EXPANDED SEARCH AND FIND USER INTERFACE

• US 20140115526A1
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hartwell, Aaron, Pell, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 9,513,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/780
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A search and find user interface is provided that is integrated with a data indexing engine to allow efficient and high-speed data search and retrieval across data storage folders associated with a given software module or associated with a number of disparate software modules. An expanded form of the search and find user interface is provided for advanced searching. Where searching is required beyond a present search scope, an automatic “upscoping” mechanism is provided for expanding a search to data storage folders outside a current data storage folder on which an initial search is executed.

Claims

1. A method of providing an expanded search and find functionality in a software module, comprising:

disposing a search and find user interface element in close proximity to one or more selectable data folders;

disposing one or more search criteria text boxes in the user interface element for receiving one or more respective search criteria;

operatively associating the search and find user interface element with an indexed data folder;

receiving an entry of one or more search criteria in the one or more search criteria text boxes;

receiving an indication of an initiation of a search query based on the one or more search criteria entered into the one or more search criteria text boxes against the indexed data folder; and

displaying any data items found in the indexed data folder matching the search query in a results list disposed beneath the user interface element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a menu of selectable search criteria for at least one of the one or more search criteria text boxes for allowing a selection of a predefined search criteria for the at least one of the one or more search criteria text boxes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a menu of selectable search criteria text boxes for customizing the one or more search criteria text boxes disposed in the user interface element.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a selection of a search criteria text box from the menu of selectable search criteria text boxes for replacing one of the one or more search criteria text boxes disposed in the user interface element for customizing the one or more search criteria text boxes disposed in the user interface element.

5. The method of claim 1, prior to displaying any data items found in the indexed data folder matching the search query in a results list disposed beneath the user interface element, returning any data items contained in the indexed data folder where the any data items contain information responsive to the search query.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising disposing a narrow bar vertically along an edge of the results list for indicating the results list contains one or more data items responsive to a search of an indexed data folder.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein if information contained in the search query is present in a displayed portion of any of the displayed data items, highlighting the information contained in the search query that is present in the displayed portion.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing the user interface element containing the one or more search criteria text boxes beneath a search and find pane, the search and find pane containing a text box for receiving free form entry of an alphanumeric search query.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising constructing a search query from any search criteria entered into the one or more search criteria text boxes, and automatically entering the search query into the text box contained in the search and find pane.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving an indication of an initiation of a search query based on the one or more search criteria entered into the one or more search criteria text boxes against the indexed data folder, includes receiving an indication of an initiation of a search query based on the constructed search query automatically entered into the text box contained in the search and find pane.

11. An expanded search and find user interface, comprising:

an expanded search and find user interface element disposed in a software module user interface between a navigation pane and a data preview pane and beneath a simplified search and find pane;

the expanded search and find user interface element being further disposed above a list pane for displaying data from one or more data folders contained in the navigation pane;

the expanded search and find user interface element being operatively associated with an indexed data folder; and

one or more search criteria text boxes disposed in the expanded search and find user interface element for receiving one or more respective search criteria for constructing a search query for searching the indexed data folder.

12. The expanded search and find user interface of claim 11, further comprising a menu of selectable search criteria provided for at least one of the one or more search criteria text boxes for allowing a selection of a predefined search criteria for the at least one of the one or more search criteria text boxes.

13. The expanded search and find user interface of claim 12, further comprising menu of selectable search criteria text boxes provided for customizing the one or more search criteria text boxes disposed in the user interface element.

14. The expanded search and find user interface of claim 13, further comprising a results list disposed beneath the expanded search and find user interface element for displaying results of a search of the indexed data folder.

15. The expanded search and find user interface of claim 14, further comprising a narrow bar disposed vertically along an edge of the results list for indicating the results list contains one or more data items responsive to a search of the indexed data folder.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, the method further comprising providing a menu of selectable search criteria for at least one of the one or more search criteria text boxes for allowing a selection of a predefined search criteria for the at least one of the one or more search criteria text boxes.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11, the method further comprising:

providing a menu of selectable search criteria text boxes for customizing the one or more search criteria text boxes disposed in the user interface element; and

receiving a selection of a search criteria text box from the menu of selectable search criteria text boxes for replacing one of the one or more search criteria text boxes disposed in the user interface element for customizing the one or more search criteria text boxes disposed in the user interface element.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 11, the method further comprising disposing the user interface element containing the one or more search criteria text boxes beneath a search and find pane, the search and find pane containing a text box for receiving free form entry of an alphanumeric search query.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, the method further comprising:

constructing a search query from any search criteria entered into the one or more search criteria text boxes, and automatically entering the search query into the text box contained in the search and find pane; and

wherein receiving an indication of an initiation of a search query based on the one or more search criteria entered into the one or more search criteria text boxes against the indexed data folder, includes receiving an indication of an initiation of a search query based on the constructed search query automatically entered into the text box contained in the search and find pane.

16. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for providing an expanded search and find functionality in a software module, comprising:

disposing a search and find user interface element in close proximity to one or more selectable data folders;

disposing one or more search criteria text boxes in the user interface element for receiving one or more respective search criteria;

operatively associating the search and find user interface element with an indexed data folder;

receiving an entry of one or more search criteria in the one or more search criteria text boxes;

receiving an indication of an initiation of a search query based on the one or more search criteria entered into the one or more search criteria text boxes against the indexed data folder;

displaying any data items found in the indexed data folder matching the search query in a results list disposed beneath the user interface element; and

if information contained in the search query is present in a displayed portion of any of the displayed data items, highlighting the information contained in the search query that is present in the displayed portion.