Text Type-Ahead System with Cross-Application Indexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current text entry methods in applications like instant messaging require laborious and time-consuming steps to reuse previously typed text, such as copying and pasting from chat history, which is inefficient and requires knowledge of the source text location.
Innovation Solution
A method that selects text based on patterns, indexes it, and matches current text entries to auto-complete or type-ahead features, allowing users to select and enter remaining text portions through a user interface, with options for specifying patterns, sources, and display order, and can operate across multiple applications and even closed windows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual copying and pasting is used to reuse text, then text can be reused across applications, but the process is laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary indexing of text from multiple applications and sources before the user needs to reuse it. The index is built in advance using background processes that capture text from various applications, allowing instant retrieval when the user starts typing, eliminating the time-consuming search and copy operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (the text indexing and matching system) that sits between the user and the text sources. This intermediary automatically indexes text from multiple applications and provides smart matching suggestions as the user types, eliminating the need for manual copying and pasting operations.
2Ease of operation
If chat history is searched to find previous text, then reused text can be located, but the user must know the source location and perform multiple manual steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically indexing text from multiple applications and sources without user intervention. When the user starts typing, the system automatically matches the input against the indexed text and provides relevant suggestions, eliminating the need for users to manually search chat histories or know source locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal text indexing system that works across multiple applications and data sources simultaneously. The single indexing mechanism handles text from chat applications, documents, and other sources, providing a unified interface that simplifies text retrieval regardless of the original source.
3Adaptability or versatility
If text is selected from multiple applications and sources, then text reuse flexibility is improved, but indexing and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the text indexing task by creating separate index entries for different applications and sources while maintaining a unified access interface. Each application's text is indexed independently with its own metadata, but the matching system presents a unified set of suggestions to the user, managing complexity through structured segmentation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and arrangements of text entry are discussed. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to enter text select text based upon the number of words in phrases of the text, upon the number of letters in words of the text, or upon other patterns of the text. The method may also involve indexing the selected text, matching text currently being entered by the user into an application to a portion of a segment of the indexed text, and entering a remaining portion of the segment of the indexed text into the application based upon the matching. In many embodiments, the text may be selected from the text entered into any of several applications. In a few embodiments, the text may be selected from sources specified by a user. In further embodiments, the sources may constitute data files.