Shortcut system for use in a mobile electronic device and method thereof

• US 20020115476A1
• Filed: 05/21/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tenenbaum, Jessie D., Padawer, Andrew D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,735,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/564
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

A shortcut system for use in a mobile electronic device having several types of shortcuts allows a user to execute shortcuts of different types using a single mechanism. The shortcut system includes a display, an operating system, a shortcut data store, and one or more applications, including a shortcut application used to create shortcuts and edit shortcut information contained in the shortcut data store. The shortcut data store contains target information associated with applications of various types, indexed by a shortcut tag. When a new application is installed in the mobile electronic device, the user can add shortcut information associated with the new application to the shortcut data store. The target information can define content associated with an application. When a shortcut to content is executed, the associated application is launched and begins operating on the content data. Further, the shortcuts can be created with different types of tags.

Claims

1. A method for providing shortcuts in a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a shortcut data store configurable to contain shortcuts to a plurality of targets, wherein the shortcut data store is configurable to have targets of more than one type;

monitoring a user'"'"'s input to the mobile electronic device;

determining whether the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input;

if the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input, determining a target of the user'"'"'s input; and

executing the shortcut using the target of the user'"'"'s input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the types of the plurality of targets include telephone numbers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the types of the plurality of targets includes email addresses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the types of the plurality of targets includes URLs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the types of the plurality of targets includes contact cards.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a shortcut input can be of more than one type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein shortcut input types include a speed dial input.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein shortcut input types include a voice input.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein shortcut input types include a menu item selection input.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein shortcut input types include an icon selection input.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

providing a shortcut data store configurable to contain shortcuts to a plurality of targets, wherein the shortcut data store is configurable to have targets of more than one type;

monitoring a user'"'"'s input to the mobile electronic device;

determining whether the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input;

if the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input, determining a target of the user'"'"'s input; and

executing the shortcut using the target of the user'"'"'s input.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the types of the plurality of targets include telephone numbers.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the types of the plurality of targets includes email addresses.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the types of the plurality of targets includes URLs.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the types of the plurality of targets includes contact cards.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a shortcut input can be of more than one type.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein shortcut input types include a speed dial input.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein shortcut input types include a voice input.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein shortcut input types include a menu item selection input.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein shortcut input types include an icon selection input.

21. A method for providing shortcuts in a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

providing a shortcut data store configurable to contain shortcuts to a plurality of targets, the plurality of targets being configurable to have targets containing content data;

monitoring a user'"'"'s input to the mobile electronic device;

determining whether the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input;

if the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input, determining a target of the user'"'"'s input; and

executing the shortcut using the target of the user'"'"'s input.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the content data comprises a telephone number.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the content data comprises an email address.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the content data comprises a URL.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the content data comprises a contact card.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein a shortcut input can be of more than one type.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein shortcut input types include a speed dial input.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein shortcut input types include a voice input.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein shortcut input types include a menu item selection input.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein shortcut input types include an icon selection input.

31. A mobile electronic device having a shortcut data store, comprising:

means for providing shortcuts to a plurality of targets in the shortcut data store, wherein the shortcut data store is configurable to have targets of more than one type;

means for monitoring a user'"'"'s input to the mobile electronic device;

means for determining whether the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input;

means for determining a target of the user'"'"'s input if the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input; and

means for executing the shortcut using the target of the user'"'"'s input.

32. A mobile electronic device having a shortcut data store, comprising:

means for providing shortcuts to a plurality of targets in the shortcut data store, the plurality of targets being configurable to have targets containing content data;

means for monitoring a user'"'"'s input to the mobile electronic device;

means for determining whether the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input;

means for determining a target of the user'"'"'s input if the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input; and

means for executing the shortcut using the target of the user'"'"'s input.

33. A computer-readable medium in a mobile electronic device having a display unit, the computer-readable medium having computer-executable components, comprising:

a shortcut data store configured to contain shortcuts to a plurality of targets, wherein the shortcut data store is configurable to have targets of more than one type;

an application; and

an operating system coupled to the display unit, the application and the shortcut datastore, wherein the operating system is configured to (a) monitor a user'"'"'s input to the mobile electronic device, (b) determine whether the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input, (c) determine a target of the user'"'"'s input when the user'"'"'s input is a shortcut input, and (d) execute the shortcut using the target of the user'"'"'s input.