with a function performed by one of said plurality of agents; 4) receiving a data string input by the user within an application program or an operating system environment or data selected by a user within said application program or said operating system environment, wherein said data string selected by the user is displayed on the graphical user interface; 5) determining if said data string input by the user or said data selected by the user is an action word stored in said wordbase; and 6) performing via one of said plurality of agents said function associated with said action word stored in said wordbase. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 74)
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48. A method for allowing a user to control a computer having an operating system that provides a graphical user interface (GUI), comprising the steps of:
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(1) providing a semantic user interface (SUI) that complements the GUI, said semantic user interface seamlessly integrated with the operating system; (2) allowing a user to enter keystrokes; (3) monitoring for said keystrokes by said SUI; and (4) performing an action associated with said keystrokes, wherein said action can be performed within any application program running on the computer or within an environment created by the operating system. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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49. A method for allowing a user to control a computer within a network, comprising the steps of:
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(1) providing a semantic user interface (SUI); (2) allowing a user to enter data, wherein said data can be entered via a microphone, selection device or keyboard; (3) monitoring for said data by said SUI; and (4) performing an action associated with said keystroke, wherein said action can be performed within any application program running on the computer or within an environment created by an operating system, wherein said action is user definable. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52)
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75. A system for permitting a user to implement functionality on a computer, the functionality being provided across a plurality of application programs or within an environment created by an operating system, the computer including a data entry device, comprising:
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means for monitoring all data entered or selected by a user within any one of the plurality of application programs or within the environment created by the operating system, said data including one or more alphabetic letters, symbols and/or words, wherein certain combinations of data represent action words; a wordbase having stored therein a plurality of item records, each item record having an action word and one of a plurality of associated functions, wherein said associate functions are selected from the group of;
information, navigation, control and substitution;means for searching said wordbase for a match with an action word entered by said user; and means for performing said function associated with said action word. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
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Specification