Highlighting items for search results

• US 8,677,274 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Runov, Maxym I., Ording, Bas, Ko, Steve, Christie, Gregory N., Tiene, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, DAEHO D
• Application Number:
  US10/985,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,415 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/812, 715/816, 715/821
• US Class Current: 715/816
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

The present invention provides a search capability to allow a user to easily locate a preference control, file, folder, control, or other system resource or data item associated with a search result. In one embodiment, a user enters a search term (or a portion thereof) in a search field associated with one or more resource types that may be searched. The user may be presented with a pop-up menu containing a list of likely matches. The user selects the desired preference control from the pop-up menu, and the corresponding preference pane, or other container, containing the selected data item, control, or other resource is displayed. In one aspect, as the user enters the search term (or portion thereof), certain icons are highlighted. Specifically, those icons that represent containers containing matching data items (such as preference panes having controls that match the search term) are highlighted. Different types of highlighting can be used depending on the degree of certainty as to which container is likely to contain the correct match.

Claims

1. A method for highlighting items corresponding to search results, comprising:

including a plurality of items in a user interface display, each item representing a preference pane, and each preference pane comprising at least one system preference control having text;

receiving a user input representing at least a portion of a search term; and

highlighting, in response to the user input matching the text for at least one system preference control, at least one item representing a preference pane having a preference control whose text matches the user input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the user input matching text associated with a help function, highlighting an item representing a help function.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the user input matching text for at least one application preference control, highlighting at least one item representing at least one of;

the application;

the application preference control;

or

a preference pane corresponding to the application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the user input matching text associated with a help function, highlighting an item representing a help function; and

responsive to the user input matching text for at least one application preference control, highlighting at least one item representing at least one of;

the application;

the application preference control;

or

a preference pane corresponding to the application.

5. A method for highlighting items corresponding to search results, comprising:

receiving a user input representing at least a portion of a search term;

highlighting, in response to the user input matching the text for at least one system preference control, at least one item representing a preference pane having a preference control whose text matches the user input; and

responsive to the user input not matching the text for at least one system preference control;

highlighting, in response to the user input matching text associated with a help function, an item representing a help function; and

highlighting, in response to the user input matching text for at least one application preference control, at least one item representing at least one of;

the application;

the application preference control;

or

a preference pane corresponding to the application.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving user input representing an additional portion of the search term, and incrementally changing the display of items in response to the user input.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on a device, cause the device to:

highlight, in response to a first user input representing at least a portion of a search term, at least a subset of operating system preference items;

wherein each highlighted item represents at least one-operating system preference control having metadata that at least partly matches the at least a portion of a search term;

receive a second user input representing an additional portion of the search term; and

incrementally, in response to the second user input, changing the display of operating system preference items to display a second subset of operating system preference items.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions that highlight the subset of operating system preference items include instructions that highlight at least one operating system preference item that has a text label that does not match the at least a portion of a search term.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the metadata comprises text.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, further including instructions that, when executed on the device, cause the device to:

display, in response to the first user input and concurrently with highlighting the at least a subset of the items, a pop-up menu comprising a list of at least one operating system preference item having metadata that at least partly matches the at least a portion of a search term;

wherein each item listed in the menu corresponds to an item in at least one of the highlighted items.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, further including instructions that, when executed on the device, cause the device to:

receive a third user input selecting one of the items from the menu; and

activate, in response to the user selecting one of the items from the menu, the corresponding operating system preference item.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, further including instructions that, when executed on the device, cause the device to:

momentarily alter, in response to the user selecting one of the items from the menu, a visual characteristic of the corresponding highlighted item.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the momentarily altering a visual characteristic of the item comprises blinking the item.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein each operating system preference is related to a system function, and wherein each operating system preference-item comprises at least one preference control related to the system function.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein highlighting an item comprises performing at least one of:

lightening a first screen area immediately surrounding the item; and

darkening a second screen area surrounding the first screen area;

so that the second screen area is darker than the first screen area.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first screen area is circular in shape.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of items are displayed within a window, and wherein the second screen area comprises the remainder of the window not including the first screen area.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the second screen area comprises the remainder of the user interface display not including the first screen area.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the difference in brightness between the first and second screen areas is gradated.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein highlighting at least a subset of the items comprises:

highlighting at least one of the items using a first type of highlight; and

highlighting at least one of the items using a second type of highlight that is visually distinctive from the first type of highlight.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of 10, further including instructions that, when executed on the device, cause the device to:

activate, in response to the user selecting one of the highlighted items, the selected operating system preference item.