Intelligent results related to a character stream

• US 8,954,530 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehanna, Lara, Hasan, Shawkat, Vandermolen, Harmannus, Campbell, Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US13/614,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20130073627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2453 Query optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24553 of query operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

Information may be presented to a user by using a first application to receive a character stream of one or more noncompletion characters. The noncompletion characters indicate that additional characters may be received. The character stream is exchanged with a host that analyzes the character stream to generate results that are responsive to the user'"'"'s predicted interest. Results are received and displayed so that the user may select one of the results to launch a code segment related to the selected result.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a character stream of non-completion characters input into an address line of a web browser;

determining, using at least one processor and prior to input of a completion character into the address line of the web browser, that the character stream does not indicate a uniform resource locator; and

initiating a search using at least a portion of the character stream.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the completion character is a control character.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the control character is a carriage return.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining that the character stream does not indicate a uniform resource locator occurs prior to receiving a selection of a user interface control of the web browser.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the user interface control of the web browser is a go button.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the user interface control of the web browser is a search button.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining that the character stream does not indicate a uniform resource locator comprises determining that the character stream indicates at least a portion of a search request.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining that the character stream does not indicate a uniform resource locator comprises validating the character stream.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein validating the character stream comprises identifying a correct uniform resource locator address related to the character stream.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the web browser is installed on a mobile device.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the mobile device is a personal digital assistant.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating one or more results of the search; and

sending the one or more results of the search to the web browser.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating one or more results comprises generating at least one suggested search character stream based on the character stream of non-completion characters.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating one or more results comprises generating at least one mapping result based on the character stream of non-completion characters.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein generating one or more results comprises referencing a user profile.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more additional non-completion characters input into the address line of the web browser; and

initiating an additional search using at least a portion of the character stream and at least a portion of the one or more additional non-completion characters.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising sending one or more results of the additional search to the web browser.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving a character stream of non-completion characters input into an address line of a web browser;

determining, prior to input of a completion character into the address line of the web browser, that the character stream does not indicate a uniform resource locator; and

initiating a search using at least a portion of the character stream.

20. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the steps of:

generating one or more results of the search; and

sending the one or more results of the search to the web browser.

21. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein generating one or more results comprises generating at least one suggested search character stream based on the character stream of non-completion characters.

22. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein generating one or more results comprises generating at least one mapping result based on the character stream of non-completion characters.

23. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein generating one or more results comprises referencing a user profile.

24. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 20, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the steps of:

receiving one or more additional non-completion characters input into the address line of the web browser; and

initiating an additional search using at least a portion of the character stream and at least a portion of the one or more additional non-completion characters.

25. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 24, wherein determining that the character stream does not indicate a uniform resource locator comprises validating the character stream.

26. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 25, wherein validating the character stream comprises identifying a correct uniform resource locator address related to the character stream.

27. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 24, wherein determining that the character stream does not indicate a uniform resource locator comprises determining that the character stream indicates at least a portion of a search request.

28. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 24, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the step of sending one or more results of the additional search to the web browser.

29. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the web browser is installed on a mobile device.

30. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 29, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

31. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 29, wherein the mobile device is a personal digital assistant.

32. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 24, wherein determining that the character stream does not indicate a uniform resource locator occurs prior to receiving a selection of a user interface control of the web browser.

33. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the user interface control of the web browser is a go button.

34. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the user interface control of the web browser is a search button.

35. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 24, wherein the completion character is a control character.

36. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the control character is a carriage return.

37. A method comprising:

receiving a character stream of non-completion characters input into an address line of a web browser;

determining, using at least one processor and prior to input of a completion character into the address line of the web browser, that the character stream indicates at least a portion of a search request; and

initiating a search request using at least a portion of the character stream.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the completion character is a control character.

39. The method as recited in claim 38, wherein the control character is a carriage return.

40. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein determining that the character stream indicates at least a portion of a search request occurs prior to receiving a selection of a user interface control of the web browser.

41. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein the user interface control of the web browser is a go button.

42. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein the user interface control of the web browser is a search button.

43. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein determining that the character stream indicates at least a portion of a search request comprises validating the character stream.

44. The method as recited in claim 43, wherein validating the character stream comprises identifying a uniform resource locator address related to the character stream.

45. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein the web browser is installed on a mobile device.

46. The method as recited in claim 45, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

47. The method as recited in claim 45, wherein the mobile device is a personal digital assistant.

48. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising:

generating one or more results of the search; and

sending the one or more results of the search to the web browser.

49. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein generating one or more results comprises generating at least one suggested search character stream based on the character stream of non-completion characters.

50. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein generating one or more results comprises generating at least one mapping result based on the character stream of non-completion characters.

51. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein generating one or more search results comprises referencing a user profile.

52. The method as recited in claim 37, further comprising:

receiving one or more additional non-completion characters input into the address line of the web browser; and

initiating an additional search using at least a portion of the character stream and at least a portion of the one or more additional non-completion characters.

53. The method as recited in claim 52, further comprising sending one or more results of the additional search to the web browser.

54. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving a character stream of non-completion characters input into an address line of a web browser;

determining, prior to input of a completion character into the address line of the web browser, that the character stream indicates at least a portion of a search request; and

initiating a search using at least a portion of the character stream.

55. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 54, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the steps of:

generating one or more results of the search; and

sending the one or more results of the search to the web browser.

56. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 55, wherein generating one or more results comprises generating at least one suggested search character stream based on the character stream of non-completion characters.

57. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 55, wherein generating one or more results comprises generating at least one mapping result based on the character stream of non-completion characters.

58. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 55, wherein generating one or more results comprises referencing a user profile.

59. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 55, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the steps of:

receiving one or more additional non-completion characters input into the address line of the web browser; and

initiating an additional search using at least a portion of the character stream and at least a portion of the one or more additional non-completion characters.

60. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 59, wherein determining that the character stream indicates at least a portion of a search request comprises validating the character stream.

61. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 60, wherein validating the character stream comprises identifying a uniform resource locator address related to the character stream.

62. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 59, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the step of sending one or more results of the additional search to the web browser.

63. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 59, wherein the web browser is installed on a mobile device.

64. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 63, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

65. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 63, wherein the mobile device is a personal digital assistant.

66. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 59, wherein determining that the character stream indicates at least a portion of a search request occurs prior to receiving a selection of a user interface control of the web browser.

67. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 66, wherein the user interface control of the web browser is a go button.

68. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 66, wherein the user interface control of the web browser is a search button.

69. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 59, wherein the completion character is a control character.

70. The computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 69, wherein the control character is a carriage return.