Method and apparatus for improved searching of database content

• US 8,799,254 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Luoma, Kristian, Partanen, Jussi-Pekka
• Primary Examiner(s): Arjomandi, Noosha
• Application Number:
  US12/597,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,603 Days
• Field of Search: 707/770, 707/706
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

It is presented a method for a portable apparatus comprising: receiving text input as search text from a user of the portable apparatus; searching for content items of at least one content type matching the search text, resulting in a list of containing zero or more matching content items; presenting the list of matching content items on a display of the portable apparatus, when the list of matching content items contains at least a threshold number of content items; and presenting at least one option to search a database available over a digital network using the search text on the display, when the list of matching content items comprises less than the threshold number of content items. Corresponding portable apparatuses, a computer program product and a user interface are also presented.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a portable apparatus, text input as search text from a user of said portable apparatus;

searching for content items of at least one content type matching said search text, resulting in a list containing zero or more matching content items;

directing presentment of said list of matching content items on a display of said portable apparatus, when said list of matching content items contains at least a threshold number of content items;

directing presentment of at least one option to search at least one of at least two databases available over a network using said search text on said display, when said list of matching content items comprises less than said threshold number of content items; and

based on selection of the at least one option, searching the at least one of the at least two databases associated with the at least one option using search information in addition to said search text, wherein the search information is related to a type of data stored in the at least one of the at least two databases associated with the at least one option;

wherein said receiving text input, searching for content items, directing presentment of said list and directing presentment of at least one option to search a database are repeated until either an item of said list of matching content items is selected or an option of said at least one option is selected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said searching comprises searching for content items using an index of content items, said index being stored in said portable apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said searching for content items comprises searching for content items matching said search text from content items associated with said portable apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said searching for content items comprises searching for content items matching said search text from content items associated with said user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one content type comprises at least one of images, songs, contacts, messages, chat histories, documents, visited web sites, or bookmarks.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, in response to user selection of one of said at least one option, location information of said portable apparatus as search criteria to a database associated with said selected option.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said directing presentment of at least one option comprises directing presentment of at least one option to search a database, said option to search a database being selected from the group comprising an option to search a business directory, an option to search a person directory, an option to search the world wide web and an option to search a movie database.

8. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive text input as search text from a user of said apparatus;

search for content items of at least one content type matching said search text, resulting in a list containing zero or more matching content items;

direct presentment of said list of matching content items on a display operably connected to said apparatus, when said list of matching content items contains at least a threshold number of content items;

directing presentment of at least one option to search at least one of at least two databases available over a network using said search text on said display, when said list of matching content items comprises less than said threshold number of content items; and

based on selection of the at least one option, searching the at least one of the at least two databases associated with the at least one option using search information in addition to said search text, wherein the search information is related to a type of data stored in the at least one of the at least two databases associated with the at least one option;

wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to repeat said receiving text input, searching for content items, directing presentment of said list and directing presentment of at least one option to search a database until either an item of said list of matching content items is selected or an option of said at least one option is selected.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to search by searching for content items using an index of content items, said index being stored in memory of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to search for content items by searching for content items matching said search text from content items associated with said apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to search for content items by searching for content items matching said search text from content items associated with said user.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said at least one content type comprises at least one of images, songs, contacts, messages, chat histories, documents, visited web sites, or bookmarks.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus comprises a portable apparatus, and wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

provide, in response to user selection of one of said at least one option, location information of said apparatus as search criteria to a database associated with said selected option.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to direct presentment of at least one option by directing presentment of at least one option to search a database, said option to search a database being selected from the group comprising an option to search a business directory, an option to search a person directory, an option to search the world wide web and an option to search a movie database.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:

program instructions configured for directing receipt of text input as search text from a user;

program instructions configured for searching for content items of at least one content type matching said search text, resulting in a list containing zero or more matching content items;

program instructions configured for directing presentment of said list of matching content items on a display when said list of matching content items contains at least a threshold number of content items;

program instructions configured for directing presentment of at least one option to search at least one of at least two databases available over a network using said search text on said display, when said list of matching content items comprises less than said threshold number of content items; and

program instructions configured for, based on selection of the at least one option, searching the at least one of the at least two databases associated with the at least one option using search information in addition to said search text, wherein the search information is related to a type of data stored in the at least one of the at least two databases associated with the at least one option;

wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to repeat said receiving text input, searching for content items, directing presentment of said list and directing presentment of at least one option to search a database until either an item of said list of matching content items is selected or an option of said at least one option is selected.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said program instructions configured for searching comprise program instructions configured for searching for content items using an index of content items.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions configured for providing, in response to user selection of one of said at least one option, location information as search criteria to a database associated with said selected option.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said program instructions configured for directing presentment of at least one option comprise program instructions configured for directing presentment of at least one option to search a database, said option to search a database being selected from the group comprising an option to search a business directory, an option to search a person directory, an option to search the world wide web and an option to search a movie database.