In applications, entry of time and date information is a common task and can occur multiple times in any given task or transaction. Time information is commonly entered by either typing a time into an input field (e.g., freestyle entry of a specific time) or selecting a time from a drop-down listbox (e.g., conditional or limited selection). Date information is typically entered by either typing a date into an input field (e.g., freestyle entry of a specific date) or by selecting a date from a “calendar pop-up” representing a standard monthly view.
While such date and time entry implementations are commonplace, they require a number of actuations and user movements of one or more input devices. These actuations and user movements may not be ergonomic and may be time-consuming depending on the type of input device (e.g., mouse, keyboard, touch-enabled screen) and the screen size of the device.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds