Context reactive natural-language based graphical user interface

• US 7,558,731 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Treadgold, Nicholas K., Hodjat, Babak, Hodjat, Siamak
• Primary Examiner(s): Opsasnick; Michael N
• Application Number:
  US11/094,327
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 704/3, 704/9, 704/257, 704/270.1, 709/201, 709/202, 706/10, 706/11
• US Class Current: 704/257
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Roughly described, a context reactive user interface which offers user-selectable on-screen choices or hints to help the user follow up in the context of his or her previous interactions. Alternatively or additionally, the system can offer on-screen choices which, when selected by the user, can invoke one or more back-end applications with entry fields pre-filled from the user'"'"'s previous interactions or from other contextual information.

Claims

1. A user interface method, for use with an application that accepts commands, comprising the steps of:

developing a first natural language interpretation of at least a portion of first user input;

presenting a first GUI page in dependence upon the first interpretation, the first GUI page having a plurality of user interface elements each having a respective return token string associated therewith, the GUI page further having a first field for further user input;

developing a second natural language interpretation of the return token string associated with a first one of the user interface elements, in response to user selection of the first user interface element;

presenting a second GUI page in dependence upon the second interpretation, the second GUI page having a plurality of user interface elements each having a respective return token string associated therewith, the second GUI page further having a second field for further user input;

developing a third natural language interpretation of second user input entered into the second field;

presenting a third GUI page in dependence upon the third interpretation, the third GUI page having a plurality of user interface elements each having a respective return token string associated therewith, the third GUI page further having a third field for further user input;

developing a fourth natural language interpretation of the return token string associated with a second one of the user interface elements, in response to user selection of the second user interface element, and

developing a fourth natural language interpretation of third user input entered into the third field.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of issuing a command toward the application in dependence upon the first interpretation.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of issuing a command toward the application in dependence upon the second interpretation.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of issuing a command toward the application in dependence upon the third interpretation.

5. A user interface method, for use with an application that accepts commands, comprising the steps of:

developing a first natural language interpretation of at least a portion of first user input;

presenting a first GUI page in dependence upon the first interpretation, the first GUI page having a plurality of user interface elements, each having a respective return token string associated therewith;

developing a second natural language interpretation in dependence upon a member of the group consisting of second user input and the return token string associated with one of the user interface elements selected by the user;

presenting a second GUI page in dependence upon the second interpretation, the second GUI page having a plurality of user interface elements, each having a respective return token string associated therewith;

wherein a first one of the user interface elements in the first GUI page has a first appearance identical to that of a second one of the user interface items in the second GUI page, but the return token string associated with the first user interface element differs from the return token string associated with the second user interface element.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

issuing a first command toward the application in dependence upon user selection of the first user interface element in the first GUI page; and

issuing a second command toward the application in dependence upon user selection of the second user interface element in the second GUI page,

wherein the first and second commands are different.