Computerized searching tool with spell checking

• US 6,601,059 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1998
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fries, Karen E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Te Y
• Application Number:
  US09/221,028
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3-6, 707/512, 707/1, 707/104.1, 434/167-169, 704/240, 704/254, 704/256
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A method for improving searching of a network receives a search query from a user without the query passing over the network. The query is then examined to determine if it includes misspelled words. After examining the query, the query is used to search the network. In some embodiments, the method also includes a step of providing a visual cue to the user to indicate that the search query includes a misspelled word. In further embodiments of the invention, the method also includes a step of providing lists of possible spellings for the misspelled words and allowing the user to select one of the possible spellings from the list. The method then replaces the misspelled word with the selected spelling to produce modified text. The modified text is then used to search the network.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components comprising:

a search application for searching a computer environment based on a set of text;

a spell checking object for providing an area for displaying search text provided by a user, checking the search text to determine if it includes misspelled text items, producing a spelling indicator that can be perceived by the user to indicate that the search text includes misspelled text items and producing spell checked text; and

a user interface object for providing a user interface associated with searching and for passing spell checked text from the spell checking object to the search application.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the user interface object provides a user interface associated with searching the Internet.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the spelling indicator is a visual cue.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the spell checking object displays a list of properly spelled text items as possible replacements for a misspelled text item.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein based on a user'"'"'s selection of a properly spelled text item from the list of properly spelled text items, the spell checking object replaces the misspelled text item with the selected properly spelled text item to form the spell checked text.

6. In a computer system having a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing a graphical user interface comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying text to a user to solicit a search query from the user for searching the computer system;

(b) displaying a text box to display the search query entered by the user; and

(c) displaying a visual cue to indicate that a word in the search query is misspelled while the user is entering a second word of the search query.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein displaying the text box comprises displaying the text entered by the user in the text box on a character by character basis as the user enters each character of the search query.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein displaying visual cues comprises displaying a line under a misspelled word.

9. A method of searching a network, the method comprising:

receiving words that form part of a query from a user;

examining a first word of the query to determine if it is misspelled;

if the first word is misspelled, displaying the first word in a search text box with an indication to the user that the first word is misspelled while the user is entering a second word of the query;

accepting a correction to at least one displayed word from the user to produce a corrected word; and

using the corrected word when searching the network.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving words comprises using a spell-checking object to receive the words.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein displaying the first word and second word of the query comprises having the spell-checking object display the first word and the second word.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising displaying alternative spellings for the first word.

13. A method of searching a network, the method comprising:

reviewing the spelling of each word of a query using a spell-checking object as the word is entered;

if the review by the spell-checking object finds that a word entered is misspelled, displaying an indication that there is a misspelled word;

accepting a correction to any of the misspelled words from the user to form a modified query; and

using the modified query to search the network.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the spell-checking object controls an area in which the words of the query are displayed.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying a list of alternative spellings for at least one of the misspelled words.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein displaying an indication that there is a misspelled word comprises displaying the indication for one word of the query before a last word of the query appears on the display.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein accepting a correction comprises using the spell-checking object to accept a correction.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein using the modified query to search a network comprises passing the modified query from the spell-checking object to a network search tool and using the network search tool to search the network.

19. A method of enabling a user to search a network, the method comprising:

accepting a query from the user comprising at least one search term;

without further user intervention, analyzing each word in the query to determine whether there is a misspelling;

providing an indication to the user of any misspelled words in the query;

changing any misspelled words in response to user input to form a revised query;

using the revised query to perform the search of the network.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein accepting a query from a user comprises using a spell-checking object to accept the query.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein each search term in the query is analyzed as it is entered by the user.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the indication to the user of a misspelled word include a suggestion for a correct spelling.