Systems and Methods for Associating a Keyword With a User Interface Area

• US 20070271262A1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Niniane, Lawrence, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Systems and methods for associating a keyword with a window are described. In one described system, a computer program, such as an indexer, captures processor, or query system, associates a keyword with a first user interface area. The query system or other computer program receives a signal that the first user interface is inactive and that a second user interface area is active and, in response, generates an implicit search query that includes the keyword associated with the first user interface area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating a keyword with a first user interface area;

receiving an indication that the first user interface area is inactive since a given time; and

generating a search query comprising the keyword, responsive to the given time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a result set associated with the search query; and

weighting a result in the result set, responsive to the given time.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a result set associated with the search query; and

weighting a result in the result set, responsive to an amount of time that has elapsed since the keyword was associated with the first user interface area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising weighting use of the keyword, responsive to the given time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising weighting use of the keyword, responsive to an amount of time that has elapsed since the keyword was associated with the first user interface area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface area comprises a user interface window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface area is associated with a first application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyword comprises a plurality of keywords.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface area comprises a document.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the keyword comprises an attribute of an event.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the keyword in the first user interface area.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising discontinuing use of the keyword after the given time exceeds a threshold period of time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the keyword with the first user interface area comprises storing the keyword and a user interface area identifier in a memory.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a second keyword with a second user interface area;

receiving an indication that the second user interface area is active since a second given time; and

generating a second search query comprising the second keyword, responsive to the second given time.

receiving a result set associated with the search queries;

causing the result set to be output.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

weighting a result in a result set associated with the search query, responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of the given time and the second given time.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising weighting use of the keyword, responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of the given time and the second given time.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein weighting the result comprises increasing the weight based on the second given time.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the indication that the first user interface area is inactive is responsive to a frequency of activity of at least the first user interface.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication that the first user interface area is inactive is responsive to a total time of activity of at least the first user interface.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the indication that the second user interface area is active is responsive to a frequency of activity of at least the second user interface.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the indication that the first user interface area is active is responsive to a total time of activity of at least the second user interface.

13. The method of claim 13, wherein the given time comprises at least 10 seconds.

23. A computer program product having a computer-readable storage medium on which is encoded excutable computer program code, the computer program code comprising code for:

associating a keyword with a first user interface area;

receiving an indication that the first user interface area is inactive since a given time; and

generating a search query comprising the keyword, responsive to the given time.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising computer program code for:

receiving a result set associated with the search query; and

weighting a result in the result set, responsive to the given time.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising computer program code for:

receiving a result set associated with the search query; and

weighting a result in the result set, responsive to an amount of time that has elapsed since the keyword was associated with the first user interface area.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising computer program code for weighting use of the keyword, responsive to the given time.

27. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising computer program code for weighting use of the keyword, responsive to an amount of time that has elapsed since the keyword was associated with the first user interface area.

28. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the first user interface area comprises a user interface window.

29. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the first user interface area is associated with a first application.

30. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the keyword comprises a plurality of keywords.

31. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the first user interface area comprises a document.

32. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the keyword comprises an attribute of an event.

33. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising computer program code for identifying the keyword in the first user interface area.

34. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising computer program code for discontinuing use of the keyword after the given time exceeds a threshold period of time.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the given time comprises at least 10 seconds.

36. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein associating the keyword with the first user interface area comprises storing the keyword and a user interface area identifier in a memory.

37. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising computer program code for:

associating a second keyword with a second user interface area;

receiving an indication that the second user interface area is active since a second given time; and

generating a second search query comprising the second keyword, responsive to the second given time.

receiving a result set associated with the search queries;

causing the result set to be output.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, further comprising:

computer program code for weighting a result in a result set associated with the search query, responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of the given time and the second given time.

39. The computer program product of claim 37, further comprising computer program code for weighting use of the keyword, responsive to at least one selected from the group consisting of the given time and the second given time.

40. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein weighting the result comprises increasing the weight based on the second given time.

41. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the indication that the first user interface area is inactive is responsive to a frequency of activity of at least the first user interface.

42. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the indication that the first user interface area is inactive is responsive to a total time of activity of at least the first user interface.

43. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the indication that the second user interface area is active is responsive to a frequency of activity of at least the second user interface.

44. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the indication that the first user interface area is active is responsive to a total time of activity of at least the second user interface.