Apparatus, and associated method, for facilitating net-searching operations performed by way of a mobile station

• US 6,775,537 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2000
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lynde-Redman, Dandi, Panichkul, Mateera, Heie, Anders Fahnøe
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US09/499,086
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414, 455/566, 455/412, 455/550, 455/556, 455/557, 455/558, 455/575, 455/90, 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 455/412.1, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 707/3, 707/4, 707/5, 707/10, 707/102
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for a mobile station operable in a radio communication system. Improved convenience of use of the mobile station in the performance of net-searching operations is provided. A search query entered at the mobile station is selectably stored at a memory located at the mobile station. If the same search query is to be reused for a subsequent search, a search query is retrieved from the memory and reused, thereby obviating the need of the user of the mobile station to reenter the entire search query.

Claims

1. In a mobile station operable in a radio communication system at least to generate search patterns pursuant to net-searching operation, each search pattern formed of a data sequence, an improvement of user-interface apparatus for facilitation the net searching operations initiated by a user of the mobile station, said user-interface apparatus comprising:

a storage element selectably operable to store at least a first search pattern entered by the user pursuant to a first net-searching operation;

a retriever coupled to said storage element to receive a request by the user to retrieve a selected search pattern of the at least the first search pattern, said retriever for retrieving the selected search pattern from said storage element responsive to the request therefor, the selected search pattern, once retrieved, selectable by the user for use pursuant to a subsequent net-searching operation; and

a mobile-station user actuator coupled to said storage element, said user actuator operable by the user to request retrieval of a previously-stored search pattern.

2. The user-interface apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mobile-station user actuator is further operable by the user to enter the at least the first search pattern pursuant to the first net-searching operation.

4. The user-interface apparatus of claim 2 wherein said mobile-station user actuator is further operable by the user to select storage of the at least the first search pattern at said storage element.

3. In a mobile station operable in a radio communication system at least to generate search patterns pursuant to net-searching operation, each search pattern formed of a data sequence, an improvement of user-interface apparatus for facilitation the net searching operations initiated by a user of the mobile station, said user-interface apparatus comprising:

a storage element selectably operable to store at least a first search pattern entered by the user pursuant to a first net-searching operation;

a retriever coupled to said storage element to receive a request by the user to retrieve a selected search pattern of the at least the first search pattern, said retriever for retrieving the selected search pattern from said storage element responsive to the request therefor, the selected search pattern, once retrieved, useable pursuant to a subsequent net-searching operation; and

a user actuator coupled to said storage element, said user actuator selectably actuable by the user to enter the at least the first search pattern, wherein additional selected actuation of said user actuator initiates generation of a search request at the mobile station, the search request defined by the at least the first search pattern; and

wherein said user actuator is further selectably actuable to select storage of the at least the first search pattern at said storage element, actuation of said user actuator to select the storage of the at least the first search pattern made prior to initiation of the generation of the search request at the mobile station.

5. The user-interface apparatus of claim 3 wherein the storage element is of a storage capacity permitting storage thereat of a plurality of search patterns.

6. The user-interface apparatus of claim 3 wherein said user actuator is further coupled to said retriever and wherein the request to which said retriever is coupled to receive is generated by selected user action of said user actuator.

7. The user-interface apparatus of claim 3 wherein the radio communication system comprises radio network infrastructure and a web browser search engine coupled thereto, wherein the net-searching operation comprises a web browser search, and wherein additional selected actuation of said user actuator initiates generation of a search request at the mobile station, the search request defined by the at least the first search pattern.

8. In a mobile station operable in a radio communication system at least to generate search patterns pursuant to net-searching operation, each search pattern formed of a data sequence, an improvement of user-interface apparatus for facilitation the net searching operations initiated by a user of the mobile station, said user-interface apparatus comprising:

a storage element selectably operable to store at least a first search pattern entered by the user pursuant to a first net-searching operation;

a retriever coupled to said storage element to receive a request by the user to retrieve a selected search pattern of the at least the first search pattern, said retriever for retrieving the selected search pattern from said storage element responsive to the request therefor, the selected search pattern, once retrieved, useable pursuant to a subsequent net-searching operation; and

a user actuator coupled to said storage element, said user actuator selectably actuable by the user to enter the at least the first search pattern, wherein additional selected actuation of said user actuator initiates generation of a search request at the mobile station, the search request defined by the at least the first search pattern; and

wherein said user actuator is further selectably actuable to select storage of the at least the first search pattern at said storage element, actuation of said user actuator to select the storage of the at least the first search pattern made subsequent to initiation of the generation of the search request at the mobile station.

9. The user-interface apparatus of claim 8, wherein the radio communication system comprises radio network infrastructure and a web browser search engine coupled thereto, wherein the net-searching operation comprises a web browser search, and wherein the web browser search engine performs a search responsive to the search request and generates search results, the search results returned to the mobile station, and wherein the actuation of said user actuator to select the storage of the at least the first search result is made subsequent to receipt at the mobile station of the search results.

10. The user-interface apparatus of claim 8 wherein the web browser search engine performs a search responsive to the search results returned to the mobile station, and wherein said apparatus further comprises a user display, said user display for displaying the search results returned by the web browser search engine.

11. The user-interface apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a user display for displaying the search pattern entered by the user pursuant to the first net-searching operation.

12. The user-interface apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a user display coupled to said storage element, said user display for displaying indicia of the at least the first search pattern stored at said storage element.

13. The user-interface apparatus of claim 12 wherein a plurality of search patterns are stored at said storage element and wherein indicia of each of the plurality of search patterns are displayable upon said user display.

14. The user-interface apparatus of claim 13 wherein the request to which said retriever is coupled to receive is made by the user subsequent to display of the indicia of each of the plurality of search patterns.

15. A method for facilitating net-searching operations initiated by a user of the mobile station communicating in a radio communication system, the mobile station operable to generate search patterns pursuant to the net-searching operations, each search pattern formed of a data sequence, said method comprising:

selectably storing at least one search pattern entered by the user pursuant to a first net-searching operation;

receiving, subsequent to the storing step, a mobile-station user request to retrieve a previously-stored search pattern; and

selectably retrieving, in response to the user request, a selected search pattern of the at least the first search pattern stored during said operation of selectably storing, wherein said selected search pattern is usable to initiate a search in response to a user request subsequent to said operation of selectable retreiving.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one search pattern comprises a plurality of search patterns, said method further comprising the step of receiving a user selection of one of the plurality of search patterns.