Method and system for unifying search strategy and sharing search output data across multiple program modules

• US 6,708,162 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2000
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blees, Maria, Morgan, Bruce Alan, Kosbie, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): DODDS, HAROLD E
• Application Number:
  US09/566,838
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-5, 707/9, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/164.1, 707/200, 707/104.1, 345/700, 345/733, 709/200-203, 709/310
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24539 using cached or materialised query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24552 Database cache management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A search across multiple programs can be conducted, whether or not a particular program is active. After a search is conducted, search results can be displayed from programs that are in use and those that are not currently in use when the search is initiated. Upon selection of a search result, the program supporting the selected result can be launched if it is not already in use and can become the active program. Once the program supporting the selected result becomes active, the search result can be pre-populated within the search engine of the program. Therefore, search strategy across multiple programs is unified while sharing of search output data across multiple programs is facilitated. This sharing of data makes information across multiple separate programs more readily accessible. Also, a consistent user interface for searching across multiple programs is presented. This interface can eliminate the learning of multiple search techniques that are dependent upon a unique search engines of respective programs.

Claims

1. A method for unifying search strategy and sharing search output data across multiple programs, comprising the steps of:

obtaining current search input data for a current search in at least one of the multiple programs;

determining whether the current search input data matches any previous search input data for a previous search in any of the multiple programs;

sharing search output data corresponding to the previous search between programs in response to a determination that the current search input data matches any previous search input data;

conducting a search within at least one of the multiple programs in response to determination that the current search input data does not match any previous search input data; and

displaying overview search output data derived from one of the shared search output data and the search, whereby re-keying of data is eliminated and processing time is reduced while memory resources are conserved.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

assigning the current search input data with a previous identifier corresponding to the matching previous search input data, in response to a determination that the current search input data matches any previous search input data; and

retrieving previous search output data corresponding to the previous identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether another program has been selected after the overview search output data has been displayed; and

if another program has been selected, then utilizing the selected program as a basis for a search corresponding to the current search input data and displaying overview search output data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

comparing the current search input data with previous search input data;

if the current search input data does not match any previous search input data, then assigning the current search input data a unique search identifier and generating new search output data for the current search input data assigned a unique search identifier;

if the current search input data matches any previous search input data, then assigning the current search input data a previous search identifier corresponding to the matching previous search input data and retrieving corresponding previous search output data for the current search input data assigned a previous search identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sharing output data further comprises the steps of:

determining whether a search identifier of the current search input data matches a previous search identifier;

if a match exists then determining if a search result object set corresponding to the previous search identifier contains an existing search result object corresponding to one of the multiple programs; and

if an existing search result object exists, then utilizing the existing search result object for search output data.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether an existing search result object exists; and

if an existing search result object does not exist, then generating a search result object corresponding to the current search input data.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of, if the search identifier of the current search input data does not match a previous search identifier, then generating a search result object set and a search result object corresponding to the current search input data and one of the multiple programs.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of generating a search result object further comprises the step of associating the search identifier of the current search input data with the generated search result object.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating a search result object set and search result object further comprises the step of associating the search identifier of the current search input data with the generated search result object set and search result object.

10. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

11. A method for unifying search strategy and sharing search output data across multiple programs, comprising the steps of:

obtaining current search input data for a current search in at least one of the multiple programs;

in response to a search request, conducting a first search within one of the multiple programs;

displaying overview search output data located by the search;

obtaining a selection of the overview search output data;

determining whether an output data program supporting the selected overview search output data has been launched;

in response to a determination that the output data program supporting the selected overview search output data has not been launched, launching the output data program, conducting a second search corresponding to the current search input data within the output data program, and making the output data program active;

if the output data program has been launched, then making the output data program active; and

displaying search output data corresponding to the active program, whereby re-keying of data is substantially eliminated and processing time is reduced while memory resources are conserved.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a program has been selected for a search request;

if a program has been selected, then utilizing the selected program as a basis for the first search; and

if a program has not been selected, then utilizing a default program as the basis for the first search.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether another program has been selected after the overview search data has been displayed; and

if another program has been selected, then utilizing the selected program as a basis for a third search corresponding to the first search and displaying overview search output data for the third search.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

if the current search input data matches previous search input data, then assigning the current search input data with a previous identifier; and

retrieving previous search output data corresponding with the previous identifier.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

comparing the current search input data with any previous search input data;

if the current search input data does not match any previous search input data, then assigning the current search input data a unique search identifier, and generating new search output data for current search input data assigned a unique search identifier; and

if the current search input data matches any previous search input data, then assigning the current search input data a previous search identifier corresponding to the matching previous search input data, and retrieving previous search output data corresponding with the previous search identifier.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a search identifier of the current search input data matches a previous search identifier,

if a match exists then determining if a search result object set corresponding to the previous search identifier contains a search result object corresponding to one of the multiple programs;

if a search result object exists, then utilizing the search result object for search output data; and

if a search result object does not exist, then generating a search result object corresponding to the current search input data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

if the search identifier of the current search input data does not match a previous search identifier, then generating a search result object set and a search result object corresponding to the current search input data and one of the multiple programs.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of generating a search result object further comprises the step of associating the search identifier of the current search input data with the generated search result object.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of generating a search result object set and search result object further comprises the step of associating the search identifier of the current search input data with the generated search result object set and search result object.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of displaying overview search output data comprises the step of asynchronously displaying the overview search output data while an overview search is being conducted.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of utilizing the search result object for search output data comprises connecting a data access object to a previous corresponding search result object.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein a number of search result objects in a respective search result object set is substantially equal to the number of programs that share output search data.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein each program of the multiple programs has a respective search result object set and each search result object set has a number of search result objects that are substantially equal to the number of programs that share output search data.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein each search result object comprises a common object model object.

25. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 11.

26. A computer system with a unified search strategy and shared output data across multiple programs, comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory storage device;

a display device coupled to the processing unit for displaying data; and

a plurality of programs stored in said memory storage device for providing instructions to said processing unit,

said processing unit responsive to said instructions of said programs being operable for

obtaining a selection of program to be used as a basis for a search corresponding to search input data;

sharing search output data corresponding to a previous search between programs if the search input data matches previous search input data; and

displaying overview search output data derived from one of shared output data and a search, whereby re-keying of data is substantially eliminated and processing time is substantially reduced while memory resources of the computer system are substantially conserved.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the processing unit is further operable for determining whether another program has been selected after the overview search output data has been displayed;

and if another program has been selected, then utilizing the selected program as a basis for a search corresponding to the search input data and displaying overview search output data.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the processing unit is further operable for determining whether a search identifier of current search input data matches a previous search identifier, if a match exists then determining if a search result object set corresponding to the previous search identifier contains an existing search result object corresponding to one of the selected program and the default program;

and

if an existing search result object exists, then utilizing the existing search result object for search output data.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the processing unit is further operable for generating search result objects and search result object sets, and wherein a number of search result objects in a respective search result object set is substantially equal to the number of programs that share output search data.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein each search result object comprises a common object model object.