SEARCHING AT A USER DEVICE

• US 20140062904A1
• Filed: 11/12/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Abate, Umberto
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Method, computer program product and user device for searching implemented at the user device, wherein an input is received from a user via a touch screen of the user device. Without user initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive the input, the input is analysed using character recognition. Responsive to the character recognition recognizing at least one character in said received input, a search mode is invoked in which one or more search results which at least partially match the at least one recognized character are displayed. The user may select one of the displayed search results.

Claims

1. A method of searching implemented at a user device, the method comprising:

receiving an input from a user via a touch screen of the user device;

without user initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive said input, analysing the input using character recognition;

responsive to the character recognition recognizing at least one character in said received input, invoking a search mode;

in said search mode, displaying one or more search results which at least partially match the at least one recognized character; and

receiving a user selection of one of the displayed search results.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the touch screen is used both as an input area for receiving the input, and as a display for displaying the one or more search results.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the touch screen displays feedback showing the input received from the user overlaid on the displayed search results.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the feedback displayed on the touch screen fades gradually over time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one character in the received input comprises a plurality of characters which are recognized by the character recognition.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the displayed search results are updated each time one of the plurality of characters is recognized by the character recognition.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more search results are retrieved from at least one group of items which may be searched.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one group of items includes at least one of:

contacts, communication events, bookmarks, applications, files and place names.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the groups of items which are searched are limited by a context of an application executing at the device when the input is received from the user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of search results are displayed and wherein the order of the displayed search results is determined based on at least one of:

(i) how well the search result matches the at least one recognized character, and (ii) a context of an application executing at the device when the input is received from the user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected one of the displayed search results is a contact of the user and wherein the method further comprises initiating a communication event with the contact in response to receiving said user selection of the contact.

12. A method of searching implemented at a user device, the method comprising:

receiving an input from a user via a touch screen of the user device;

displaying feedback on the touch screen showing the input received from the user, wherein the feedback displayed on the touch screen fades gradually over time;

analysing the received input using character recognition;

responsive to the character recognition recognizing at least one character in said received input, displaying on the touch screen one or more search results which at least partially match the at least one recognized character; and

receiving a user selection of one of the displayed search results.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the displayed feedback is overlaid on the displayed search results on the touch screen.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said analysing the received input is performed without user initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive said input.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving user initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive said input, wherein said analysing the received input using character recognition is performed only if the temporary character recognition mode has been initiated.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said user initiation of the temporary character recognition mode comprises receiving a predefined input from the user via the touch screen or another input component of the user device.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said at least one character in the received input comprises a plurality of characters which are recognized by the character recognition, and wherein the displayed search results are updated each time one of the plurality of characters is recognized by the character recognition.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more search results are retrieved from at least one group of items which may be searched.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one group of items includes at least one of:

contacts, communication events, bookmarks, applications, files and place names.

20. A computer program product configured to implement searching at a user device, the computer program product being embodied on a tangible computer-readable hardware storage medium and configured so as when executed on a processor of the user device to perform the operations comprising:

receiving an input from a user via a touch screen of the user device;

without user initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive said input, analysing the input using character recognition;

responsive to the character recognition recognizing at least one character in said received input, invoking a search mode;

in said search mode, displaying one or more search results which at least partially match the at least one recognized character; and

receiving a user selection of one of the displayed search results.