Method for filling in form fields on a mobile computing device

• US 9,282,202 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interactive Memories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Interactive Memories Incorporated
• Inventors: Gowen, Michael Ryan, Elston, Caleb Timothy, Demers, Michael David, Dodwell, Mark, Hofsteede, Alexander Joseph, Kasper, David Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Kujundzic, Dino
• Application Number:
  US13/771,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20140096019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715760-763, 715/788, 715798-801, 715/815
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1242 Image or content composition onto a page
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1272 Digital storefront, e.g. e-ordering, web2print, submitting a job from a remote submission screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1287 via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 : Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 : using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 : Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 : Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0019 : on souvenir-type products or the like, e.g. T-shirts or mugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00196 : Creation of a photo-montage, e.g. photoalbum H04N1/0019 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 : for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00456 : for layout preview, e.g. page layout

Abstract

A system for creating image and or text-based projects on a computing appliance having a space-constrained display includes a server, the server having access to least one processor, a data repository, and a non-transitory physical medium. Software running from the non-transitory physical medium provides a first function for establishing a client server connection between the server and at least one mobile computing device, a second function for initiating an active data session between a user involved in project creation and or in project editing through a graphics user interface (GUI), a third function for displaying a field of a multi-field form for text input on the display of the mobile computing appliance, a fourth function for detecting that the field of the multi-field form displayed by the third function is populated, and a fifth function for displaying a next field on the mobile computing device for text input.

Claims

1. A system for serving a digital form made up of a plurality of individual form fields on a computing appliance that has limited display space, the system comprising:

a server connected to a network, the server comprising at least one hardware processor and a non-transitory physical storage medium;

at least one computing appliance connected to the network, the computing appliance having a display with a graphical user interface (GUI) for at least one user; and

program code stored on the non-transitory physical storage medium, the program code executable by the hardware processor to perform;

determining whether the computing appliance has limited display space based on properties of the display and properties of the digital form;

in response to determining that the computing appliance has limited display space, serving or displaying an unpopulated first form field of the plurality of individual form fields of the digital form;

receiving a user input to populate the first form field;

automatically determining whether the user input completely populates the first form field;

in response to determining that the user input completely populates the first form field, determining whether all individual form fields of the digital form have been completely populated; and

in response to determining that not all individual form fields of the digital form have been completely populated, automatically serving or displaying an unpopulated second form field of the plurality of individual form fields of the digital form, wherein the first form field is minimized or moved out of an original position to make room for the second form field, and wherein the second form field is displayed over a subset of the original position of the first form field.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein user activation of a command enter or a command next provides the determination that the first form field is completely populated.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital form is reassembled from the individual form fields after data population has occurred in all of the individual form fields.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein populated form fields are transmitted from the computing appliance to the server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the program code stored on the non-transitory physical storage medium is further configured to perform:

reconstructing the digital form containing all populated form fields in their correct positions in the digital form.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital form is a parent object container and the individual form fields of the digital form are objects that can be transferred over the network as single objects tracked to the parent object container.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the program code stored on the non-transitory physical storage medium is further configured to perform:

in response to determining that the user input does not completely populate the first form field, receiving updated user input; and

automatically determining whether the updated user input completely populates the first form field.

8. A non-transitory physical storage medium for storing program code, said program code executable by a hardware processor to perform a process for serving a digital form made up of a plurality of individual form fields on a computing appliance that has limited display space, the program code executable by the hardware processor to perform:

determining whether the computing appliance has limited display space based on properties of a display of the computing appliance and the digital form;

in response to determining that the computing appliance has limited display space, serving or displaying an unpopulated first form field of the plurality of individual form fields of the digital form;

receiving a user input to populate the first form field;

automatically determining whether the user input completely populates the first form field;

in response to determining that the user input completely populates the first form field, determining whether all individual form fields of the digital form have been completely populated; and

in response to determining that not all individual form fields of the digital form have been completely populated, automatically serving or displaying an unpopulated second form field of the plurality of individual form fields of the digital form, wherein the first form field is minimized or moved out of an original position to make room for the second form field, and wherein the second form field is displayed over a subset of the original position of the first form field.

9. The non-transitory physical storage medium of claim 8, wherein user activation of a command enter or a command next provides the determination that the first form field is completely populated.

10. The non-transitory physical storage medium of claim 8, wherein the digital form is reassembled from the individual form fields after data population has occurred in all individual form fields.

11. The non-transitory physical storage medium of claim 8, wherein populated form fields are transmitted from the computing appliance to a server.

12. The non-transitory physical storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program code is further configured to perform:

reconstructing the digital form containing all populated form fields in their correct positions in the digital form.

13. The non-transitory physical storage medium of claim 8, wherein the digital form is a parent object container, and the individual form fields are objects that can be transferred over a network as single objects tracked to the parent object container.

14. The non-transitory physical storage medium of claim 8, wherein the program code is further configured to perform:

in response to determining that the user input does not completely populate the first form field, receiving updated user input; and

automatically determining whether the updated user input completely populates the first form field.

15. A method executable from a non-transitory physical storage medium storing program code, said program code executable by a hardware processor to perform a process for displaying a digital form made up of a plurality of individual form fields on a computing appliance that has limited display space, the method comprising:

determining whether the computing appliance has limited display space based on properties of a display of the computing appliance and properties of the digital form;

in response to determining that the computing appliance has limited display space, displaying an unpopulated first form field of the digital form;

receiving a user input to populate the first form field;

automatically determining whether the user input completely populates the first form field;

in response to determining that the user input completely populates the first form field, determining whether all individual form fields have been completely populated; and

in response to determining that not all individual form fields have been completely populated, automatically displaying an unpopulated second form field, wherein the first form field is minimized or moved out of an original position to make room for the second form field, and wherein the second form field is displayed over a subset of the original position of the first form field.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein user activation of a command provides the determination that the first form field is completely populated.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the digital form is reassembled from the individual form fields after data population has occurred in all individual form fields.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein populated form fields are transmitted from the computing appliance to a server.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

reconstructing the digital form containing all populated form fields in their correct positions in the digital form.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the digital form is a parent object container, and the individual form fields are objects that can be transferred over a network as single objects tracked to the parent object container.