Global incremental type search navigation directly from printable keyboard character input

• US 6,169,984 B1
• Filed: 04/01/1998
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bogdan, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US09/053,446
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/540, 707/1, 707/5, 707/2, 345/156, 345/352, 345/357, 345/356, 395/603, 395/160, 395/148, 364/980
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A user interface control implementing a global keyboard navigation system by way of printable keyboard character input to extend an incremental type search across all window components within a defined scope. A recursive search is executed to match any number of printable characters input by a user to any component name of any window component among the parent and child generations existing in a given system within a defined scope. Repeat prefix searches for subsequent window component names are executed based on a user repeating the most recently input printable character that exists in an input buffer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for incremental type search navigation among a plurality of components in a hierarchy having at least two levels by way of at least one printable keyboard character input, said method comprising:

storing said at least one printable keyboard character input in an input buffer;

recursively searching plural levels of said plurality of components within a defined scope in the hierarchy having at least two levels to find a component within the defined scope in the hierarchy that matches said at least one printable keyboard character input in said input buffer; and

responsive to finding a component within the defined scope in the hierarchy that matches said at least one printable keyboard character input in said input buffer, changing an input focus from an active one of said plurality of components to an identified one of said plurality of components in the hierarchy that matches said at least one printable keyboard character input in said input buffer;

wherein the defined scope encompasses only a subset of components in the hierarchy having at least two levels.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

defining said defined scope to encompass only a subset of said plurality of components;

receiving a plurality of printable keyboard characters generated by a user into an input buffer; and

navigating said plurality of components in the hierarchy based on an incremental type search via said printable keyboard characters.

3. A method according to claim 2 further comprising:

identifying ones of said keyboard character input that are printable and occur in combination with a predefined modifier key indicative of a directive to break outside the defined scope in the hierarchy;

responsive to receiving a keyboard character in combination with the predefined modifier key indicative of a directive to break outside the defined scope in the hierarchy, breaking outside the defined scope in the hierarchy from said active one of said plurality of components; and

reestablishing a search start point from a top level component within said plurality of components.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said recursively searching comprises:

identifying said active one of said plurality of components;

searching down through each level of child components from said active one of said plurality of components within the defined scope in the hierarchy;

determining that all of said child window components of said active one of said plurality of components have been searched;

propagating said search up to a next higher parent component of said active one of said plurality of components within the defined scope in the hierarchy; and

continuing said search of each child component level from a perspective of successive parent component levels until all parent component and child component levels are searched within said defined scope in the hierarchy.

5. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 4.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said input buffer has a second character and said recursively searching comprises:

identifying duplicate characters in said input buffer beyond the second character in said input buffer; and

executing a repeat prefix search in response to said identifying duplicate characters in said input buffer beyond the second character, wherein said repeat prefix search is based on any number of printable keyboard characters presently in said input buffer up to a first one of said duplicate characters.

7. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

8. A product for use in a global incremental type search navigation system to navigate among a plurality of components in a hierarchy having at least two levels by way of at least one printable keyboard character input, said product comprising:

a keyboard input buffer system, a keyboard input interval timer system, and

a recursive search engine;

said keyboard input interval timer system being operational to time an interval between keyboard characters input by a user;

said keyboard input buffer system being operational to store said at least one printable keyboard character input that occurs within an unexpired time frame of an interval timer into a keyboard input buffer; and

said recursive search engine being operational to search a plurality of levels of said plurality of components within a defined scope in the hierarchy for a component name that matches said at least one printable keyboard character input in said keyboard input buffer,

wherein said recursive search engine is further operational to identify one of said plurality of components that matches said at least one printable keyboard character input in said keyboard input buffer to which an input focus is changed.

9. A product according to claim 8 wherein said keyboard input buffer system is further operational to:

identify ones of said keyboard character input that are printable and that occur in combination with a predefined modifier key, and in response to a modifier key indicative of a directive to break scope, breaking outside the defined scope from said active window component input focus and reestablishing a search start point from a top level component within said plurality of components.

10. A product according to claim 8 wherein said recursive search engine is further operational to:

identify an active one of said plurality of components;

search down through each level of child components from said active one of said plurality of window components within the defined scope in the hierarchy;

determine that all of said child components of said active one of said plurality of components have been searched within said defined scope;

propagate said search up to a parent component of said active one of said plurality of components within said defined scope in the hierarchy; and

continue said search of each child component level from a perspective of each parent component level within said defined scope in the hierarchy until all parent component and child component levels are exhausted.

11. A product according to claim 8 wherein said keyboard input buffer has a second character and said recursive search engine is further operational to:

identify duplicate characters in said keyboard input buffer beyond the second character in said keyboard input buffer; and

execute a repeat prefix search in response to duplicate characters in said keyboard input buffer beyond the second character, wherein said repeat prefix search is based on any number of printable keyboard characters presently in said keyboard input buffer up to a first one of said duplicate characters.

12. In a computer system having a user interface comprising a plurality of user interface elements in a hierarchy having at least two levels, wherein one of the plurality of user interface elements can have an input focus, a method for navigating among the user interface elements in the hierarchy via incremental type search, the method comprising:

accepting an ordered set of one or more printable characters typed at a keyboard of the computer system;

searching within the hierarchy for a user interface element matching the ordered set of one or more printable characters according to an incremental type search technique;

as a result of searching within the hierarchy for a user interface element matching the ordered set of one or more printable characters according to the incremental type search technique, finding a user interface element matching the ordered set of one or more printable characters according to an incremental type search technique; and

responsive to finding a user interface element matching the ordered set of one or more printable characters according to an incremental type search technique, changing the input focus to the matching user interface element.

13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 12.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein

a defined scope encompasses a subset of the plurality of user interface elements in at least two levels in the hierarchy; and

the searching is limited to user interface elements within the defined scope.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein

a defined scope encompasses a subset of the plurality of user interface elements in at least two levels in the hierarchy, the method further comprising:

searching within the hierarchy only within the defined scope for a user interface element matching the ordered set of one or more printable characters according to an incremental type search technique;

receiving a keystroke indicative of a directive to break outside the defined scope; and

responsive to receiving the keystroke, expanding searching to user interface elements in the hierarchy outside the defined scope.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the incremental type search technique is a hybrid incremental type search, wherein the ordered set of one or more printable characters is a set of two or more characters comprising a set of k characters, and a match is determined according to a method comprising:

determining if the first k characters of a user interface element match the ordered set of one or more printable characters;

responsive to determining the first k characters of a user interface element match the ordered set of one or more printable characters, setting the matching user interface element as a proposed match;

encountering an nth successive duplicate character beyond the second character in the ordered set of one or more printable characters;

responsive to encountering an nth duplicate character beyond the second character in the ordered set of one or more printable characters, setting the nth occurrence of a user interface element having its first k characters matching the first k characters in the ordered set of one or more printable characters as the proposed match; and

designating the proposed match as the match.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the searching comprises:

searching an initial set of user interface elements having a common parent within the hierarchy for a user interface element matching the ordered set of one or more printable characters according to the incremental type search technique;

as a result of searching the initial set, determining the initial set fails to contain a user interface element matching the ordered set of one or more printable characters according to the incremental type search technique; and

responsive to determining the initial set fails to contain a user interface element matching the ordered set of one or more printable characters according to the incremental type search technique, expanding the searching to include user interface elements having a parent in common with the initial set.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the parent in common with the initial set is an immediate parent of the initial set.