Search Initiation

• US 20100100839A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sears, Nickolas Jay, Tseng, Erick
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

A computer-implemented user input method includes sensing a user manipulation of a mobile device to present a keyboard, automatically presenting, in response to the sensed manipulation, a search entry area on a display of the user device, and activating the keyboard to provide input into the search entry area.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented user input method, comprising:

sensing a user manipulation of a mobile device to present a data entry keyboard;

automatically presenting, in response to the sensed manipulation, a search entry area on a display of the user device; and

automatically activating the keyboard to provide input into the search box.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving textual user input at the keyboard and inserting the input in the search entry area without a need for a user to navigate to the search entry area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user manipulation comprises sliding a mechanical keyboard from under a front portion of the mobile device, and into an open position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user manipulation comprises rotating the mobile device from a portrait orientation to a landscape orientation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input on the keyboard and providing the input to the search entry area.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning an active cursor in the search entry area upon automatically presenting the search entry area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, before automatically presenting the search entry area, whether an active application is an application responsive to search input, and presenting the search entry area in connection to the active application only if the active application is responsive to search input.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying the search entry area as a pop up box over the active application, receiving a search query with the search entry area, and providing search results received in response to the query to the active application.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising changing a display of the active application to reflect the received search results.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising, if the active application is not responsive to search input, opening a search entry area separate from the active application, receiving a search query with the search entry area, and providing search results received in response to the query in a display apart from the active application.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the search results are obtained from a search set type corresponding to an application type of the active application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the search set type is selected from a group consisting of map search, local search, web search, book search, blog search, and product search.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the data entry keyboard comprises moving a physical keyboard from a user-inaccessible position to a user-accessible position.

14. A recordable media having recorded and stored thereon instructions, which when executed, perform actions comprising:

determining that a data entry keyboard on a computing device has been manipulated into a mode for receiving user data;

automatically presenting, in response to the determination of the manipulation, a search entry area on a display of the user device; and

automatically activating the keyboard to provide input into the search entry area.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the instructions are arranged to perform actions further comprising receiving user input on the keyboard and providing the input to the search entry area.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the instructions are arranged to perform actions further comprising determining, before automatically presenting the search entry area, whether an active application is an application responsive to search input, and presenting the search entry area in connection to the active application only if the active application is responsive to search input.

17. A computer-implemented user input system, comprising:

a concealable keyboard having a first mode in which the keyboard is not accessible to a user, and a second mode in which the keyboard is accessible to a user;

a keyboard monitor to determine when the concealable keyboard transitions from the first mode to the second mode; and

a search application programmed to generate a search entry area automatically when the keyboard monitor determines that the keyboard has moved from the first mode to the second mode.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein text entered on the keyboard after the keyboard transitions from the first mode to the second mode is entered in the search entry area automatically.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the keyboard comprises a mechanical QWERTY slide-out keyboard and the keyboard monitor includes a switch in a slide-out mechanism.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the search application is programmed to automatically position an active cursor in the search entry area upon automatically presenting the search entry area.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising an application that is active on the device and is programmed to receive search results in response to submission of a search query from the search entry area.

22. A computer-implemented user input system, comprising:

a concealable keyboard having a first mode in which the keyboard is not accessible to a user and a second mode in which the keyboard is accessible to a user;

a keyboard monitor to generate a signal when the concealable keyboard transitions from the first mode to the second mode; and

means for presenting a search entry area to a user for entry of a search query using the keyboard.