Abstract:
A method of pasting data from a source application to a destination application, where the source and destination applications are not the same; the method comprising the steps of: identifying a data type for the data and an appropriate input handler for the data type; converting the data using the appropriate input handle to a standard format based on the data type; in an output module determining the context of the data in the standard format to identify an appropriate output handler; obtaining a suggested paste operation from a suggestion engine based on the type and context of the data; and instructing a paste operation on the basis of the suggested paste operation.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims the benefit of European Patent Application No. 11305747.5, filed Jun. 15, 2011; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method and system for improving the pasting of information or data, particularly but not exclusively, between different applications. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is common practice, in many situations, to copy data or information from one place and paste it to another place. This is typically done in a computer related environment where data is copied and pasted between different applications, documents, etc. 
     In the travel industry, a significant number of different applications exist in many different contexts. In the case of bookings for example, there may be front office applications, middle office applications, applications for invoicing and payment or any other appropriate type of application. Whatever the circumstance applications are becoming more and more integrated and the need to transfer data from one application to another continues to grow. 
     An internal system may offer seamless integrations of numerous standalone applications in all relevant products of that system. However, most systems need to communicate with external applications and there is often a need to exchange data from an external application to an internal one or vice versa. 
     It is not always possible for a complete integration between all applications and manual action or intervention may be required. This can often mean a user needs to carry out extensive copy and paste operations to share the required information between the applications. This would require a system to extract data copied from an external application using a clipboard type feature and to paste it into an enriched application, for example to pre-fill a certain number in a particular text field. 
     Using a paste functionality for data transfer is not a new concept and many different products exist to do this. For example, it is possible to paste text data from Microsoft Access Databases into Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. In another known system, it is possible to import vector graphics in text format for computer aided design programs. 
     These known systems use paste functionality to parse input text data into a variety of formats, by pasting a graphical representation into their own user interfaces. However, neither system enables a paste function based on a form-based format such as those that may be required in the travel industry. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,380 (INTEL Corporation) discloses a method and system for automatically filling in a form in a web page in relationship with a database storing user data. The system comprises a form recognition unit to determine if data input is required for the form; a tag recognition unit to determine which kind of data is required; a matching unit to find and retrieve matching data in the database; and a learning subunit to update the database based on data manually entered by the user. 
     US 2006/0059247 (IBM Corporation) discloses a method for automatically filling in a form in a web page related to a user text file stored in a local memory. The system comprises a scanning module for scanning the stored text file to identify text tags and a pattern recognition controller for scanning the source code of the web page to identify the text tags and then to retrieve the matching text tags from the stored text file. 
     The above mentioned patent and application fail to address many of the problems associated with copy and paste functions between different applications as may be encountered in the travel industry, for example. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least some of the problems associated with the prior art. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system and method for improving the pasting function between different applications. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method and system as set out in the accompanying claims. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of pasting data from a source application to a destination application, where the source and destination applications are not the same; the method comprising the steps of: identifying a data type for the data and an appropriate input handler for the data type; converting the data using the appropriate input handle to a standard format based on the data type; in an output module determining the context of the data in the standard format to identify an appropriate output handler; obtaining a suggested paste operation from a suggestion engine based on the type and context of the data; and instructing a paste operation on the basis of the suggested paste operation. 
     Optionally, wherein the method further comprises identifying more than one possible suggested paste operation and generating a request for selection of the preferred suggested paste operation. 
     Optionally, wherein the method further comprises storing the user response for future use in other similar circumstances. 
     Optionally, further comprising applying an introspection process to the data prior to commencing the paste operation. 
     Optionally, further comprising determining the nature of the data to be pasted to a clipboard for the subsequent paste operation. 
     Optionally, further comprising determining a format of the data to be copied. 
     The present invention provides at least the following advantages: 
     The pre-filling of multiple form elements in a travel reservation system can be achieved by using a simple paste operation. 
     The ability to parse multiple input types including language, grammar and other inputs from various reservation systems using an import mask and applying a paste command is provided. 
     The data can be entered into background tabs using a paste of parsable data. 
     All pasted fields may be highlighted in a unique color which allows the user to easily see the imported or pasted data. 
     The ability to intuitively select the information that is needed from an external application is provided. This has an added value compared with full integration systems: as the system gives the user the ability to control what should be integrated. By selecting what should be copied, the user has full control in a very natural way. 
