Searching for user interface objects

• US 8,224,844 B1
• Filed: 08/05/2011
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fishkin, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): EHICHIOYA, IRETE FRED
• Application Number:
  US13/204,098
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/705, 707/713, 707/769, 707/802
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes searching resources related to an application in response to receiving a query, identifying an operation in the application that satisfies the query, and exposing an object that provides access to the identified operation, within the application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

executing a software application on a computing device, the software application having a user interface that includes a menu that provides access to operations that the software application is configured to perform;

receiving a query that relates to at least one of the operations;

generating query results that include (1) an identifier for each of the operations that is responsive to the query and (2) at least one resource that is responsive to the query, wherein the at least one resource includes instructions to perform at least one of the operations that is responsive to the query;

identifying an operation from the query results;

identifying, using the computing device, a menu item that corresponds to the identified operation, wherein the menu items are capable of being activated to cause the identified operation to be performed; and

exposing a location within the menu of the menu item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, in a result list of the user interface of the software application, the query results.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the identified operation using the result list; and

performing the selected operation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the query results in the result list comprises:

sorting the generated query results based at least in part on whether the query results correspond to menu items or to resources; and

displaying the query results in an order as sorted.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the query results in the result list comprises:

sorting the generated query results based at least in part on relevance of the query results to the query; and

displaying the query results in an order as sorted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the location comprises displaying with the user interface the location within the menu of the menu item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the location comprises highlighting the menu item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the location comprises displaying with the user interface a navigational structure of the menu that is used to navigate to the location within the menu of the menu item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu comprises a hierarchical menu that includes two or more hierarchical levels of menu items, and wherein exposing the location comprises visually expanding at least a portion of the menu to the hierarchical level at which the menu item is located.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display device for displaying the menu and one or more input devices for inputting the query.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more input devices includes a voice input device, and wherein the query comprises a voice-based query that is received via the voice input device.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

execute a software application on a computing device, the software application having a user interface that includes a menu that provides access to operations that the software application is configured to perform;

receive a query that relates to at least one of the operations;

generate query results that include (1) an identifier for each of the operations that is responsive to the query and (2) at least one resource that is responsive to the query, wherein the at least one resource includes instructions to perform at least one of the operations that is responsive to the query;

identify an operation from the query results;

identify, using the computing device, a menu item that corresponds to the identified operation, wherein the menu items are capable of being activated to cause the identified operation to be performed; and

expose a location within the menu of the menu item.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

display, in a result list of the user interface of the software application, the query results.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

receive a selection of the identified operation using the result list; and

perform the selected operation.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions to display the query results in the result list comprise instructions to:

sort the generated query results based at least in part on whether the query results correspond to menu items or to resources; and

display the query results in an order as sorted.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions to display the query results in the results list comprise instructions to:

sort the generated query results based at least in part on relevance of the query results to the query; and

display the query results in an order as sorted.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the user interface comprises a display device for displaying the menu and one or more input devices for inputting the query.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more input devices includes a voice input device, and wherein the query is a voice-based query that is received via the voice input device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions to expose the location comprise instructions to:

display with the user interface the location within the menu of the menu item.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions to expose the location comprise instructions to:

highlight the menu item.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions to expose the location comprise instructions to:

display, with the user interface, a navigational structure of the menu that is used to navigate to the location within the menu of the menu item.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the menu is a hierarchical menu that includes two or more hierarchical levels of menu items, and wherein the instructions to expose the location comprise instructions to:

visually expand at least a portion of the menu to the hierarchical level at which the menu item is located.

23. A computing system comprising:

a display device;

one or more processors;

an application operable by the one or more processors to present, on the display device, a user interface having a menu that provides access to operations that the software application is configured to perform, receive a query that relates to at least one of the operations, generate query results that include (1) an identifier for each of the operations that is responsive to the query and (2) at least one resource that is responsive to the query, wherein the at least one resource includes instructions to perform at least one of the operations that is responsive to the query, identify an operation from the query results, identify a menu item that corresponds to the identified operation, and expose a location within the menu of the menu item.

24. The computing system of claim 23, wherein the application is further operable by the processor to present, in a result list of the user interface, the query results.

25. The computing system of claim 24, wherein the application is further operable by the processor to receive a selection of an operation of the at least one operation that is responsive to the query using the result list, and perform the selected operation.

26. The computing system of claim 24, wherein the application is operable by the processor to present the query results in the result list by at least being operable to:

sort the generated query results based at least in part on whether the query results correspond to menu items or to resources; and

present the query results in an order as sorted.

27. The computing system of claim 24, wherein the application is operable by the processor to present the query results in the result list by at least being operable to:

sort the generated query results based at least in part on relevance of the query results to the query; and

display the query results in an order as sorted.

28. The computing system of claim 23, wherein the application is operable by the processor to expose the location by at least being operable to:

display, on the display device, the location within the menu of the menu item.

29. The computing system of claim 23, wherein the application is operable by the processor to expose the location by at least being operable to:

highlight the menu item on the display device.

30. The computing system of claim 23, wherein the application is operable by the processor to expose the location by at least being operable to:

display, on the display device, a navigational structure of the menu that is used to navigate to the location within the menu of the menu item.

31. The computing system of claim 23, wherein the menu is a hierarchical menu that includes two or more hierarchical levels of menu items, and wherein the application is operable by the processor to expose the location by at least being operable to:

visually expand at least a portion of the menu on the display device to the hierarchical level at which the menu item is located.

32. The computing system of claim 23, further comprising:

a keyboard input device,

wherein the query is a text-based query that is received via the keyboard input device.

33. The computing system of claim 23, further comprising:

a voice input device,

wherein the query is a voice-based query that is received via the voice input device.