Tokenized search suggestions

• US 9,607,101 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2015
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Loofbourrow, Wayne R., Robert, Julien, Moha, Alexandre, Bonnet, Olivier, Bovet, Simon I., Decker, Stephen Frederick, Langoulant, Brendan John, Jalon, Julien Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, NICHOLAS E
• Application Number:
  US14/617,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20150199371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 707/767
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2425 Iterative querying; Query formulation based on the results of a preceding query
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90324 using system suggestions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Embodiments of tokenized search suggestions include generating, by at least one suggestion engine executing on a data processing system, first suggestions based on first text input in a text input field. The first suggestions are displayed on a display device and a selection of one of the first suggestions is received. The first text input is replaced with a first token corresponding to the selected one of the first suggestions. The at least one suggestion engine generates second suggestions based on second text input in the text input field and filters the second suggestions using the selected one of the first suggestions. The filtered selections are displayed on a display device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations within a graphical user interface (GUI) for generating search queries for a search through content and metadata of files, the operations comprising:

displaying a text input field within the GUI;

receiving text input from the text input field and generating search suggestions from the text input by searching through the content and metadata of files, the search suggestions associated with the text input;

displaying a field within the GUI containing a set of selectable search suggestions generated from the text input, the selectable search suggestions including a scope and an entity;

receiving an input to select one of the selectable search suggestions;

generating a first tokenized search suggestion for the search suggestion selected by the input, the first tokenized search suggestion including the scope and the entity of the search suggestion selected by the input; and

displaying a graphical representation of the first tokenized search suggestion to replace the text input in the text input field, the graphical representation of the first tokenized search suggestion including a selectable scope field having a drop-down menu, wherein the graphical representation additionally includes an input displayed adjacent to the selectable scope field, the input to search in the scope of the search suggestion selected by the input.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the first tokenized search suggestion includes a user configurable default suggestion scope.

3. The medium of claim 2, wherein the default suggestion scope comprises one of a recipient of an email, an author of an email, a subject of an email, an entire email, an email mailbox, and a date.

4. The medium of claim 3, wherein the entity comprises one of a plurality of contact descriptors.

5. The medium of claim 4, the instructions causing additional operations comprising:

performing a first search using a first search query generated using the first tokenized search suggestion;

receiving an indication to change the default suggestion scope to a second suggestion scope; and

displaying a graphical representation of an updated first tokenized search suggestion generated using the selected suggestion and the second suggestion scope.

6. The medium of claim 5, the instructions causing additional operations comprising:

performing a second search using a second search query generated using the updated first tokenized search suggestion;

displaying results of the second search; and

generating additional search suggestions from an additional text input received at the text input field.

7. The medium of claim 6, the instructions causing additional operations comprising:

receiving a selection of a second selected suggestion from the additional search suggestions;

generating a second tokenized search suggestion using the second selected suggestion and a second default suggestion scope; and

generating a third search query using the updated first tokenized search suggestion and the second tokenized search suggestion.

8. The medium of claim 7, the instructions causing additional operations comprising combining the updated first tokenized search suggestion and the second tokenized search suggestion with a Boolean OR operator if the scope of the updated first tokenized search suggestion is equivalent to the scope of the second tokenized search suggestion.

9. The medium of claim 8, the instructions causing additional operations comprising combining the updated first tokenized search suggestion and the second tokenized search suggestion with a Boolean AND operator if the scope of the updated first tokenized search suggestion is different than the scope of the second tokenized search suggestion.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations within a graphical user interface (GUI), the operations comprising:

displaying a text input field within the GUI, to receive text input for a search query;

receiving text input in the text input field and displaying one or more suggestions generated from the text input, wherein the one or more suggestions are updated as the text input is being received;

receiving an input to select one of the one or more suggestions;

generating a tokenized search suggestion for the suggestion selected by the input, the tokenized search suggestion including a scope and an entity; and

displaying a graphical representation of the tokenized search suggestion to replace the text input in the text input field, wherein displaying the graphical representation of the tokenized search suggestion includes displaying a selectable scope field having a drop-down menu and a default scope, wherein the graphical representation additionally includes an input displayed adjacent to the selectable scope field, the input to search in the scope of the search suggestion selected by the input.

11. The medium as in claim 10, wherein the default scope comprises one of a recipient of an email, an author of an email, a subject of an email, an entire email, an email mailbox, and a date, and wherein the entity comprises a contact comprising a plurality of contact descriptors.

12. The medium of claim 10, wherein the entity comprises one of a plurality of contact descriptors.

13. The medium of claim 10, the instructions causing additional operations comprising:

receiving additional text input in the text input field; and

causing a search through content and metadata of files using data associated with the tokenized search suggestion and the additional text input as a search query, wherein the search is performed as the additional text input is being received.

14. The medium of claim 13, the instructions causing additional operations comprising:

displaying additional suggestions generated from the additional text input and filtered by the tokenized search suggestion;

receiving a selection of one of the additional suggestions; and

generating an additional tokenized search suggestion for the selected one of the additional suggestions.

15. The medium of claim 14, the instructions causing additional operations comprising:

displaying an additional graphical representation of the additional tokenized search suggestion; and

displaying results of a new search through content and metadata of files using data associated with the tokenized search suggestion and the additional tokenized search suggestion.

16. A data processing system comprising:

a processing system coupled to memory, the processing system configured to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) and execute instructions stored in the memory, the instructions to cause the processing system to;

display a text input field within the GUI;

receive text input from the text input field and generate search suggestions from the text input by searching through content and metadata of files, the search suggestions associated with the text input;

display a field within the GUI that contains a set of selectable search suggestions generated from the text input, the selectable search suggestions including a scope and an entity;

receive an input to select one of the selectable search suggestions;

generate a tokenized search suggestion for the search suggestion selected by the input, the tokenized search suggestion including the scope and the entity of the search suggestion selected by the input;

display a graphical representation of the tokenized search suggestion to replace the text input in the text input field, the graphical representation of the first tokenized search suggestion including a selectable scope field including a drop-down menu; and

display an input adjacent to the selectable scope field, the input to search in the scope of the search suggestion selected by the input.

17. The system as in claim 16, wherein the entity comprises one of a plurality of contact descriptors.

18. The system as in claim 16, wherein the scope comprises one of a recipient of an email, an author of an email, a subject of an email, an entire email, an email mailbox, and a date.

19. The system of claim 16, including additional instructions to cause the processing system to:

perform a first search using a first search query generated using the tokenized search suggestion;

receive an indication to change the default suggestion scope to a second suggestion scope; and

display a graphical representation of an updated tokenized search suggestion generated using the selected suggestion and the second suggestion scope.

20. The system of claim 19, including additional instructions to cause the processing system to:

perform a second search using a second search query generated using the updated tokenized search suggestion;

display results of the second search; and

generate additional search suggestions from an additional text input received at the text input field.