Simultaneously spawning multiple searches across multiple providers

• US 20070088680A1
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Van Dok, Cornelis, Sauve, Aaron, Singh, Prashant, Yeung, Carlos
• Application Number:
  US11/251,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088680A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Various embodiments provide the ability to simultaneously spawn a search across multiple different data providers. In at least some embodiments, the simultaneous spawning of the searches takes place in the context of a tabbed browsing environment. There, individual tabs of a browser are each associated with a different data provider and the user has the ability to simultaneously spawn their search across multiple data providers and access their search results using the tabs. Hence, the user can access search results across multiple different providers within the same browser window.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving user input pertaining to a desired search that the user wishes to conduct; and

simultaneously spawning an associated search across multiple different data providers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data providers comprise search providers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data providers comprise search providers and the search is spawned over the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving results from the search across the multiple different data providers; and

displaying indicia of the search results for the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the act of displaying comprises displaying the indicia within a single browser window.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said indicia comprise individual tabs.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said acts of receiving user input, spawning an associated search, receiving results and displaying indicia are performed by a web browser application.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

selecting, responsive to user input, multiple different search providers;

spawning, responsive to user input, a search across the multiple different search providers; and

presenting search results associated with the search in individual tabs within a single window.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the single window is a single browser window.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said acts of selecting and spawning are performed responsive to user input that is received via a web browser.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said user input is received through a search box.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting a browser window having a search box that can be utilized to enter search terms;

selecting, responsive to user input, multiple different data providers;

receiving, via the search box, search criteria from the user;

spawning an associated search across the selected data providers;

opening one or more tabs associated with the search; and

associating search results from the data providers with the one or more tabs.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data providers comprise search providers.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the data providers comprise search providers, and the search is spawned over the Internet.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of opening comprises opening a tab for each individual data provider that is selected.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of spawning comprises doing so using a multi-threaded approach.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of selecting is performed by enabling the user to select data providers using the search box.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising displaying said one or more tabs for user selection within said browser window.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the data providers comprise search providers and said opening comprises opening a tab for each individual search provider that is selected.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the data providers comprise search providers and said opening comprises opening a tab for each individual search provider that is selected and further comprising displaying said one or more tabs for user selection within said browser window.