Accelerating find in page queries within a web browser

• US 9,652,494 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Choc, Theodore Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): SYED, FARHAN M
• Application Number:
  US13/857,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/242 Query formulation
• 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 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

Techniques for extending the functionality of a search field within a web browser to include a user-selectable accelerator option to invoke a find in page feature of the web browser are provided. A search query option for the find in page functionality of the browser may be displayed in association with the search field of the web browser. The search query option may include a user-selectable graphical component enabling the user to invoke find in page based on a search term entered into the search field of the browser. The user may select the graphical component to initiate a search for the term within a web page that is either displayed or will be displayed to the user via the web browser. The displayed web page may include a visual indication of each occurrence of the search term within the web page.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying a web page in a web browser at least in part by displaying web page text;

receiving a search term via a search field of the web browser while the web browser is displaying the web page;

determining that the search term occurs at least once within the web page text of the displayed web page;

generating, in response to the determination, a first search query option and a second search query option based on the search term, wherein the first search query option comprises performing a web search of the search term and the second search query option comprises performing a search of the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page without performing the web search;

displaying the first and second search query options within a drop-down list control element associated with the search field of the web browser;

generating, based on the search term, a predicted search option based on the first or second search query option;

dynamically updating the drop-down list control element to include the predicted search option;

receiving a selection of the second search query option to perform the search of the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page; and

providing for display, based on the selection of the second search query option to perform the search of the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page, a notification of at least one occurrence of the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a user-selectable graphical component for selecting one of the first and second search query options.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the search field is included within an address bar of the web browser, the address bar enabling a user to enter a uniform resource locator associated with the web page.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the first search query option to perform the web search of the search term; and

perform, based on the selection of the first search query option to perform the web search of the search term, a web search of the of the search term.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second search query options further comprise identifying, based on a browsing history stored for the web browser, a previously viewed web site corresponding to the search term.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second search query options further comprise identifying a web site designated as being a favorite corresponding to the search term.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and second search query options further comprise identifying a bookmarked web site corresponding to the search term.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the predicted search option based on the first or second search query option comprises utilizing a prediction service for automatically generating the predicted search option.

9. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

displaying a web page in a web browser, the web page including web page text;

acquiring a search term via a search field of the web browser while the web browser is displaying the web page;

determining that the search term occurs at least once within the web page text of the displayed web page;

generating, in response to the determination, a first search query option and a second search query option based on the acquired search term;

displaying the first and second search query options, wherein the first search query option comprises performing a web search of the search term and the second search query option comprises performing a search of the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page without performing the web search;

generating, based on the search term, a predicted search option based on the first or second search query option to be displayed;

dynamically updating the first and second search query options being displayed based on the predicted search option; and

providing for display, in response to receiving a selection of the second search query option to perform a search of the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page, a notification of at least one occurrence of the search term within the web page text.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying the at least one occurrence of the search terms in a content area of the web browser.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second search query options are displayed within a drop-down list control element in association with the web browser.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the displaying of the first and second search query options comprises displaying a user-selectable graphical component for each of the first and second search query options.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the search field is included within an address bar of the web browser, the address bar enabling a user to enter a uniform resource locator associated with the web page.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the search field is configured to receive input for a web-based search.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second search query options and a graphical component for the first and second search query options are displayed within the search field of the web browser.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

displaying a web page in a web browser, at least in part by displaying web page text;

acquiring a search term via a search field of the web browser while the web browser is displaying the web page;

determining that the search term occurs at least once within the web page text of the displayed web page;

displaying, responsive to the determination, a first search query option as an entry within a drop-down list control element in association with the search field of the web browser, wherein the first search query option is for performing a search of the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page without performing a web search;

performing a search for additional web page data related to at least a portion of the search term being input by a user into the search field;

displaying additional search query options based on results of the performed search, the additional search query options being displayed as additional entries within the drop-down list control element;

responsive to the user'"'"'s selection of the first search query option, performing a text-based search for the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page; and

displaying the web page text of the displayed web page in a content area of the web browser, wherein the displayed web page text identifies at least one occurrence of the search term within the web page.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating predictions for the first search query option and the additional search query options based on the portion of the search term being input by the user into the search field;

wherein the displaying of the first search query option and the additional search query options are based on the generated predictions.