Dynamic search box for web browser

• US 8,010,523 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Djabarov, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Tim T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, GARRETT A
• Application Number:
  US11/321,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/721
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3325 Reformulation based on results of preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions

Abstract

A system may receive one or more terms of a search query. The system may automatically identify prior search queries that include the one or more terms of the search query from a history of prior search queries. The system may automatically identify possible spelling corrected search queries based on the one or more terms of the search queries. The system may automatically receive remote server-based query completion suggestions including the one or more terms of the search query. The system may present query refinement options, the query refinement box being populated with the prior search queries as suggested queries for possible selection by a user, the identified possible spelling corrected search queries, and the received query completion suggestions.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices, one or more character sequences of a search query provided by a specific user;

automatically identifying, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices, historical prior search queries that include the one or more character sequences of the search query, where the historical prior search queries are based on prior search queries associated with the specific user;

providing, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices and before search results are generated for the search query, historical query refinement options for display to the specific user, the historical query refinement options including the historical prior search queries as suggested queries for possible selection by the specific user;

automatically identifying, via one or more processors in one or more computing devices, suggested prior search queries that include the one or more character sequences of the search query, where the suggested prior search queries are based on third-party search queries associated with other users;

before the search results are generated for the search query, providing, from one or more processors in one or more computing devices and to the specific user, suggested query refinement options for display to the specific user, the suggested query refinement options being provided separately from the historical query refinement options and including the suggested prior search queries as suggested queries for possible selection by the specific user;

after providing the historical query refinement options and the suggested query refinement options, receiving, at one or more processors in one or more computing devices, one or more additional character sequences of the search query provided by the specific user;

updating, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices, the historical query refinement options and the suggested query refinement options, including;

removing, from the historical query refinement options, one or more of the historical prior search queries that do not include the one or more additional character sequences of the search query, and

removing, from the suggested query refinement options, one or more of the suggested prior search queries that do not include the one or more additional character sequences of the search query; and

before the search results are generated for the search query, providing, from one or more processors in one or more computing devices and to the specific user, the updated historical query refinement options and the updated suggested query refinement options.

2. The method of claim 1, where the one or more character sequences of the search query are received in a text entry box.

3. The method of claim 2, where the text entry box is provided in a toolbar associated with a web browser.

4. The method of claim 1, where the providing historical query refinement options for display to the specific user further comprises providing a query refinement drop-down box for display to the specific user.

5. The method of claim 1, where the identifying historical prior search queries further comprises:

determining whether a prior search query, that is from the history of prior search queries associated with the specific user and that is different from the search query, begins with an identical sequence of characters as the search query; and

identifying the prior search query as a matching search query when the prior search query is different from the search query and begins with the identical sequence of characters as the search query.

6. The method of claim 1, where the identifying historical prior search queries further comprises:

determining whether a prior search query, that is from the history of prior search queries associated with the specific user and that is different from the search query, includes at least each character included within the search query; and

identifying the prior search query as a matching search query when the prior search query is different from the search query and includes at least each character included within the search query.

7. The method of claim 1, where the identifying historical prior search queries further comprises:

determining whether a prior search query, that is from the history of prior search queries associated with the specific user and that is different from the search query, includes any character sequence included within the search query; and

identifying the prior search query as a matching search query when the prior search query is different from the search query and includes any character sequence included within the search query.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a listing of available search contexts for display to the specific user, where each of the available search contexts is associated with a document type to be searched in response to the search query;

receiving a selection, from the specific user of one of the listing of available search contexts; and

restricting a subsequent query submission to a particular type of search associated with the selection.

9. The method of claim 8, where the listing of available search contexts is provided for display following receipt of a user selection of a search context selection icon.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically spell-checking the received search query;

identifying possible corrections to the received search query; and

providing the possible corrections for display to the specific user.

11. The method of claim 10, where the automatically spell-checking the received search query, further comprises:

determining whether a predetermined period of time has passed since a last character sequence was entered in the received search query; and

spell-checking the received search query when it is determined that a predetermined period of time has passed since the last character sequence was entered in the received search query.

