Methods and Apparatus for Searching a Message Store

• US 20130097173A1
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: STOVICEK, Thomas Jan, DEL PASQUA, Kieran Cloud
• Granted Patent: US 9,225,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2423 Interactive query statement specification based on a database schema
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for searching a message store on a portable device are described herein. The methods allow a plurality of possible search criteria to be generated and displayed. One or more of the possible search criteria may be selected and added to a search string that is used to search the message store.

Claims

1. A method for searching a message store on a portable device comprising:

displaying a search input box;

generating and displaying a plurality of possible search criteria for searching for messages in the message store;

receiving a selection of one or more of the displayed plurality of the possible search criteria; and

adding the selected one or more possible search criteria to a search string.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying one or more characters input by a user in the search input box, wherein generating and displaying the plurality of possible search criteria comprises generating and displaying the plurality of possible search criteria based on the displayed one or more characters, each of the possible search criteria for searching for messages in the message store.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of possible search criteria comprises searching for contacts stored on the device at least partially matching the one or more received characters.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the plurality of possible search criteria comprises:

appending the received characters to a plurality of defined message fields.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the plurality of possible search criteria comprises:

selecting a contact name that at least partially matches the received characters.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the plurality of possible search criteria comprises:

selecting one or more terms from an index of possible search terms pre-indexed from the message store that at least partially match the received characters.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of possible search criteria comprise a plurality of:

searching a message'"'"'s To field for the one or more of received characters;

searching a message'"'"'s From field for the one or more of received characters;

searching a message'"'"'s CC field for the one or more of received characters;

searching a message'"'"'s BCC field for the one or more of received characters;

searching a message'"'"'s Subject field for the one or more of received characters; and

searching a message'"'"'s Body field for the one or more of received characters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating and displaying the plurality of possible search criteria comprises generating and displaying a plurality of possible search criteria based on at least a portion of the content of the current message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the plurality of possible search criteria based on at least a portion of the content of the current message comprises generating a plurality possible search criteria based on one or more keywords generated from the portion of the content of the current message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of possible search criteria comprise a plurality of:

searching a message'"'"'s To field for the one or more keywords;

searching a message'"'"'s From field for the one or more keywords;

searching a message'"'"'s CC field for the one or more keywords;

searching a message'"'"'s BCC field for the one or more keywords;

searching a message'"'"'s Subject field for the one or more keywords; and

searching a message'"'"'s Body field for the one or more keywords.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying the current message.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the selected one or more possible search criteria in the search input box; and

searching the message store based on the search string.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the message store comprises one or more message stores stored locally or remotely accessible by the portable device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the message store stores messages of one or more different message types comprising one or more of:

e-mail messages;

social network messages;

short message service (SMS) text messages; and

messaging application messages.

15. A portable device comprising:

a touch sensitive display for displaying graphics and receiving touch input;

a memory for storing instructions;

a processor for executing the instructions, the instructions when executed by the processor configuring the portable device to;

display a search input box on the touch sensitive display;

generate and display a plurality of possible search criteria for searching for messages in the message store;

receive a selection of one or more of the displayed plurality of the possible search criteria; and

add the selected one or more possible search criteria to a search string.

16. The portable device of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further configure the portable device to:

display one or more characters input by a user in the search input box; and

generate and display the plurality of possible search criteria based on the displayed one or more characters, each of the possible search criteria for searching for messages in the message store.

17. The portable device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the plurality of possible search criteria comprises searching for contacts stored on the device at least partially matching the one or more received characters.

18. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further configure the portable device to:

generate the plurality of possible search criteria by appending the received characters to a plurality of defined message fields.

19. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further configure the portable device to:

generate the plurality of possible search criteria by selecting a contact name that at least partially matches the received characters.

20. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further configure the portable device to:

generate the plurality of possible search criteria by selecting one or more terms from an index of possible search terms pre-indexed from the message store that at least partially match the received characters.

21. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of possible search criteria comprise a plurality of:

searching a message'"'"'s To field for the one or more of received characters;

searching a message'"'"'s From field for the one or more of received characters;

searching a message'"'"'s CC field for the one or more of received characters;

searching a message'"'"'s BCC field for the one or more of received characters;

searching a message'"'"'s Subject field for the one or more of received characters; and

searching a message'"'"'s Body field for the one or more of received characters.

22. The portable device of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further configure the portable device to generate and display a plurality of possible search criteria based on at least a portion of the content of the current message.

23. The portable device of claim 22, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further configure the portable device to generate the plurality possible search criteria based on one or more keywords generated from the portion of the content of the current message.

24. The portable device of claim 15, wherein the instructions when executed by the processor further configure the portable device to:

display the selected one or more possible search criteria in the search input box; and

search the message store based on the search string.

25. The portable device of claim 15, wherein the message store comprises one or more message stores stored locally or remotely accessible by the portable device each having one or more different message types comprising one or more of:

e-mail messages;

social network messages;

short message service (SMS) text messages; and

messaging application messages.

26. A non-transitory computer readable memory containing instructions for searching a message store on a portable device, the instructions when executed by a processor performing:

displaying a search input box;

generating and displaying a plurality of possible search criteria for searching for messages in the message store;

receiving a selection of one or more of the displayed plurality of the possible search criteria; and

adding the selected one or more possible search criteria to a search string