SWITCHING SEARCH PROVIDERS WITHIN A BROWSER SEARCH BOX

• US 20090150826A1
• Filed: 12/10/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lyndersay, Sean, Gass, Jonathan A., Placzkiewicz, Amy Adams, Vera, Eric A., Cohen, Sharon, Zimmermann, Sebastien, Sharif, Tariq, Truelove, Benjamin N., Pell, Mike, Stevens, Warren G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,479,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A Web browser includes a quick pick search provider menu that provides a user interface which provides a user with the ability to quickly select a new search provider which appears when the user places focus in the Web browser'"'"'s search box. In one or more embodiments, the Web browser'"'"'s search box comprises a native part of the Web browser and is not a search box associated with an installed tool bar. In other embodiments, search box functionality is provided as an extension to the Web browser. Further, various embodiments enable the user to switch between search providers in an easy and intuitive way. Yet other embodiments provide an opportunity for users to switch between search providers using keywords in the search box. Further embodiments enable users to define collections of search providers to which individual searches can be sent.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media;

computer-readable instructions embodied on the one or more computer readable storage media which, when executed, provide a Web browser configured to;

provide a search box that comprises a native part of the Web browser; and

provide a quick pick search provider menu that provides a user interface that enables a user to select a search provider which automatically appears when the user places focus in the search box.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the Web browser is configured to further enable a user to switch between search providers using key words in the search box.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the Web browser is further configured to enable a user to define collections of search providers to which individual searches can be sent.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some search providers that automatically appear are represented by search provider icons associated with said at least some search providers.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some search providers that automatically appear are represented by tabs associated with said at least some search providers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the Web browser is further configured to enable the quick pick search provider menu to provide suggestions received from one or more search providers.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the quick pick search provider menu is expandable to include different sections individual ones of which can display suggestions for the user as the user enters search text.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying a Web browser search box;

ascertaining whether a user has placed focus in the search box;

responsive to a user placing focus in the search box, exposing search provider indicia that can be selected by the user;

ascertaining whether search provider indicia has been selected by a user; and

responsive to a user selecting search provider indicia, using a selected search provider for a search.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the Web browser search box comprises a native part of a Web browser.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the search provider indicia comprises one or more search provider icons, individual search provider icons being associated with individual respective search providers.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the search provider indicia comprises one or more tabs, individual tabs being associated with individual respective search providers.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said exposing is performed independent of a user accessing a drop-down menu button associated with the search box.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein search provider indicia selection can take place after a user enters search text.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein search provider indicia selection can take place prior to a user entering search text.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein said search can comprise a search for suggestions associated with portions of search text entered by a user.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said search can be performed across multiple search providers.

17. One or more computer readable storage media comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, implement a method comprising:

enabling a user to define and group multiple search providers into a collection;

ascertaining whether a user has placed focus in a Web browser'"'"'s search box; and

responsive to a user placing focus in the Web browser'"'"'s search box, exposing indicia associated with individual collections of search providers defined by the user.

18. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises ascertaining whether a collection has been selected by the user and, responsive to a collection being selected by the user, using search providers of the collection for a search.

19. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein said search comprises one or more of a search for suggestions for a partial text string or a search for search results for completed search text.

20. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 17, wherein said indicia comprises one or more tabs associated with one or more respective collections of search providers.