Device and method for assisting input operations

• US 7,707,509 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujii, Hiroaki, Naono, Ken, Takubo, Shunji, Egi, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault; Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuong; Truc T
• Application Number:
  US11/485,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20070050725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715/850, 715/855, 715/764, 715/781, 715/802
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Collectively predicting input operations for plural operation object items (subwindows) belonging to a same window. A proposal window PG stores in a statistics information database and manages information about the input entity and an operation object of an input operation accepted from a user, and a window to which the operation object belongs, along with transition information indicating the transition of active windows concerned in previous input operations. When an active window transitions because of an input operation accepted from the user, it searches the statistics information database for information that contains information about a new active window and is associated with transition information matching the transition of active windows concerned in previous input operations.

Claims

1. A device for assisting input operations for a multiwindow system, comprising:

a processor;

a collecting section that operates on the processor to cause the processor to collect record information containing information about the input entity and an operation object of an input operation which the multiwindow system accepts from a user, and a window to which the operation object belongs;

a storing section that stores statistics information of the record information collected by the collecting section along with transition information indicating the transition of active windows before the input operation corresponding to the record information;

a proposing section, when an active window transitions because of an input operation that the multiwindow system accepts from a user, that operates on the processor to cause the processor to search the storing section for statistics information that contains information about a new active window and is associated with transition information matching the transition of active windows before the input operation, classify the searched statistics information by operation objects contained in the statistics information, and for each of the operation objects, output at least one of input entities contained in statistics information classified into each of the operation objects to display a set of candidate input entities for the operation objects in said new active window; and

an updating section that operates on the processor to cause the processor to update statistics values of statistics information that is associated with transition information indicating the transition of active windows before an input operation corresponding to record information collected by the collecting section, and contains the same information about the input entity and an operation object of an input operation and a window to which the operation object belongs, as the record information,

wherein the proposing section, for each of the operation objects, on the basis of statistics values of statistics information classified into that operation object, operates on the processor to cause the processor to output at least one of input entities contained in the statistics information classified into each of the operation objects to display a set of candidate input entities for the operation objects in said new active window.

2. The device for assisting input operations according to claim 1,

wherein the proposing section operates on the processor to cause the processor to display the transition information indicating the transition of active windows before the input operation that the multiwindow system accepts from the user, in a first window allocated by the multiwindow system, and

wherein the proposing section further operates on the processor to cause the processor to display, for each of the operation objects, the at least one of the input entities contained in the statistics information classified into each of the operation objects to display the set of candidate input entities for the operation objects, in a second window allocated by the multiwindow system.

3. The device for assisting input operations according to claim 2,

wherein the proposing section operates on the processor to cause the processor to reflect, for each of the operation objects, one of next input operation proposals displayed in the second window in a window switched to an active state by an input operation that the multiwindow system accepts from the user.

4. A computer program product comprising:

a computer program for a computer in which a multiwindow system is installed; and

a computer-readable storage medium having the computer program tangibly embodied thereon, wherein the computer program causes the computer to;

collect record information containing information about the input entity and an operation object of an input operation which the multiwindow system accepts from a user, and a window to which the operation object belongs;

store statistics information of the record information collected by the collecting section along with transition information indicating the transition of active windows before the input operation corresponding to the record information in a storing section;

when an active window transitions because of an input operation that the multiwindow system accepts from a user, search the storing section for statistics information that contains information about a new active window and is associated with transition information matching the transition of active windows before the input operation, classify the searched statistics information by operation objects contained in the statistics information, and for each of the operation objects, output at least one of input entities contained in statistics information classified into each of the operation objects to display a set of candidate input entities for the operation objects in said new active window; and

update statistics values of statistics information that is associated with transition information indicating the transition of active windows before an input operation corresponding to record information collected, and contains the same information about the input entity and an operation object of an input operation and a window to which the operation object belongs, as the record information,

wherein for each of the operation objects, on the basis of statistics values of statistics information classified into that operation object, the computer program further causes the computer to output at least one of input entities contained in the statistics information classified into each of the operation objects to display a set of candidate input entities for the operation objects in said new active window.

5. A method by which a computer assists input operations for a multiwindow system, comprising:

collecting, by the computer, record information containing information about the input entity and an operation object of an input operation which the multiwindow system accepts from a user, and a window to which the operation object belongs;

storing statistics information of the collected record information along with transition information indicating the transition of active windows before the input operation corresponding to the record information in a storage device;

when an active window transitions because of an input operation that the multiwindow system accepts from a user, searching, by the computer, the storage device for statistics information that contains information about a new active window and is associated with transition information matching the transition of active windows before the input operation, classifying, by the computer, the searched statistics information by operation objects contained in the statistics information, and for each of the operation objects, outputting, by the computer, at least one of input entities contained in statistics information classified into each of the operation objects to display a set of candidate input entities for the operation objects in said new active window; and

updating statistics values of statistics information that is associated with transition information indicating the transition of active windows before an input operation corresponding to record information collected, and contains the same information about the input entity and an operation object of an input operation and a window to which the operation object belongs, as the record information,

wherein for each of the operation objects, on the basis of statistics values of statistics information classified into that operation object, the method further comprising outputting at least one of input entities contained in the statistics information classified into each of the operation objects to display a set of candidate input entities for the operation objects in said new active window.