Methods, devices, and computer program products for limiting search scope based on navigation of a menu screen

• US 8,577,417 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Lessing, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TIMOTHY X
• Application Number:
  US11/768,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 16/332 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

A method of operating an electronic device includes displaying a search field in a menu screen including a plurality of icons representing respective application programs. Selection of at least one of the plurality of icons is visually indicated responsive to navigation of the menu screen. A search scope is limited to at least one database associated with at least one application program represented by the selected at least one of the plurality of icons. The at least one database is searched using the limited search scope responsive to entry of a search string including one or more alphanumeric characters in the search field. If found in the at least one database, at least one search result including the search string is displayed. Related devices and computer program products are also discussed.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

displaying a search field in a menu screen including a plurality of icons representing and operable to launch respective application programs responsive to selection thereof;

visually indicating one of the plurality of icons as an active icon responsive to navigation of the menu screen;

limiting a search scope to at least one database of a plurality of databases in response to visually indicating the one of the plurality of icons as the active icon, wherein the at least one database is associated with an application program represented by the active icon;

searching the at least one database using the limited search scope responsive to entry of a search string including one or more alphanumeric characters in the search field, wherein searching at least one database using the limited search scope comprises searching at least one sub-database accessible by the database and associated with the application program represented by the active icon; and

displaying at least one search result including the search string found in the at least one database, wherein displaying at least one search result comprises displaying a plurality of search results including the search string in an order that is based on the at least one database in which the plurality of search results were found and/or the application program represented by the active icon.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein searching the at least one database using the limited search scope comprises:

searching the at least one database prior to executing the application program represented by the active icon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu screen comprises a main menu and/or a standby menu screen of a mobile terminal, wherein the main menu and/or standby menu screen is used to select the one of the plurality of icons for execution of the respective application program represented thereby.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least one search result comprises:

displaying the search result in the menu screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least one search result comprises:

displaying the search result after executing the application program represented by the active icon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least one search result comprises:

displaying the search result and an icon associated with the database in which the search result was found.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the icon comprises a pictorial representation of a functionality of the application program associated with the database.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the icon further comprises a pictorial representation of a category associated with the search result.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying at least one search result comprises:

displaying a plurality of search results including the search string in an order such that ones of the plurality of search results found in a same one of the plurality of databases are grouped together.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein visually indicating the one of the plurality of icons as the active icon comprises highlighting the one of the plurality of icons.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a user interface configured to provide navigation of a menu screen;

a memory configured to store application programs and databases associated therewith;

a display configured to display a search field in the menu screen including a plurality of icons representing and operable to launch the respective application programs responsive to selection thereof, and configured to visually indicate one of the plurality of icons as an active icon responsive to navigation of the menu screen via the user interface; and

a search module configured to limit a search scope to at least one database of a plurality of databases in response to visual indication of the one of the plurality of icons as the active icon, wherein the at least one database is associated with an application program represented by the active icon and configured to search the at least one database using the limited search scope responsive to entry of a search string including one or more alphanumeric characters in the search field, wherein the search module is configured to search at least one sub-database accessible by the database and associated with the application program represented by the active icon using the limited search scope,

wherein the display is further configured to display at least one search result including the search string found in the at least one database, wherein displaying at least one search result comprises displaying a plurality of search results including the search string in an order that is based on the at least one database in which the plurality of search results were found and/or the application program represented by the active icon.

12. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a processor configured to execute the application program represented by the active icon,

wherein the search module is configured to search the at least one database prior to execution of the application program by the processor.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the menu screen comprises a main menu and/or a standby menu screen of a mobile terminal, wherein the main menu and/or standby menu screen is used to select the one of the plurality of icons for execution of the respective application program represented thereby.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the display is configured to display the search result in the menu screen.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the display is configured to display the search result after execution of the application program represented by the active icon.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the display is configured to display the search result and an icon associated with the database in which the search result was found.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the icon comprises a pictorial representation of a category associated with the search result.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the display is configured to visually indicate the one of the plurality of icons as the active icon by highlighting the one of the plurality of icons.

19. A computer program product providing a search function in a mobile terminal, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium, said computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code that displays a search field in a menu screen including a plurality of icons representing and operable to launch respective application programs responsive to selection thereof;

computer readable program code that visually indicates one of the plurality of icons as an active icon responsive to navigation of the menu screen;

computer readable program code that limits a search scope to at least one database of a plurality of databases in response to visual indication of the one of the plurality of icons as the active icon, wherein the at least one database is associated with an application program represented by the active icon;

computer readable program code that searches the at least one database using the limited search scope responsive to entry of a search string including one or more alphanumeric characters in the search field, wherein searching at least one database using the limited search scope comprises searching at least one sub-database accessible by the database and associated with the application program represented by the active icon; and

computer readable program code that displays at least one search result including the search string found in the at least one database, wherein displaying at least one search result comprises displaying a plurality of search results including the search string in an order that is based on the at least one database in which the plurality of search results were found and/or the application program represented by the active icon.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code that visually indicates the one of the plurality of icons as the active icon comprises computer readable program code that highlights the one of the plurality of icons.