Searching command enhancements

• US 8,370,743 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bala, Aravind
• Primary Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/701,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 715705-715, 715/780
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A user can access a searching component that allows the user to enter search terms to search for commands associated with a computer program. Some specific embodiments pertain to methods for supporting user access to the searching component, to methods for processing search terms submitted by the user, and to methods for guiding the user in terms of their formulation and selection queries. Methods for generating, organizing and manipulating the search results are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of facilitating selection of a command to perform a desired task, the method comprising:

providing a command store that contains indications of a plurality of commands, the plurality of commands being associated with different applications, a particular one of the commands having a component that is adjustable;

receiving, as an input into a search box, a command query that includes an indication of a desired command and a particular value to which it is desired to limit the desired command;

receiving context information that identifies one of the different applications, the context information also providing an indication of contents of a window that is under focus in the one of the different applications;

utilizing a computer processor to identify possible commands in the command store based on the command query and based on the context information, at least one of the identified possible commands being the particular command;

calculating a likelihood score for each of the identified possible commands based on how likely it is that each of the identified possible commands corresponds to the desired command given the command query, the likelihood scores being calculated based at least in part upon prior probabilities that are associated with the identified possible commands;

returning an indication of the identified possible commands in a user selectable form such that the identified possible commands can be selected by the user for execution in order to initiate a performance of the desired task, the identified possible commands being displayed in a ranked order based on the calculated scores, the component of the particular command being automatically pre-adjusted so as to, upon selection of the particular command by the user from the user selectable form, automatically configure the performance of the desired task to be consistent with the particular value; and

providing, upon a selection of a user selectable help option, a guided help user interface, the guided help user interface including a first portion that provides tutorial information about executing the desired task, a second portion that provides a plurality of different mechanisms for executing the desired task, and a third portion that provides a preview section and additional instructions for completing the desired task.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an input indicative of a desire to launch a command search user interface component;

responding to the input by initiating a display of the command search user interface component on a graphical user interface; and

removing the command search user interface component from the graphical user interface upon execution of the desired task.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving an input comprises receiving a signal indicative of one or more keyboard key strokes, wherein automatically configuring comprises automatically inserting the particular value into a user interface element that is a user-editable value selection box, the user-editable value selection box being manually changeable by the user so as to selectively adjust said adjustable component of the particular command, wherein the search box and the indication of the identified possible commands are displayed simultaneously on one user interface, and wherein both the search box and the indication of the identified possible commands include an indication of text corresponding to the input.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving an input comprises receiving a voice-activated command.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising pre-processing the command query before identifying the possible commands, wherein pre-processing comprises expanding the command query, the expanded command query including morphological transformations and functionally equivalent terms associated with the command query.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein returning the possible commands in a user selectable form comprises organizing the possible commands based on one or more biasing criteria, the one or more biasing criteria including a command selection history of one or more users.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the user with an alternate command query and providing the user with an opportunity to either proceed utilizing the command query or to proceed utilizing the alternate command query.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting the user with a proposed query clarification and presenting the user with an opportunity to either accept the proposed query clarification or to confirm the command query.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

returning an alternate query in a user selectable form such that the alternate query can be selected by the user for execution of an alternate command search; and

providing the user with an opportunity to provide feedback about the identified possible commands.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein returning the possible commands in a user selectable form comprises returning the possible commands at least partially broken down by categories and wherein the method further comprises providing the user with guided help in executing the desired task.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein returning the possible commands in a user selectable form comprises returning at least a portion of the possible commands in a gallery format.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying that the command query contains a request for an item of data; and

providing the item of data as part of the returned possible commands.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a pinning input that represents a selection of a possible command from a user interface where the possible commands are displayed, wherein the pinning input also associates the selected possible command with a target user interface component that is outside of the user interface component where the possible commands are displayed; and

creating, within the target user interface component, a selectable link to a command functionality associated with the selected possible command.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an alternate name input; and

configuring one of the possible commands to be displayed with the alternate name.

15. A computer implemented method of facilitating selection of a command to perform a desired task, the method comprising:

providing a command store that contains indications of a plurality of commands, the plurality of commands being associated with different applications, a particular one of the commands having a component that is variable;

receiving, as an input into a search container, a command query that includes an indication of a desired numerical value;

receiving context information that identifies one of the different applications, the context information also providing an indication of contents of a window that is under focus in the one of the different applications;

utilizing a computer processor to identify possible commands in the command store based on the command query and based on the context information, at least one of the identified possible commands being the particular command;

returning an indication of the identified possible commands in a user selectable form such that the identified possible commands can be selected by a user for execution in order to initiate a performance of the desired task, the component of the particular command being automatically pre-adjusted so as to, upon selection of the particular command by the user, automatically configure the performance of the desired task to be consistent with the desired numerical value; and

displaying a user selectable feedback option on a user interface that also includes the indication of the identified possible commands, the user selectable feedback option enabling the user to provide feedback for performing multiple different functions, a first one of the multiple different functions including a renaming function that enables the user to rename one of the identified possible commands, a second one of the multiple different functions including a tagging function that enables the user to identify additional commands to be returned based on the command query, and a third one of the multiple different functions including a pinning function that enables the user to associate another one of the identified commands with a command toolbar.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein automatically configuring comprises automatically inserting the desired numerical value into a user interface element that is a user-editable value selection box, the user-editable value selection box being manually changeable by the user so as to selectively adjust said adjustable component of the particular command.

16. A computer implemented method of facilitating selection of a command to perform a desired task, the method comprising:

providing a command store that contains indications of a plurality of commands, the plurality of commands being associated with different applications, a particular one of the commands having a component that is variable;

receiving, as an input into a search container, a command query that includes an indication of a desired parameter;

receiving context information that identifies one of the different applications, the context information also providing an indication of contents of a window that is under focus in the one of the different applications;

utilizing a computer processor to identify possible commands in the command store based on the command query and based on the context information, at least one of the identified possible commands being the particular command;

returning an indication of the identified possible commands in a user selectable form such that the identified possible commands can be selected by a user for execution in order to initiate a performance of the desired task;

providing a user selectable help option that enables the user to receive guided help in executing the desired task, the user selectable help option being provided to the user at a same time that the indication of the identified possible commands are returned; and

providing, upon a selection of the user selectable help option, a guided help user interface, the guided help user interface including a first portion that provides tutorial information about executing the desired task, a second portion that provides a plurality of different mechanisms for executing the desired task, and a third portion that provides a preview section and additional instructions for completing the desired task.

17. The method of claim 16, and further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the particular command; and

responding to the user selection by automatically configuring a performance of the desired task so as to be consistent with the particular value, wherein automatically configuring comprises automatically inserting the desired parameter into a variable user-selectable field, the variable user-selectable field being a user interface component that receives the desired parameter and that can be adjusted manually by the user after the automatic insertion of the desired parameter.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the user-selectable field contains at least two adjustable fields.