OPERATING SYSTEM PROGRAM LAUNCH MENU SEARCH

• US 20060282790A1
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stabb, Charles W., Lerner, Matthew R., Matthews, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

An operating system program launch menu, such as a Start menu, provides various mechanisms for a user to quickly and efficiently locate and launch desired data items such as programs, data files, storage locations, and the like. A search box within the program launch menu may be used to quickly locate programs, documents, communications, and other data items. An auto-complete feature may be used, e.g., when the user restricts the locations searched for the user-entered search text. A most commonly used program list may include programs based on various criteria including both frequency of use and recent use, thereby always including a most recently used item. An all programs view may display programs and documents in a hosted-tree view within the original confines of the program launch menu, thereby negating the need to open sub-menus on top of a large portion of the desktop displayed on the display device.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media storing computer executable instructions that, when executed on a computer system, perform a method for providing a keyboard shortcut for launching an item stored on a computer system, said method comprising steps of:

(a) upon detection that a user has pressed a program launch menu key on a keyboard directly or indirectly connected to the computer system, displaying a program launch menu on a display device directly or indirectly connected to the computer system;

(b) upon displaying the program launch menu, automatically providing an input focus to a search text input box within the program launch menu displayed on the computer display device,

(c) displaying search results within a predefined area of the program launch menu, wherein the search results comprise selectable items matching text input received from the user via the search text input box,

(d) automatically providing selection focus to a top search result, and

(e) launching the selectable item corresponding to the top search result when receiving predefined user input while the top search result has selection focus.

2. The computer readable media of claim 1, the method further comprising determining when the user has completed providing text input prior to displaying the search results.

3. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises automatically displaying new search results within the predefined area of the program launch menu each time text input is received from the user via the search text input box.

4. A method for providing a shortcut for launching an item stored on a computer system, said method comprising steps of:

(a) upon receiving user input to initiate a program launch menu, displaying a program launch menu on a display device directly or indirectly connected to the computer system;

(b) automatically providing an input focus to a search feature corresponding to the program launch menu; and

(c) displaying search results within a predefined area of the program launch menu, said search results comprising one or more user-selectable items within an operating system of the computer system, said items matching query input received from the user via the search feature.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

(d) automatically providing selection focus to a top search result of the one or more user-selectable items; and

(e) launching the selectable item corresponding to the top search result when receiving predefined user input while the top search result has selection focus.

6. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising automatically determining when the user has completed providing query input prior to displaying the search results.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein step (c) comprises automatically displaying new search results within the predefined area of the program launch menu each time additional query input is received from the user.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein step (a) comprises receiving user input from a keyboard connected to the computer system to initiate the program launch menu.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said user input comprises text input.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein step (b) comprises automatically providing input focus to a search text box of the program launch menu.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more user-selectable items comprise a file item.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more user-selectable items comprise a communication item.

13. One or more computer readable media storing computer executable instructions which, when executed, perform a method for providing a shortcut for launching an item stored on a computer system, said method comprising steps of:

(a) upon receiving user input to initiate a program launch menu, displaying a program launch menu on a display device directly or indirectly connected to the computer system;

(b) automatically providing an input focus to a search feature corresponding to the program launch menu; and

(c) displaying search results within a predefined area of the program launch menu, said search results comprising one or more user-selectable items identifiable by an operating system of the computer system, said user-selectable items matching query input received from the user via the search feature.

14. The computer readable media of claim 13, further comprising:

(d) automatically providing selection focus to a top search result of the one or more user-selectable items; and

(e) launching the selectable item corresponding to the top search result when receiving predefined user input while the top search result has selection focus.

15. The computer readable media of claim 13, wherein said query input comprises text input.

16. The computer readable media of claim 15, wherein step (c) comprises identifying the search results based on a comparison of the query input to metadata corresponding to user-selectable items identifiable by the operating system of the computer system.

17. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein said metadata comprises an author.

18. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein said metadata comprises a name of each user selectable item.

19. The computer readable media of claim 13, wherein the search results comprise an Internet location.

20. The computer readable media of claim 13, wherein step (c) comprises identifying the search results based on a comparison of the query input to content of user-selectable data items identifiable by the operating system of the computer system.