Context monitoring display driver

• US 7,127,468 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Deleeuw, William
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US10/397,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20030187838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707200-205, 707100-1041, 345/589
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A computer system includes a display device, a storage device on which an application program is stored, and a processor. The processor retrieves the application program from the storage device and, under control of the application program, generates or receives a text string to be displayed on the display device. An information management engine receives the text string and uses it to generate a list of sources of information related to the text string. A display driver delivers the text string both to the display device for rendering and to the information management engine. The display driver also receives the list from the information management engine and delivers it to the display device for rendering.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

automatically intercepting, in a context-monitoring driver, text data in machine-display output requests generated by an operating system or application program; and

delivering the intercepted text data to an information management engine that determines a semantic context indicated at least in part by the text data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein intercepting text data comprises:

receiving the machine-display output requests;

identifying the text data in at least one of the machine-display output requests; and

initiating processing of the machine-display output requests.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein initiating processing of the machine-display output requests comprises delivering the output requests to a display driver that processes the output requests, including rendering of the text data in a display device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the display driver and the information management engine are embedded in a single context monitoring display driver on a machine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein intercepting text data comprises inspecting all machine-display output requests sent to a display device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein intercepting text data comprises inspecting only a portion of machine-display output requests sent to a display device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information management engine generates a list of information sources based on the determined context.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information management engine generates the list of information sources based at least in part on searching of a resource using the determined context, the determined context including information related to at least one word from the text data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the resource comprises a network.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the resource comprises a database.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the list of information sources from the information management engine; and

presenting the list of information sources indicating potentially relevant information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein presenting the list of information sources indicating potentially relevant information comprises indicating assigned rankings of at least portion of the information sources, the assigned rankings being based at least in part on font information related to the text data.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein intercepting text data comprises intercepting text data entered by a user in a first application and intercepting text data in documents obtained by a second application.

14. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium embodying information indicative of instructions that when performed by one or more machines result in operations comprising:

automatically intercepting, in a context-monitoring driver, text data in machine-display output requests generated by an operating system or application program; and

delivering the intercepted text data to an information management engine that determines a semantic context indicated at least in part by the text data.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein intercepting text data comprises:

receiving the machine-display output requests;

identifying the text data in at least one of the machine-display output requests; and

initiating processing of the machine-display output requests.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein initiating processing of the machine-display output requests comprises delivering the output requests to a display driver that processes the output requests, including rendering of the text data in a display device.

17. The article of claim 14, wherein the information management engine generates a list of information sources based on the determined context.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the information management engine generates the list of information sources based at least in part on searching of a resource using the determined context, the determined context including information related to at least one word from the text data.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein the resource comprises a network.

20. The article of claim 18, wherein the resource comprises a database.

21. The article of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the list of information sources from the information management engine; and

presenting the list of information sources indicating potentially relevant information.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein presenting the list of information sources indicating potentially relevant information comprises indicating assigned rankings of at least portion of the information sources, the assigned rankings being based at least in part on font information related to the text data.

23. The article of claim 14, wherein intercepting text data comprises intercepting text data entered by a user in a first application and intercepting text data in documents obtained by a second application.

24. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium embodying information indicative of instructions that when performed by one or more machines result in operations comprising:

installing program and data files of a semantic context-monitoring display driver that automatically intercepts text data in machine-display output requests generated by an operating system or application program;

locating an address of an existing display driver;

substituting the context-monitoring display driver for the existing display driver in system configuration settings; and

initiating a reboot that causes loading of the context-monitoring display driver.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein initiating a reboot comprises prompting a user to initiate the reboot.

26. The article of claim 24, wherein the program and data files of the context-monitoring display driver cause padding of a display-device structure during an enable routine after the reboot to accommodate private storage of the context-monitoring display driver.

27. An apparatus comprising:

computer-based context-monitoring means for automatically intercepting text data as the text data is delivered to a display driver from an operating system or application program; and

computer-based means for determining a semantic context indicated at least in part by the text data.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the means for intercepting text data comprises a context-monitoring display driver acting as an intermediary between applications and an underlying system display driver.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the means for determining a context comprises an information management engine that determines the context and generates a list of information sources based on the context.