The patent that’s causing HTC headaches describes a process for locating specific types of data in a document, such as a phone number, and making that item tapp

The patent that’s causing HTC headaches describes a process for locating specific types of data in a document, such as a phone number, and making that item tappable so it launches a different app. If the data was a phone number, for example, tapping it would launch the phone app — a feature Apple has offered since the original iPhone shipped. If I send an email to myself, with a phone number in it, gmail (something) on my N1 links the phone number inside the email such that when I tap on it, I am brought to the phone app. That said, My Treo also did this. The Google Voice extension in Chrome does this. I must not understand what is going on here.... http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/19/apple-htc-itc-ruling/ http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/19/apple-htc-itc-ruling/ Claim 1: A computer-based system for detecting structures in data and performing actions on detected structures, comprising: an input device for receiving data; an output device for presenting the data; a memory storing information including program routines including an analyzer server for detecting structures in the data, and for linking actions to the detected structures; a user interface enabling the selection of a detected structure and a linked action; and an action processor for performing the selected action linked to the selected structure; and a processing unit coupled to the input device, the output device, and the memory for controlling the execution of the program routines. Claim 8: The system recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface highlights detected structures. This seems to be what Windows (maybe Apple before them?) has done for years.