Key command functionality in an electronic document

• US 7,624,340 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ritter, Gerd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano; Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US11/319,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 715/205, 715/207, 715/505, 715/507, 715/708, 715/224
• US Class Current: 715/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Key command functionality is provided in an electronic document through a recognition of input data. The input data is received in a data field of the electronic document. If the input data is a help command, a help application is launched. The help application provides for the determination of a stored input data value to be inserted in the corresponding data field. If the input data is not a help command, but is a key command, the corresponding key application is identified and accessed. The key application is thereupon launched, where the key application executes steps for determining information ancillary to the form but useful for completing the form.

Claims

1. An apparatus for application functionality in an electronic document in response to a user typing textual input data in a data field, the apparatus comprising:

a form database storing input forms corresponding to a plurality of input form types;

a memory device storing executable instructions; and

a processing device, in response to the executable instructions, operative to;

receive the textual input data typed by the user in a first data field of a first data type of an input form containing a plurality of data fields, the input form retrieved from the form database and corresponding to one of the plurality of input form types;

when the textual input data typed by the user is one of a plurality of predetermined help commands, execute a help application based on the help command, where the help application provides for the determination of a stored input data value to be inserted in the first data field; and

when the textual input data typed by the user is a key command;

identify and access a key application, wherein the key application provides a list of user-selectable options in a secondary display, the list of user-selectable options being selected based on both the input form type and input data from a second data field of a second data type in the input form; and

responsive to a received selected option from the list of user-selectable options;

populating the first data field with the selected option;

inserting an additional field in the input form related to the selected option; and

automatically populating, the additional field with data related to the selected option.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a display device providing a display of the input form in a primary display frame; and

the processing device further operative to generate a secondary display window including key information generated by the key application program, where the key information relates to the data input in the corresponding data field.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the processing device is further operative to provide the secondary display window to an output device to be viewable in relation to the primary display window.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

an input device coupled to the processing device, the processing device operative to;

receive input commands relating to the key application;

determine a data set in the key application based on the input commands; and

associate the data set with at least one of the data fields in the input form.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a data set storage device coupled to the processing device such that the data set is retrieved from the data storage device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising:

the input device providing a selection command to the processing device for selecting the data set.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, the processing device further operative to:

when executing the key application, examine at least one of;

previously entered data in the input form and data related to the input form, and executing the key application based on at least one of the previously entered data.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the processing device is further operative to examine the data input and the data field having the data input therein.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the key command is user-defined.

10. A method for application functionality in an electronic document in response to a user typing textual input data in a data field on a display, the method comprising:

receiving the textual input data typed by the user in a first data field of a first data type of an input form containing a plurality of data fields on a primary display frame, the input form corresponding to an input form type;

when the textual input data typed by the user is one of a plurality of predetermined help commands, executing a help application based on the help command, where the help application provides for the determination of a stored input data value to be inserted in the first data field; and

when the textual input data typed by the user is a key command;

identifying and accessing a key application, wherein the key application provides a list of user-selectable options in a generated secondary display, the list of user-selectable options being selected based on both the input form type and input data from a second data field of a second data type in the form; and

responsive to a received selected option from the list of user-selectable options;

populating the first data field with the selected option;

inserting an additional field in the input form related to the selected option; and

automatically populating the additional field with data related to the selected option.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

providing the secondary display window to an output device to be viewable in relation to the primary display window.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving input commands relating to the key application;

determining a data set in the key application based on the input commands; and

associating the data set with at least one of the data fields in the input form.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing a visual display of the insertion of the data set into the input form in the primary display.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

prior to determining the data set in the key application, accessing a memory device to retrieve a plurality of data sets therefrom and providing the plurality of data sets to the key application.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of determining the data set further includes receiving a selection command for selecting the data set.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

when executing the key application, examining at least one of;

previously entered data in the input form or data relating to the input form and executing the key application based on at least one of the previously entered data.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of identifying the key application includes examining the data input and the data field having the data input therein.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the key command is user defined.

19. A computer readable storage medium including executable instructions that when executed by a processing device cause the processing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving a textual input data typed by a user in a first data field of a first data type of an input form containing a plurality of data fields on a primary display frame, the input form corresponding to an input form type;

when the textual input data typed by the user is one of a plurality of predetermined help commands, executing a help application based on the help command, where the help application provides for the determination of a stored input data value to be inserted in the first data field; and

when the textual input data typed by the user is a key command;

identifying and accessing a key application, wherein the key application provides a list of user-selectable options in a generated secondary display, the list of user-selectable options being selected based on both the input form type and input data from a second data field of a second data type in the form; and

responsive to a received selected option from the list of user-selectable options;

populating the first data field with the selected option;

inserting an additional field in the input form related to the selected option; and

automatically populating, the additional field with data related to the selected option.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 including further executable instructions that when executed by the processing device provide for:

providing the secondary display window to an output device to be viewable in relation to the primary display window.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 including further executable instructions that when executed by the processing device provide for:

receiving input commands relating to the key application;

determining a data set in the key application based on the input commands;

associating the data set with at least one of the data fields in the input form; and

providing a visual display of the insertion of the data set into the input form in the primary display.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 21 including further executable instructions that when executed by the processing device provide for:

prior to determining the data set in the key application, accessing a memory device to retrieve a plurality of data sets therefrom and providing the plurality of data sets to the key application.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22 wherein the step of determining the data set further includes receiving a selection command for selecting the data set.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19 including further executable instructions that when executed by the processing device provide for:

when executing the key application, examining at least one of;

previously entered data in the input form and data associated with the input form and executing the key application based on at least one of the previously entered data; and

wherein the step of identifying the key application includes examining the data input and the data field having the data input therein.