System and method for text disambiguation and context designation in incremental search
First Claim
1. A user-interface method for selecting a subset of items from a collection of items in response to search criteria including keystrokes entered by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys and including unambiguous metadata associated with a previously selected search result, the method comprising:
- a. receiving a sequence of keystrokes entered by a user, each keystroke of the sequence associated with an overloaded key of a keypad, in which a given overloaded key is in fixed association with a plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols, wherein the user is using the symbols to search for desired items and each keystroke of an overloaded key of the sequence represents any of the plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed association with that overloaded key;
b. in response to receiving the keystrokes, performing a first search operation on the collection of items based on the sequence of keystrokes to retrieve a first subset of items from the collection of items and corresponding unambiguous metadata associated with the first subset of items, wherein the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the first subset of items matches a permutation of the pluralities of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed association with each overloaded key associated with each keystroke of the sequence of keystrokes;
c. presenting on a display device the first subset of items;
d. receiving a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items from the user;
e. in response to a locking operation received from the user, performing a second search operation on the collection of items based on at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item to retrieve a second subset of items from the collection of items, wherein at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the second subset of items matches the portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item; and
f. presenting on the display device the second subset of items.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for text disambiguation and context designation in incremental search are provided. A method for selecting items in response to ambiguous keystrokes entered by a user and unambiguous metadata associated with a previously selected search result includes receiving ambiguous keystrokes, selecting and presenting a first subset of items and metadata associated with the items presented based on the ambiguous keystrokes. The method also includes receiving a selection of one of the items from the user, and, in response to a locking operation received from the user, locking in fixed relation at least one of the ambiguous keystrokes to at least one metadata term associated with the selected item. The method further includes, subsequent to receiving the locking operation, selecting and presenting a second subset of items based at least in part on the locked metadata term, and presenting the second subset of items.
249 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A user-interface method for selecting a subset of items from a collection of items in response to search criteria including keystrokes entered by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys and including unambiguous metadata associated with a previously selected search result, the method comprising:
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a. receiving a sequence of keystrokes entered by a user, each keystroke of the sequence associated with an overloaded key of a keypad, in which a given overloaded key is in fixed association with a plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols, wherein the user is using the symbols to search for desired items and each keystroke of an overloaded key of the sequence represents any of the plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed association with that overloaded key; b. in response to receiving the keystrokes, performing a first search operation on the collection of items based on the sequence of keystrokes to retrieve a first subset of items from the collection of items and corresponding unambiguous metadata associated with the first subset of items, wherein the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the first subset of items matches a permutation of the pluralities of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed association with each overloaded key associated with each keystroke of the sequence of keystrokes; c. presenting on a display device the first subset of items; d. receiving a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items from the user; e. in response to a locking operation received from the user, performing a second search operation on the collection of items based on at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item to retrieve a second subset of items from the collection of items, wherein at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the second subset of items matches the portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item; and f. presenting on the display device the second subset of items. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A user-interface system for selecting a subset of items from a collection of items in response to search criteria including keystrokes entered by a user from a keypad with overloaded keys and including unambiguous metadata associated with a previously selected search result, the system comprising instructions encoded on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media and when executed operable to:
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a. receive a sequence of keystrokes entered by a user, each keystroke of the sequence associated with an overloaded key of a keypad, in which a given overloaded key is in fixed association with a plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols, wherein the user is using the symbols to search for desired items and each keystrokes of an overloaded key of the sequence represents any of the plurality of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed associated with that overloaded key; b. in response to receiving the keystrokes, perform a first search operation on the collection of items based on the sequence of keystrokes to retrieve a first subset of items from the collection of items and corresponding unambiguous metadata associated with the first subset of items, wherein the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the first subset of items matches a permutation of the pluralities of alphabetical and numerical symbols in fixed association with each overloaded key associated with each keystroke of the sequence of keystrokes; c. present on a display device the first subset of items; d. receive a selection of one of the items of the first subset of items from the user; e. in response to a locking operation received from the user, perform a second search operation on the collection of items based on at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item to retrieve second subset of items from the collection of items, wherein at least a portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with each item of the second subset of items matches the portion of the unambiguous metadata associated with the selected item; and f. present on the display device the second subset of items. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification