System and method for opening and activating applications, windows or data sets based on search criteria

• US 6,711,564 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apteryx, Inc. (Planet DDS Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Apteryx, Inc. (Planet DDS Incorporated)
• Inventors: Crucs, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mizrahi, Diane D.
• Application Number:
  US09/783,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/5, 707/3, 707/10, 707/200, 707/104.1, 709/217-8, 709/221, 709/226, 345/783, 345/788, 345/792, 705/3, 705/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method and system for locating data in another application, window or data set. The particular data form (application, window or data set) is located using search criteria derived from a first active data form (application, window or data set). If the particular data form is located in an unloaded (not running) application, window or data set the requisite data form (e.g., application, window or data set) is launched and made active. The necessary data is provided to the application, window or data set to retrieve the particular window or data set of the data form. If the particular data form is located in a loaded application, window or data set, the necessary data from the first data form is bridged into the loaded application, window or data set.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for searching and inputting data between one or more dataforms, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining search criteria from an active first data form;

obtaining first data from one or more data forms;

comparing the search criteria with the first data;

determining if a match occurs between the search criteria and first data; and

extracting second data from the one or more data forms and inputting the second data into the first data form when a match occurs.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the search criteria is a string of characters.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the search criteria is selected from the group consisting of text data, window class data and control identifier data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first data form is a window.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more data forms is a window.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of activating the second data form.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of launching and activating the second data form.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying text names of each data form having a match between the search criteria and first data when there is a match between the search criteria and the first data from two or more data forms.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a message when there is no match between the search criteria and first data.

10. A system for searching and inputting data between one or more dataforms, the system comprising a computer configured for:

obtaining search criteria from an active first data form;

obtaining first data from one or more data forms;

comparing the search criteria with the first data;

determining if a match occurs between the search criteria and first data; and

extracting second data from the one or more data forms and inputting the second data into the first data form when a match occurs.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the search criteria comprises a string of characters.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the search criteria is selected from the group consisting of text data, window class data and control identifier data.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the first data form is a window.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one of the one or more data forms is a window.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer is further configured for activating the second data form.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer is further configured for launching and activating the second data form.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer is further configured for displaying text names of each data form having a match between the search criteria and first data when there is a match between the search criteria and the first data from two or more data forms.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer is further configured for displaying a message when there is no match between the search criteria and first data.