PREDICTIVE DATA SEARCH

• US 20070299841A1
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gulliksson, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 7,702,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A method for searching for data files stored in a mobile device may include accessing a memory including a plurality of data files, the data files including file information fields containing a group of characters; retrieving at least a part of a first file information field associated with the data files; presenting the at least part of the first file information field via a display; determining a first diverging character position in the presented at least part of the first file information field; receiving, via an input device, an input corresponding to at least one symbol; comparing the at least one symbol and the first diverging character position; and presenting at least a part of a second file information field associated with at least one of the data files when a character of the second file information field matches the at least one symbol.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a memory including a plurality of data files, wherein the data files include file information fields containing a group of characters;

retrieving at least a part of a first file information field associated with the data files;

presenting the at least part of the first file information field via a display;

determining a first diverging character position in the presented at least part of the first file information field;

receiving, via an input device, an input corresponding to at least one symbol;

comparing the at least one symbol and the first diverging character position; and

presenting at least a part of a second file information field associated with at least one of the data files, wherein a character of the second file information field matches the at least one symbol.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the determining, the receiving, the comparing, and the presenting until all positions in a presented file information field have been traversed or the resented file information field corresponds to one file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the file information field comprises a date on which a data file was created or filed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one symbol comprises a numeral or a letter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first diverging character position comprises a first position in which two or more characters differ.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the first diverging character position is performed from a left-most position to a right-most position or a right-most position to a left-most position based on an amount of different characters in a left-most diverging character position and a right-most diverging character position.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising processing the one file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing comprises displaying an image or a rendering a sound associated with the one file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving comprises accessing the memory residing in a portable device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is a phone.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving comprises accessing the memory via a network.

12. A mobile device comprising:

a keypad comprising a plurality of keys, each key corresponding to at least one symbol;

a display for presenting information to a user; and

logic configured to;

access a memory storing a plurality of data files, each data file including a file information field comprising a plurality of characters;

retrieve and present at least a part of said file information fields and search for at least one data file in said plurality of data files by;

indicate a first diverging character position in the presented part of the file information fields;

receive a key input from the user;

compare the at least one symbol corresponding to the key input to a first character in said diverging character position; and

present at least a part of a first file information field having a character that matches the at least one symbol.

13. The mobile device in claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to:

repeat the retrieving, indicating, receiving, and comparing, and present an ultimate file information field until all positions in the presented ultimate file information field have been traversed or until the presented ultimate file information field corresponds to a single file.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the file information field comprises a date on which the data file was created or filed.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the key input corresponds to a plurality of different symbols, each symbol being one of a numeral or a letter.

16. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the first diverging character position is a first position in which the presented part of the file information fields comprises different information.

17. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to indicate the first diverging character position from left-most to right-most or from right-most to left-most in the presented part of the file information fields based on a number of different symbols in a first diverging position when proceeding from a left-most character or from a right-most character in the presented file information fields.

18. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to process an identified file, when all positions in the presented file information fields have been traversed or when the presented file information field corresponds to a single file.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the logic is further configured to cause a displaying of an image associated with the identified file or a playing of a sound associated with the identified file.

20. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the memory resides in the mobile device.

21. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the logic is further configured to access the memory via a network.

22. The mobile device of claims 12, wherein the mobile device is a phone.

23. A program product including a computer readable medium, having thereon:

computer program code means, to make a portable device execute, when said program is loaded in a portable device having access to a memory storing a plurality of data files, each data file being provided with a file information field comprising a plurality of characters;

a key arrangement comprising a plurality of keys representing at least one symbol; and

a display to present results;

the execution comprising;

presenting at least a part of said file information fields in said plurality of data files to said user;

indicating a first diverging character position in the presented part of the file information fields;

obtaining a key input from the user;

comparing of the at least one symbol represented by the key input and a character in said diverging character position of said file information fields;

presentation at least a part of the file information fields having the character that matches a symbol represented by the key input; and

repeating the execution until all positions in the presented file information fields have been traversed or until the presented file information field correspond to a single file.

24. A computer program comprising:

instructions to make a mobile device execute;

when said instructions are loaded in the mobile device having access to a memory storing a plurality of data files, each being provided with a file information field comprising a character string;

a keypad including a plurality of keys representing at least one symbol; and

a display for presenting results;

the instructions to;

present at least a part of the character string in said plurality of data files to said user;

signify a first diverging character position in the presented file information fields;

obtain a key input from the user;

compare the at least one symbol represented by the key input and a character in said diverging character position;

present at least a part of the file information fields having the character that matches a symbol represented by the key input; and

repeat the above steps until all positions in the presented file information fields have been traversed or until the presented file information field correspond to a single file.