Expanded search and find user interface

• US 9,513,781 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hartwell, Aaron, Pell, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Riegler, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US14/142,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20140115526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A search and find user interface is provided that is integrated with a data indexing engine to allow efficient and high-speed data search and retrieval across data storage folders associated with a given software module or associated with a number of disparate software modules. An expanded form of the search and find user interface is provided for advanced searching. Where searching is required beyond a present search scope, an automatic “upscoping” mechanism is provided for expanding a search to data storage folders outside a current data storage folder on which an initial search is executed.

Claims

1. A method for providing an expanded search and find email functionality comprising:

displaying, by a computing device, a user interface including a list pane and a search pane, the list pane initially including an unfiltered listing of email items, the search pane initially being in a simplified form and including a first textbox;

receiving, by the computing device, entry of a free form alphanumeric first search query in the first textbox;

receiving, by the computing device, a request to initiate the first search query;

executing the first search query and displaying a first results list in the list pane, the first results list including one or more of the email items that match the first search query;

receiving, by the computing device, a request to toggle the search pane from the simplified form to an expanded form, the search pane including the first textbox and a plurality of additional textboxes when the search pane is in the expanded form, the additional textboxes being associated with a pre-selected set of properties of the email items that define search criteria for the additional textboxes, each pre-selected property being represented by a label adjacent to its associated additional textbox;

receiving, by the computing device, entry of search strings in the additional textboxes;

receiving, by the computing device, a request to initiate a second search query that includes the search strings entered in the additional textboxes;

toggling the search pane from the expanded form to the simplified form so that the first text box is displayed without the additional textboxes, wherein the first textbox is populated with a syntax and structure of the second search query in response to toggling the search pane from the expanded form to the simplified form; and

executing, by the computing device, the second search query and displaying a second results list in the list pane, the second results list including one or more of the email items having instances of the pre-selected properties matching the search strings in the second search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected set of properties includes at least one of a From property, a To property, a Subject property, or a Date property.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, entry of an attribute within an attribute box of the expanded search pane, the attribute comprising at least one of an attachment attribute, an unread attribute, or a flagged attribute, wherein the first textbox is automatically populated with the entered attribute and the second results list displays only email items having the entered attribute.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving entry of the search strings in the additional textboxes includes entering a term within at least one of the additional textboxes using a drop down menu.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the drop down menu is used to specify at least one of a sender or a recipient of one or more of the email items.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the drop down menu is used to specify a date range of one or more of the email items.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, selection of a target storage folder from a drop down menu within the expanded search pane, wherein the second search query is executed only against email items within the selected target storage folder.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the target storage folders provided within the drop down menu include an Inbox folder, a Sent email folder, and an All Mail folder.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the computing device, a portion of one of the email items contained within the second results list; and

highlighting, by the computing device, one of the search strings that is present in the displayed portion of the one email item.

10. A computing device configured to present a search and find user interface, the computing device comprising:

a processing unit; and

a system memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, configure the computing device to;

display a user interface including a list pane and a search pane, the list pane initially including an unfiltered listing of email items, the search pane initially being in a simplified form and including a first textbox;

receive entry of a free form alphanumeric first search query in the first textbox;

receive a request to initiate the first search query;

execute the first search query and display a first results list in the list pane, the first results list including one or more of the email items that match the first search query;

receive a request to toggle the search pane from the simplified form to an expanded form, the search pane including the first textbox and a plurality of additional textboxes when the search pane is in the expanded form, the additional textboxes being associated with a pre-selected set of properties of the email items that define search criteria for the additional textboxes, each pre-selected property being represented by a label adjacent to its associated additional textbox;

receive entry of search strings in the additional textboxes;

receive a request to initiate a second search query that includes the search strings entered in the additional textboxes;

toggle the search pane from the expanded form to the simplified form so that the first text box is displayed without the additional textboxes, wherein the first textbox is populated with a syntax and structure of the second search query in response to toggling the search pane from the expanded form to the simplified form; and

execute the second search query and display a second results list in the list pane, the second results list including one or more of the email items having instances of the pre-selected properties matching the search strings in the second search query.

11. The computing device of claim 10, the instructions further configuring the computing device to receive entry of an attribute within an attribute box of the expanded search pane, the attribute comprising at least one of an attachment attribute, an unread attribute, or a flagged attribute, wherein the first textbox is automatically populated with the entered attribute and the second results list displays only email items having the entered attribute.

12. The computing device of claim 10, the instructions further configuring the computing device to provide a drop down menu for entering a term within at least one of the additional textboxes.

13. The computing device of claim 10, the instructions further configuring the computing device to receive a selection of a target storage folder from a drop down menu within the expanded search pane, wherein the second search query is executed only against email items within the selected target storage folder.

14. The computing device of claim 10, the instructions further configuring the computing device to:

display a portion of one of the email items contained within the second results list; and

highlight one of the search strings that is present in the displayed portion of the one email item.

15. A computer storage medium containing computer executable instructions for providing a search and find functionality, the computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, configure the computer to:

display a user interface including a list pane and a search pane, the list pane initially including an unfiltered listing of email items, the search pane initially being in a simplified form and including a first textbox;

receive entry of a free form alphanumeric first search query in the first textbox;

receive a request to initiate the first search query;

execute the first search query and display a first results list in the list pane, the first results list including one or more of the email items that match the first search query;

receive a request to toggle the search pane from the simplified form to an expanded form, the search pane including the first textbox and a second textbox when the search pane is in the expanded form, the second textbox being associated with a pre-selected property of the email items that defines a search criteria for the second textbox, the pre-selected property being represented by a label adjacent to the second textbox;

receive entry of a search string in the second textbox;

receive a selection of a target storage folder from a drop down menu within the expanded search pane;

receive a request to initiate a second search query that includes the search string entered in the second textbox;

toggle the search pane from the expanded form to the simplified form so that the first text box is displayed without the additional textboxes, wherein the first textbox is populated with a syntax and structure of the second search query in response to toggling the search pane from the expanded form to the simplified form; and

execute the second search query against only a subset of the email items within the selected target storage folder and display a second results list in the list pane, the second results list including one or more of the subset of the email items from the selected target storage folder having instances of the pre-selected property matching the search string in the second search query.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, the instructions further configuring the computer to receive entry of an attribute within an attribute box of the expanded search pane, the attribute comprising at least one of an attachment attribute, an unread attribute, or a flagged attribute, wherein the first textbox is automatically populated with the entered attribute and the second results list displays only email items having the entered attribute.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 15, the instructions further configuring the computer to provide a drop down menu for entering the search string in the second textbox.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the drop down menu is used to specify at least one of a sender, a recipient, or a date range of one or more of the email items.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 15, the instructions further configuring the computer to display a most recently used search query control disposed adjacent to the first textbox, the most recently used search query control, when selected, causing the computer to display one or more search queries previously entered into the first textbox.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 15, the instructions further configuring the computer to:

display a portion of one of the email items contained within the second results list; and

highlight the search string that is present in the displayed portion of the one email item.