System for extraction of text strings from on-screen computer window displays using the computer operating system in lieu of a clipboard

• US 5,900,005 A
• Filed: 01/23/1997
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Technocraft Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Techcraft Company Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Takaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSSI, JEFFREY A
• Application Number:
  US08/788,032
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 704/3, 707/539, 707/531, 707/532, 707/535, 345/145, 382/229
• US Class Current: 715/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A text string extraction system for a computer system having a display, an operating system having an application program interface with text output portion, a cursor for moving on the display, and application programs to be executed on the operating system for outputting text strings onto operating system via the text output portion to display the text strings on the display, the extraction system includes drawing portion for drawing a symbol on a location pointed to by the cursor and having the operating system output a signal to the application program and having the application program output a text string to be re-displayed and input portion for extracting a text string beside the location pointed to by the cursor by receiving the text string to be re-displayed output from the application program thereby supplying the input text string to the operating system via the text output portion for re-displaying.

Claims

1. A text string extraction system for a computer system having a display, an operating system means having an application program interface with text output portion, a cursor for moving on the display, and application program means for executing application programs on said operating system and outputting text strings onto said operating system via said text output portion so as to display said text strings on the display, said extraction system comprising:

drawing means for drawing a symbol on a location pointed by the cursor by sending a rectangular matrix to the application program interface then having said operating system means output a signal to an application program and having said application program output a text string to be re-displayed; and

input means for extracting a text string beside said location pointed by the cursor by receiving the text string to be re-displayed output from said application program thereby supplying said input text string to the operating system via the text output portion for re-displaying.

3. A text string extraction system as claimed by claims 1 or 2, wherein said drawing means includes means for writing an invisible dot matrix onto said location pointed by said cursor.

4. A text string extraction system as claimed in claim 3 further comprising word extraction means for extracting a word sandwiched by terminal words beside the cursor from the text strings received by said input means.

5. A text string extraction system as claimed in claim 3 further comprising word extraction means for extracting a word pointed to by the cursor from the text strings received by said input means.

6. A text string extraction system as claimed in claims 1 or 2 further comprising word extraction means for extracting a word sandwiched by terminal words beside the cursor from text strings received by said input means.

7. A text string extraction system as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a dictionary application program for searching a respective meaning of the extracted word but not having the searched result provided to the said display means via said input means.

8. A text string extraction system as claimed in claims 1 or 2 further comprising word extraction means for extracting a word pointed to by the cursor from the text strings received by said input means.

9. A text string extraction system as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a dictionary application program for searching a respective meaning of the extracted word but not having the searched result provided to the said display means via said input means.

2. A text string extraction system for a computer system having a display, an operating system means having an application program interface with a text output portion, and a cursor for moving on the display, application program means for executing an application program on said operating system and outputting text strings onto said operating system via said text output portion so as to display said text string on the display, said extraction system comprising:

drawing means for drawing a symbol on a location pointed by the cursor by sending a rectangular matrix to the application program interface and having said application program output a text string to be re-displayed on a predetermined address;

and input means for extracting a text string beside said location pointed by the cursor by receiving the text string to be displayed output on the predetermined address from said application program thereby supplying said input text string to the operating system via the text output portion for re-displaying.

10. A text extraction system for a computer system having a display, application programs for displaying a plurality of text strings on the display, and cursor displaying means for displaying a cursor on the display and moving the cursor in response to external operations, said text extraction system comprising:

re-output means for having said application programs re-output the text string on a predetermined location pointed to by said cursor;

extracting means for receiving said text string from said application program in response to said re-output means and extracting said text string beside said cursor based on the inputted text string the location pointed to by said cursor and a predetermined condition of the text string.

11. A text string extraction system for computer system having a display and an operating system executing means for executing an operating system having an application program interface with a text output portion for displaying a text string on the display, said extraction system comprising:

a text string extraction portion for replacing part or all of the text output portion of said operating system, receiving a display information from said application program, supplying the received display information to said operating system, and extracting the text string contained within said received display data.