Truncated autosuggest on a touchscreen computing device

• US 9,965,569 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Guo, Qingwei, Guo, Fangpeng, Zhou, Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US14/657,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20160267200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• 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 16/90328 using search space presentation or visualization, e.g. category or range presentation and selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/018 Input/output arrangements for oriental characters
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A computer device may reduce user error when constructing a search query. The computing device may display one or more search terms within a search box based on user input. The computing device may display initial autosuggest candidates and detect a user-selected initial autosuggest candidate. The computing device may display the user-selected initial autosuggest candidate within the search box as a preliminary search query, without automatically initiating a web search for the preliminary search query. The computing device may receive new autosuggest candidates having the preliminary search query as a common prefix, generate truncated autosuggest candidates by removing the common prefix from each new autosuggest candidate, and display the truncated autosuggest candidates.

Claims

1. A computing device for reducing user error when constructing a search query, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method, comprising;

displaying, on the computing device, a user interface that includes a search box;

receiving input within search box about one or more search terms;

displaying one or more initial autosuggest candidates based, at least in part, on the input;

receiving input that selects one of the one or more initial autosuggest candidates;

displaying the selected one of the one or more initial autosuggest candidates within the search box as a preliminary search query, without automatically initiating a web search for the preliminary search query;

receiving new autosuggest candidates having the preliminary search query as a common prefix, wherein the new autosuggest candidates are based, at least in part, on received user preference information corresponding to the preliminary search query;

generating truncated autosuggest candidates by removing the common prefix from each new autosuggest candidate; and

displaying the truncated autosuggest candidates in the user interface.

2. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising instructions for:

detecting a selection of a truncated autosuggest candidate; and

displaying a modified search query within in the search box by appending the truncated autosuggest candidate to the preliminary search query, without automatically initiating a web search for the modified search query.

3. The computing device of claim 2, further comprising instructions for:

receiving updated autosuggest candidates having the modified search query as a new common prefix;

generating truncated autosuggest candidates by removing the new common prefix from each updated autosuggest candidate; and

appending a selected truncated autosuggest candidate to the modified search query.

4. The computing device of claim 2, further comprising instructions for initiating a web search for a completed search query in response to a touch of a search button, wherein the completed search query is constructed from one or more selected truncated autosuggest candidates.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more search terms are displayed using Latin characters, and

the initial autosuggest candidates include multiple conversions of the one or more search terms into non-Latin characters.

6. The computing device of claim 5, wherein at least one of the initial autosuggest candidates includes a phrase that is displayed using non-Latin characters and that begins with one of the conversions followed by one or more words.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein:

the initial autosuggest candidates are displayed within rows; and

one or more of the rows include multiple initial autosuggest candidates.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein:

the truncated autosuggest candidates are displayed within rows; and

one or more of the rows include multiple truncated autosuggest candidates.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the truncated autosuggest candidates are arranged within the rows based, at least in part, on rank and length.

10. A computer-implemented method for reducing user error when constructing a search query, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a search query without launching a web search for the search query;

obtaining, by the computing device, autosuggest candidates having the search query as a common prefix wherein the autosuggest candidates are based, at least in part, on received user preference information corresponding to the search query;

generating, by the computing device, truncated autosuggest candidates by removing the search query from the autosuggest candidates; and

providing the truncated autosuggest candidates for display.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the search query is received and presented in a search box of a user interface.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the search query includes a transliteration of one or more search terms.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the search query includes one or more truncated autosuggest candidates that is selected based, at least in part, on received input.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the received information is received from a suggestion dictionary.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein:

the truncated autosuggest candidates are displayed within rows; and

one or more of the rows include multiple truncated autosuggest candidates.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising constructing a completed search query from one or more selected truncated autosuggest candidates.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising launching a web search for a completed search query constructed from one or more selected truncated autosuggest candidates.

18. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method, comprising:

receiving autosuggest candidates for a received search query wherein the autosuggest candidates include the search query as a common prefix and wherein the autosuggest candidates are based, at least in part, on received user preference information corresponding to the search query;

generating truncated autosuggest candidates by removing the common prefix from the autosuggest candidates; and

providing the truncated autosuggest candidates for display.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions for:

interpreting Latin keystrokes according to an input method for a non-Latin language;

arranging truncated autosuggest candidates based on rank and length;

displaying truncated autosuggest candidates within rows, wherein one or more of the rows include multiple truncated autosuggest candidates;

moving a user-selected truncated autosuggest candidates to a search box without automatically initiating a web search; and

appending the user-selected truncated autosuggest candidate to a search query.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions for:

providing autosuggest candidates that include multiple conversions of a search term into non-Latin characters; and

providing search results in response to a completed search query constructed from one or more selected truncated autosuggest candidates.