Contact picker interface
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 obtaining contact information from at least one contact information directory, the method comprising:
- detecting 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, wherein the focus input comprises at least one of tabbing a prompt into the type-in line or hovering a pointer over the type-in line; and
automatically in response to detecting the tabbing of the prompt into the type-in line or the hovering of the pointer over the type-in line, and prior to receiving any input typed into the type-in line, obtaining and displaying a list of expected contacts based on a likelihood of selection criteria, each of the listed expected contacts being obtained from the at least one contact information directory;
wherein upon receiving typed input received into the type-in line, the method further includes obtaining and displaying a list of unexpected contacts, which is different than the list of expected contacts.
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 an appropriate object requiring contact information. When a contact is selected, the corresponding and appropriate contact information is automatically entered. 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. Various criteria can be used to identify which contacts will be presented to the user and how they will be presented.
284 Citations
48 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 obtaining contact information from at least one contact information directory, the method comprising:
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detecting 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, wherein the focus input comprises at least one of tabbing a prompt into the type-in line or hovering a pointer over the type-in line; and automatically in response to detecting the tabbing of the prompt into the type-in line or the hovering of the pointer over the type-in line, and prior to receiving any input typed into the type-in line, obtaining and displaying a list of expected contacts based on a likelihood of selection criteria, each of the listed expected contacts being obtained from the at least one contact information directory; wherein upon receiving typed input received into the type-in line, the method further includes obtaining and displaying a list of unexpected contacts, which is different than the list of expected contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. In an application programming interface on a computing system that is connected with a display device, a method for intuitively providing contact information to an application from at least one contact information directory, the method comprising;
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receiving a request from an application for a contact picker dialog to provide a list of one or more contacts having related contact information that can be used by the application to perform a desired function, the request from the application specifying one or more required characteristics that each of the one or more contacts must possess in order to be listed by the contact picker dialog; in response to the request, generating a list of contacts that each possess the one or more required characteristics and that are obtained from at least one contact information directory; displaying the list of contacts in an order that is based on a likelihood of selection criteria; and in response to a user input selecting at least one of a contact and the contact information related to the contact, providing the contact information to the application; wherein the one or more required characteristics comprises installation of particular software on a contact'"'"'s computing system. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method 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 obtaining contact information from at least one contact information directory, the method comprising:
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detecting 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, wherein the focus input comprises at least one of tabbing a prompt into the type-in line or hovering a pointer over the type-in line; automatically in response to detecting the tabbing of the prompt into the type-in line or the hovering of the pointer over the type-in line, and prior to receiving any input typed into the type-in line, obtaining and displaying a list of expected contacts based on a likelihood of selection criteria, each of the listed expected contacts being obtained from the at least one contact information directory; and wherein the listed contacts are displayed with two visually distinct groupings of contacts, including a first grouping of contacts and a second grouping of contacts, and wherein the grouping of contacts determined to contain contacts that are the most likely to be selected contacts is displayed above the second grouping of contacts. - View Dependent Claims (47)
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48. A method 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 obtaining contact information from at least one contact information directory, the method comprising:
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detecting 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, wherein the focus input comprises at least one of tabbing a prompt into the type-in line or hovering a pointer over the type-in line; automatically in response to detecting the tabbing of the prompt into the type-in line or the hovering of the pointer over the type-in line, and prior to receiving any input typed into the type-in line, obtaining and displaying a list of expected contacts based on a likelihood of selection criteria, each of the listed expected contacts being obtained from the at least one contact information directory; and wherein the list of expected contacts comprises a first list of expected contacts and wherein the method further comprises an act of automatically displaying a second list in response to receiving input selecting a first selected contact from the first list of expected contacts and wherein the second list comprises a plurality of contact information associated with the first selected contact and that is displayed with the first list.
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Specification