Instant answers and integrated results of a browser

• US 8,126,875 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2009
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Liu, Yin, Oltean, Beatrice Daniela
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US12/463,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20100287170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 707/721, 707/765, 707/766, 707/768, 707/759, 707/769, 707/783, 707/706, 709/203, 709/217, 715780-781
• US Class Current: 707/721
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/338 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A method, system, and medium are provided for searching multiple search services in parallel and utilizing multiple search providers in a computer system. Multiple search providers are installed onto a browser application of a user computer system. Upon receipt of a user search query and a user designated search provider, an instant answer is automatically displayed without any user interaction. Other aggregated results are displayed together in a combined window pane. One section displays results of any recent searches that match the search query entry. Another section displays search suggestions provided by the designated search provider. Another section displays results of any previously visited sites in which results of the previously visited site match the search entry. Additional searches of different designated search providers can also be made. These multiple searches of multiple search providers are conducted from the same browser window as the initial search.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of utilizing multiple search services and providers in a computer system having a processor, memory and data storage subsystems, comprising:

providing a search box within a window of a browser, via a user interface of the computer system;

installing a plurality of search providers selected by a user onto the browser of the computer system;

receiving a search entry from the user into the search box;

receiving a designated search provider from the user, via a menu of the installed plurality of search providers;

searching the search entry within a domain of the designated search provider;

returning an instant answer to the search entry without user intervention via the user interface of the computer system;

returning related search results via the user interface of the computer system, comprising results of any recent searches, results of search suggestions provided by the designated search provider, and results of any previously visited sites that match the search entry; and

managing the installed plurality of search providers, wherein the managing comprises one of, changing an order of the menu of the installed plurality of search providers, designating one of the installed plurality of search providers as a default search provider, removing one of the installed plurality of search providers, and changing one of the installed plurality of search providers attributes.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the searching comprises searching multiple search services in parallel.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the returning an instant answer comprises determining a most relevant answer, via an internal relevance manager.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, searching the search entry again, after receiving a different designated search provider, without leaving the browser.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the returning search results comprises:

displaying results of any instant answer suggestion that match the search entry;

displaying results of any search suggestions provided by the designated search provider; and

displaying results of any previously visited sites in which results of the previously visited site match the search entry.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the returning search results is displayed in a single window comprising respective individual sections for the displaying results of any recent searches, the displaying results of any search suggestions, and the displaying results of any previously visited sites.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second search entry via a highlighted portion of a displayed page in the window of the browser;

displaying an icon listing the installed plurality of search providers;

receiving a designated search provider via the displaying an icon; and

returning search results from the selected search provider for the second search entry.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second search entry via a highlighted portion of a displayed page in the window of the browser;

displaying an icon listing the installed plurality of search providers;

receiving a second designated search provider via a positioning of a mouse cursor over the second designated search provider from the displaying an icon; and

displaying a preview of second search results from the second designated search provider for the second search entry.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, providing a prospective list of search providers to the user to assist in the installing a plurality of search providers.

10. A computer-implemented system for utilizing multiple search services and providers in a computer system having a processor, memory and data storage subsystems, comprising:

a search box contained within a window of a browser on a user interface of the computer system, the search box operative to receive a search entry from a user;

a plurality of installed search providers on the browser, the plurality of installed search providers selected by the user of the computer system to perform a search using the search entry provided by the user;

an icon listing the plurality of installed search providers;

a designated search provider, selected from the plurality of installed search providers;

a URL endpoint to query a plurality of services in parallel and to return an instant answer and aggregated results to the user;

an internal relevance manager to generate a match within a grammar context of a supported instant answer;

search results from a search of a highlighted portion of a displayed page, via a selected one of the plurality of installed search providers from the icon listing; and

displayed search results within the window of the browser on the user interface of the computer system, the displayed search results returned from the designated search provider, wherein the displayed search results comprise;

results from any instant answer suggestion that match the search entry;

results from any search suggestions provided by the designated search provider; and

results of any previously visited sites in which results of the previously visited site match the search entry.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of installed search providers comprises a link to a web server of each respective plurality of installed search provider.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising sequential designated search providers to provide corresponding sequential search results without leaving the browser.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the search box comprises a single window for the displayed search results, and wherein separate sections within the single window respectively comprise:

the results from any recent searches;

the results from any search suggestions; and

the results of any previously visited sites.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

an icon listing the plurality of installed search providers; and

a preview of search results from a search of a highlighted portion of a displayed page via a selected one of the plurality of installed search providers, the preview displayed in response to a mouse cursor positioned over the selected one of the plurality of installed search providers from the icon listing.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media containing computer readable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method of utilizing multiple search services and providers, the method comprising:

providing a search box within a window of a browser, via a user interface of the computing device;

installing a plurality of search providers selected by a user onto the browser of the computer system;

receiving a search entry from the user into the search box;

receiving a first designated search provider from the user, via a menu of the installed plurality of search providers;

searching the search entry within a domain of the first designated search provider;

returning a first instant answer to the search entry without user intervention via the user interface of the computing device;

returning first search results from the first designated search provider;

receiving a second designated search provider;

searching the search entry within a domain of the second designated search provider using multiple search services in parallel;

returning a second instant answer to the search entry without user intervention via the user interface of the computing device;

returning second search results from the second designated search provider;

displaying the first instant answer results and the second instant answer results that match the search entry;

displaying the first search results and the second search results of any search suggestions provided by the first designated search provider and the second designated search provider, respectively; and

displaying the first search results and the second search results of any previously visited sites in which results of the previously visited site match the search entry,

wherein searching the search entry within a domain of the first designated search provider and searching the search entry within a domain of the second designated search provider are searched in parallel without leaving the browser, and wherein the first designated search provider differs from the second designated search provider.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the returning the first instant answer and the returning the second instant answer comprise determining a most relevant answer, via an internal relevance manager.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, further comprising managing the installed plurality of search providers via one of, changing an order of the menu of the installed plurality of search providers, designating one of the installed plurality of search providers as a default search provider, removing one of the installed plurality of search providers, and changing one of the installed plurality of search providers attributes.