Contact picker
First Claim
1. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that includes a user interface that is configured to display contact information at the display device, a method for intuitively displaying contact information at the display device from a plurality of contact information directories, the method comprising:
- an act of receiving focus input directed at a type-in line that is displayed at the display device, the type-in line being configured to receive desired contact information for enabling a desired function to be performed with the contact information;
upon receiving the focus input, an act of automatically displaying a list of expected contacts proximate the type-in line, the expected contacts aggregated from a plurality of different contact information directories accessible to the computer system;
upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the expected contacts, an act of populating the type-in line with the desired contact information, the desired contact information corresponding to the selected one of the expected contacts; and
upon receiving an alternative input other than a selection of an expected contact and that comprises at least part of the desired contact information, automatically performing acts of;
performing a search in the plurality of different contact information directories for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information;
receiving first contact information results from a first contact information directory, the received first contact information results for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information stored in the first contact information directory, the first contact information being in a first format, the first contact information directory being separate and distinct from other contact information directories in the plurality of contact directories;
receiving second contact information results from the second contact information directory, the received second contact information results for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information stored in the second contact information directory, the second contact information in a second data format different than the first data format, the second contact information directory being separate and distinct from the first contact information directory;
aggregating the first and second contact information results into a displayable contact information list organized according to a single unifying schema such that the first contact information in the first format and the second contact information in the second different format can be displayed within the same displayable contact list; and
displaying the aggregated contact information list at the display device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interface for enabling a user to quickly access contact information automatically displays a list of expected contacts that are most likely to be selected by the user when attention is directed to a type-in line requiring contact information. When a contact is selected, the corresponding and appropriate contact information is automatically entered into the type-in line. If a user does not select a listed contact, but instead begins manually typing in the contact information then the interface performs a search and displays a list of unexpected contacts having contact information matching the typed input from the user. The interface also provides a menu with additional search options for searching for desired contact information. The additional search options include directory searching and filtered searching. The application hosting the interface can specify the appropriate contact information that it requires.
298 Citations
43 Claims
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1. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that includes a user interface that is configured to display contact information at the display device, a method for intuitively displaying contact information at the display device from a plurality of contact information directories, the method comprising:
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an act of receiving focus input directed at a type-in line that is displayed at the display device, the type-in line being configured to receive desired contact information for enabling a desired function to be performed with the contact information; upon receiving the focus input, an act of automatically displaying a list of expected contacts proximate the type-in line, the expected contacts aggregated from a plurality of different contact information directories accessible to the computer system; upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the expected contacts, an act of populating the type-in line with the desired contact information, the desired contact information corresponding to the selected one of the expected contacts; and upon receiving an alternative input other than a selection of an expected contact and that comprises at least part of the desired contact information, automatically performing acts of; performing a search in the plurality of different contact information directories for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information; receiving first contact information results from a first contact information directory, the received first contact information results for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information stored in the first contact information directory, the first contact information being in a first format, the first contact information directory being separate and distinct from other contact information directories in the plurality of contact directories; receiving second contact information results from the second contact information directory, the received second contact information results for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information stored in the second contact information directory, the second contact information in a second data format different than the first data format, the second contact information directory being separate and distinct from the first contact information directory; aggregating the first and second contact information results into a displayable contact information list organized according to a single unifying schema such that the first contact information in the first format and the second contact information in the second different format can be displayed within the same displayable contact list; and displaying the aggregated contact information list at the display device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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23. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that includes a user interface that is configured to display contact information at the display device, a method for intuitively displaying contact information at the display device from a plurality of contact information directories, the method comprising:
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an act of receiving focus input directed at a type-in line that is displayed at the display device, the type-in line being configured to receive desired contact information for enabling a desired function to be performed with the contact information; upon receiving the focus input, an act of automatically displaying a list of expected contacts proximate the type-in line, the expected contacts aggregated from a plurality of different contact information directories accessible to the computer system; upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the expected contacts, an act of populating the type-in line with the desired contact information, the desired contact information corresponding to the selected one of the expected contacts; upon receiving an alternative input other than a selection of an expected contact and that comprises at least part of the desired contact information, performing the acts of; performing a search in the plurality of contact information directories from among the plurality of different contact information directories for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information; receiving first contact information results from a first contact information directory, the received first contact information results for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information stored in the first contact information directory, the first contact information being in a first format, the first contact information directory being separate and distinct from other contact information directories in the plurality of contact directories; receiving second contact information results from the second contact information directory, the received second contact information results for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information stored in the second contact information directory, the second contact information in a second data format different than the first data format, the second contact information directory being separate and distinct from the first contact information directory; aggregating the first and second contact information results into a displayable contact information list organized according to a single unifying schema such that the first contact information in the first format and the second contact information in the second different format can be displayed within the same displayable contact list; and displaying the aggregated contact information list at the display device; upon identifying only a single unexpected contact having corresponding contact information that matches the alternative input and that includes a remaining portion of the desired contact information, an act of populating the type-in line with the remaining portion of the desired contact information; upon identifying a plurality of unexpected contacts, each having corresponding contact information that matches the alternative input, an act of displaying an alternative list containing at least some of the unexpected contacts, the alternative list being displayed proximate the type-in line; and upon failing, during the search, to identify any unexpected contacts having corresponding contact information that matches the alternative input, an act of displaying a menu of additional search options for searching the plurality of contact information directories for the desired contact information. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A computer program product for a computing system that is connected with a display device and that includes a user interface that is configured to display contact information at the display device, the computer program product comprising one or more recordable-type computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions for implementing a method for intuitively displaying contact information at the display device from a plurality of contact information directories, the method comprising;
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an act of receiving focus input directed at a type-in line that is displayed at the display device, the type-in line being configured to receive desired contact information for enabling a desired function to be performed with the contact information; upon receiving the focus input, an act of automatically displaying a list of expected contacts proximate the type-in line, the expected contacts aggregated from a plurality of different contact information directories accessible to the computer system; upon receiving a selection input that selects one of the expected contacts, an act of populating the type-in line with the desired contact information, the desired contact information corresponding to the selected one of the expected contacts; upon receiving an alternative input other than a selection of an expected contact and that comprises at least part of the desired contact information, performing the acts of; performing a search in the plurality of contact information directories from among the plurality of different contact information directories for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information; receiving first contact information results from a first contact information directory, the received first contact information results for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information stored in the first contact information directory, the first contact information being in a first format, the first contact information directory being separate and distinct from other contact information directories in the plurality of contact directories; receiving second contact information results from the second contact information directory, the received second contact information results for one or more unexpected contacts having the desired contact information stored in the second contact information directory, the second contact information in a second data format different than the first data format, the second contact information directory being separate and distinct from the first contact information directory; aggregating the first and second contact information results into a displayable contact information list organized according to a single unifying schema such that the first contact information in the first format and the second contact information in the second different format can be displayed within the same displayable contact list; and displaying the aggregated contact information list at the display device; upon identifying only a single unexpected contact having corresponding contact information that matches the alternative input and that includes a remaining portion of the desired contact information, an act of populating the type-in line with the remaining portion of the desired contact information; upon identifying a plurality of unexpected contacts, each having corresponding contact information that matches the alternative input, an act of displaying an alternative list containing at least some of the unexpected contacts, the alternative list being displayed proximate the type-in line; and upon failing, during the search, to identify any unexpected contacts having corresponding contact information that matches the alternative input, an act of displaying a menu of additional search options for searching the plurality of contact information directories for the desired contact information. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification