Method, apparatus and computer program product providing an application integrated mobile device search solution using context information

• US 20070016570A1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Punaganti Venkata, Murali Krishna, Malu, Chand
• Granted Patent: US 10,769,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering

Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus, a method, a computer program product and an electronic device where, in accordance with the method there includes steps of implementing a search mediator function that is interposed between a plurality of applications and a plurality of search functions; and operating the search mediator function for receiving search queries from individual ones of the plurality of applications, forwarding received search queries to appropriate ones of the plurality of search functions, and providing search results to respective ones of the plurality of applications in accordance with at least application-specific search profiles.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising a search platform comprised of a search mediator, said search mediator comprising an application interface for coupling to applications for receiving a search query from at least one application and for providing search results to the at least one application, said search mediator further comprising a plurality of search interfaces for coupling to a plurality of different search functions and at least one memory interface for coupling to a memory that stores at least application-specific search profiles for use by said search mediator during at least one of responding to a received search query and providing search results.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, said search mediator further comprising another interface for coupling to a user via a user interface for receiving a search query from the user, and for providing search results to the user, and where the memory stores at least one user-specific search preference for use by said search mediator during at least one of responding to a received search query from the user and providing search results to the user.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1, said search mediator further comprising:

search query logic coupled to said application interface for receiving search queries and transforming received search queries, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search query format suitable for providing through one of said plurality of search interfaces to one of said plurality of different search functions.

4. Apparatus as in claim 1, said search mediator further comprising:

search result logic coupled to said plurality of search interfaces for receiving search results and transforming received search results, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search result format suitable for providing through said application interface to a requesting application.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1, where the memory further stores at least one device profile associated with an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied, said at least one device profile for use by said search mediator during at least one of responding to a received search query and providing search results.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1, where the memory further stores application context data for use by said search mediator during at least one of responding to a received search query and providing search results.

7. Apparatus as in claim 1, where the memory further stores meta-data for use by said search mediator during at least one of responding to a received search query and providing search results.

8. Apparatus as in claim 1, where the memory further stores a search archive for use by said search mediator during at least one of responding to a received search query and providing search results.

9. Apparatus as in claim 1, where said plurality of different search functions comprise a proximity search function operable for conducting a search within an area proximate to an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

10. Apparatus as in claim 1, where said plurality of different search functions comprise a local search function that is related to a specified geographical area.

11. Apparatus as in claim 1, where said plurality of different search functions comprise an in-device search function associated with an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

12. Apparatus as in claim 1, where said plurality of different search functions comprise a search provider reachable through a network external to an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12, where the search provider is reachable at least partially through a wireless link.

14. Apparatus as in claim 13, where the wireless link is comprised of a cellular communications wireless link.

15. Apparatus as in claim 13, where the wireless link is comprised of a short range wireless link.

16. Apparatus as in claim 1, where said plurality of different search functions comprise a world wide web (WWW) search provider.

17. Apparatus as in claim 1, where said search mediator is coupled to said plurality of applications via said application interface and an Application InterWorking (AIW) framework.

18. Apparatus as in claim 1, where said plurality of search interfaces comprise a plurality of plug-in interfaces.

19. Apparatus as in claim 18, where at least one search function comprises a plug-in search function provided by a party other than a party that provides an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

20. Apparatus as in claim 1, said search mediator further comprising:

search query logic coupled to said application interface for receiving search queries and transforming received search queries, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search query format suitable for providing through one of said plurality of search interfaces to one of said search functions; and

search result logic coupled to said plurality of search interfaces for receiving search results and transforming received search results, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search result format suitable for providing through said application interface to a requesting application;

said search query logic and search result logic cooperating to provide at least one of synchronous searching and asynchronous searching.

21. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium and comprising program instructions the execution of which performs operations that implement a search platform, the operations comprising:

implementing a search mediator function that is interposed between a plurality of applications and a plurality of search functions; and

operating the search mediator function for receiving search queries from individual ones of said plurality of applications via an application interface, forwarding received search queries to appropriate ones of the plurality of search functions, and providing search results to respective ones of the plurality of applications via the application interface in accordance with at least application-specific search profiles.

22. The computer program product as in claim 21, where the search mediator function is further interposed between a user interface and the plurality of search functions, and where operating the search mediator function includes receiving a search query from the user interface, forwarding a received search query to an appropriate one of the plurality of search functions, and providing a corresponding search result to the user interface in accordance with at least a user-specific search profile.

23. The computer program product as in claim 21, where operating the search mediator function further comprises:

operating search query logic coupled to the application interface for receiving search queries and transforming received search queries, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search query format suitable for providing to one of said search functions.

24. The computer program product as in claim 21, where operating the search mediator function further comprises:

operating search result logic coupled to the plurality of search functions for receiving search results and transforming received search results, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search result format suitable for providing to an application that issued a corresponding search query.

25. The computer program product as in claim 21, where operating the search mediator function comprises using device profile data associated with an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

26. The computer program product as in claim 21, where operating the search mediator function comprises using application context data associated with the plurality of applications.

27. The computer program product as in claim 21, where operating the search mediator function comprises using meta-data.

28. The computer program product as in claim 21, where operating the search mediator function comprises using a search archive.

29. The computer program product as in claim 21, where said plurality of search functions comprise a proximity search function operable for conducting a search within an area proximate to an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

30. The computer program product as in claim 21, where said plurality of search functions comprise a local search function related to a specified geographical area.

31. The computer program product as in claim 21, where said plurality of search functions comprise an in-device search function associated with an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

32. The computer program product as in claim 21, where said plurality of search functions comprise a search provider reachable through a network external to an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

33. The computer program product as in claim 32, where the search provider is reachable at least partially through a wireless link.

34. The computer program product as in claim 33, where the wireless link is comprised of a cellular communications wireless link.

35. The computer program product as in claim 33, where the wireless link is comprised of a short range wireless link.

36. The computer program product as in claim 21, where said plurality of search functions comprise a world wide web (WWW) search provider.

37. The computer program product as in claim 21, where said search mediator is coupled to said plurality of applications via said application interface and an Application InterWorking (AIW) framework.

38. The computer program product as in claim 21, where said plurality of interfaces comprise a plurality of plug-in interfaces.

39. The computer program product as in claim 38, where at least one search function comprises a plug-in search function provided by a party other than a party that provides an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

40. The computer program product as in claim 21, where operating the search mediator function further comprises operating search query logic coupled to the application interface for receiving search queries and transforming received search queries, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search query format suitable for providing to one of said search functions;

operating search result logic coupled to the plurality of search functions for receiving search results and transforming received search results, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search result format suitable for providing to an application that issued a corresponding search query; and

said search query logic and search result logic cooperating to provide at least one of synchronous searching and asynchronous searching.

41. A method, comprising:

implementing a search mediator function that is interposed between a plurality of applications and a plurality of search functions; and

operating the search mediator function for receiving search queries from individual ones of the plurality of applications, forwarding received search queries to appropriate ones of the plurality of search functions, and providing search results to respective ones of the plurality of applications in accordance with at least application-specific search profiles.

42. The method as in claim 41, further comprising interposing the search mediator function between a user interface and the plurality of search functions, and where operating the search mediator function includes receiving a search query from the user interface, forwarding a received search query to an appropriate one of the plurality of search functions, and providing a corresponding search result to the user interface in accordance with at least a user-specific search profile.

43. The method as in claim 41, where operating the search mediator function further comprises operating search query logic coupled to an application interface for receiving search queries and transforming received search queries, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search query format suitable for providing to one of the search functions;

and operating search result logic coupled to the plurality of search functions for receiving search results and transforming received search results, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search result format suitable for providing to an application that issued a corresponding search query.

44. The method as in claim 41, where operating the search mediator function further comprises using at least of device profile data associated with an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied, application context data associated with the plurality of applications, meta-data and a search archive.

45. The method as in claim 41, where the plurality of search functions comprise at least one of a proximity search function operable for conducting a search within an area proximate to an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied, an in-device search function associated with the electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied, a search provider reachable through a network external to the electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied, and a local search function related to a specified geographical area.

46. The method as in claim 45, where the search provider is reachable at least partially through a wireless link.

47. The method as in claim 46, where the wireless link is comprised of a cellular communications wireless link.

48. The method as in claim 46, where the wireless link is comprised of a short range wireless link.

49. The method as in claim 45, where the search provider is embodied as a world wide web (WWW) search provider.

50. The method as in claim 41, where the search mediator is coupled to the plurality of applications via an Application InterWorking (AIW) framework.

51. The method as in claim 41, where the plurality of interfaces comprise a plurality of plug-in interfaces.

52. The method as in claim 51, where at least one search function comprises a plug-in search function provided by a party other than a party that provides an electronic device wherein the search platform is embodied.

53. The method as in claim 43, where the search query logic and search result logic cooperate to provide at least one of synchronous searching and asynchronous searching.

54. An electronic device, comprising application interface means and search mediator means coupled to said application interface means and to a plurality of search means, said search mediator means for receiving search queries from individual ones of a plurality of applications via said application interface means, for forwarding received search queries to appropriate ones of the plurality of search means, and for providing search results to respective ones of the plurality of applications in accordance with at least application-specific search profiles stored in memory means.

55. The electronic device as in claim 54, further comprising user interface means, where said search mediator means is coupled to said user interface means for receiving a search query from said user interface means, for forwarding a received search query to an appropriate one of the plurality of search means, and for providing a corresponding search result to said user interface means in accordance with at least a user-specific search profile stored in said memory means.

56. The electronic device as in claim 54, said search mediator means comprising search query means coupled to said application interface means for receiving search queries and for transforming received search queries, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search query format suitable for providing to one of said search means;

and further comprising search result means coupled to the plurality of search means for receiving search results and for transforming received search results, at least partially in accordance with a corresponding one of the application-specific search profiles, into a search result format suitable for providing to an application that issued a corresponding search query.

57. The electronic device as in claim 54, embodied in a wireless communications device.