Systems and methods for using entered text to access and process contextual information

• US 9,244,610 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cerence Operating Company (Cerence Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kushler, Clifford A., Manning, Jane, McSherry, Mike, Sheedy, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Ilana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Karki, Paras D
• Application Number:
  US13/301,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20120127080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A contextual keyboard allows users to bring in information not normally found on a keyboard, as though that information had been typed in afresh. It also allows users to take information entered on the keyboard, or simply available on the screen, or implicit in information on the screen, and perform actions on it, such as calling a phone number, entering contact or calendar information into a local database on the device, or using the information as search terms in an online query. The central novelty of this invention is moving the functionality into the keyboard layer, so as to be universally accessible on the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a touchscreen of a device,

displaying a keyboard configured to receive text input for an active application;

receiving user contact including a continuous path traced on the displayed keyboard;

generating a signal based on the user contact; and

sending the generated signal to a processor; and

at a processor of the device,

determining whether the received user contact comprises a command,

wherein the user contact could be interpreted as text input or as a command, such that the determining includes resolving ambiguity without additional user input;

when the received user contact is determined not to comprise a command, then;

accepting the received user contact as text input for the active application; and

when the received user contact is determined to comprise a command, then;

not accepting the received user contact as text input for the active application;

identifying at least one of an implicit seed or an explicit seed;

executing a function associated with the command that includes sending the at least one seed to another application in response to the generated signal; and

outputting results of the executed function to the touchscreen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the explicit seed comprises at least one word selected by the user that is displayed on the touchscreen device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the active application does not include a search engine interface, and wherein the executed function comprises:

opening a search engine;

populating the search engine with the seed; and

commanding the search engine to execute.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein opening comprises:

displaying a menu of previously defined search engines; and

receiving a manual selection of one of the previously defined search engines from the menu.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the user contact path is associated with a previously defined word-macro configured to open a specific search engine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the implicit seed comprises content displayed on the touchscreen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the active application is not a contacts application, and wherein the executed function comprises saving the seed to contacts memory of the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the active application is not a social media application, and wherein the executed function comprises:

posting the seed to a social media site based on the user contact.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein posting comprises:

displaying a menu of previously defined social media sites; and

receiving a manual selection of one of the previously defined social media sites from the menu; and

automatically posting the seed to the selected social media site.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the active application is not a mapping application, and wherein the executed function comprises:

automatically opening a mapping application based on the user contact;

receiving a user selection of an address presented by the mapping application; and

automatically inserting the user selected address into a text entry area of the previously active application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the executed function further comprises automatically inserting a hyperlink in the previously active window.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the user contact generates a unit of text, such that determining whether the received user contact comprises a command includes:

recognizing whether the generated unit of text matches a command macro; and

evaluating the context of the generated text including the at least one command macro seed.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the command is independent of the active application, such that the function associated with the command is available irrespective of the active application.

12. A device comprising:

a touchscreen configured to,

display a keyboard configured to receive text input for an active application;

receive user contact including a continuous path traced on the displayed keyboard;

generate a signal based on a user contact; and

send the generated signal to a processor; and

a processor configured to,

determine whether the received user contact comprises a command,

wherein the user contact could be interpreted as text input for the active application or as a command, such that the determining includes resolving ambiguity without additional user input;

when the received user contact is determined not to comprise a command, then;

accept the received user contact as text input for the active application; and

when the received user contact is determined to comprise a command, then;

not accept the received user contact as text input for the active application;

identify at least one of an implicit seed or an explicit seed;

execute a function associated with the command that includes sending the at least one seed to another application in response to the generated signal; and

output results of the executed function to the touchscreen.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the explicit seed comprises at least one word selected by the user that is displayed on the touchscreen.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the active application does not include a search engine interface, and wherein executing the function comprises:

opening a search engine;

populating the search engine with the seed; and

commanding the search engine to execute.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the user contact path is associated with a previously defined word-macro configured to open a specific search engine;

or wherein the processor opens the search engine by;

displaying a menu of previously defined search engines; and

receiving a manual selection of one of the previously defined search engines from the menu.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the implicit seed comprises content displayed on the touchscreen.

17. The device of claim 12, further comprising a contacts memory, wherein the active application is not a contacts application, and wherein the executed function comprises saving the seed to the contacts memory.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the active application is not a social media application, and wherein the executed function comprises posting the seed to a social media site based on the user contact.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein posting comprises:

displaying a menu of previously defined social media sites;

receiving a manual selection of one of the previously defined social media sites from the menu; and

automatically posting the seed to the selected social media site.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein the active application is not a mapping application, and wherein the processor is configured to,

automatically open a mapping application based on the user contact;

receive a user selection of an address presented by the mapping application; and

automatically insert the user selected address or a hyperlink into a text entry area of the previously active application.