Data entry suggestion lists for designated document data entry areas based on data from other document data entry areas

• US 8,850,310 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rampson, Benjamin E., Cheng, Karen X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Maikhanh
• Application Number:
  US13/270,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/204, 715/234, 715/256, 715/257, 715/259, 715/273, 715/760, 715/809, 715/821
• US Class Current: 715/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/242 Dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/279 Recognition of textual entities

Abstract

A document having multiple data entry areas can be presented, and a list of suggestions for a designated data entry area can be generated. Generating the list can include analyzing a first set of data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document other than the designated data entry area and analyzing a second set of data including data outside the first set of data. The list of suggestions can be presented without having received manual entry of data in the designated data entry area, and user input selecting one of the suggestions can be received. Data represented by the selected suggestion can be entered in the data entry area in response to receiving the user input selecting the selected suggestion.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting a document having multiple data entry areas;

receiving a user input action directed at and selecting a designated data entry area of the multiple data entry areas;

generating a list of one or more suggestions for the designated data entry area, generating the list of one or more suggestions comprising identifying a suggestion of one or more suggestions in the list, the identified suggestion not having been included in the data entry areas of the document prior to the receipt of the user input directed at the designated data entry area, and the identifying of the suggestion comprising the following;

analyzing a first set of data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document other than the designated data entry area; and

analyzing a second set of data comprising data outside of data entry areas of the document;

presenting the list of one or more suggestions automatically in response to the receiving of the user input action directed at and selecting the designated data entry area, the presentation of the list being performed at a time when manual entry of data has not been received in the designated data entry area;

receiving user input selecting one of the one or more suggestions; and

entering data represented by the selected suggestion in the designated data entry area in response to receiving the user input selecting the selected suggestion,

wherein the method is performed by at least one computer processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document comprises analyzing a structure of the document.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document comprises analyzing a layout of a display of the document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document comprises recognizing one or more patterns in the data previously entered into the one or more data entry areas of the document.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the list of one or more suggestions comprises using the one or more recognized patterns to predict one or more suggestions and including the one or more predicted suggestions in the list of one or more suggestions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the list of one or more suggestions further comprises analyzing one or more dictionaries outside the document.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the list of one or more suggestions further comprises:

including in the list one or more suggestions from analyzing the one or more dictionaries outside the document; and

including in the list with one or more suggestions from analyzing data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the list of one or more suggestions comprises displaying the list of one or more suggestions as a floating menu proximal to the designated data entry area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the list of one or more suggestions comprises displaying the list of one or more suggestions on a touch screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the list of one or more suggestions comprises displaying the list of one or more suggestions proximal to a displayed keyboard on a touch screen.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a manual entry of text into the designated data entry area, and refining the list of one or more suggestions in response to receiving the manual entry of text.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of one or more suggestions is a list of multiple suggestions.

13. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform acts comprising:

presenting a document having multiple data entry areas;

receiving user input directed at and selecting a designated data entry area of the multiple data entry areas;

generating a list of one or more suggestions for the designated data entry area, generating the list of one or more suggestions comprising identifying a suggestion of one or more suggestions in the list, the identified suggestion not having been included in the data entry areas of the document prior to the receipt of the user input directed at the designated data entry area, and the identifying of the suggestion comprising the following;

analyzing a first set of data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document other than the designated data entry area; and

analyzing a second set of data comprising data outside of data entry areas of the document;

presenting the list of one or more suggestions automatically in response to the receiving of the user input directed at and selecting the designated data entry area, the presentation of the list being performed at a time when manual entry of data has not been received in the designated data entry area;

receiving user input selecting one of the one or more suggestions; and

entering data represented by the selected suggestion in the designated at entry area in response to receiving the user input selecting the selected suggestion.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the second set of data comprises one or more entries in a dictionary.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the acts further comprise receiving a manual entry of data into the designated data entry area, and refining the list of one or more suggestions in response to receiving the manual entry of data.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein analyzing data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document comprises analyzing a structure selected from a group consisting of a structure of the document, a layout of a display of the document, and combinations thereof.

17. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by at least one processor cause at least one processor to perform acts comprising;

presenting a document having multiple data entry areas;

receiving user input directed at and selecting a designated data entry area of the multiple data entry areas;

generating a list of one or more suggestions for the designated data entry area, generating the list of one or more suggestions comprising identifying a suggestion of one or more suggestions in the list, the identified suggestion not having been included in the data entry areas of the document prior to the receipt of the user input directed at the designated data entry area, and the identifying of the suggestion comprising the following;

analyzing a first set of data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document other than the designated data entry area; and

analyzing a second set of data comprising data outside of data entry areas of the document;

presenting the list of one or more suggestions automatically in response to the receiving of the user input directed at and selecting the designated data entry area, the presentation of the list being performed at a time when manual entry of data has not been received in the designated data entry area;

receiving user input selecting one of the one or more suggestions; and

entering data represented by the selected suggestion in the designated data entry area in response to receiving the user input selecting the selected suggestion.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein analyzing data previously entered into one or more data entry areas of the document comprises analyzing a structure selected from a group consisting of a structure of the document, a layout of a display of the document, and combinations thereof.