Methods and apparatus for enabling keyboard accelerators in applications implemented via a browser

• US 6,724,399 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Katchour, Ernst, Nathan, Shankar S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/967,467
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 345/708, 345/734, 345/735, 345/736, 345/744, 345/740, 345/762, 345/773, 345/812, 345/826, 345/827, 710/67
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for enabling keyboard accelerators in software applications implemented via a browser application are disclosed herein. Keyboard accelerators are enabled by intercepting keyboard data before it can be utilized by the browser application for its own purposes, such as initiation of a keyboard accelerator native to the browser application. The intercepted keyboard data is evaluated to determine whether it corresponds to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator, and if so, then a remote application function module is called to implement the feature mapped to the particular identified keyboard accelerator. The keyboard data may then be removed from an event queue or otherwise deleted such that the browser application continues to be executed without reference thereto.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

intercepting application-level keyboard data, including keyboard data corresponding to keyboard accelerators native to a browser application, the browser application capable of implementing a remote application, wherein intercepting occurs before the data is acquired by the browser application;

determining if the keyboard data corresponds to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator;

calling a remote application function if in the keyboard data corresponds to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator; and

transferring the keyboard data to the browser application if in the keyboard data fails to correspond to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyboard data comprises codes corresponding to keystroke sequences, including special keys.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein intercepting application-level keyboard data comprising screening all events in an event queue.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the keyboard data prior to retrieval by the browser application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote application function comprises a software program written in a programming language selected from a group including java script and java.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote application function comprises a client-side methodology.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote application function comprises a server-side methodology.

8. A method, comprising:

monitoring events in a system event queue;

identifying an event corresponding to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator, wherein the event further corresponds to a keyboard accelerator native to a browser application;

calling a function module, the function module mapped to the defined remote application keyboard accelerator; and

removing the event from the system event queue in response to the browser application failing to receive the event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the function module comprises a software program written in a programming language selected from a group including java script and java.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the event comprises application-level keyboard data.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the event is removed from the system event queue prior to retrieval by the browser application.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the function module comprises a client-side methodology.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the function module comprises a server-side methodology.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory, coupled to the processor, to store a plurality of machine instructions; and

a communications interface, coupled to the processor, and capable of connecting to a network via a communication link; and

wherein execution of the machine instructions by the processor causes the apparatus;

to intercept application-level keyboard data, including keyboard data corresponding to keyboard accelerators native to a browser application being executed by the processor, wherein intercepting occurs before the data is acquired by the browser application;

to determine if the keyboard data corresponds to a defined remote application keyboard accelerators;

to call a remote application function in response to a determination that the keyboard data corresponds to the defined remote application keyboard accelerator; and

transfer the keyboard data to the browser application if keyboard data fails to correspond to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the keyboard data comprises codes corresponding to keystroke sequences, including special keys.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein to intercept application-level keyboard data comprises executing instructions to monitor events in a system event queue.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein execution of the machine instructions by the processor further causes the apparatus to delete the keyboard data prior to identification of the keyboard data by the browser application.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the remote application function comprises a set of machine readable instructions written in a programming language selected from the group including java script code and java code.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory, coupled to the processor, to store a plurality of machine instructions; and

a communications interface, coupled to the processor, and capable of connecting to a network via a communication link; and

wherein execution of the machine instructions by the processor causes the apparatus to monitor events in a system event queue, to identify an event corresponding to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator, wherein the event further corresponds to a keyboard accelerator native to a browser application, to call a function module, the function module mapped to the defined remote application keyboard accelerator, and to remove the event from the system event queue, wherein the browser application fails to receive the event.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the function module comprises a software program written in a programming language selected from a group including java script and java.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the event comprises application-level keyboard data.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein execution of the machine instructions by the processor causes the apparatus to remove the keyboard data prior to identification of the keyboard data by the browser application.

23. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to;

intercept application-level keyboard data, including keyboard data corresponding to keyboard accelerators native to a browser application, the browser application capable of implementing a remote application, wherein intercepting occurs before the data is acquired by the browser application;

determine if the keyboard data corresponds to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator; and

calling the remote application function if the keyboard data corresponds to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator; and

transferring the keyboard data to the browser application if in the keyboard data fails to correspond to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the keyboard data comprises codes corresponding to keystroke sequences, including special keys.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein to intercept application-level keyboard data comprises screening all events in an event queue.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the remote application function comprises a software program written in a programming language selected from a group including java script and java.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the machine-readable medium, further provides instructions, which, when executed by the machine, further cause the machine to delete the keyboard data prior to retrieval by the browser application.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the instructions comprise an ActiveX control software program.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the instructions comprise a plug-in software program.

30. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to;

monitor events in a system event queue;

identify an event corresponding to a defined remote application keyboard accelerator, wherein the event further corresponds to a keyboard accelerator native to a browser application;

call a function module, the function module mapped to the defined remote application keyboard accelerator; and

remove the event from the system event queue, wherein the browser application fails to receive the event.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the function module comprises a software program written in a programming language selected from a group including java script and java.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the event comprises application-level keyboard data.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the event is removed from the system event queue prior to retrieval by the browser application.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the instructions comprise an ActiveX control software program.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 30, wherein the instructions comprise a plug-in software program.