     The application learns the behavior of the user and behaves in a default manner with increasing certainty over time. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an overview of a paste function, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention: 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an overview of an alternative paste function, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the architecture used to accomplish an enriched paste function in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the architecture of the User Interface (UI) Agent in  FIG. 2 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a sequence diagram of a quick paste routine, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a sequence diagram of a paste routine with user interaction, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a sequence diagram of a further paste routine in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     This invention deals with data import from a first (source) application to a second (target) application. For example from a travel reservation system and a customer management system into a graphical system, using the paste functionality of the graphical system. This provides a simple data input method that can be used in a graphical booking application environment for travel or other similar applications. In this example, the system also provides strong visual feedback on both the original content, and on the success of the data import. If necessary the user can also validate the success of the paste operation. 
     Complex paste operations for travel reservation systems of the present invention are novel and inventive and, unlike similar features which can be seen in spreadsheet applications, can be applied to non-tabular applications. 
     The present invention could also enable interaction between a Global Distribution System (GDS) with non GDS applications such as a website for a low cost carrier. A user could search for suggestions in an airline website and then go to the website of another provider and use the copy/paste mechanism of the present invention to transfer the search criteria from one application to another. This would avoid having to re-enter data and duplication of effort on the part of the user. The user could use the same search criteria and paste this into different applications thereby finding more possible suggestions which meet the search requirements. 
     The present invention also proposes a way to obtain data from an external system and to operate customized actions on the target application by means of an enhanced paste operation. The invention further provides an extension that does not apply a copy to clipboard functionality if required. These features will be described in greater detail below. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic representation of a paste operation, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, is shown. A user accesses an external application (A), which does not require any modified to operate with the system of the present invention. The user selects data and then uses a standard copy to clipboard functionality. The user then pastes the data into the enriched application  100  (also known as the enhanced paste system (EPS)). This starts the enriched processes of the present invention. 
     Once the user has pasted the data to the enhanced application, an input factory or module  102  is activated. The input factory attempts to determine the source of the data. This is carried out by any appropriate recognition technique and enables the enhanced application to identify the source application from which the data was copied. Having identified the source application the input factory can determine if any specific handling is required for the data and so can delegate an appropriate special handler. 
     The input factory has to determine if an enriched paste mechanism should be applied. If the user has copied ‘normal text’ into the clipboard so as to copy the normal text from one internal text field to another, a standard paste mechanism is all that is needed. In order to determine if the normal or enriched paste operation is required, the system makes a determination, as follows. If the user has identified a specific text field or area into which to paste the content of the clipboard, then a standard paste mechanism will be carried out. However, if the user is trying to paste to a “non pastable” area such as a number of different fields at the same time, then the enriched paste mechanism will be carried out, as will be described in greater detail below. 
     The specific handler ( 104 ,  106 ) selected by the input factory for the input source will depend on the source and the nature of the data. In the above example where text is being pasted, a text handler ( 106 ) will be used. The text handler will extract text data and convert it for later use. The handler could alternatively be a graphical handler ( 104 ) which could convert graphic data into a standard data type such as XML, by analyzing the graphic data that is copied. Different types of handler may be used for different types of data type. In addition, for different handlers, the type of data can be of any appropriate type and is not limited to the example described above. 
     The data is sent from the handler to an output factory or module  108  which is activated based on standardized data which has been computed by the input handlers. The output factory is responsible for electing the correct output handler ( 110 ,  112 ) in order to process and generate the necessary output  114 . The handlers in the input factory communicate the details of the enriched application and its context to the output factory. In addition, the output factory knows which user interface screen has been activated and which action has to be taken based on the input data. For example, based on text content, all text fields can be pre-filled with data coming directly from the input data. In other words, a straight paste of unconverted data directly from the copy step is carried out. 
     If there is any ambiguity in the data type or context of the input data, an intermediate popup (not shown) may appear to allow the user to make choices as required. The popup is an optional element which can be disabled thus allowing a user to rely on default values. If the popup is enabled a simplified set of options will be selectable by the user. 
     The output handlers can use regular-expression-style parsing to determine whether the pasted data is valid for the handler, and which fields need to be filled. The order of the output handlers could also be changeable by the user, so that if more than one handler is valid, the one to be used can be changed or selected by the user. 
