System and method for content and information transfer between program entities

• US 7,310,781 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 12/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dunsmoir, John W., Chen, Yen-Fu
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, TING ZHOU
• Application Number:
  US10/455,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20040250215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715/770, 715/748, 715/530, 719/329
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]

Abstract

Content is transferred from one computer resource to another computer resource by receiving a first insertion point or replacement area from a first user interface to a destination computer resource, receiving an enablement to perform automatic paste operation, switching to a user interface to a source computer resource, receiving a user selection of content from said source user interface, and automatically copying the selected content to a transfer buffer and to the designated insertion point(s) in the destination computer resource. Additional content may be copied to the destination computer resource by simply selecting additional content in the same source computer resource or other computer resources without need to toggle back to the destination user interface between every copy and paste operation.

Claims

1. A method for transferring content from one computer file to another computer file, comprising the steps of:

receiving a user-selected first insertion point or replacement area within a first user interface to a destination computer file;

subsequent to receiving said first insertion point within a destination file, providing a second user interface to content of a source computer file upon user command;

subsequent to providing said second user interface to said source file, receiving a user selection of content from said second user interface;

upon receipt of said source file content, automatically copying said selected content to a transfer buffer without requiring said user to return to said first user interface; and

subsequent to copying said selected file content, automatically inserting said selected content into said replacement area or at said insertion point within said destination file without further requirement for said user to manipulate said first user interface.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of receiving a first insertion point or replacement area comprises receiving a plurality of insertion points, replacement areas, or a combination of insertion points and replacement areas.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of providing a second user interface comprises providing a window to an application program.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of providing a second user interface comprises providing a screen to an application program.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of copying said content to a transfer buffer comprises copying content to a clipboard.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising repetition of the steps of selecting source content, copying selected content to a transfer buffer, and inserting selected content without returning to said first user interface between steps of copying.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 further comprising the step of concatenating said selected content in said transfer buffer prior to said step of inserting.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7 further comprising the step of inserting a delimiter between portions of concatenated content.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a step of converting said selected content to a format compatible with said destination computer file prior to inserting said selected content.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the steps of tracking source points, destination points, and transferred content so as to produce a log of transfer operations.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 further comprising the step of providing a user-operable undo function which reverses any selected operation as recorded by said log.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of receiving an insertion point or replacement area comprises receiving a user enablement of cutting source content, and wherein said step of copying said selected content to a transfer buffer comprises deleting said selected content from said source computer file.

13. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the steps of inserting an annotation between selected content in said destination computer file.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 wherein said step of inserting an annotation comprises inserting an annotation selected from the group of a fixed annotation, a web address, a file name, a file path, a time value, a date value, and a user identifier.

15. One or more computer readable media encoded with software for transferring content from one computer file to another computer file, said software causing one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving from a user-selected first insertion point or replacement area within a first user interface to a destination computer file;

subsequent to receiving said first insertion point within a destination file, providing a second user interface to content of a source computer file upon user command;

subsequent to providing said second user interface to said source file, receiving a user selection of content from said second user interface;

upon receipt of said source file content, automatically copying said selected content to a transfer buffer without requiring said user to return to said first user interface; and

subsequent to copying said selected file content, automatically inserting said selected content into said replacement area or at said insertion point within said destination file without further requirement for said user to manipulate said first user interface.

16. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 15 wherein said step of receiving a first insertion point or replacement area comprises receiving a plurality of insertion points, replacement areas, or a combination of insertion points and replacement areas.

17. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 15 wherein said steps of providing a second user interface comprises providing a window to an application program.

18. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 15 wherein said step of providing a second user interface comprises providing a screen to an application program.

19. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 15 wherein said step of copying said content to a transfer buffer comprises copying content to a clipboard.

20. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 15 further comprising software for performing repetition of the steps of selecting source content, copying selected content to a transfer buffer, and inserting selected content without returning to said first user interface between steps of copying.

21. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 20 further comprising software for concatenating said selected content in said transfer buffer prior to said step of inserting.

22. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 21 further comprising software for inserting a delimiter between portions of concatenated content.

23. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 15 further comprising software for converting said selected content to a format compatible with said destination computer file prior to inserting said selected content.

24. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 15 further comprising software for tracking source points, destination points, and transferred content so as to produce a log of transfer operations.

25. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 24 further comprising software for providing a user-operable undo function which reverses any selected operation as recorded by said log.

26. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 15 wherein said step of receiving an insertion point or replacement area comprises receiving a user enablement of cutting source content, and wherein said step of copying said selected content to a transfer buffer comprises deleting said selected content from said source computer file.

27. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 15 further comprising software for inserting an annotation between selected content in said destination computer file.

28. The computer readable media as set forth in claim 27 wherein said software for inserting an annotation comprises inserting an annotation selected from the group of a fixed annotation, a web address, a file name, a file path, a time value, a date value, and a user identifier.

29. A system for transferring content from one computer file to another computer file, comprising:

a user-designated first insertion point or replacement area within a first user interface to a destination computer file;

at least source user interface to content of a source computer file, said source user interface being displayed subsequent to said first user interface;

a user-designated selection of content from said source user interface, said content selection being received subsequent to displaying said source user interface;

an automatic content copier configured to automatically copy said selected content to a transfer buffer upon receipt of said content selection; and

an automatic content inserter configured to automatically insert said selected content into said replacement area or at said insertion point within said destination file subsequent to said copying into said transfer buffer and without further requirement for said user to manipulate said first user interface.

30. The system as set forth in claim 29 comprises a plurality of user-designated insertion points, replacement areas, or a combination of insertion points and replacement areas.

31. The system as set forth in claim 29 wherein said source user interface comprises a window to an application program.

32. The system as set forth in claim 29 wherein said source user interface comprises providing a screen to an application program.

33. The system as set forth in claim 29 wherein copier is configured to copy content to a clipboard.

34. The system as set forth in claim 29 further comprising an automatic operation repeater configured to allow said user to repetitiously select source content in a source user interface, automatically copy said selected content to a transfer buffer, and automatically insert said selected content without returning to said first user interface between steps of copying.

35. The system as set forth in claim 29 further comprising a content concatenator configured to concatenate said selected content in said transfer buffer prior to said step of inserting.

36. The system as set forth in claim 35 further comprising a delimitation marker configured to insert a delimiter between portions of concatenated content.

37. The system as set forth in claim 29 further comprising a converter for converting said selected content to a format compatible with said destination computer file prior to inserting said selected content.

38. The system as set forth in claim 29 further comprising a change logger for tracking source points, destination points, and transferred content so as to produce a log of transfer operations.

39. The system as set forth in claim 38 further comprising a user-operable undo function which reverses any selected operation as recorded by said log.

40. The system as set forth in claim 29 wherein said user-designated insertion point or replacement area comprises an user-operable control for enabling cutting of selected source content, and wherein said content copier comprises a source content deleter configured to delete said selected content from said source computer file.

41. The system as set forth in claim 29 further comprising an annotation inserter configured to insert an annotation between selected content in said destination computer resource.

42. The system as set forth in claim 41 wherein said annotation inserter is further configured to insert an annotation selected from the group of a fixed annotation, a web address, a file name, a file path, a time value, a date value, and a user identifier.