System and method for passing context-sensitive information from a first application to a second application on a mobile device

• US 7,325,032 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Padawer, Andrew D., Zuberec, Sarah E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong; Thomas
• Application Number:
  US09/861,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,447 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/200, 455/445, 709/249, 709/204, 709/224, 709227-229, 715501-810, 715/864, 715738-739, 715/760, 705/30
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set

Abstract

Described is a system and method for passing context-sensitive information from a first application to another application on a mobile device (e.g., a cellular telephone). The method includes initiating the processing of a first application, such as receiving a cellular phone call that initiates a phone application residing on the mobile device. The first application provides a selection mechanism to allow a user to select a target application while continuing processing within the first application. The selection mechanism may include a smart link that appears as text on the display. In one embodiment, the text may have an abbreviated name for the target application. In addition, the text for the smart link may change based on the application type of the first application or based on the context of the first application. For example, if the first application is a phone application on a mobile device, the smart links may display text for a note application, a task application, a contact application, a calendar application, and a billing application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for navigating among applications of a mobile computing device, comprising:

providing a mobile computing device having a telephone component and a computing component;

initiating processing, on the telephone component, of a telephone application having an associated context;

determining a dynamic list of target applications, associated with the computing component, wherein the determination of the dynamic list of target applications is based on the associated context of the telephone application;

providing the dynamic list of target applications for selecting a target application while processing the telephone application;

if the target application is selected,

invoking the target application;

determining telephone application data to pass to the target application based on the context of the target application;

passing the determined telephone application data to the target application;

performing processing within the target application while continuing processing in the telephone application; and

updating the dynamic list of target applications, wherein the updated dynamic list of target applications is associated with the context of the selected target application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic list includes a link appearing on a touch-sensitive display.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic list includes a link appearing on a display that is selectable using a button on the mobile computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic list includes a menu entry within a menu on a display.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic list includes a button that is selectable.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the context includes metadata transmitted during a phone call and the telephone application data includes at least a portion of the metadata.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the telephone application data further includes additional information for the target application.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the target application depends on the telephone application data received by the target application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the target application includes a contact manager and processing of the target application includes opening an existing contact.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the target application includes a contact manager and processing of the target application includes creating a new contact.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the target application includes one of a contact application, a task list, a note application, a calendar application and a billing application.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein passing the telephone application data includes passing a pointer referencing the information to the target application.

13. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable components, comprising:

a telephone component for receiving telephone metadata;

a personal digital assistant component for receiving at least a portion of the telephone metadata from telephone component, determining a list of personal digital assistant applications based on the telephone metadata, displaying at least one link on the display for selecting at least one personal digital assistant application from the list of personal digital assistant applications, and if one of the links is selected, for invoking a personal digital assistant application associated with the selected link, determining at least a portion of the telephone metadata to provide the personal digital assistant application, and updating the at least one link to associate the at least one link with the personal digital assistant application,

wherein the telephone and personal digital assistant components continue operations while the personal digital assistant application is processing.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the plurality of computer-executable components further includes another personal digital assistant application associated with the invoked personal digital assistant application for displaying data generated by the personal digital assistant application on the display.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the telephone metadata includes a phone number.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the telephone metadata further includes a name associated with the phone number.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the personal digital assistant component is configured for providing additional information to the personal digital assistant application.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the additional information influences the processing of the personal digital assistant application.

19. A mobile computing device, the device comprising:

a processor;

a display;

a memory into which a plurality of computer-executable components are loaded, the computer-executable components providing navigation among one or more target applications when executed by the processor, rite plurality of computer-executable components including;

a telephone component for receiving telephone metadata;

a personal digital assistant component for receiving at least a portion of the telephone metadata from the telephone component, determining a list of personal digital assistant based on the telephone metadata, displaying at least one link on the display for selecting at least one personal digital assistant application from the list of personal digital assistant applications, and if one of the links is selected, for invoking a personal digital assistant application associated with the selected link, determining at least a portion of the telephone metadata to provide the personal digital assistant application, and updating the at least one link to associate the at least one link with the personal digital assistant application,

wherein the telephone and personal digital assistant components continue operations while the personal digital assistant application is processing.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 19, wherein the telephone metadata includes a phone number.

21. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein the telephone metadata further includes a name associated with the phone number.

22. The mobile computing device of claim 19, wherein the telephone application includes a call progress application and the telephone metadata includes a phone number associated with a phone call in progress.

23. The mobile computing device of claim 19, wherein the plurality of computer-executable components further includes another personal digital assistant application associated with the invoked personal digital assistant application for displaying data generated by the personal digital assistant application on the display.

24. In a computing device having a graphical user interface including a display, a user interface selection mechanism, a telephone component, and a personal digital assistant component, a method of providing and selecting a link on the display, the method comprising:

determining a dynamic list of applications associated with the personal digital assistant component and based on an associated context of a telephone application;

displaying one or more links to personal digital assistant applications on the display based on data associated with the telephone application, each link linking the telephone application to the personal digital assistant applications;

receiving a link selection signal through the user interface selection mechanism in response to the link selection signal, invoking the personal digital assistant application associated with the link selection signal, determining telephone application data to pass to the selected personal digital assistant application based on a context of the personal digital assistant application, and passing the determined telephone application data from the telephone application to the personal digital assistant application associated with the selection signal, the personal digital assistant application performing processing with the determined telephone application data while the telephone application remains operational; and

updating the display of links to include links associated with the selected personal digital assistant application.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising displaying personal digital assistant information generated by the personal digital assistant application on the display.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more links displayed for the telephone application differs from the one or more links associated with the selected personal digital assistant application.