     The modifications of the user interface may be highlighted in a given color on screen so that the user is aware that data has been changed. Thus, the user can import the text data from any system easily and transparently and is aware of which fields have been changed during the operation. The changes can be indicated by color as mentioned above or by any other appropriate technique. 
     The paste mechanism of the present invention has created an implicit dialog between two applications, originally unable to have a dialog. 
     The detailed steps of the process to carry out the paste operations will be described with reference to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 . 
     As described with reference to  FIG. 2 , in some situations the copy functionality of the source application is not powerful enough for it to be used in conjunction with the paste mechanism of the present invention. 
     If this is the case, the invention provides a third standalone application referred to as the UI Agent  200 . 
     The UI Agent application will carry out an introspection process on the external application to analyze which data may be useful, and then copy the identified data into the clipboard. 
     Introspection is the capacity to determine the type of an object under investigation and is carried out on the external application. The UI Agent cannot be used on all external applications, but can be used on applications using standard windows or Internet controls. For example, the UI Agent could work with different types of application depending on the circumstances. For example, websites could be supported, using HTML DOM introspection. In this case, the UI Agent can identify the HTML DOM type, navigate within it, and then convert it as needed. 
     Instead of going directly to an external application, the user will use the UI Agent to carry out an introspection process on the application before the results are stored in the clipboard. Subsequent processing of the data continues as described with reference to  FIG. 1  and the same reference number relates to equivalent elements. 
     In order for a user to select a particular region or set of fields to copy, the UI Agent may contain a simple “screen talker” that would copy an image of a region of the screen into the clipboard. A magic wand would also be used to select small areas. Similarly, other mechanisms to select fields or regions may also be used. 
     In either the  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2  embodiment, once the Input Handler has analyzed the source and formatted the data into an appropriate Standard Format for Pasting (SFP), the output handler exports or pastes the data to an external application. This can be carried out using the API of the external application. For example, the data could be pasted to Google Docs or Lotus Notes to add bookings into an agenda, etc. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the enriched paste system (EPS)  100  is explained in more detail. The EPS shows the input handler  102  and the output handler  108 . The text handler and graphic handler  106  and  104  respectively are shown and produce a standard format  300  for pasting. The output handler includes an artificial learning mechanism  302  in the form of a database which stores information that can be accessed later. The information stored is choices made by the users when presented with suggestions. This will allow the suggestions that are presented to the user to change next time a similar situation occurs. The output handler also includes a context map  304 . The context map allows determination of where the user is in the application. For example, the user may have selected a certain panel or field. Depending on the panel or field, the behavior of the paste mechanism may be different. The context map is used to determine the type of data that has been copied, as previously described above. The context map communicates with the custom handlers  110  and  112  respectively in the output handler. Both the artificial learning mechanism and the custom handlers may be linked to a suggestion engine  306  which provides a pop-up window through which the user can interact with the system. Through the automated operation of the output handler, and where necessary the user interaction by means of the suggestion engine, an appropriate custom handler is selected for outputting the relevant data to the target application. The paste function can then be completed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  the details of the UI Agent will now be described in greater detail. The UI Agent includes an introspection engine factory  400  which includes a number of different spy modules, such as a web spy, Microsoft objects spy or any other appropriate spy module. The introspection engine factory performs an introspection process as described above and copies data into a clipboard  402 . Selection of the area to be copied can be made by means of the screen taker  404 , a magic wand  406  or any other appropriate type of region capture methodology. The capture technology interacts with the clipboard to determine the appropriate regions for the subsequent paste step. The UI Agent also includes a fast export paste module  408  which enables data to be pasted into appropriate applications such as Google Docs, Lotus Notes etc. 
     As previously indicated, the present invention relates to a paste mechanism as described with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 3  and an optional feature for augmenting the copying step by means of the UI Agent described in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . In this way, data can be copied from one source application and transferred to a target application by means of either a standard paste mechanism or an enhanced paste mechanism. 
