Searching at a user device

• US 9,250,803 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Abate, Umberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Van
• Application Number:
  US14/658,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9032 Query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90332 Natural language query formulation or dialogue systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Method, computer program product and user device for searching implemented at the user device, wherein an input is received from a user via a touch screen of the user device. Without user initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive the input, the input is analyzed using character recognition. Responsive to the character recognition recognizing at least one character in said received input, a search mode is invoked in which one or more search results which at least partially match the at least one recognized character are displayed. The user may select one of the displayed search results.

Claims

1. A user device, comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a processor and memory, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to configure the user device to;

receive a written input via the touchscreen;

without user initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive said written input, analyze the written input using character recognition;

responsive to the character recognition recognizing at least one character in the received written input, invoke a search mode;

in said search mode;

display one or more search results which at least partially match the at least one recognized character; and

display feedback of the written input overlaid on the displayed search results, the displayed feedback fading over time; and

receive a selection of one of the displayed search results.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen is useable both as an input area to receive the written input, and as a display to display the one or more search results.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one character in the received written input comprises a plurality of characters which are recognized by the character recognition.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the displayed search results are updated each time one of the plurality of characters is recognized by the character recognition.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more search results are retrieved from at least one group of items which may be searched.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one group of items includes at least one of:

contacts, communication events, bookmarks, applications, files, or place names.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the groups of items which are searched are limited by a context of an application executing at the device when the written input is received from the user.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of search results are displayed and wherein the order of the displayed search results is determined based on at least one of:

how well the search result matches the at least one recognized character, or a context of an application executing at the device when the written input is received from the user.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the displayed search results is a contact of the user and wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to configure the user device to initiate a communication event with the contact in response to receiving said user selection of the contact.

10. The device of claim 1, the instructions executable by the processor to further configure the user device to:

receive a second written input via a touch screen of the user device;

display revised search results which at least partially match characters recognized from the written input and the second written input; and

display feedback of the written input and the second written input overlaid on the displayed revised search results, the displayed feedback of the written input and the second written input fading over time.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the user device is one of a mobile phone, a tablet, a personal computer, a gaming device, a television, or a person digital assistant.

12. A user device comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a processor and memory, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to configure the user device to;

receive a written input via the touchscreen;

display feedback on the touchscreen showing the written input, wherein the feedback displayed on the touch screen fades over time;

analyze the received written input using character recognition;

responsive to the character recognition recognizing at least one character in said received written input, display on the touchscreen one or more search results which at least partially match the at least one recognized character; and

receive a selection of one of the displayed search results.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the displayed feedback is overlaid on the displayed search results on the touchscreen.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the analysis of the received written input is performed without user initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive said written input.

15. The device of claim 12, further comprising receiving initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive said written input, wherein the analysis of the received written input using character recognition is performed only if the temporary character recognition mode has been initiated.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said initiation of the temporary character recognition mode comprises receiving a predefined input via the touch screen or another input component of the user device.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein said at least one character in the received written input comprises a plurality of characters which are recognized by the character recognition, and wherein the displayed search results are updated each time one of the plurality of characters is recognized by the character recognition.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the one or more search results are retrieved from at least one group of items which may be searched, and wherein the at least one group of items includes at least one of:

contacts, communication events, bookmarks, applications, files, or place names.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the user device is one of a mobile phone, a tablet, a personal computer, a gaming device, a television, or a person digital assistant.

20. A user device, comprising:

a touchscreen; and

a processor and memory, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to configure the user device to;

receive a written input via the touchscreen;

without user initiation of a temporary character recognition mode specifically to receive said written input, analyze the written input using character recognition;

responsive to the character recognition recognizing at least one character in the received written input, invoke a search mode;

in said search mode;

display one or more search results which at least partially match the at least one recognized character, at least one of the one or more the displayed search results comprising a contact of the user; and

display feedback of the written input received overlaid on the displayed search results, the displayed feedback fading over time;

receive a selection of one of the displayed search results; and

initiate a communication event with the contact in response to receiving said selection of the displayed search result.