Moveable interface to a search engine that remains visible on the desktop

• US 7,899,802 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sailor, Janet, Martin, Geoffrey, Reyes, Anthony, Lim, Ruth
• Primary Examiner(s): LeRoux; Etienne P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cindy
• Application Number:
  US10/835,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,498 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/102, 707/706, 707/707, 715/788
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Methods and systems for a moveable search engine interface that remains visible on the desktop are provided. In one embodiment, a search engine interface is created by displaying a graphical image of a window on a screen of the computer. The window may receive search terms for searching information available to a search engine. The search engine interface is also created by associating a two dimensional graphical image that has a specified shape and color with the window. The search engine interface is designed to remain available on the screen of the computer regardless of whether a browser associated with the computer is open or closed. Further the search engine interface is designed to be moved anywhere on the screen.

Claims

1. A method of performing a search on a search engine interface on a screen of a computer, the method comprising:

creating a graphical image of a window for display on the screen of the computer, wherein the window may receive search terms for searching information available to a search engine;

associating a two dimensional graphical image with said graphical image of a window for display on the screen of the computer, wherein said two dimensional graphical image has a specified shape and color;

enabling the search engine interface to remain available on the screen for searching information available to the search engine regardless of whether a browser associated with the computer is open or closed;

enabling the search engine interface to be moved anywhere on the screen;

performing an aggregate search of said search terms using a plurality of search engines; and

performing a search based on said search terms of a hard drive associated with said computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the two dimensional graphical image is a first two dimensional graphical image and wherein the method further comprises modifying an appearance of the search engine interface by associating a second two dimensional graphical image with the window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second two dimensional graphical images are bit maps.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein Microsoft'"'"'s Foundation Class (MFC) is used for creating the search engine interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a list of search engine names with the search engine interface wherein a particular search engine may be selected to perform a search based on search terms entered into the window.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising associating a selectable option as a part of the list to allow searches of the hard drive of the computer based on the search terms.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the search engine interface having the window for display in a region of the screen separate from a task bar also displayed by the screen.

8. A computer system comprising:

a memory unit; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit, the processor configured to;

provide a graphical image representing a search engine interface for display on a screen of the computer system, wherein the search engine interface has a window to receive search terms for searching information available to a plurality of search engines;

cause the search engine interface to remain available on the screen for receiving the search terms even if a browser in the computer system is closed;

enable the search engine interface to be moved anywhere on the screen;

cause performance of an aggregate search of said search terms using the plurality of search engines; and

perform a search based on said search terms of a hard drive of said computer system.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the graphical image is a first two dimensional graphical image and wherein the processor is configured to further modify an appearance of the search engine interface by associating a second two dimensional graphical image with the search engine interface, wherein the second two dimensional graphical image has a different shape or color from the first two dimensional graphical image.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the first and the second two dimensional graphical images are bit maps.

11. The computer system of claim 8, wherein Microsoft'"'"'s Foundation Class (MFC) is used for creating the search engine interface.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to:

present a list of search engine names with the search engine interface to allow for user selection from among the search engine names; and

receive user selection of multiple ones of the search engine names, wherein the selected multiple search engine names correspond to the plurality of search engines.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to further present a selectable option as a part of the list to allow for user selection of a search of the hard drive based on the search terms.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to further present the graphical image representing the search engine interface for display in a region of the screen separate from a task bar also displayed by the screen.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method of performing a search, the method comprising:

providing a graphical image representing a search engine interface for display on a screen of the computer system, wherein the search engine interface includes a window to receive search terms for searching information available to a plurality of search engines;

enabling the search engine interface to remain available on the screen for receiving the search terms regardless of whether a browser in the computer system is open or closed;

enabling the search engine interface to be moved anywhere on the screen;

cause performance of an aggregate search of said search terms using the plurality of search engines; and

performing a search based on said search terms of a hard drive of said computer system.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the graphical image is a first two dimensional graphical image and wherein the method further comprises modifying an appearance of the search engine interface by associating a second two dimensional graphical image with the search engine interface, wherein the second two dimensional graphical image has a different shape or color from the first two dimensional graphical image.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first and the second two dimensional graphical images are bit maps.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein Microsoft'"'"'s Foundation Class (MFC) is used for creating the search engine interface.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting a list of search engine names with the search engine interface to allow for user selection from among the search engine names; and

receiving user selection of multiple ones of the search engine names, wherein the selected multiple search engine names correspond to the plurality of search engines.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises presenting a selectable option as a part of the list to allow for user selection of a search of the hard drive based on the search terms.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises presenting the graphical image representing the search engine interface for display in a region of the screen separate from a task bar also displayed by the screen.