Automatic filtering and scoping of search results

• US 20070005573A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ali, Hyder, Dawson, David, Gorecki, Marek, Glasgow, Dane, Murarka, Neel, Yang, Elizabeth
• Granted Patent: US 7,895,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation

Abstract

A method and system for customizing a search of a data source linked to a computer in response to a search request from a user. A search tool application (STA) is executed on a client computer in response to the search request received from the user. The STA determines the context of a software application active when the STA is executed. The STA determines a scope of data to search based on the determined context. A user-interface is responsive to a search term received from a user to initiates a search the determined scope of data for content that matches the received search term. The results of the search are displayed in the UI.

Claims

1. A computerized method of customizing a search of a data source in response to a search request from a user, said data source linked to a computer executing one or more applications, said method comprising:

determining a context of an application active on the computer;

determining a default data source to search based on the determined context of the active application; and

displaying a user interface (UI) including a search field for receiving a user-entered search term, said UI in response to the entered search term initiates a search of the determined default data source for content corresponding to the entered search term.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the context includes retrieving metadata from the active application to identify pre-defined context data, said pre-defined context data defining of the context of the application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the context of the application includes parsing data being displayed by the active application on the display to detect a data structure indicative of the application context.

4. Thee method of claim 3, where detecting a data structure includes comparing a detected data structure to a context hint stored in a memory, said context hint defining an anticipated context for a pre-defined data structure pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a default data source to search includes searching a data table stored in a memory, said data table storing a list of different contexts and a corresponding default data source for each context in the list of different contexts.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises displaying search results to the user via a search results window, said displayed search results including one or more files identified during the search of the default data source having content corresponding to the entered search term.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the search results window is displayed after one or more characters of the search term are entered into the search field and updated thereafter for each additional character of the search term entered, and wherein said results include one or more files identified during the search of the determined source having content corresponding to the entered character.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a UI includes displaying a local desktop UI when the determined default data source corresponds to a local desktop, a communication network UI when the determined default data source corresponds to a communication network, or an e-mail UI when the determined default data source corresponds to an e-mail account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the local desktop UI in response to the entered search term initiates a search of the local desktop computer for content corresponding to the entered search term, wherein the communication network UI in response to the entered search term initiates a search of the communication network for content corresponding to the entered search term, and wherein the e-mail UI in response to the entered search term initiates a search of the e-mail account for content corresponding to the entered search term.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for search of a data source in response to a search request from a user, said data source linked to a computer executing one or more applications, said computer-readable medium comprising:

a context identifying component for determining a context of the active application;

a scope determining component for determining a scope of data to search as a function of the determined context; and

a first user interface component for displaying a customized UI configured for receiving a user-entered search term, said customized UI being responsive to the entered search term to search of the determined scope of data for content corresponding to the entered search term.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein context identifying component determines the context of the application by retrieving metadata from the active application to identify pre-defined context data, said pre-defined context data defining of the context of the application.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein context identifying component determines the context of the application by parsing data being displayed by the active application on a display to detect a data structure indicative of the application context.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein detecting a data structure includes comparing a detected data structure to a context hint stored in a memory, said context hint defining an anticipated context for a pre-defined data structure pattern.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 further includes a displaying component for displaying search results to the user via a search results window, wherein said results include one or more files identified during the search of the determined scope of data having content corresponding to the entered search term.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14 wherein the one or more identified files include one or more of the following:

program files;

document files; and

e-mail messages.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the UI component is responsive to a search request to display a word wheel UI configured for receiving a user-entered search term, said word wheel UI component responsive to the entered search term to initiate a search of the determined source for one or more files each having content corresponding to the entered search term, said word wheel including a window for displaying search results grouped according a file type.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first user interface component displays a local desktop UI when the determined default data source corresponds to a local desktop, displays a communication network UI when the determined default data source corresponds to a communication network, or displays an e-mail UI when the determined default data source corresponds to an e-mail account.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the local desktop UI in response to the entered search term initiates a search of the local desktop computer for content corresponding to the entered search term, wherein the communication network UI in response to the entered search term initiates a search of the communication network for content corresponding to the entered search term, and wherein the e-mail UI in response to the entered search term initiates a search of the e-mail account for content corresponding to the entered search term.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the search results, window displays the search results grouped according a file type.

19. In a computer system having a display, said display having rendered thereon a user interface in response to a search request received from a user, said user interface comprising:

a search field for receiving user input to define a search term;

a default scope field defining a scope of data to be searched based on a determined context of the active application, wherein said user interface is responsive to the user input for initiating a search for content corresponding to the defined search term within the defined scope; and

a search results window for displaying search results to the user, wherein said results include one or more files identified during the search of the defined scope of data having content corresponding to the entered search term.