Search bar with intelligent parametric search statement generation

• US 20060041545A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Heidloff, Niklas, O'Brien, Michael R., Klouda, Gregory Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

Described is a method for generating a parametric search statement for finding a target document. The parametric search statement is generated in the text boxes of a search bar. A user action is performed in the text box. An in-place context menu having menu items responsive to the user action are displayed near the location of the user action. Each menu item includes at least one of an attribute of the target document, a comparison operator and a value. One of the menu items is selected from the in-place context menu based on a known characteristic of the target document. Parametric search statements are easily generated using the method without the need to access numerous dialogs boxes or to enter significant text.

Claims

1. A method for generating a parametric search statement for finding a target document, the parametric search statement being generated in the text box of a search bar, the method comprising:

performing a user action at a location in the text box of the search bar;

displaying an in-place context menu having a plurality of menu items responsive to the user action, each menu item comprising at least one of an attribute of the target document, a comparison operator and a value, the in-place context menu being displayed in a position proximate to the location of the user action in the search bar; and

selecting one of the menu items from the in-place context menu based on a characteristic of the target document.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user action comprises entering text contained in the target document into the text box of the search bar.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user action comprises performing a user interface function.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the user action comprises selecting a menu item from a preliminary in-place context menu.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the target document is one of an email message, a word processing document and a portable document format (pdf) document.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising revising the in-place context menu in response to characters entered in the text box by a user.

7. A computer program product for generating a parametric search statement for finding a target document, the computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having embodied therein program code comprising:

program code for enabling a user to perform a user action at a location in a text box of a search bar;

program code for displaying an in-place context menu having a plurality of menu items responsive to the user action, each menu item comprising at least one of an attribute of the target document, a comparison operator and a value, the in-place context menu being displayed in a position proximate to the location of the user action; and

program code for enabling a user to select one of the menu items from the in-place context menu based on a characteristic of the target document.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the program code for enabling a user to perform a user action comprises program code for entering text contained in the target document into the text box of the search bar.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the program code for enabling a user to perform a user action comprises program code for detecting the occurrence of a user interface function.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the program code for enabling a user to perform a user action comprises program code for selecting a menu item from a preliminary in-place context menu.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising program code for revising the in-place context menu in response to characters entered in the text box by a user.

12. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for generating a parametric search statement for finding a target document, the computer data signal comprising:

program code for enabling a user to perform a user action at a location in a text box of a search bar;

program code for displaying an in-place context menu having a plurality of menu items responsive to the user action, each menu item comprising at least one of an attribute of the target document, a comparison operator and a value, the in-place context menu being displayed in a position proximate to the location of the user action; and

program code for enabling a user to select one of the menu items from the in-place context menu based on a characteristic of the target document.

13. The computer data signal of claim 12 wherein the program code for enabling a user to perform a user action comprises program code for entering text contained in the target document into the text box of the search bar.

14. The computer data signal of claim 12 wherein the program code for enabling a user to perform a user action comprises program code for detecting the occurrence of a user interface function.

15. The computer data signal of claim 12 wherein the program code for enabling a user to perform a user action comprises program code for selecting a menu item from a preliminary in-place context menu.

16. The computer data signal of claim 12 further comprising program code for revising the in-place context menu in response to characters entered in the text box by a user.

17. An apparatus for generating a parametric search statement for finding a target document, the parametric search statement being generated in the text box of a search bar, the apparatus comprising:

means performing a user action at a location in the text box of the search bar;

means for displaying an in-place context menu having a plurality of menu items responsive to the user action, each menu item comprising at least one of an attribute of the target document, a comparison operator and a value, the in-place context menu being displayed in a position proximate to the location of the user action in the search bar; and

means for selecting one of the menu items from the in-place context menu based on a characteristic of the target document.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for performing a user action comprises means for entering text contained in the target document into the text box of the search bar.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for performing a user action comprises means for performing a user interface function.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for performing a user action comprises means for selecting a menu item from a preliminary in-place context menu.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising means for revising the in-place context menu in response to characters entered in the text box by a user.