Identifying non-search actions based on a search-query

• US 9,917,904 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheng, Tak Keung, Stacey, Robert, Hansson, Othar, Lider, Brett R., Kol, Tomer, Hyams, Iftach
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Debbie
• Application Number:
  US15/256,040
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for invoking a non-search action based on a search query. A server system receives a search query from a remote computing device. The server system determines whether the search query includes reserved text that indicates an intent by a user that provided the search query to the remote computing device to perform a non-search messaging action instead of or in addition to obtaining search results. The server system provides to the computing device, in response to determining that the search query includes the reserved text, code for causing the remote computing device to display a draft communication that includes at least the search query without the reserved text, and for allowing the user to edit the draft communication before transmitting the draft communication for receipt by recipient users.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device and from user interaction with service that is capable of providing search results in response to a search query, an input from a first user that comprises a reserved term;

in response to receiving the input, identifying the reserved term as being associated communicating with one or more other users;

generating an action that involves communicating between users to be performed by an application that is separate from the service, the generating based on the reserved term and on the input, including identifying at least one of a telephone number or a person from the input; and

causing the computing device to initiate a communication session between the first user and the identified at least one of the telephone number or the person.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a voice-submitted input.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing an address book application to retrieve a telephone number for the communication session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is associated with a first application on the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reserved term identifies a particular action to be performed by the application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a telephone call.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a text messaging.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the input includes a term that indicates an intent to perform a non-search action.

9. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage device, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

receiving, at a computing device and from user interaction with service that is capable of providing search results in response to a search query, an input from a first user that comprises a reserved term;

in response to receiving the input, identifying the reserved term as being associated communicating with one or more other users;

generating an action that involves communicating between users to be performed by an application that is separate from the service, the generating based on the reserved term and on the input, including identifying at least one of a telephone number or a person from the input; and

causing the computing device to initiate a communication session between the first user and the identified at least one of the telephone number or the person.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the input comprises a voice-submitted input.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, the operations further comprising accessing an address book application to retrieve a telephone number for the communication session.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the service is associated with a first application on the computing device.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the reserved term identifies a particular action to be performed by the application.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the communication session comprises a telephone call.

15. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the communication session comprises a text messaging.

16. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the input includes a term that indicates an intent to perform a non-search action.

17. A system comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled to the processor and configurable for storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, at a computing device and from user interaction with service that is capable of providing search results in response to a search query, an input from a first user that comprises a reserved term;

in response to receiving the input, identifying the reserved term as being associated communicating with one or more other users;

generating an action that involves communicating between users to be performed by an application that is separate from the service, the generating based on the reserved term and on the input, including identifying at least one of a telephone number or a person from the input; and

causing the computing device to initiate a communication session between the first user and the identified at least one of the telephone number or the person.