METHOD OF PROVIDING A NUMBER OF SEARCH RESULTS FOR A HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AND SYSTEM AND HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE EMPLOYING THE SAME

• US 20090119252A1
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Plestid, Thomas Leonard Trevor
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3338 Query expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A method provides search results for a handheld electronic device including an input apparatus having a plurality of input members, each of at least a portion of which have a plurality of characters assigned thereto. A type of the input apparatus is sent from the device to a server. The device receives a number of activations of a number of the input members, and sends the received number of activations to the server. The server determines a number of possible combinations of the characters based upon the received input apparatus type and the received number of activations, searches for a number of search results as a function of the number of possible combinations of the characters, and sends the number of search results to the device. The device receives the number of search results, and displays at least a portion of the number of search results.

Claims

1. A method of providing a number of search results for a handheld electronic device, said handheld electronic device including an input apparatus having an input apparatus type, the input apparatus including a plurality of input members, each of at least a portion of the input members having a plurality of characters assigned thereto, said method comprising:

sending the input apparatus type from said handheld electronic device to a server;

receiving a number of activations of a number of the input members of the input apparatus at said handheld electronic device;

sending the received number of activations from said handheld electronic device to said server;

receiving the input apparatus type at said server;

receiving the number of activations at said server;

determining at said server a number of possible combinations of the characters based upon the received input apparatus type and the received number of activations;

searching for a number of search results as a function of the number of possible combinations of the characters;

sending the number of search results from said server to said handheld electronic device;

receiving the number of search results at said handheld electronic device; and

displaying at least a portion of the number of search results at said handheld electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing a disambiguation at said server of the number of possible combinations of the characters to provide a rendered output; and

employing the rendered output as said function of the number of possible combinations of the characters.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

searching for the number of search results in a database based upon the rendered output.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

providing said disambiguation at said server responsive to an ambiguous input of a count of activations of a number of the input members, at least a portion of the number of the input members of said ambiguous input including a plurality of characters assigned thereto; and

providing at said server the rendered output having a count of characters that is equal or substantially equal to the count of activations of a number of the input members of said ambiguous input.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

employing as said plurality of characters, a first character and a second character; and

for each of said at least a portion of the number of the input members of said ambiguous input including a plurality of characters assigned thereto, and responsive to said ambiguous input, displaying at said handheld electronic device the first character as being uppercase and the second character as being lowercase.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

rendering a disambiguation result at said handheld electronic device responsive to said ambiguous input, before displaying the rendered disambiguation result at said handheld electronic device and before displaying said at least a portion of the number of search results at said handheld electronic device.

7. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

displaying nothing at said handheld electronic device responsive to said ambiguous input until after said server provides the rendered output.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

rendering disambiguation results from a disambiguation algorithm at said handheld electronic device;

performing said disambiguation at said server independent of the disambiguation algorithm of said handheld electronic device; and

sending the rendered disambiguation results to the server.

9. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

sending a unique identification of said handheld electronic device to said server;

receiving the unique identification at said server; and

performing said disambiguation at said server as a function of the unique identification.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

employing a disambiguation algorithm including a disambiguation type at said handheld electronic device;

sending the disambiguation type of said handheld electronic device from said handheld electronic device to said server;

receiving the disambiguation type of said handheld electronic device at said server; and

performing said disambiguation at said server of the number of possible combinations of the characters as a function of the received disambiguation type of said handheld electronic device, in order that said disambiguation at said server is the same as or substantially similar to the disambiguation algorithm of said handheld electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing as the input apparatus a keyboard having a sub-type;

modifying the keyboard to provide a different sub-type;

sending the different sub-type from said handheld electronic device to said server;

receiving the different keyboard sub-type at said server; and

determining at said server the number of possible combinations of the characters based upon the received input apparatus type, the received different keyboard sub-type and the received number of activations.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing as the number of search results a number of e-mail addresses; and

providing the number of e-mail addresses responsive to a global address lookup.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing as the number of search results a number of music titles; and

providing the number of music titles responsive to a music lookup.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing as said server an instant messaging server; and

employing as the number of search results a number of users of the instant messaging server.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing as the number of search results a number of members of a user group.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing as said server a social networking server; and

employing as the number of search results a number of names of persons from the social networking server.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing as said server a web server including a web page having a drop down menu; and

receiving the number of activations at said server from the drop down menu on the web page.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing as said server a search engine server including a web page having an entry field; and

receiving the number of activations at said server from the entry field on the web page.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing a search routine at said server;

performing a disambiguation at said server of the number of possible combinations of the characters to provide a rendered output; and

employing the rendered output as said function of the number of possible combinations of the characters.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

employing as said function of the number of possible combinations of the characters all possible combinations of the characters.

21. A system comprising:

a handheld electronic device comprising;

a processor,

a wireless transceiver,

a display apparatus, and

an input apparatus including an input apparatus type and a plurality of input members, each of at least a portion of the input members having a plurality of characters assigned thereto;

a server comprising a processor; and

a wireless communication network between the wireless transceiver of said handheld electronic device and the processor of said server,

wherein the processor of said handheld electronic device is structured to send the input apparatus type to said server, receive a number of activations of a number of the input members of the input apparatus, and send the received number of activations to said server,

wherein the processor of said server is structured to receive the input apparatus type, receive the number of activations, determine a number of possible combinations of the characters based upon the received input apparatus type and the received number of activations, search for a number of search results as a function of the number of possible combinations of the characters, and send the number of search results to said handheld electronic device, and

wherein the processor of said handheld electronic device is further structured to receive the number of search results, and display at least a portion of the number of search results at the display apparatus.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the processor of said server is further structured to perform a disambiguation of the number of possible combinations of the characters to provide a rendered output, and employ the rendered output as said function of the number of possible combinations of the characters.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein said server further comprises a search routine;

and wherein the processor of said server is further structured to perform a disambiguation of the number of possible combinations of the characters to provide a rendered output, and employing the rendered output as said function of the number of possible combinations of the characters.

24. A handheld electronic device for use with a server structured to receive an input apparatus type, receive a number of activations of a number of input members, determine a number of possible combinations of characters based upon the received input apparatus type and the received number of activations, search for a number of search results as a function of a number of possible combinations of characters, and send the number of search results to said handheld electronic device, said handheld electronic device comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a display apparatus;

an input apparatus including the input apparatus type and a plurality of the input members, each of at least a portion of the input members having a plurality of the characters assigned thereto; and

a processor structured to send the input apparatus type from said handheld electronic device to said server, receive a number of activations of a number of the input members of the input apparatus, send the received number of activations to said server, receive the number of search results, and display at least a portion of the number of search results at the display apparatus.

25. The handheld electronic device of claim 24 wherein the input apparatus is a keyboard having a sub-type, the keyboard being structured to be modified to provide a different sub-type;

and wherein the processor is further structured to send the different sub-type to said server, in order that said server receives the different sub-type and determines the number of possible combinations of the characters based upon the received input apparatus type, the received different sub-type and the received number of activations.