Adaptive picker for selecting data in disparate information systems

• US 7,647,304 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Burke, Jonah S., Crow, Howard M., Kapadia, Arshish C., Tennisberg, Targo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Wilson
• Application Number:
  US11/222,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707/102, 707/200
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

An adaptive picker for selecting data in disparate information systems is provided. The adaptive picker may be implemented by an application to pick items from one or more data stores, which are associated with other applications. The adaptive picker determines items provided by the data store that are available for picking and the types of data associated with the items. The adaptive picker receives key information provided by a user through the first application and searches for the available items based on the key information. The adaptive picker also filters the items to identify a desired item. The adaptive picker can determine the filtering capabilities associated with the data stores and automatically adapt to these filtering capabilities. The adaptive picker can retrieve a desired item with a key information search that matches the key information with a unique identifier associated with desired item. The key information search enables a user to pick an item without browsing. If the search returns multiple items, the adaptive picker can provide a disambiguation menu for selecting the desired. The search results can also be filtered by context determined by the adaptive filter. The context may include any parameter, such as the identity of a user, the time of day, an application the user is working within, an organizational discipline of the user, or the like.

Claims

1. At least one device-readable computer storage media encoded with device-executable instructions that when executed by a processing unit performs steps comprising:

identifying available items from a data store associated with a first application among a plurality of disparate data stores, wherein the identifying comprises determining metadata associated with the data store that identifies the available items;

receiving an selection through a second application to pick a desired item;

receiving key information associated with the desired item;

performing a search of the available items using the key information;

filtering results of the search with at least one filter;

identifying the desired item from the results;

retrieving data associated with the desired item from the data store;

providing the retrieved data to the second application;

modifying the data store with new filtering capabilities;

determining the filtering capabilities associated with the modified data store; and

automatically adjusting the filtering based on the determined filtering capabilities.

2. The at least one device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an identifier uniquely associated with the desired item as the key information; and

performing a key information search with the identifier.

3. The at least one device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

performing an exact match search based on the key information; and

identifying the desired item that exactly matches the key information.

4. The at least one device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

performing a wild card search based on the key information;

identifying a plurality of items corresponding to the key information; and

providing the plurality of items in a disambiguation menu for a selection of the desired item.

5. The at least one device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selected field associated with the items from the data store;

performing a search of the data associated with selected field based on the key information; and

identifying a plurality of items that correspond to the key information.

6. The at least one device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

presenting the plurality of identified items as selectable objects in a user interface; and

receiving a selection of the desired item from the user interface.

7. The at least one device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the available items, data types and filters are identified by a registration manager.

8. The at least one device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the filtering step is performed with at least one of a user input filter, a system filter, a limit filter, an exact match filter, a wild card filter, a start match filter, an end match filter, a contain match filter, and a range filter.

9. The at least one one or more device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 8, wherein the system filter is configured to filter items based on a context.

10. The at least one device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 9, wherein the context includes at least one of identity of a user, time of day, an application the user is working within, or an organizational discipline of the user.

11. The at least one one or more device-readable computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the second application is at least one of a collaborative application, a web portal application, an information worker application, a client application, or a server application.

12. A computer-implemented method for a first application to interact with a user, the method comprising:

providing a user interface associated with an adaptive picker, the adaptive picker including information about items provided by a data store stored in a memory associated with a second application among a plurality of disparate data stores;

enabling key information to be entered for picking a desired item;

in response to receiving the key information,

determining by a processing unit at least one item corresponding to the key information, the determining comprising filtering results of a search based on the key information; and

retrieving data associated with the desired item from the data store;

modifying the data store with new filtering capabilities;

determining the filtering capabilities associated with the modified data store; and

automatically adjusting the filtering based on the determined filtering capabilities.

13. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

in response to determining a plurality of items corresponding to the key information,

providing the plurality of items in a disambiguation menu; and

enabling a selection of the desired item from among the plurality of determined items.

14. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

providing a plurality of fields associated with the items provided by the data store;

enabling a selection of at least one of the fields;

enabling a search string to be entered;

in response to receiving a selection of a field and a search string,

determining items based on a search of the selected field with the search string; and

enabling a selection of the desired item from among the plurality of determined items.

15. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 14, wherein the fields include at least one of record identifiers, business type, name, and address information.

16. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, further comprising displaying data in the selected field associated with the items.

17. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 16, further comprising displaying data in at least one unselected field associated with the items.

18. A computing device for providing a web portal application, the computing device comprising:

means for communicating with a data store associated with another application among a plurality of disparate data stores;

means for determining items provided by the data store that are available for picking by determining metadata associated with the data store that identifies the available items;

means for determining the types of data associated with the items;

means for searching for the available items based on key information;

means for filtering the items to identify a desired item;

means for modifying the data store with new filtering capabilities;

means for determining the filtering capabilities associated with the modified data store; and

means for automatically adjusting the filtering based on the determined filtering capabilities.

19. The computing device as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

means for determining a plurality of items from the search;

means for providing a disambiguation menu for selecting the desired item.