       FIG. 5  shows a sequence diagram for an enhanced paste mechanism as described above. The numbers that follow relate to the sequence of steps that occur during the process. In step  1  the user selects a section of an external application to copy. In step  2  the copied section is added to the clipboard. In step  3  the clipboard is pasted into the enriched application and in step  4  the content is passed to the input handler. In step  5  the clipboard type is determined, for example input type is text or input type is graphic. The clipboard contents are then passed to the text handler in the case of text and the graphic handler in the case of graphics in step  6 . In step  7  the text handler converts the clipboard content into a standard format. In steps  8  and  9  the standard format is returned to the input handler and the enriched application and then onto the output handler in step  10 . The output handler then determines in step  11 , the context of the standard format using the context map. Once the context has been communicated to the output handler in step  12  the output handler determines the appropriate output handler to use in step  13 . In step  14  the data is transferred to the appropriate custom handler (in this case custom handler  2 ) for further processing. The suggestion engine is then queried in step  15  to determine a suggestion of what should be pasted where. If the artificial learning mechanism is in operation, user preferences can be analyzed in step  16  and taken into account by the suggestion engine in step  17 . The results of the suggestion engine and the artificial learning mechanism produce a default suggestion in step  18  to advise the custom handler of the paste actions to take. At step  19  the paste operation occurs and the user interface is modified in step  20 . This is communicated to the output handler which in turn communicates the user interface modification to the enriched application in step  21 . The enriched application then passes the user interface modification in step  22  to the user for confirmation of the correct operation. 
       FIG. 6  shows a sequence diagram for an enhanced paste mechanism which offers the user the possibility to interact with the paste mechanism. The numbers that follow relate to the sequence of steps that occur during the process. In step  1  the user selects a section of an external application to copy. In step  2  the copied section is added to the clipboard. In step  3  the clipboard is pasted into the enriched application and in step  4  the content is passed to the input handler. In step  5  the clipboard type is determined, for example input type is text or input type is graphic. The clipboard contents are then passed to the text handler in the case of text and the graphic handler in the case of graphics in step  6 . In step  7  the text handler converts the clipboard content into a standard format. In steps  8  and  9  the standard format is returned to the input handler and the enriched application and then onto the output handler in step  10 . The output handler then determines in step  11  the context of the standard format using the context map. Once the context has been communicated to the output handler in step  12  the output handler determines the appropriate output handler to use in step  13 . In step  14  the data is transferred to the appropriate custom handler (in this case custom handler  2 ) for further processing. The suggestion engine is then queried in step  15  to determine a suggestion of what should be pasted where. If the artificial learning mechanism is in operation, user preferences can be analyzed in step  16 . In this case the system is unable to make a single suggestion, and instead has a number of possible suggestions. This results in a request for more information in step  17 . A list of possible suggestions is produced in step  18  and passed to the custom handler. At step  19  a request for further input is created and communicated to the output handler. In steps  20  and  21  this request is passed to the user so that the user can select one of the possible options. At step  22  the user indicates the choice which is then communicated to the enriched application. The enriched application then transfers the choice to the output handler in step  23 . The choice is processed by the output handler and passed to the custom handler in step  24  which then updates the artificial learning mechanism at step  25 . At step  26  the selected paste operation is communicated to the custom handler  2  and action required on the user interface is determined in step  27 . The user interface modification is communicated from the custom handler to the output handler in step  28 ; from the output handler to the enriched application in step  29 ; and from the enriched application to the user in step  30 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a sequence diagram for an enhanced paste mechanism using the UI Agent. The numbers that follow relate to the sequence of steps that occur during the process. In step  1  the user selects a section of an external application to copy. An introspection mechanism is carried out in the UI Agent at step  2 . The type of data is identified and communicated from the enhanced application to the UI Agent in step  3 . The UI Agent then puts the data into the clipboard at step  4  which is then updated and presented to the user in step  5 . Thereafter the process continues with steps  6  to  25  which are equivalent to steps  3  to  22  respectively in  FIG. 5 . The processes carried out in each successive step are identical to those described with reference to  FIG. 5  above although the numbers of each step are different as indicated above. 
     The present invention is described with reference to transferring data from one application to another in the travel environment. However, the invention could apply to many other domains. 
     In one exemplary implementation, the subject matter described herein can be implemented using a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions for carrying out any of the methods described herein. Exemplary computer readable media suitable for implementing the subject matter described herein include disk memory devices, chip memory devices, programmable logic devices, and application specific integrated circuits. In addition, a computer readable medium that implements the subject matter described herein may be located on a single device or a computing platform or may be distributed across plural devices or computing platforms. 
     The present invention has been described with reference to both software programs and applications and hardware modules. It will be appreciated that the functions carried out as part of the invention could be carried out in either software or hardware modules or any combination thereof, irrespective of the examples given herein. 
     It will be appreciated that there are many variations of the various features described above, which can fall within the scope of the present invention.