System and method for automated data retrieval based on data placed in clipboard memory

• US 20060282401A1
• Filed: 06/14/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Waggoner, Steven E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953

Abstract

A data retrieval system and method of the invention provide automatic retrieval of information based on data placed into, for example, a Windows™ clipboard. A user highlights and cuts (or pastes) data into the clipboard during execution of an application program. A data retriever program periodically reads the clipboard to determine whether new data has been placed therein. Upon finding new data in the clipboard, the data retriever program determines whether the data or a variation thereof satisfies a predetermined criterion. If the criterion is satisfied, the data retriever program initiates a data-retrieval operation, such as a Web-based search, based on the data. If the criterion is not satisfied, the data retriever program does not perform any data-retrieval action. The data retrieval program does not interfere with the clipboard; any application program sharing the clipboard can use data placed therein, e.g., by a paste operation.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving information, comprising:

reading data placed into a memory buffer shared by a plurality of application programs; and

initiating automatically a data-retrieval operation based on the data placed in the shared memory buffer if the data satisfy a predetermined criterion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory buffer is a clipboard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of reading the memory buffer occurs periodically.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of ignoring the data placed in the shared memory buffer if the data do not satisfy the predetermined criterion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating a data-retrieval operation includes retrieving a record from a database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating a data-retrieval operation includes launching a web browser, retrieving a web page based on the data in the memory buffer, and displaying the web page.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating a data-retrieval operation includes retrieving a username and password stored in memory for use in authenticating a user in order to perform the data-retrieval operation.

8. A system for retrieving information, comprising:

a memory buffer shared by a plurality of application programs;

a processor executing one of the application programs;

a data retriever program reading data placed in the memory buffer during execution of that one application program and automatically performing a data-retrieval operation based on the data placed in the memory buffer if the data satisfy a predetermined criterion.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory buffer is a clipboard.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the data-retrieval program ignores the data placed in the memory buffer if the data do not satisfy the predetermined criterion.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein performance of the data-retrieval operation includes retrieving a record from a database.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein performance of the data-retrieval operation includes executing a web browser, retrieving a web page based on the data in the memory buffer, and displaying the retrieved web page.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein performance of the data-retrieval operation includes retrieving a username and password stored in memory for use in authenticating a user in order to perform the data-retrieval operation.

14. A computer program product for use with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

program code for reading data placed into a memory buffer shared by a plurality of application programs; and

program code for initiating automatically a data-retrieval operation based on the data placed in the shared memory buffer if the data satisfy a predetermined criterion.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the memory buffer is a clipboard.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising program code for ignoring the data placed in the shared memory buffer if the data do not satisfy the predetermined criterion.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program code for initiating a data-retrieval operation includes program code for retrieving a record from a database.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program code for initiating a data-retrieval operation includes program code for executing a web browser, for retrieving a web page based on the data in the memory buffer, and for displaying the retrieved web page.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the program code for initiating a data-retrieval operation includes program code for retrieving a username and password stored in memory for use in authenticating a user in order to perform the data-retrieval operation.

20. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for use with a computer system having a display and capable of generating a user interface through which a user may interact with the computer system, the computer data signal comprising:

program code for reading data placed into a memory buffer shared by a plurality of application programs; and

program code for initiating automatically a data-retrieval operation based on the data placed in the shared memory buffer if the data satisfy a predetermined criterion.

21. The computer data signal of claim 20, wherein the memory buffer is a clipboard.

22. The computer data signal of claim 20, further comprising program code for ignoring the data placed in the shared memory buffer if the data do not satisfy the predetermined criterion.

23. The computer data signal of claim 20, wherein the program code for initiating a data-retrieval operation includes program code for retrieving a record from a database.

24. The computer data signal of claim 20, wherein the program code for initiating a data-retrieval operation includes program code for executing a web browser, for retrieving a web page based on the data in the memory buffer, and for displaying the retrieved web page.

25. The computer data signal of claim 20, wherein the program code for initiating a data-retrieval operation includes program code for retrieving a username and password stored in memory for use in authenticating a user in order to perform the data-retrieval operation.