CONTEXT-BASED ACTIONS FROM A SOURCE APPLICATION

• US 20140358970A1
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Morris, Max Glenn, Raghupathy, Sashi, Oliver, Daniel, Kolba, Robert Emmett Jr., Wong, Sandy, Biswas, Manoj Kumar, Rambhia, Amy
• Granted Patent: US 10,430,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57

Abstract

An action framework system provides context-based actions in association with a source application. The source application detects selection of a content element presented by the source application. The content element is associated with an application identifier identifying a target application and an action identifier identifying an operation to be executed by the target application on the content element. The target application identified by the application identifier is executed to perform the operation identified by the action identifier on the content element, responsive to detection of the selection of the content element. In one implementation, the source application is a search feature providing different contexts of search results (e.g., from a local file system search, a local application content search, a Web search, a remote application content search).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting selection of a content element presented by a source application, the content element being associated with an application identifier identifying a target application and an action identifier identifying an operation to be executed by the target application on the content element; and

executing the target application identified by the application identifier to perform the operation identified by the action identifier on the content element, responsive to detection of the selection of the content element.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting operation comprises:

receiving one or more search results from a search operation based on a search query, at least one of the search results being associated with an application identifier identifying the target application and an action identifier identifying an operation to be executed by the target application on content identified by the at least one search result; and

detecting selection of a search result as the content element via a user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the executing operation comprises:

executing the target application identified by the application identifier to perform the operation identified by the action identifier on the content identified by the selected search result, responsive to detection of the selection of the search result.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the search operation returns the one or more search results based on a performed search on application content in a datastore accessible through an application.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the search operation returns the one or more search results based on a performed search on Web pages.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the search operation returns the one or more search results based on a performed search on local data resources.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the search operation returns the one or more search results based on a performed search on local data resources, based on a performed search on Web pages, and based on a performed search on local data resources.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the executing operation launches the target application and performs the operation, responsive to receipt of the selection of the search result absent any subsequent input through the user interface.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the executing operation launches the application and performs the operation as a background operation, responsive to receipt of the selection of the search result absent any subsequent input through the user interface.

10. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

presenting a plurality of available applications for execution, responsive to selection of the search result.

11. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

presenting a plurality of available actions, responsive to selection of the search result.

12. One or more tangible computer-readable storage media encoding computer-executable instructions for executing on a computer system a computer process, the computer process comprising:

receiving one or more search results from a search operation based on a search query, at least one of the search results being associated with an application identifier identifying an application and an action identifier identifying an operation to be executed by the application on content identified by the at least one search result; and

executing the application identified by the application identifier to perform the operation identified by the action identifier on the content identified by a selected search result, responsive to detection of the selection of the search result.

13. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the search operation returns the one or more search results based on a performed search on application content in a datastore accessible through an application.

14. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the search operation returns the one or more search results based on a performed search on Web pages.

15. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the search operation returns the one or more search results based on a performed search on local data resources.

16. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the search operation returns the one or more search results based on a performed search on local data resources, based on a performed search on Web pages, and based on a performed search on local data resources.

17. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the executing operation launches the application and performs the operation, responsive to receipt of the selection of the search result through a user interface absent any intervening input through the user interface.

18. The one or more tangible computer-readable storage media of claim 12 wherein the executing operation launches the application and performs the operation as a background operation, responsive to receipt of the selection of the search result absent any subsequent input through the user interface.

19. A system comprising:

a search management system that receives one or more search results from a search operation based on a search query, at least one of the search results being associated with an application identifier identifying an application and an action identifier identifying an operation to be executed by the application on content identified by the at least one search result; and

a contextual application launcher communicatively coupled to the search management system and that executes the application identified by the application identifier to perform the operation identified by the action identifier on the content identified by a selected search result, responsive to detection of the selection of the search result.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the contextual application launcher launches the application and performs the operation, responsive to receipt of the selection of the search result through a user interface absent any intervening input through the user interface.