Persistent User Interface for Providing Navigational Functionality
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- providing a web query toolbar in a desktop environment of a client device, the web query toolbar including a query box control;
receiving one or more query terms input to the query box control;
receiving input from a user of the client device, the input indicating a selection of a desired query type from a set of multiple query types, and further indicating that a web query of the desired query type should be executed using the input query terms;
transmitting to a search engine instructions to execute the web query of the desired query type using input query terms;
receiving a result of the web query from the search engine;
animating a results window to appear to slide open from the web query toolbar based on receiving the result of the web query; and
providing the result of the web query in the results window.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus, including a graphical user interface, for allowing quick processing of queries, including display of results, without requiring opening of a traditional browser program application window. Queries may be input and processed directly from a persistent or otherwise on-demand query input area, without the need to open a browser or other program separately for entering/processing a query, navigating to a search engine or particular document, etc. A number of query types may be supported by the user interface of the present invention, such that depending on a particular query type selected for/indicated by a query, a particular information retrieval mechanism processes the query to obtain one or more results. An on-demand result window is generated in response to a query request to output one or more results obtained in response to a given query.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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providing a web query toolbar in a desktop environment of a client device, the web query toolbar including a query box control; receiving one or more query terms input to the query box control; receiving input from a user of the client device, the input indicating a selection of a desired query type from a set of multiple query types, and further indicating that a web query of the desired query type should be executed using the input query terms; transmitting to a search engine instructions to execute the web query of the desired query type using input query terms; receiving a result of the web query from the search engine; animating a results window to appear to slide open from the web query toolbar based on receiving the result of the web query; and providing the result of the web query in the results window. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system comprising:
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one or more computers; and a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more computers having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising; providing a web query toolbar in a desktop environment of a client device, the web query toolbar including a query box control, receiving one or more query terms input to the query box control, receiving input from a user of the client device, the input indicating a selection of a desired query type from a set of multiple query types, and further indicating that a web query of the desired query type should be executed using the input query terms, transmitting instructions to a search engine to execute the web query of the desired query type using input query terms, receiving a result of the web query from the search engine, animating a results window to appear to slide open from the web query toolbar based on receiving the result of the web query, and providing the result of the web query in the results window. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
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providing a web query toolbar in a desktop environment of a client device, the web query toolbar including a query box control; receiving one or more query terms input to the query box control; receiving input from a user of the client device, the input indicating a selection of a desired query type from a set of multiple query types, and further indicating that a web query of the desired query type should be executed using the input query terms; transmitting instructions to a search engine to execute the web query of the desired query type using input query terms; receiving a result of the web query from the search engine; animating a results window to appear to slide open from the web query toolbar based on receiving the result of the web query; and providing the result of the web query in the results window. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification