Search control combining classification and text-based searching techniques

• US 9,081,871 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Mark Joseph, Anderson, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Jessica N
• Application Number:
  US13/405,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20120203767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 707/715, 707/705, 707/706
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3323 using document space presentation or visualization, e.g. category, hierarchy or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A search control in a user interface enables a user to search documents on text or a tag.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a set of tags based on detected user activity within a user interface, the user activity including the user accessing files associated with tags in the set of tags and/or the user creating new tags in the set of tags;

displaying a user interface within a browser content area, the user interface comprising a text search field and drop-down menu adjacent to the text search field and having a plurality of selectable entries;

initially populating the plurality of selectable entries within the drop down menu with the set of tags;

receiving a first input;

in response to receiving the first input;

in accordance with a determination that the first input indicates that the user has selected one or more of the tags, performing a search that comprises searching for files associated with the selected tags; and

in accordance with a determination that the first input includes text entered in the text search field, replacing the tags within the same drop down menu with a listing of files associated with the text entered by the user, wherein replacing the tags within the same drop down menu with the listing of files associated with the text entered by the user comprises identifying files having titles corresponding to the entered text and replacing the tags within the same drop down menu with the titles of the files;

after replacing the tags within the same drop down menu with the listing of files associated with the text entered by the user, receiving a second input indicating that the user has selected one of the listing of files from the drop-down menu;

in response to receiving the second input, performing a search that comprises searching for the selected one or more files; and

presenting results of the search on the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a link in the user interface for each of the results, each link pointing to a file identified by the search.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the file comprises a web page, email message, text document, audio file, digital image, application, or instant message.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to selection of a tag, displaying search results including a link to a document that is tagged with the selected tag.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second input indicates that the user has selected one of the titles from the drop-down menu;

and

responsively displaying at least a portion of a document associated with the selected title.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the tags include animation, artwork, collaboration, drafts, and podcast capture.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein set of tags are selected by using nested heuristics constrained by a finite list length to keep the list of tags brief and easy to scan.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting results of the search on the user interface further comprises concurrently presenting a set of search tools including search filters to filter the search results by additional text and/or additional tags.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the additional tags are selectable by selecting one or more check boxes associated with the additional tags.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the search tools include a search modifier to specify a date.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying a set of tags based on detected user activity within a user interface, the user activity including the user accessing files associated with tags in the set of tags and/or the user creating new tags in the set of tags;

displaying a user interface within a browser content area, the user interface comprising a text search field and drop-down menu adjacent to the text search field and having a plurality of selectable entries;

initially populating the plurality of selectable entries within the drop down menu with the set of tags;

receiving a first input;

in response to receiving the first input;

in accordance with a determination that the first input indicates that the user has selected one or more of the tags, performing a search that comprises searching for files associated with the selected tags; and

in accordance with a determination that the first input includes text entered in the text search field, replacing the tags within the same drop down menu with a listing of files associated with the text entered by the user, wherein replacing the tags within the same drop down menu with the listing of files associated with the text entered by the user comprises identifying files having titles corresponding to the entered text and replacing the tags within the same drop down menu with the titles of the files;

after replacing the tags within the same drop down menu with the listing of files associated with the text entered by the user, receiving a second input indicating that the user has selected one of the listing of files from the drop-down menu;

in response to receiving the second input, performing a search that comprises searching for the selected one or more files; and

presenting results of the search on the user interface.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, including instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

providing a link in the user interface for each of the results, each link pointing to a file identified by the search.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the file comprises a web page, email message, text document, audio file, digital image, application, or instant message.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, including instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

responsive to selection of a tag, displaying search results including a link to a document that is tagged with the selected tag.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the second input indicates that the user has selected one of the titles from the drop-down menu;

and the computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

responsively displaying at least a portion of a document associated with the selected title.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the tags include animation, artwork, collaboration, drafts, and podcast capture.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein set of tags are selected by using nested heuristics constrained by a finite list length to keep the list of tags brief and easy to scan.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein presenting results of the search on the user interface further comprises concurrently presenting a set of search tools including search filters to filter the search results by additional text and/or additional tags.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the additional tags are selectable by selecting one or more check boxes associated with the additional tags.