Providing search results for mobile computing devices

• US 9,690,875 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2012
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Hiromi, Huynh, Tuan, Tanaka, Takeshi, Sawada, Hirokazu, Kagoshima, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MERILYN P
• Application Number:
  US13/344,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,999 Days
• Field of Search: 707705, 707706, 707709, 707710, 707722, 707723, 707731
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

Search results are provided for mobile computing devices. Search results are retrieved based on a search term. Each of the search results is assigned to one or more categories. The categories and the assigned search results are provided to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device is adapted to display each of the categories and a partial list of the search results for each of the categories.

Claims

1. A method for providing search results to a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

sending a user-provided search term from the mobile computing device to a search server computer;

receiving, at the mobile computing device from the search server computer,

a complete list of search results from the search server computer, the complete list of search results based on sending the user-provided search term to the search server computer, and

one or more document file type categories, wherein each search result of the complete list of search results being assigned to at least one of the one or more document file type categories; and

displaying, by the mobile computing device,

each of the one or more document file type categories,

a partial list of search results corresponding to the complete list of search results, the partial list of search results for each of the one or more document file type categories being received from the search server computer, and

a link for each of the one or more document file type categories, the link being selectable to display, from the complete list of search results, a full list of search results assigned to each of the one or more document file type categories.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying, by the mobile computing device, the one or more document file type categories and the partial list of the search results corresponding to each of the one or more document file type categories comprises displaying, by the mobile computing device,

a first display output, the first display output comprising a first document file type category,

a first partial list of search results corresponding to the first document file type category,

a first hyperlink to a first full list of search results corresponding to the first document file type category,

a second display output, the second display output comprising a second document file type category,

a second partial list of search results corresponding to the second document file type category, and

a second hyperlink to a second full list of search results corresponding to the second document file type category.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, at the mobile computing device, a user selection of the first hyperlink; and

responsive to receiving the user selection of the first hyperlink, transitioning the mobile computing device from the first display output to a third display output, the third display output comprising the first document file type category and the first full list of search results corresponding to the first document file type category.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the user-provided search term from the mobile computing device to the search server computer comprises sending the user-provided search term from the mobile computing device to a plurality of search server computers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of search server computers comprises one or more local databases and one or more remote databases.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more document file type categories comprises at least one of a word processing document category, a spreadsheet document category or a presentation document category.

7. One of an optical disk, a magnetic storage device or a solid state storage device having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

send a user-provided search term from a mobile computing device to a search server computer;

receive, at the mobile device from the search server computer,

a complete list of search results from the search server computer, the complete list of search results based on sending the user-provided search term to the search server computer, and

one or more document file type categories, wherein each search result of the complete list of search results being assigned to at least one of the one or more document file type categories; and

display, through the mobile computing device,

each of the one or more document file type categories,

a partial list of the search results corresponding to the complete list of search results, the partial list of search results for each of the one or more document file type categories being received from the search server computer, and

a link for each of the one or more document file type categories, the link being selectable to display, from the complete list of search results, a full list of search results for each of the one or more document file type categories.

8. The optical disk, magnetic storage device or solid state storage device of claim 7, wherein to display, through the mobile computing device, the one or more document file type categories and the partial list of the search results corresponding to each of the one or more document file type categories, the computer-executable instructions further cause the computer to display, through the mobile computing device,

a first display output, the first display output comprising a first document file type category,

a first partial list of search results corresponding to the first document file type category,

a first hyperlink to a first full list of search results corresponding to the first document file type category,

a second display output, the second display output comprising a second document file type category,

a second partial list of search results corresponding to the second document file type category, and

a second hyperlink to a second full list of search results corresponding to the second document file type category.

9. The optical disk, magnetic storage device or solid state storage device of claim 8 having further computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to:

receive a user selection of the first hyperlink; and

responsive to receiving the user selection of the first hyperlink, transition the mobile computing device from the first display output to a third display output, the third display output comprising the first document file type category and the first full list of search results corresponding to the first document file type category.

10. The optical disk, magnetic storage device or solid state storage device of claim 7, wherein the one or more document file type categories comprises at least one of a word processing document category, a spreadsheet document category or a presentation document category.

11. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a program module which executes in the processor from the memory and which, when executed by the processor, causes the mobile computing device to

send a user-provided search term to a search server computer,

receive, at the mobile computing device from the search server computer,

a complete list of search results from the search server computer, the complete list of search results based on sending the user-provided search term to the search server computer, and

one or more document file type categories, wherein each search result of the complete list of search results being assigned to at least one of the one or more document file type categories, and

display, through the mobile computing device,

each of the one or more document file type categories,

a partial list of search results corresponding to the complete list of search results, the partial list of search results for each of the one or more document file type categories being received from the search server computer, and

a link for each of the plurality of document file type categories, the link being selectable to display, from the complete list of search results, a full list of search results assigned to each of the one or more document file type categories.

12. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the program module, when executed by the processor, further causes the mobile computing device to:

display, through the mobile computing device,

a first display output, the first display output comprising a first document file type category,

a first partial list of search results corresponding to the first document file type category,

a first hyperlink to a first full list of search results corresponding to the first document file type category,

a second display output, the second display output comprising a second document file type category,

a second partial list of search results corresponding to the second document file type category, and

a second hyperlink to a second full list of search results corresponding to the second document file type category;

receive a user selection of the first hyperlink; and

responsive to receiving the user selection of the first hyperlink, transition the mobile computing device from the first display output to a third display output, the third display output comprising the first document file type category and the first full list of search results corresponding to the first document file type category.

13. The mobile computing device of claim 11, wherein the one or more document file type categories comprises at least one of a word processing document category, a spreadsheet document category or a presentation document category.