Expanded search and find user interface

• US 10,248,687 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hartwell, Aaron, Pell, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhargava, Anil K
• Application Number:
  US15/359,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20170075952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• 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 16/33 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A search and find user interface is provided that is integrated with a data indexing engine to allow efficient and high-speed data search and retrieval across data storage folders associated with a given software module or associated with a number of disparate software modules. An expanded form of the search and find user interface is provided for advanced searching. Where searching is required beyond a present search scope, an automatic “upscoping” mechanism is provided for expanding a search to data storage folders outside a current data storage folder on which an initial search is executed.

Claims

1. A method for providing an expanded search and find email functionality comprising:

displaying, by a computing device, a user interface including a list pane and a search pane, the list pane initially including an unfiltered listing of email items, the search pane initially being in a simplified form and including a first textbox;

receiving, by the computing device, entry of a free form alphanumeric first search query in the first textbox;

receiving, by the computing device, a request to initiate the first search query;

executing the first search query and displaying a first results list in the list pane, the first results list including one or more of the email items that match the first search query;

receiving, by the computing device, a request to display an expanded form of the search pane that includes the first textbox and a plurality of additional textboxes, each of the additional textboxes being associated with a pre-selected property of the email items that defines a search criteria associated with the additional textbox, each pre-selected property being represented by a label adjacent to its associated additional textbox;

receiving, by the computing device, entry of a search string in at least one of the additional textboxes;

receiving, by the computing device, a request to initiate a second search query that includes the search string entered in the at least one additional textbox;

removing the expanded form of the search pane and redisplaying the simplified form so that the first textbox is displayed without the additional textboxes, wherein the first textbox is populated with a syntax and structure of the second search query in response to removing the expanded form of the search pane and redisplaying the simplified form; and

executing, by the computing device, the second search query and displaying a second results list in the list pane, the second results list including one or more of the email items having instances of the pre-selected property matching the search string in the second search query.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request to display the expanded form of the search pane comprises receiving a first selection of an expanded search control.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein removing the expanded form of the search pane and redisplaying the simplified form comprises receiving a second selection of the expanded search control.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-selected set of properties includes at least one of a From property, a To property, a Subject property, or a Date property.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, entry of an attribute within an attribute box of the expanded form of the search pane, the attribute comprising at least one of an attachment attribute, an unread attribute, or a flagged attribute, wherein the first textbox is automatically populated with the entered attribute and the second results list displays only email items having the entered attribute.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving entry of the search string includes entering a term within the at least one additional textbox using a drop down menu.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the drop down menu is used to specify a date range of one or more of the email items.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, selection of a target storage folder from a drop down menu within the expanded form of the search pane, wherein the second search query is executed only against email items within the selected target storage folder.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the target storage folders provided within the drop down menu include an Inbox folder, a Sent email folder, and a Deleted email folder.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, by the computing device, a portion of one of the email items contained within the second results list; and

highlighting, by the computing device, the search string that is present in the displayed portion of the one email item.

11. A computer storage medium containing computer executable instructions for providing a search and find functionality, the computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, configuring the computer to:

display a user interface including a list pane and a search pane, the list pane initially including an unfiltered listing of email items, the search pane initially being in a simplified form and including a first textbox;

receive entry of a free form alphanumeric first search query in the first textbox;

receive a request to initiate the first search query;

execute the first search query and display a first results list in the list pane, the first results list including one or more of the email items that match the first search query;

receive a request to display an expanded form of the search pane that includes the first textbox and a plurality of additional drop down menus, each of the additional drop down menus being associated with a pre-selected property of the email items that defines a search criteria associated with the additional drop down menu, each pre-selected property being represented by a label adjacent to its associated additional drop down menu;

receive selection of a menu entry from at least one of the additional drop down menus;

receive a request to initiate a second search query that includes the menu entry for the search criteria associated with the at least one additional drop down menu;

redisplay the simplified form of the search pane so that the first textbox is displayed without the additional drop down menus, wherein the first textbox is populated with a syntax and structure of the second search query in response to redisplaying the simplified form of the search pane; and

execute the second search query and display a second results list in the list pane, the second results list including one or more of the email items having instances of the pre-selected property matching the menu entry in the second search query.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the pre-selected set of properties includes at least one of a From property, a To property, a Subject property, or a Date property.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 12, the computer executable instructions further configuring the computer to receive entry of an attribute within an attribute box of the expanded form of the search pane, the attribute comprising at least one of an attachment attribute, an unread attribute, or a flagged attribute, wherein the first textbox is automatically populated with the entered attribute and the second results list displays only email items having the entered attribute.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 11 wherein:

at least one of the additional drop down menus within the expanded form of the search pane corresponds to a target storage folder; and

the second search query is executed only against email items within a selected target storage folder.

15. A computing device configured to present a search and find user interface, the computing device comprising:

a processing unit; and

a system memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, configure the computing device to;

display a user interface including a list pane and a search pane, the list pane initially including an unfiltered listing of email items, the search pane initially being in a simplified form and including a first textbox;

receive entry of a free form alphanumeric first search query in the first textbox;

receive a request to initiate the first search query;

execute the first search query and display a first results list in the list pane, the first results list including one or more of the email items that match the first search query;

receive a request to display an expanded form of the search pane that includes the first textbox and a plurality of additional textboxes, each of the additional textboxes being associated with a pre-selected property of the email items that defines a search criteria associated with the additional textbox, each pre-selected property being represented by a label adjacent to its associated additional textbox;

receive entry of a search string in at least one of the additional textboxes;

receive a request to initiate a second search query that includes the search string entered in the at least one additional textbox;

remove the expanded form of the search pane and redisplay the simplified form so that the first textbox is displayed without the additional textboxes, wherein the first textbox is populated with a syntax and structure of the second search query in response to removing the expanded form of the search pane and redisplaying the simplified form;

execute the second search query and display a second results list in the list pane, the second results list including one or more of the email items having instances of the pre-selected property matching the search string in the second search query;

receive a request to display a portion of one of the email items contained within the second results list; and

highlight the search string that is present in the displayed portion of the one email item.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein receiving the request to display the expanded form of the search pane comprises receiving a first selection of an expanded search control.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein removing the expanded form of the search pane and redisplaying the simplified form comprises receiving a second selection of the expanded search control.

18. The computing device of claim 15, the instructions further configuring the computing device to receive entry of an attribute within an attribute box of the expanded form of the search pane, the attribute comprising at least one of an attachment attribute, an unread attribute, or a flagged attribute, wherein the first textbox is automatically populated with the entered attribute and the second results list displays only email items having the entered attribute.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein receiving entry of the search string includes entering a term within the at least one additional textbox using a drop down menu.

20. The computing device of claim 15, the instructions further configuring the computing device to receive selection of a target storage folder from a drop down menu within the expanded form of the search pane, wherein the second search query is executed only against email items within the selected target storage folder.