Autocompletion for unordered lists

• US 7,587,385 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Vayssiere, Julien J. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAM LINH T
• Application Number:
  US11/215,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

Autocompletion techniques are described that allow a user to access previous entries to one or more data input fields, simply by typing in a desired term and/or character sequence at one of the data input fields. For example, an autocompletion system may match a current input sequence against words contained within the previous entries, where the current input sequence may not be included in a first word of some or all of the previous entries. In this way, the user may quickly and easily remember, access, and enter previous entries, or variations thereof, into a local input field.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an input character sequence of a keyword at an input field of a client application running on a local computing device;

determining a first previous entry from a memory associated with the client application and running on the local computing device, including

accessing the memory using the keyword, wherein the memory stores the keyword in association with entry identifiers of a previous entries memory storing previous entries of the input field or related input fields, wherein the entry identifiers are associated with any of the previous entries containing the keyword, regardless of an order of the keyword within the previous entries,

determining an intersection of the entry identifiers with corresponding entries of the previous entries memory, wherein the corresponding entries include the first previous entry which includes both the keyword and at least a previous keyword in an order in which the previous keyword precedes the keyword;

providing, after the receipt of the input character sequence but before complete reception of the keyword, at least the first previous entry in association with the input field and using the client application;

receiving a selection of the first previous entry for entry thereof into the input field and transmission thereof to a remote server application running on a remote server device; and

transmitting the first previous entry to the remote server application based on the selection.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an input character sequence of a keyword at an input field comprises:

receiving the input character sequence of the keyword, wherein the keyword appears in a position other than a first position of the first previous entry.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a first previous entry comprises:

determining the input character sequence within any one of at least two ordered positions within each of a subset of a plurality of previous entries, the subset including the first previous entry.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a first previous entry comprises:

determining a plurality of previous entries, the plurality including the first previous entry;

determining at least two of the previous entries that include the input character sequence, and in which the keyword is included in a different ordered position within the at least two previous entries; and

providing the at least two of the previous entries in association with the input field.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a first previous entry comprises:

determining a plurality of previous entries, the plurality including the first previous entry, that include the keyword and the previous keyword, and in which the previous keyword is a first keyword of at least one of the previous entries; and

providing the plurality of previous entries in association with the input field.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a first previous entry comprises:

determining the first previous entry as previously entered at the input field and/or at a different input field.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the memory is associated with a first database and a second database, and wherein determining a first previous entry comprises:

determining keywords in the first database and associated with identifiers of a plurality of previous entries, the previous entries including the first previous entry; and

selecting the first previous entry from the plurality of previous entries within the second database, in which the previous entries are keyed by the identifiers.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the first previous entry in association with the input field comprises:

re-ordering the first previous entry to present the keyword at a first position.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the first previous entry in association with the input field comprises:

providing a plurality of previous entries in association with the input field; and

sorting, ordering, and/or filtering the previous entries based on a presentation criteria.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising:

wherein the client application includes a browser and the input field is a component of an active web page displayed using the browser, and wherein determining the first previous entry comprises;

accessing a web page model associated with the active web page and the input field, the web page model associated with source code of the active web page and information about previous browser activity; and

accessing the memory by accessing a page preferences memory of the web page model, the page preferences memory storing the first previous entry.

11. The method of claim 1

wherein the receiving the input character sequence, determining the first previous entry, and providing the first previous entry, occur prior to the transmission of the input character sequence, the keyword, or the first previous entry to the remote server.

12. A system executing on a local computing device, the system comprising:

connection logic configured to connect a client application running on the local computing device with a remote server application running on a remote server;

a field history database that, during operation of the client application, stores a plurality of previous entries to at least one input field of the client application; and

a completion list generator executing in association with the client application, that, during operation, receives an input character sequence of a keyword from a current input field and, in response thereto and without transmitting the input character sequence or the keyword to the remote server application, selects a previous entry from the plurality of previous entries stored within the field history database, the previous entry including the keyword after at least one other keyword,

wherein the completion list generator, during operation, accesses the field history database using the keyword, wherein the field history database stores the keyword in association with entry identifiers of the plurality of previous entries, wherein the entry identifiers are associated with a subset of the plurality of previous entries containing the keyword, regardless of an order of the keyword within the each of the subset of the plurality of previous entries,

wherein the completion list generator, during operation, determines an intersection of the entry identifiers with the subset of the plurality of previous entries, wherein the subset of the plurality of previous entries includes the previous entry, and

wherein the completion list generator, during operation, presents, after the receipt of the input character sequence but before complete reception of the keyword, at least the previous entry in a completion list, receives a selection of the previous entry for entry thereof into the input field and, and transmits the previous entry to the remote server application.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the completion list generator, during operation, re-orders the previous entry within the completion list to include the keyword at a first position of the previous entry and prior to the at least one other keyword.

14. The system of claim 12 comprising:

an input field component including a user interface that, during operation, displays the at least one input field and receives the input data character sequence; and

an input field component model associated with the completion list generator and in communication with the input field component to receive the input character sequence and determine the first previous entry.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the input field component model includes a completion list model that, during operation, receives the input character sequence from a text field model that is in communication with a text field controller of the input field component.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the completion list model, during operation, provides the previous entry to a completion list view of the input field component, and to receives a selection of the previous entry by way of a completion list controller of the input field component for reporting to the text field model and subsequent inclusion in a text field view of the input field component.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the client application includes a browser application, and wherein the input field component of the client application is associated with an active web page, and the input field component model is associated with a web page model of the active web page.

18. An apparatus comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, when executed on a data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to:

receive an input character sequence of a keyword at an input field of a client application running on a local computing device;

determine a previous entry from a plurality of previous entries stored in a memory associated with the client application and running on the local computing device, the previous entry including the keyword and at least one previous keyword in an ordered sequence in which the previous keyword precedes the keyword, including

accessing the memory using the keyword, wherein the memory stores the keyword in association with entry identifiers of a previous entries memory storing previous entries of the input field or related input fields, wherein the entry identifiers are associated with a subset of the plurality of previous entries containing the keyword, regardless of an order of the keyword within the subset, and

determining an intersection of the entry identifiers with the subset of the plurality of previous entries of the previous entries memory, wherein the subset includes the previous entry;

present, after the receipt of the input character sequence but before complete reception of the keyword, a completion list that includes at least the previous entry, using the client application;

receive a selection of the previous entry for entry thereof into the input field and transmission thereof to a remote server application running on a remote server device; and

transmit the previous entry to the remote server application based on the selection.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the previous entry was entered at the input field or at a different input field.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the data processing apparatus to re-order the previous entry to include the keyword at a first position within the previous entry.