System and method for information identification

• US 8,364,706 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ZI Corporation of Canada Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Simpson, Todd Garrett
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, BRYAN F
• Application Number:
  US10/561,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,147 Days
• Field of Search: 726/9
• US Class Current: 707/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3072 where the reporting involves data filtering, e.g. pattern matching, time or event triggered, adaptive or policy-based reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27463 Predictive input, predictive dialling by comparing the dialled sequence with the content of a telephone directory
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A system and a method of retrieving information is described. In a system according to the invention, software modules may be used to provide the user with information that is most likely to be the information desired.

Claims

1. An information identification system, comprising:

a platform-framework software module which includes executable instructions to receive input from a user, wherein the user interacts with said platform-framework in a computer environment;

a data-type software module which includes;

executable instructions to identify types of data that might be returned to the user, the types of data including phone numbers, universal resource locators, names of human beings, names of locations, and addresses based on input from the user, wherein the data-type software module includes executable instructions to select the types of data based on the environment, and

executable instructions to identify an environment in which the user is providing input;

a service-descriptor software module which includes executable instructions to identify valid actions corresponding to each identified type of data, wherein a group of possible valid actions include each of searching a database of phone numbers, searching a database of universal resource locators, searching a database of names of human beings, search a database of names of locations, and searching a database of addresses;

a first information-search software module which includes executable instructions to identify a first set of information corresponding to a first one of the identified valid actions;

a second information-search software module which includes executable instructions to identify a second set of information corresponding to a second one of the identified valid actions;

a learning software module, which includes executable instructions to track preferences of the user and determine from the preferences whether data types in the sets of information provided to the user should be ordered in a manner particular to the user;

a processor, capable of executing at least one of the software modules; and

a user interface, capable of listing one of the first and second set of information at the top of a display and the other set of information at the bottom of the display with a cursor provided at the top of the display, so as to provide the sets of information to the user such that the set of information at the top of the display is more easily accessed by the user than the other set of information, and wherein the ordering of the first set of information and the second set of information is based on the environment, so that the system reacts differently depending upon the environment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data-type software module includes executable instructions to select the types of data based on the environment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the executable instructions of the first information search software module include instructions to parse a database of information from which the first set of information is identified.

4. A computer-implemented method of identifying information in a computer environment, comprising

providing a processor configured for performing the steps of:

identifying an environment in which the user is providing input;

receiving input from a user;

identifying types of data that might be returned to the user, the types of data including phone numbers, universal resource locators, names of human beings, names of locations, and addresses based on input from the user, wherein the types of data are selected based on the environment;

identifying valid actions corresponding to each type of data identified, the valid actions including searching a database of phone numbers, searching a database of universal resource locators, searching a database of names of human beings, search a database of names of locations, and searching a database of addresses;

identifying a first set of information corresponding to a first one of the valid actions;

identifying a second set of information corresponding to a second one of the valid actions;

identifying duplicate information, the duplicate information being information that appears in the first set of information and the second set of information;

removing the duplicate information from the second set of information;

tracking preferences of the user and determining from the preferences whether data types in the sets of information provided to the user should be ordered in a manner particular to the user; and

listing one of the first and second sets of information at the top of a display and the other set of information at the bottom of the display with a cursor provided at the top of the display, so as to provide the sets of information to the user such that the set of information at the top of the display is more easily accessed by the user than the other set of information, and wherein the ordering of the first set of information and the second set of information is based on the environment, so that the system reacts differently depending upon the environment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising parsing a database of information from which the first set of information is identified.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein tracking preferences is accomplished by tracking the frequency with which the user selects information from the sets.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein tracking preferences is accomplished by tracking the recently selected information from the sets.