Fast index with supplemental store

• US 8,825,623 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Samuelson, Mark A., Marshall, Kevin B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US13/768,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 707/741
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2264 Multidimensional index structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A hardware and/or software search facility for searching and retrieving data stored on a mobile device. An index to the data is stored in fast memory (e.g., RAM) on the mobile device. The index contains a minimal amount of information necessary to present search results to a user. A supplemental data file is stored in storage that is local to or remote from the mobile device. The supplemental data files contain additional organized data that may be used to enhance the search results. In response to a search query, the facility uses the index to identify results that are responsive to the search query. The results are presented by the facility in accordance with predetermined rules. The facility may use the supplemental data file to perform further processing and present additional information. In some embodiments, the facility may mount or unmount indices and supplemental files from a device.

Claims

1. A system in a mobile device for retrieving data records that are responsive to a search query, the system comprising

a supplemental file containing a plurality of supplemental entries, each of the supplemental entries comprising a portion of a data record, the supplemental file being resident in a storage component of the mobile device;

an index containing a plurality of index entries, each of the plurality of index entries comprising one or more search fields, a portion of the data record, and a file key corresponding to a position of an additional data record maintained in the supplemental file, the index being resident in a memory of the mobile device,

wherein the search fields of the index entries include data in an encoded form that corresponds to key identifiers from a reduced keyboard;

an input device for receiving a search query from a user,

wherein the received search query comprises a sequence of key identifiers from a reduced keyboard;

a means for comparing the received search query with at least one of the search fields to identify one or more index entries having one or more search fields that are responsive to the search query;

a display for presenting portions of data records associated with the one or more identified index entries to the user; and

an input device for receiving a selection of one of the presented portions of data records;

a means for retrieving an additional portion of the selected data record from the supplemental file; and

a display for presenting the retrieved additional data portion to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory has an access time that is shorter than an access time of the storage component.

3. At least one tangible computer-readable medium storing instructions that when executed by a mobile device cause the mobile device to:

receive a search query from a user,

search one or more search fields for a match to the received search query, each of the one or more search fields associated with one or more index entries,

wherein the one or more index entries are stored in a first storage component of the mobile device, and

wherein each index entry is comprised of a search field of a data record and a file key corresponding to a position of an additional portion of the data record maintained in a supplemental file that is stored in a second storage component of the mobile device;

determine that the received search query matches a corresponding search field of the one or more index entries,

if number of index entries of the corresponding matched search fields is greater than or equal to a number of results that can be presented to the user at one time,

retrieve search results from the corresponding matched searched fields and additional portions of data records from the supplemental file corresponding to the results that can be presented to the user at one time and then present the retrieved search results and additional portions of data records to the user;

if a number of index entries of the corresponding matched search fields is less than a number of results that can be presented to the user at one time,

retrieve the search results from the corresponding matched search fields and additional portions of data records from the supplemental file corresponding to the matched searched fields and then present the retrieved search results and the additional portions of data records to the user.