Browser based objects for copying and sending operations

• US 9,336,326 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Abbott, Martin Jeffrey, Tsampalis, Ioannis, Allen, Shelley K., Wang, Huiyu, Chylinski, Kathleen Jane
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Justin
• Application Number:
  US12/648,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 705/78, 715/823
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/543 User-generated data transfer, e.g. clipboards, dynamic data exchange [DDE], object linking and embedding [OLE]

Abstract

A disclosed method of transferring information between application programs on a mobile device may involve executing a browser application program on the mobile device to display a page containing one or more objects on a touch panel display; responsive to user touching of the display, identifying an object from the displayed page as having been selected by the user; and copying the selected object from the displayed page. The method further includes steps of displaying on the display a list of one or more destination programs available for selection and execution on the mobile device. The method may also involve steps of, responsive to user touching of the touch screen display, identifying one destination program as having been selected by the user, and launching the identified program. Then, the copied object is pasted for use in the execution of the identified destination program.

Claims

1. A method comprising steps of:

executing a browser application program on a mobile device to display a page containing a plurality of selectable text based objects and other content on a touch screen display of the mobile device;

responsive to receiving a user selection of a mode from a plurality of available modes displayed on the touch screen display with the plurality of selectable text based objects and the other content of the page, identifying the plurality of selectable text based objects by displaying the identified plurality of selectable text based objects in a manner that each selectable text based object of the plurality of selectable text based objects is distinguished from the other content displayed on the touch screen display that is not selectable in the user selected mode;

in response to receiving the user selection of an identified text based object from the plurality of identified selectable text based objects, automatically copying all of the text contained in the user selected, identified text based object displayed on the displayed page;

in response to selecting an input replacing the display of the plurality of selectable text based objects on the touch screen display with a list of destination programs available for selection and execution on the mobile device, wherein the list of destination programs includes two or more of a text message composer program, an e-mail message program, an address management program, a text editor program, a navigation program or a scheduler program;

responsive to receiving the user selection of one of the listed destination programs displayed on the touch screen display, identifying one destination program as having been selected by the user;

launching the identified destination program for execution on the mobile device; and

pasting all of the copied text from the selected identified text based object into a user interface for use in the execution of the identified destination program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of pasting the copied text is performed automatically.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectable text based objects relates to a URL, a hyperlink to a specific URL, an address of a physical location, vCard, or a future event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected mode is a copy/send mode on the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after the step of pasting, automatically closing the identified destination program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the text in the user selected text based object indicates a selected location; and

the execution of the identified destination program causes the mobile device to generate a map related to the selected location as a display on the touch screen display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the displayed page comprises a map;

the text in the user selected text based object corresponds to a location selected by the user from the map; and

the execution of the identified destination program causes the mobile device to perform a function in relation to the selected location.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of available modes includes one or more of:

a forward mode that forwards the user selected, identified text object;

a find on page mode that finds text in the user selected, identified text object elsewhere on the page;

a history mode that provides a history of the user selected, identified text object; and

a copy/send mode that copies and sends the user selected, identified text object via the destination program.

8. A method comprising steps of:

executing a browser application program on a mobile device to display a page containing a plurality of selectable text based objects and other content on a touch screen display of the mobile device;

responsive to a user selecting a mode from a plurality of available modes displayed on the touch screen display of the page with the plurality of selectable text based objects and the other content on the touch screen display of the mobile device, altering the display to distinguish each selectable text based object of the plurality of selectable text based objects from the other content on the page, wherein the appearance of the other content that is not selectable in the user selected mode remains unchanged after altering the display of the plurality of selectable text based objects;

responsive to user selection of a selectable text based object from the plurality of selectable text based objects via a user touching of the touch screen display after initiation of the mode change and while distinguishing in the display the one or more selectable text based objects from the other content contained in the displayed page, copying the user selected text based object to a memory;

obtaining information tied to the user selected text based object, wherein the obtained information contains location information relating to a location;

automatically launching a destination program for execution on the mobile device, wherein the destination program is one or more application programs that uses the user selected text based object;

replacing a portion of the displayed page containing the plurality of selectable text based objects with a user interface of the launched destination program;

pasting all or part of the obtained information with the copied, user selected text based object into the user interface for use in the execution of the launched destination program;

closing the destination application; and

returning to the display of the page containing the plurality of selectable text based objects and the other content, wherein the display of the plurality of selectable text based objects is indistinguishable from the display of the other content on the page.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the browser application program is programmed, when executed, to display a map containing the plurality of selectable text based objects, and

the location information contains a location of said at least one of the selectable text based objects on the displayed map.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the location information relates to a location of the mobile device or the user of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of altering the display of the one or more selectable text based objects comprises:

highlighting the plurality of selectable text based objects to indicate that the plurality of selectable text based objects is available for selection and copying that distinguishes the plurality of selectable text based objects from other objects or the other content displayed on the touch screen display that are not available for selection and copying.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein different objects of the plurality of selectable text based objects are highlighted with different colors as compared to the other objects and the other content.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of altering the display of the plurality of selectable text based objects comprises:

enclosing the plurality of selectable objects by a line to indicate that the plurality of selectable objects is available for selection and copying that distinguishes the plurality of selectable objects from the other objects or the other content displayed on the touch screen display that are not available for selection and copying.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein different objects of the plurality of selectable text based objects are enclosed with different color lines.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of altering the display of the displayed page comprises:

automatically filling in an area of the user selected text based object in the display with color to indicate that the selected text based object has been selected.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of altering the display of the displayed page comprises:

automatically changing text of the user selected text based object to a different format to indicate that the selected text based object has been selected.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable non-transitory storage medium containing a program which, when executed, causes a mobile device to execute a method, the method comprising steps of:

