Integrated note-taking functionality for computing system entities

• US 9,910,644 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chang, Jih-Shiang, Li, Michelle, Natu, Madan
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US14/800,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20160259632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A computing system comprises, in one example, a display system configured to generate user interface displays, a first application configured to define an entity in the computing system, an interface component configured to control a second application to generate a notebook component corresponding to the entity, and an association component configured to generate and store an association between the entity and the notebook component. The first application is configured to control the display system to generate a first application user interface display that displays data for the entity in the first application and includes a user input mechanism corresponding to the notebook component in the second application based on the association.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to provide;

a first application configured to define a data object and including a workflow configured to operate on the data object;

an interface component configured to control a second application to generate a notebook component corresponding to the data object, the second application being distinct from the first application and including note-taking functionality; and

an association component configured to;

generate an association between the data object and the notebook component, and

store the association in a data store associated with the first application; and

wherein the first application is configured to;

generate a representation of a user interface display that includes data for the data object, and

a user input mechanism corresponding to the notebook component in the second application; and

based on an indication of user actuation of the user input mechanism, control the second application to access the notebook component based on the stored association.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the second application comprises a note-taking application.

3. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the representation of the user interface display includes a workflow user input mechanism, and wherein the first application is configured to:

based on an indication of user actuation of the workflow user input mechanism, perform the workflow on the data object.

4. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the notebook component comprises at least one of a notebook, a section within a notebook, or a page within a section of a notebook.

5. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the generated association comprises a mapping table having a plurality of entries, each entry mapping a data object in the computing system to a notebook component in the note-taking application.

6. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the first application is configured to:

generate a representation of a data object creation user interface display having a data object creation user input mechanism; and

based on an indication of user actuation of the data object creation user input mechanism, create the data object within the computing, system, and

wherein, in response to creation of the data object, the interface component is configured to automatically control the note-taking application to create the notebook component.

7. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the interface component is configured to receive a location indicator, indicative of a location of the notebook component, from the note-taking application, and the association component is configured to generate the association to include the location indicator.

8. The computing system of claim 6, wherein the note-taking application is configured to populate the notebook component with a link to the data object in the computing system.

9. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to provide:

a preview generator configured to generate a preview of content in the notebook component corresponding to the data object, wherein the representation of the user interface display includes the preview.

10. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the interface component is configured to:

receive an indication, from the second application, of a second notebook component that is associated with the data object, and

control the association component to generate and store a second association between the data object and the second notebook component.

11. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to provide:

a configuration component configured to;

generate a representation of a configuration user interface display with a configuration user input mechanism, and

based on an indication of user actuation of the configuration user input mechanism, select a set of data object types for which to generate notebook components.

12. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to provide:

a collaboration component configured to facilitate collaborative access by a plurality of users to the notebook component, wherein the plurality of users share the notebook component relative to the data object.

13. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the interface component is configured to transmit content related to the data object from the first application to the second application, for storage in the notebook component.

14. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the user input mechanism comprises a navigation link, and the first application is configured to:

based on an indication of user actuation of the navigation link, control the second application to navigate the user to the notebook component in the second application.

15. A computing system comprising:

a notebook creation component configured to receive an instruction, from a application, and, based on the received instruction, create a notebook component;

association component configured to identify an entity a data object stored in a data store associated with the first application, the data object being stored in association with the notebook component; and

a display system configured generate a representation of a notebook component user interface display that includes content of notebook component along with a user actuatable navigation link to the data object.

16. The computing system of claim 15, wherein the notebook creation component comprises a component of a second application, distinct from the first application, and wherein the computing system is configured to:

based on an indication of user actuation of the navigation link, provide an instruction to the first application to generate a user interface display corresponding to the data object.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein the computing system is configured to:

define a second notebook component,

associate the second notebook component with the data object, and

communicate an indication of the second notebook component to the first application.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

defining, by a first application, a data object, the application including a workflow configured to operate on the data object;

controlling a second application to generate a first notebook component for the data object, the second application being distinct from the first application and including note-taking functionality;

generating an association record that associates the first notebook component with the data object;

storing the association record in a data store associated with the first application;

generating a representation of a user interface display having a notebook navigation user input mechanism;

receiving an indication of user actuation of the notebook navigation user input mechanism; and

based on the indication of user actuation of the notebook navigation user input mechanism, identifying a second notebook component and storing an association record that associates the second notebook component with the data object.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the data object and the first notebook component are generated within different application contexts.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating a representation of a configuration user interface display with a configuration user input mechanism;

based on an indication of user actuation of the configuration user input mechanism, selecting a set of data objects types for which to generate notebook components; and

generating a representation of a data object user interface display that displays information stored in association with data objects of the selected data object types.