Accelerating find in page queries within a web browser

• US 10,678,871 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Choc, Theodore Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Farhan M
• Application Number:
  US15/490,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 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 method implemented in a computing device comprising a physical storage device and memory, the method comprising:

displaying, by the computing device, a web page in a web browser, wherein the web page includes web page text;

while the computing device is displaying the web page, receiving, by the computing device, a search term via a search field of the web browser;

determining, by the computing device, whether the search term occurs at least once within the web page text;

responsive to determining that the search term occurs at least once within the web page text, generating, by the computing device and based on the search term, a first search query option and a second search query option, wherein the first search query option comprises a web search of the search term and the second search query option comprises a search of the search term within the web page text without performing the web search of the search term;

displaying, by the computing device, the first search query option and the second search query option within the web browser at a location associated with the search field;

receiving, by the computing device, a selection of the second search query option; and

displaying, by the computing device, based on the selection of the second search query option, a notification of at least one occurrence of the search term within the web page text.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first search query option and the second query option further comprises displaying a user-selectable graphical component for selecting one of the first search query option and the second search query option.

3. The 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 method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the first search query option; and

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

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, based on a browsing history stored for the web browser, a previously viewed web site corresponding to the search term.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a web site designated as being a favorite corresponding to the search term.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a bookmarked web site corresponding to the search term.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, based on the search term, a predicted search option.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the first search query option and the second search query option at a location associated with the search field of the web browser comprises displaying the first search query option and the second search query options in a drop-down list, and wherein the method further comprises dynamically updating the drop-down list to include the predicted search option.

10. 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;

provide, for display, a web page in a web browser, wherein the web page includes web page text;

while the web page is being displayed, acquire a search term via a search field of the web browser;

determine whether the search term occurs at least once within the web page text;

responsive to determining that the search term occurs at least once within the web page text, generate, based on the search term, a first search query option and a second search query option;

provide, for display, the first search query option and the second search query option, wherein the first search query option comprises an option to perform a web search of the search term and the second search query option comprises an option to perform a search of the search term within the web page text without performing the web search of the search term; and

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

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first search query option and the second search query option are displayed within a drop-down list control element in association with the web browser.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions that cause the processors to provide, for display, the first search query option and the second search query option include instructions that cause the processors to provide, for display, a user-selectable graphical component for each of the first search query option and the second search query option.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processors to:

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

dynamically update the first and second search query options being displayed based on the predicted search option.

14. The system of claim 10, 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.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the search field is configured to receive input for a web-based search.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first search query option, the second search query option, and a graphical component for the first and second search query options are displayed within the search field of the web browser.

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

provide, for display, a web page in a web browser, wherein the web page includes web page text;

while the web page is being displayed, acquire a search term via a search field of the web browser;

determine whether the search term occurs at least once within the web page text;

responsive to determining that the search term occurs at least once within the web page text, provide, for display, a first search query option in association with the search field of the web browser, wherein the first search query option is an option for performing a search of the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page without performing a web search;

perform a search for additional web page data related to at least a portion of the search term;

provide, for display, additional search query options based on results of the performed search, the additional search query options being displayed in association with the search field of the web browser; and

responsive to receiving a search query option selection, provide, for display, a notification of at least one occurrence of the search term within the web page text.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive a selection of the first search query option by a user;

responsive to receiving the selection, perform a text-based search for the search term within the web page text of the displayed web page;

provide, for display, 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; and

generate predictions for the first search query option and the additional search query options based on the portion of the search term,

wherein the first search query option and the additional search query options are provided for display based on the generated predictions.