12. The method of claim 10, where the automatically spell-checking the received search query, further comprises:

querying a remote server to spell-check the received search query; and

receiving a predetermined number of possible corrections from the remote server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting query completion suggestions from a remote server based on the received search query;

receiving a predetermined number of query completion suggestions from the remote server in response to the request; and

providing the received predetermined number of query completion suggestions for display to the specific user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining a measure of popularity for each of the received predetermined number of query completion suggestions; and

sorting the received predetermined number of query completion suggestions based on the determined measure of popularity.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a search query explanation option for display to the specific user;

receiving selection of the search query explanation option by the specific user; and

providing a description of a syntax of the search query for display to the specific user in response to the received selection.

16. The method of claim 15, where the description of the syntax of the search query is provided for display in a tool-tip associated with a user pointing device location.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a clear history option for display to the specific user;

receiving selection of the clear history option by the specific user; and

deleting the historical prior search queries in response to the received selection.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying keyword modifiers associated with the received search query; and

distinctly highlighting the identified keyword modifiers, such that different keyword modifiers are presented differently.

19. The method of claim 18, where the distinctly highlighting includes coloring text of different keyword modifiers to indicate different syntax rules.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of one of the keyword modifiers; and

providing a description of a syntax of the search query associated with the selected one of the keyword modifiers.

21. The method of claim 20, where the description of the syntax of the search query is presented in a tool-tip.

22. A system, comprising:

one or more computer devices, each of the computer devices comprising;

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to implement the instructions to;

provide a toolbar in a web browser for display to a specific user, the toolbar including a search box,

receive one or more character sequences of a search query provided by the specific user in the search box and one or more additional character sequences of the search query,

automatically identify historical prior search queries, that include the one or more character sequences of the search query, from a history of prior search queries associated with the specific user,

spell check the one or more character sequences of the search query to identify potential corrections to the search query,

provide historical query refinement options for display to the specific user, before search results are generated, the historical query refinement options including the historical prior search queries and the identified potential corrections as suggested queries for possible selection by the specific user,

update, based on the one or more additional character sequences of the search query, the historical query refinement options, including removing, from the historical query refinement options, one or more of the historical prior search queries or the identified potential corrections that do not include the one or more additional character sequences of the search query, and

provide the updated historical query refinement options for display to the specific user.

23. The system of claim 22, where the processor, when implementing the instructions to automatically identify historical prior search queries, is further to:

determine whether a prior search query, from the history of prior search queries associated with the specific user, begins with an identical sequence of characters as the one or more character sequences of the search query;

identify the prior search query as a matching search query when it is determined that the prior search query begins with the identical sequence of characters as the one or more character sequences of the search query;

determine whether a prior search query, from the history of prior search queries associated with the specific user, includes at least each character sequence included within the one or more character sequences of the search query when it is determined that the prior search query does not begin with the identical sequence of characters as the one or more character sequences of the search query;

identify the prior search query as a matching search query when it is determined that the prior search query includes at least each character sequence included within the one or more character sequences of the search query;

determine whether a prior search query, from the history of prior search queries associated with the specific user, includes any character sequence included within the one or more character sequences of the search query when it is determined that the prior search query does not include at least each character sequence included within the one or more character sequences of the search query; and

identify the prior search query as a matching search query when it is determined that the prior search query includes any character sequence included within the one or more character sequences of the search query.

24. The system of claim 22, where the processor is further to:

identify keyword modifiers associated with the search query; and

highlight the identified keyword modifiers such that different keyword modifiers are presented differently.

25. A method, comprising:

providing, by one or more processors in one or more computer devices, a dynamic search box selectable object to display to a specific user;

receiving, by one or more processors in one or more computer devices, a first search query provided by the specific user and within the dynamic search box selectable object;

identifying, by one or more processors in one or more computer devices, historical prior search queries, that match at least a portion of the first search query, from a history of prior search queries associated with the specific user;

identifying, by one or more processors in one or more computer devices, possible spelling corrections to the received search query;

identifying, by one or more processors in one or more computer devices, server-based prior search queries, that begin with the received search query, from a history of prior search queries associated with users other than the specific user;

populating, by one or more processors in one or more computer devices, a refinement box, associated with the dynamic search box selectable object, with the identified historical prior search queries, the identified possible spelling corrections, and the identified server-based prior search queries;

