Patent ID: 9292156
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A method for enabling a user to invoke a function via a shortcut key in a multi-window computing environment by a software component executing on a processor of a computer, comprising: displaying a single shortcut key menu that lists bindings of functions to shortcut keys in different windows of applications, including an active application and non-active applications, for both user selection and modification; receiving, through the single shortcut key menu, a user entered selection of a shortcut key binding and a user modification of a priority for each of the functions to create a ranked menu of functions for the shortcut keys; closing the single shortcut key menu once the user's modification of the single shortcut key menu is complete; and responsive to detecting an entering of the shortcut key via a keyboard by a user during operation of the computer, selectively invoking one of functions listed in the single shortcut key menu among all the shortcut keys for the different windows of applications, including the active application and the non-active applications, regardless of which window is currently active based on the priority of the functions and a number of times the shortcut key is entered by: in response to detecting that the user pressed the shortcut key once, invoking the function bound to the shortcut key as defined in the currently active window without displaying the single shortcut key menu; in response to detecting that the user pressed the shortcut key twice in succession, invoking the function listed in the shortcut key menu having the highest priority without displaying the single shortcut key menu; and in response to detecting that the user pressed and held down the shortcut key for a predetermined duration, displaying the single shortcut key menu showing all the functions bound to the entered shortcut key across the different windows of the applications, including the active application and the non-active applications, for user selection.