Related tasks and tasklets for search

• US 8,707,198 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jiang, Li, Wong, Sandy, Ramsey, William, Bailey, Peter, Reinholdtsen, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US12/794,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20110302521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-277, 715700-867, 700701-866, 709201-229, 705 50- 79, 345 30-111, 718/100
• US Class Current: 715/779
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for performing tasks and related tasks. While a user is performing a task, a group of related tasks is presented. When a new task is selected, a new group of related tasks is provided. This allows a user to perform a series of tasks without having to separately search for each task. As the user moves between tasks, task information items are passed between the tasks so that previously provided information can be preserved.

Claims

1. A method for performing a series of tasklets comprising:

displaying a tasklet responsive to a search query and a user context, the tasklet being an application that can perform an activity associated with a task;

displaying selectors for a first group of tasklets related to the displayed tasklet;

receiving a selection of a related tasklet;

associating the user context with the selected tasklet;

displaying the selected tasklet based on the associated user context;

detecting completion of the selected tasklet;

displaying selectors for a second group of tasklets related to the selected tasklet, the second group of related tasklets including a plurality of tasklets that differ from the first group of tasklets;

identifying the selected tasklet in the second group of tasklets; and

excluding the selected tasklet from the second group of tasklets prior to displaying selectors for the second group of tasklets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a tasklet based on a user context comprises displaying a tasklet having multiple result entities, each result entity including a result-specific context.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying selectors for a plurality of second layer tasklets corresponding to one or more of the result entities;

receiving a selection of a second layer tasklet;

associating the selected second layer tasklet with the user context and the result-specific context of the corresponding result entity; and

displaying the selected second layer tasklet based on the associated user context and the associated result-specific context.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the user context to incorporate at least a portion of the result-specific context after receiving selection of the second layer tasklet.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving a second selection of a tasklet from the second group of tasklets;

associating the user context with the second selected task;

displaying the second selected tasklet based on the associated user context; and

displaying selectors for a third group of related tasklets, the third group of related tasklets including a plurality of tasklets that differ from the second group of tasklets.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group of tasklets is selected based on a ranking for each tasklet.

7. A method for performing a series of tasklets comprising:

displaying a tasklet based on a user context, the tasklet including at least one result entity, the tasklet being an application that can perform an activity associated with a task;

displaying selectors for one or more second layer tasklets, each second layer tasklet corresponding to a result entity having a result-specific context;

receiving a selection of a second layer tasklet;

associating the user context and the corresponding result-specific context with the selected second layer tasklet;

modifying the user context to incorporate at least a portion of the result-specific context after receiving the selection of the second layer tasklet; and

displaying the selected second layer tasklet based on the associated user context and the result-specific context.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying a tasklet based on a user context further comprises:

displaying a tasklet responsive to a user context and a search query;

displaying the user context; and

displaying selectors for a first group of tasklets related to the displayed tasklet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the result-specific context for each result entity is different.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the selected tasklet based on the associated user context and the result-specific context further comprises:

displaying the user context and the result-specific context; and

displaying selectors for a second group of tasklets corresponding to the selected tasklet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein displaying selectors for the second group of tasklets further comprises displaying preview information for one or more tasklets in the second group of tasklets.

12. A method for performing a series of tasklets comprising:

obtaining a tasklet responsive to a user context and a search query, the tasklet being an application that can perform an activity associated with a task;

displaying a tasklet interface having a format, the display of the task interface including display of a user context, a tasklet, and one or more selectors for a first group of tasklets related to the obtained tasklet;

detecting completion of the displayed tasklet;

modifying the user context based on detecting completion of the completed tasklet;

receiving a selection of a tasklet from the first group of tasklets;

associating the user context with the selected tasklet;

determining a second group of tasklets related to the selected tasklet, the second group of tasklets including a plurality of tasks that differ from the first group of tasks;

identifying the completed tasklet in the second group of tasklets;

excluding the completed tasklet from the second group of tasklets; and

displaying the tasklet interface having the format, the tasklet interface including the selected tasklet from the first group of tasks, the user context, and one or more selectors for the second group of tasklets.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein displaying the selected tasklet from the first group of tasklets further comprises:

displaying at least one result entity having a result-specific context; and

displaying a selector for at least one second layer tasklet corresponding to a result entity.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a second layer tasklet;

associating the second layer tasklet with the user context and the corresponding result-specific context; and

displaying the selected second layer tasklet based on the user context and the corresponding result-specific context.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the selected second layer tasklet further comprises displaying the tasklet interface having the format, the tasklet interface including the selected second layer tasklet, the user context, and the result-specific context, and one or more selectors for tasklets related to the selected second layer tasklet.