METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INDICATING CONTENT SEARCH RESULTS

• US 20080263037A1
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: WEI, Kai, TONG, Chun Jie, CAI, Jun Jie, SHEN, Huapin
• Application Number:
  US11/874,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263037A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results

Abstract

The present description provides a method and an apparatus of indicating content search results. According to an embodiment of the present description, provided is a method of indicating content search results, comprising: inputting a search keyword; searching a match of the keyword among displayed contents and determining a location of the match on a display screen; and generating a directional hint indicating the location. In one feature, the present description permits a user to find a match result more conveniently and quickly and thereby improve the user experience. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method of indicating content search results, comprising:

inputting a search keyword;

searching a match of the keyword among displayed contents and determining a location of the match on a display screen; and

generating a directional hint indicating said location.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein an aural directional hint is generated in said generating.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein a visual directional hint is generated in said generating.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said visual directional hint is displayed on a search dialog box.

5. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said visual directional hint is at least one of graphics and animation whose end point is said location.

6. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein a start point of said visual directional hint is on a search dialog box.

7. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein a start point of said visual directional hint is a fixed point on a screen.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein multiple visual directional hints are generated in sequence upon finding of multiple matches.

9. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein multiple visual directional hints are simultaneously displayed upon finding of multiple matches.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said directional hint is generated after determining that a predetermined condition is met.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said directional hint is closed after determining that a predetermined condition is met.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a display screen adapted to display contents;

an input module adapted to input a search keyword;

a search module adapted to search for a match of the keyword among said displayed contents and determine a location of the match on said display screen; and

a control module adapted to generate a directional hint indicating said location.

13. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein said control module is adapted to generate an aural directional hint.

14. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein said control module is adapted to generate a visual directional hint and to cause said visual directional hint to be displayed on said display screen.

15. The apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein said display screen is adapted to display a search dialog box and said control module is adapted to cause said visual directional hint to be displayed on said search dialog box.

16. The apparatus in accordance 120

claim 14, wherein said visual directional hint is one of a graphics and animation, and has an end point which is at least adjacent said location.

17. The apparatus in accordance with claim 15, wherein said visual directional hint has a start point which is at least adjacent said search dialog box.

18. The apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein said visual directional hint has a start point at a fixed point on said display screen.

19. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein said control module is adapted to generate multiple directional hints in sequence when said search module finds multiple matches.

20. The apparatus in accordance with claim 14, wherein said control module causes said display screen to simultaneously display multiple directional hints when said search module determines multiple locations, each location corresponding to a match.

21. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein said control module is adapted to generate said directional hint after determining that a predetermined condition is met.

22. The apparatus in accordance with claim 12, wherein said control module is adapted to close said directional hint when a predetermined condition is met.

23. A search dialog box assembly, comprising:

an input module for inputting a search keyword;

a search module for searching a match of the keyword among displayed contents and determining a location of the match on a display screen; and

a control module for generating a directional hint indicating said location in the dialog box.

24. An article of manufacture, comprising at least one of a hardware device having hardware logic, and a computer readable memory having code, enabled to be executed by a system to perform operations, wherein the system has a display screen adapted to display contents, and wherein the operations comprise:

inputting a search keyword;

searching a match of the keyword among displayed contents and determining a location of the match on said display screen; and

generating a directional hint indicating said location.

25. The article in accordance with claim 24 wherein a visual directional hint is generated in said generating.