displaying a page containing a plurality of selectable text based objects and other content on a touch screen display of the mobile device;

responsive to receiving a user selection of a mode from a plurality of available modes displayed on the touch screen display with the plurality of selectable text based objects and the other content of the page, identifying the plurality of selectable text based object within the displayed page by displaying the identified plurality of selectable text based objects in a manner that each selectable text based object of the plurality of selectable text based objects is distinguished from the other content displayed on the touch screen display that is not selectable in the user selected mode;

in response to receiving a selection of at least one of the identified text based objects, automatically copying all of the text contained in the at least one user selected, identified text based object displayed on the displayed page;

in response to selecting an input, replacing the display of the plurality of selectable text based objects on the touch screen display with a list of destination programs available for selection and execution on the mobile device, wherein the list of destination programs includes two or more of a text message composer program, an e-mail message program, an address management program, a text editor program, a navigation program or a scheduler program;

responsive to receiving the user selection of one of the listed destination programs displayed on the touch screen display, identifying one destination program as having been selected by the user;

launching the identified destination program for execution on the mobile device; and

pasting all of the copied text from the selected at least one identified text based objects into a user interface for use in the execution of the identified destination program.

12. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a touch screen display; and

a non-transitory storage medium containing a program, wherein;

the program, when executed by the processor, causes the mobile device to execute functions for transferring information between application programs on the mobile device having a plurality of stored application programs at least one of which supports communication of the mobile device through a wireless communication network, and the functions comprise;

display in a browser application program a page containing a plurality of selectable text based objects and other content on a touch screen display of the mobile device;

responsive to receiving a user selection of a mode from a plurality of available modes displayed on the touch screen display with the plurality of selectable text based objects and the other content of the page, identifying the plurality of selectable text based objects by displaying the identified plurality of selectable text based objects in a manner that each selectable text based object of the plurality of selectable text based objects is distinguished from the other content displayed on the touch screen display that is not selectable in the user selected mode;

in response to receiving the user selection of an identified text based object from the plurality of selectable text based objects, automatically copying all of the text contained in the user selected, identified selectable text based object displayed on the displayed page;

in response to selecting an input, replacing the display of the plurality of selectable text based objects on the touch screen display with a list of destination programs available for selection and execution on the mobile device, wherein the list of destination programs includes two or more of a text message composer program, an e-mail message program, an address management program, a text editor program, a navigation program or a scheduler program;

responsive to receiving the user selection of one of the listed destination programs displayed on the touch screen display, identifying one destination program as having been selected by the user;

launching the identified destination program for execution on the mobile device; and

pasting all of the copied text from the selected identified, selectable text based object into a user interface for use in the execution of the identified destination program.

13. An article of manufacture comprising a computer readable non-transitory storage medium containing a program which, when executed, causes a mobile device to execute a method, the method comprising steps of:

executing a browser application program on the mobile device to display a page containing a plurality of selectable text based objects and other content on a touch screen display of the mobile device;

responsive to a user selecting a mode from a plurality of available modes displayed on the touch screen display of the page with the plurality of selectable text based objects and the other content on the touch screen display of the mobile device, altering the display to distinguish each selectable text based object of the plurality of selectable text based objects from the other content on the page, wherein the appearance of the other content remains unchanged after altering the display that is not selectable in the user selected mode;

responsive to user selection of a selectable text based object from the plurality of selectable text based objects via a user touching of the touch screen display after initiation of the mode change, while distinguishing in the display the plurality of selectable text based objects from the other content contained in the displayed page, copying the user selected text based object to memory;

obtaining information tied to the identified user selected text based object, wherein the obtained information contains location information relating to a location;

automatically launching a destination program for execution on the mobile device, wherein the destination program is one or more application programs that uses the user selected text based object;

replacing a portion of the displayed page containing the plurality of selectable text based objects with a user interface of the launched destination program;

pasting all or part of the obtained information with the copied, user selected text based object into the user interface for use in the execution of the launched destination program;

closing the destination application;

returning to the display of the page containing the plurality of selectable text based objects and the other content, wherein the display of the plurality of selectable text based objects is indistinguishable from the display of the other content on the page.

14. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a touch screen display; and

a non-transitory storage medium containing a program, wherein;

the program, when executed by the processor, causes the mobile device to execute functions for transferring information between application programs on the mobile device having a plurality of stored application programs at least one of which supports communication of the mobile device through a wireless communication network, and the functions comprise;

executing a browser application program on the mobile device to display a page containing a plurality of selectable text based objects and other content on a touch screen display of the mobile device;

responsive to a user selecting a mode from a plurality of available modes displayed on the touch screen display, detecting user initiation of a mode change associated with the selected mode switch on the mobile device;

in response to the detected mode change, altering the display of the plurality of selectable text based objects to distinguish each selectable text based object of the plurality of selectable text based objects displayed on the displayed page from the other content that is not selectable in the user selected mode on the displayed page, wherein the appearance of the other content remains unchanged after altering the display of the plurality of selectable text based objects;

responsive to user selection of a selectable text based object from the plurality of selectable text based objects via a user touching of the touch screen display after initiation of the mode change and while distinguishing in the display the plurality of selectable text based objects and the other content contained in the displayed page, copying the user selected text based object to the storage medium;

obtaining information tied to the identified user selected text based object, wherein the obtained information contains location information relating to a location;

automatically launching a destination program for execution on the mobile device, wherein the destination program is one or more application programs that uses the user selected text based object;

replacing a portion of the displayed page containing the plurality of selectable text based objects with a user interface of the launched destination program;

pasting all or part of the obtained information with the copied, user selected text based object for use in the execution of the launched destination program;

closing the destination application; and

returning to the display of the page containing the one or more selectable text based objects and the other content, wherein the display of the one or more selectable text based objects is indistinguishable from the display of the other content on the page.