Typeahead features

• US 10,042,514 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Delacroix, Erin Louise, Lopus, Christina Lynn, Baker, James Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Chuang, Jung-Mu T
• Application Number:
  US14/529,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20160124585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

Techniques for providing improved typeahead features are described. According to various embodiments, it is determined that a user has specified, via a user interface, a first metric term. A list of one or more suggested operators associated with the first metric term is then generated and displayed, and it is determined that the user has selected one of the suggested operators. Thereafter, a list of one or more suggested metric terms associated with the selected operator is generated and displayed, and it is determined that the user has selected a second metric term from the suggested metric terms. Thereafter, a custom metric definition data entity that references information defining a custom metric is generated, the information specifying that metric values associated with the custom metric are generated by processing metric values associated with the first metric term and the second metric term based on the selected operator.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining that a user has specified a first metric term via a user interface of a client device;

generating, based on historical user input pertaining to operators previously specified, by one or more users, after the first metric term, a list of one or more suggested operators associated with the first metric term, and causing, via the user interface, the list of one or more suggested operators to be displayed;

determining that the user has selected, via the user interface, one of the suggested operators included in the displayed list of one or more suggested operators;

generating a list of one or more suggested metric terms associated with the selected operator, and causing, via the user interface, the list of one or more suggested metric terms to be displayed;

determining that the user has selected, via the user interface, a second metric term from the suggested metric terms included in the list of one or more suggested metric terms; and

generating, using one or more hardware processors, a custom metric definition data entity in a database, the custom metric definition data entity storing a custom metric definition for a custom metric, the generating of the custom metric definition data entity being based on the first metric term specified by the user and the second metric term selected by the user from the list of one or more suggested metric terms associated with the selected operator, the custom metric definition specifying that metric values associated with the custom metric are generated by processing metric values associated with the first metric term and metric values associated with the second metric term based on the selected operator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, based on the custom metric definition data entity, a metric report describing one or more metric values of the custom metric.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the metric report includes a chart displaying the one or more metric values of the custom metric in association with one or more time values.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, via the user interface, an icon representing the custom metric definition data entity.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the user has specified multiple custom metric definition data entities associated with multiple custom metrics; and

generating, based on the multiple custom metric definition data entities, a metric report describing one or more metric values associated with each of the multiple custom metrics.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the metric report includes a table including multiple columns associated with the multiple custom metrics and further including multiple rows associated with multiple time values, each entry in the table displaying a metric value associated with one of the multiple custom metrics and one of the multiple time values.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying, via the user interface, multiple icons representing each of the multiple custom metric definition data entities.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected operator is at least one of an addition operator, a subtraction operator, a multiplication operator, a division operator, an is operator, an is not operator, an and operator, an or operator, or a nor operator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first metric term represents at least one of a number of users, a number of content views, or a number of actions performed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a text entry user interface element, and wherein the list of one or more suggested operators and the additional list of additional metric terms are displayed via a typeahead user interface feature in conjunction with the text entry user interface element.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the list of one or more suggested operators associated with the first metric term further comprises:

accessing a first data structure identifying one or more candidate metric terms and one or more candidate operators associated with each of the candidate metric terms;

identifying a specific one of the candidate metric terms that corresponds to the first metric term; and

classifying the one or more candidate operators associated with the specific candidate metric term as the suggested operators.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating of the list of one or more suggested metric terms associated with the selected operator further comprises:

accessing a second data structure identifying one or more candidate operators and one or more candidate metric terms associated with each of the candidate operators;

identifying a specific one of the candidate operators that corresponds to the selected operator; and

classifying the one or more candidate metric terms associated with the specific candidate operator as the suggested metric terms.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining that the user has specified the first metric term further comprises:

detecting user entry of one or more characters associated with the first metric term;

performing a search of a third data structure based on the one or more characters;

displaying one or more search results associated with the search as the list of one or more suggested metric terms; and

receiving a user selection of one of the search results.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the user has specified the first metric term further comprises detecting user entry of a whitespace character subsequent to user entry of the first metric term, and

wherein the list of one or more suggested operators is generated and caused to be displayed responsive to the user entry of the whitespace character.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the list of one or more suggested operators is generated and caused to be displayed, prior to user entry of any additional character subsequent to the whitespace character.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the user has selected one of the suggested operators further comprises detecting user entry of a whitespace character subsequent to the user selection of the selected operator, and

wherein the list of one or more suggested metric terms is generated and displayed responsive to the user entry of the whitespace character.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the list of one or more suggested metric terms is generated and displayed, prior to user entry of any additional character subsequent to the whitespace character.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a list of one or more additional suggested operators associated with the second metric term, and displaying, via the user interface, the list of additional suggested operators;

determining that the user has selected, via the user interface, a second operator from the additional suggested operators included in the list of additional suggested operators;

generating a list of one or more additional suggested metric terms associated with the second operator, and displaying, via the user interface, the list of additional suggested metric terms associated with the second operator;

determining that the user has selected, via the user interface, a third metric term from the additional suggested metric terms included in the list of additional suggested metric terms; and

generating an additional custom metric definition data entity that references information defining an additional custom metric based on the first metric term, the selected operator, the second metric term, the second operator, and the third metric term.

19. A system comprising:

one or more hardware processors; and

a non-transitory machine-readable medium for storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising;

determining that a user has specified a first metric term via a user interface of a client device;

generating, based on historical user input pertaining to operators previously specified, by one or more users, after the first metric term, a list of one or more suggested operators associated with the first metric term, and causing, via the user interface, the list of one or more suggested operators to be displayed;

determining that the user has selected, via the user interface, one of the suggested operators included in the displayed list of one or more suggested operators;

generating a list of one or more suggested metric terms associated with the selected operator, and causing, via the user interface, the list of one or more suggested metric terms to be displayed;

determining that the user has selected, via the user interface, a second metric term from the suggested metric terms included in the list of one or more suggested metric terms; and

generating a custom metric definition data entity in a database, the custom metric definition data entity storing a custom metric definition for a custom metric, the generating of the custom metric definition data entity being based on the first metric term specified by the user and the second metric term selected by the user from the list of one or more suggested metric terms associated with the selected operator, the custom metric definition specifying that metric values associated with the custom metric are generated by processing metric values associated with the first metric term and metric values associated with the second metric term based on the selected operator.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more hardware processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

determining that a user has specified a first metric term via a user interface of a client device;

generating, based on historical user input pertaining to operators previously specified, by one or more users, after the first metric term, a list of one or more suggested operators associated with the first metric term, and causing, via the user interface, the list of one or more suggested operators to be displayed;

determining that the user has selected, via the user interface, one of the suggested operators included in the displayed list of one or more suggested operators;

generating a list of one or more suggested metric terms associated with the selected operator, and causing, via the user interface, the list of one or more suggested metric terms to be displayed;

determining that the user has selected, via the user interface, a second metric term from the suggested metric terms included in the list of one or more suggested metric terms; and

generating a custom metric definition data entity in a database, the custom metric definition data entity storing a custom metric definition for a custom metric, the generating of the custom metric definition data entity being based on the first metric term specified by the user and the second metric term selected by the user from the list of one or more suggested metric terms associated with the selected operator, the custom metric definition specifying that metric values associated with the custom metric are generated by processing metric values associated with the first metric term and metric values associated with the second metric term based on the selected operator.