Simplifying application access to schematized contact data

• US 20050182741A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fisher, Oliver G., Dunn, Melissa W., van Dok, Cornelis K., Park, Vivien, Grossman, Joel K., Brychell, Joseph J. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database

Abstract

The present invention is directed to utilizing contact data controls to simplify access to schematized contact data. Contact data controls abstract the formatting of schematized contact data from applications. In some embodiments, applications that lack the configuration to natively access schematized contact data (e.g., lack the functionality to convert between schematized and non-schematized data or are not authorized) forward requests to access schematized contact data to an external contact data control. In other embodiments, applications that lack the configuration to natively access schematized contact data forward non-schematized data, which is to be used to update schematized contact data, to an external contact data control. External contact data controls appropriately interact with the schematized data and can provide user-interface such that an application designer need not have extensive knowledge of contact schemas associated with the schematized contact data.

Claims

1. In a computing system that has access to schematized contact data and that is in communication with applications configured to request access to the schematized contact data, one or more of the applications lacking the configuration to natively access the schematized contact data, a method for simplifying access to the schematized contact data, the method comprising:

an act of receiving a request to access schematized contact data, the request being received at an application that lacks the configuration to natively access schematized contact data;

an act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application; and

an act of receiving non-schematized contact data that corresponds to the requested schematized contact data such that contact data can be presented at the application notwithstanding that the application lacks the configuration to natively access schematized contact data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving a request to access schematized contact data comprises an act of receiving a request at an application that lacks the functionality to convert between schematized contact data and non-schematized contact data.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving a request to access schematized contact data comprises an act of receiving a request at an application that is not authorized to directly access the schematized contact data.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application comprises an act of calling a contact data control that prevents empty data fields from being presented.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application comprises an act of calling a contact data control that offers an actionable user-interface.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

an act of selecting a portion of contact data from the actionable user-interface to cause an action associated with an updated application to be performed.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application comprises an act of calling a contact data control that presents tasks associated with a data field when focus is shifted to the data field.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application comprises an act of calling a contact data control that provides a pop-up menu to manipulate contact data.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application comprises an act of calling a contact data control that determines the size of an interface based on the user-input.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application comprises an act of calling a contact data control that appropriately presents contact data based on a location associated with the contact data.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application comprises an act of calling a contact data control that determines the contact data to be presented based on user-input.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the act of calling a contact data control that determines the contact data to be presented based on user-input comprises an act of determining the contact data to be presented based on a presentation template.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the act of calling a contact data control that determines the contact data to be presented based on user-input comprises an act of determining the contact data to be presented based on a dynamically updated presentation template.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that determines the contact data to be presented based on user-input comprises an act calling a contact data control that sets a default value for a multi-value set.

15. In a computing system that has access to schematized contact data and that is in communication with applications configured to request access to schematized contact data, one or more of the applications lacking the configuration to natively access schematized contact data, a method for simplifying access to the schematized contact data, the method comprising:

an act of receiving non-schematized contact data that is to be included in schematized contact data, the non-schematized contact data being received at an application that lacks the configuration to natively access schematized contact data;

an act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application; and

an act of updating schematized contact data based on the non-schematized contact data such that the other applications can access the updated schematized contact data and notwithstanding that the application lacks the configuration to natively access schematized contact data.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the an act of receiving non-schematized contact data that is to be included in schematized contact data comprises an act of receiving non-schematized data at an application that lacks the functionality to convert between schematized contact data and non-schematized contact data.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the an act of receiving non-schematized contact data that is to be included in schematized contact data comprises an act of receiving non-schematized data at an application that is not authorized to directly access the schematized contact data.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application comprises an act of calling a contact data control that checks the validity of he received non-schematized data.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the act of calling an external contact data control that abstracts the formatting of the schematized contact data from the application comprises an act calling a contact data control that is configured to translate the received non-schematized contact data into schematized contact data.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the act of updating schematized contact data based on the non-schematized contact data comprises an act of causing the schematized contact data to be stored in a centralized storage location.

21. A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media, having stored thereon schematized contact data, one or more applications that are not configured to natively access the schematized contact data, and at least one contact data control that can be executed by the one or more processors, the at least on contact data control abstracting schematized contact data from applications, the at least one contact data control being configured to;

receive a request from an application that lacks the configuration to natively access the schematized contact data;

retrieve schematized contact data in response to the request; and

convert retrieved schematized contact data to corresponding non-schematized contact data such that the application can present contact data notwithstanding that the application lacks the configuration to access the schematized contact data directly;

send the non-schematized contact data to the application.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the contact data control is further configured to alter how the non-schematized contact data is presented at the application.

23. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the contact data control being configured to alter how the non-schematized contact data is presented at the application comprises the contact data control being configured to prevent empty data fields from being presented.

24. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the contact data control being configured to alter how the non-schematized contact data is presented at the application comprises the contact data control being configured to offer an actionable user-interface.

25. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the contact data control being configured to alter how the non-schematized contact data is presented at the application comprises the contact data control being configured presents tasks associated with a data field when focus is shifted to the data field.

26. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the contact data control being configured to alter how the non-schematized contact data is presented at the application comprises the contact data control being configured to provide a pop-up menu to manipulate contact data.

27. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein the contact data control being configured to alter how the non-schematized contact data is presented at the application comprises the contact data control being configured to set a default value for a multi-value set.

28. A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media, having stored thereon schematized contact data, one or more applications lacking the configuration to natively access the schematized contact data, and at least one contact data control that can be executed by the one or more processors, the at least on contact data control abstracting schematized contact data from applications, the at least one contact data control being configured to;

receive non-schematized contact data;

convert the non-schematized contact data to corresponding schematized contact data that conforms with a contact data schema such that an application can update schematized contact data notwithstanding that the application lacks the configuration to natively access the schematized contact data; and

store corresponding schematized contact data such that other applications can access the stored schematized contact data in accordance with the contact data schema;

29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the contact data control being configured to convert the non-schematized contact data to corresponding schematized contact comprises an act calling a parser that parses the non-schematized data such that the non-schematized data can be made to conform with a contact data schema.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the contact data control being configured to convert the non-schematized contact data to corresponding schematized contact data comprises contact data control being configured to check the validity of received non-schematized data.