providing, by one or more processors in one or more computer devices, the refinement box for display to the specific user, before search results are generated;

receiving, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices and from the specific user, a modification to the search query;

updating, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices and based on the received modification to the search query, the identified historical prior search queries, the identified possible spelling corrections, and the identified server-based prior search queries; and

repopulating, by one or more processors in one or more computer devices and before the search results are generated for the search query, the refinement box with the updated identified historical prior search queries, the updated identified possible spelling corrections, and the updated identified server-based prior search queries.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

providing a listing of available search contexts, where each of the available search contexts is associated with a document type to be searched in response to the search query;

receiving a user selection of one of the available search contexts; and

identifying the historical prior search queries matching at least a portion of the received search query based on the one of the available search contexts.

27. A computer-readable memory device that stores instructions executable by a processor of a client device, the computer-readable memory device comprising:

instructions for causing the client device to receive one or more character sequences of a search query provided by a specific user;

instructions for causing the client device to automatically identify historical prior search queries, that include the one or more character sequences of the search query, from a history of prior search queries associated with the specific user;

instructions for causing the client device to present historical query refinement options to the specific user, before search results are generated, the historical query refinement options including the historical prior search queries as suggested queries for possible selection by the specific user;

instructions for causing the client device to receive, after presenting the historical query refinement options, one or more additional character sequences of the search query provided by the specific user;

instructions for causing the client device to update the historical query refinement options, including removing, from the historical query refinement options, one or more of the historical prior search queries that do not include the one or more additional character sequences of the search query; and

instructions for causing the client device to provide, before the search results are generated for the search query, the updated historical query refinement options.

29. The computer-readable memory device of claim 27, where the instructions for causing the client device to automatically identify historical prior search queries, further comprise:

instructions for causing the client device to determine whether a prior search query, that is from the history of prior search queries associated with the specific user and that is different from the search query, begins with an identical sequence of characters as the one or more character sequences of the search query; and

instructions for causing the client device to identify the prior search query as a matching search query when the prior search query is different from the search query and begins with the identical sequence of characters as the one or more character sequences of the search query.

30. The computer-readable memory device of claim 27, further comprising:

instructions for causing the client device to present a search query explanation option in the historical query refinement options;

instructions for causing the client device to receive selection of the search query explanation option; and

instructions for causing the client device to present a description of a syntax of the received search query, to the specific user, in response to the received selection.

28. A method, comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices, one or more character sequences of a search query provided in a text entry box by a specific user;

automatically identifying, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices, possible spelling corrected queries based on the one or more character sequences of the search query;

automatically identifying, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices, historical prior search queries, that include the one or more character sequences of the search query, from a history of prior search queries associated with the specific user;

automatically identifying, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices, server-based prior search queries, that include the one or more character sequences of the search query, from a history of prior search queries associated with users that differ from the specific user;

providing, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices, a query refinement box for display to the specific user, before search results are generated, the query refinement box being associated with the text entry box and including the identified historical prior search queries, the identified possible spelling corrected queries, and the identified server-based prior search queries;

receiving, at one or more processors in one or more computing devices, one or more additional character sequences of the search query provided by the specific user;

updating, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices and based on the one or more additional character sequences of the search query provided by the specific user, the identified historical prior search queries, the identified possible spelling corrected queries, and the identified server-based prior search queries; and

updating, by one or more processors in one or more computing devices and before the search results are generated, the query refinement box to include the updated identified historical prior search queries, the updated identified possible spelling corrected queries, and the updated identified server-based prior search queries.

31. The method of claim 28, where automatically identifying possible spelling corrected queries based on the one or more character sequences of the search query, further comprises:

determining whether a predetermined period of time has passed since a last character sequence was entered in the received search query; and

spell-checking the received search query when it is determined that a predetermined period of time has passed since the last character sequence was entered in the received search query.

32. The method of claim 28, where providing the query refinement box for display to the specific user, further comprises:

dynamically modifying the identified historical prior search queries, the identified possible spelling corrected queries, and the identified server-based prior search queries based on continued modification of the one or more character sequences of the search query received into the text entry box.