Searching for commands to execute in applications

• US 7,925,975 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fries, Karen E., Bala, Aravind
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow; Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): TILLERY, RASHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US11/372,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 715705-715
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/243 Natural language query formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A user can access a searching component that allows the user to enter search terms to search for commands associated with a computer program. The most likely commands are provided to the user, and a command can be selected for execution.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of identifying commands in an application, comprising:

receiving a search request indicative of a desired task to be performed with the application;

searching, with a processor, a command store, that stores commands for the application, using the search request;

identifying, with a processor, as possible commands to perform the desired task, a subset of the commands in the command store based on the search request, the subset including a plurality of different commands for performing a plurality of different tasks in the application;

returning, with a processor, representations of the possible commands in a user actuable form such that one of the possible commands that corresponds to the desired task can be actuated by a user to execute the desired task in the application, wherein returning representations of the possible commands comprises returning representations of the possible commands in ranked order based on a score calculated for each possible command in the subset, the score being indicative of how likely it is that the possible command can be used to perform the desired task;

receiving a user selection of a given one of the representations of possible commands, the given one of the representations of possible commands representing at least two specific possible commands, each specific possible command representing a command bundle of a plurality of subcommands;

conducting additional dialog, prior to performing the plurality of subcommands in the command bundle, to obtain information necessary to disambiguate between, and identify one of, the at least two specific possible commands, and to perform all of the subcommands in the command bundle, in response to receiving the user selection of the given one of the representations of the possible commands, the additional dialog being conducted utilizing a guided help screen that includes an indication of the given one of the representations of possible commands and tutorial content associated with the given one of the representations of possible commands, the tutorial content including at least three sections, a first section of the tutorial content providing textual information about the given one of the representations of possible commands, a second section of the tutorial content providing a list of user selectable options corresponding to the at least two specific possible commands, and a third section of the tutorial content providing a combination of textual and graphical information about the given one of the representations of possible commands, the user selection of the given one of the representations of the possible commands including receiving a user selection of one of the options from the list of user selectable options in the second section of the tutorial content; and

automatically performing all of the subcommands in the command bundle without requiring additional information from the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying possible commands comprises:

receiving a context input indicative of a context of the application and identifying the possible commands based on the context input.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein returning the possible commands in a user selectable form comprises:

displaying a user actuable interface element, for each possible command, that can be actuated by the user through a graphical user interface to perform the possible command.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a search request comprises:

displaying a text entry mechanism; and

receiving a text entry indicative of the search request.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein returning the possible commands in a user selectable form comprises:

displaying a user actuable interface element, for each possible command, that can be actuated by the user through a graphical user interface to perform the possible command; and

displaying an associated command identifier, associated with each user actuable interface element, wherein the command identifier can be entered in the text entry mechanism to perform the possible command.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein identifying possible commands and returning the possible commands are performed after each character received in the text entry mechanism.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the score is calculated for each possible command identified after each character received in the text entry mechanism.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the possible commands is performed by a search component in a platform that supports a plurality of different applications.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a search request comprises:

receiving a speech input indicative of the search request.

10. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

returning tutorial assistance in executing a selected command response to receiving a user selection of a possible command.