Expanded search and find user interface

• US 8,627,222 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2006
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hartwell, Aaron, Pell, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): RIEGLER, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US11/430,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,800 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/968, 715/810, 715/811, 715/813, 715/815, 707/999.004, 707/766, 707/758, 707/759, 707/760, 707/765, 707/767
• US Class Current: 715/764
• 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 of providing expanded search and find functionality, comprising:

displaying, by a computing device, a user interface on an output device, the user interface concurrently 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, the search pane including a first textbox;

receiving, from a user, free form alphanumeric entry of a first search query in the first textbox;

displaying a first results list in the list pane after receiving entry of the first search query, the first results list listing email items that match the first search query;

after displaying the first results list in the list pane, expanding the search pane such that the search pane is in an expanded form, the search pane being expanded in response to receiving a selection of a user interface control to toggle the search pane from the simplified form to the expanded form, a size of the list pane being smaller when the search pane is in the expanded form than when the search pane is in the simplified form, a size of the search pane being larger when the search pane is in the expanded form than when the search pane is in the simplified form, the search pane including the first text box and a plurality of additional textboxes when the search pane is in expanded form, the search pane not including the additional textboxes when the search pane is in the simplified form, the search pane including different landmark properties associated with each of the additional textboxes when the search pane is in expanded form, the landmark properties being a pre-selected set of properties of email items that define search criteria for the additional textboxes, each landmark property is represented by a label adjacent to its associated additional textbox when the search pane is in expanded form;

receiving, at the computing device, entry of search strings in the additional textboxes, the entry of the search strings in the additional textboxes originating from a selection of drop-down menu entries;

as the computing device receives the search strings in the additional textboxes, constructing, by the computing device, a second search query by automatically populating the first textbox with a syntax and a structure of the second search query based on the drop-down menu entries and the landmark properties;

after populating the first textbox with the syntax and the structure of the second search query, executing the second search query; and

after executing the second search query, displaying a second results list in the list pane, the second results list listing email items having instances of the landmark properties matching the search strings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a selection of a first label associated with a given textbox, the given textbox being among the additional textboxes;

displaying, on the output device, a menu within the search pane, the menu including additional landmark properties;

receiving a selection of one of the additional landmark properties;

in response to receiving the selection of one of the additional landmark properties, replacing the first label of the given textbox with a new label, the new label indicating the selected additional landmark property; and

receiving an additional search string at the computing device, the additional search string being entered into the given textbox,

wherein each of the email items in the second result list has an additional landmark property that matches the additional search string.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a vertical strip in the user interface along an edge of the second results list, the vertical strip visually clarifying to the user that the user is looking at a filtered set of search results rather than a normal view of all contents of a folder.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising concurrently displaying a preview pane, the search pane, and the list pane within the user interface, the preview pane containing content of a previewed email item in the second results list such that instances of the search strings in the content of the previewed email item are highlighted.

5. A computer readable storage medium containing computer executable instructions, execution of the computer-executable instructions by a computing device causing the computing device to:

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

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

display a first results list in the list pane after receiving entry of the first search query, the first results list listing email items that match the first search query;

after displaying the first results list in the list pane, expanding the search pane such that the search pane is in an expanded form, the search pane being expanded in response to receiving a selection of a user interface control to toggle the search pane from the simplified form to the expanded form, a size of the list pane being smaller when the search pane is in the expanded form than when the search pane is in the simplified form, a size of the search pane being larger when the search pane is in the expanded form than when the search pane is in the simplified form, the search pane including the textbox and a plurality of additional menu selections when the search pane is in the expanded form, the search pane not including the additional menu selections when the search pane is in the simplified form, the search pane including different landmark properties associated with each of the additional menu selections when the search pane is in expanded form, the landmark properties being a pre-selected set of properties of email items that define search criteria for the additional menu selections, each landmark property is represented by a label adjacent to its associated additional menu selection when the search pane is in expanded form;

receive a selection of a drop-down menu entry from one of the additional menu selections;

in response to the selection of the drop-down menu entry, modify the first search query in the textbox by automatically populating the textbox with a syntax and a structure associated with the selected drop-down menu entry and landmark property associated with the one of the additional menu selections;

after populating the textbox, execute the modified first search query;

after executing the modified first search query, display a second results list in the list pane, the second results list listing email items having instances of the landmark property matching the drop-down menu entry; and

display content of a previewed email item in the preview pane such that instances of the drop-down menu entry in the content of the previewed email item are highlighted, the previewed email item being listed in the second results list.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein execution of the instructions by the computing device further causes the computing device to:

receiving a selection of a first label associated with a given textbox, the given textbox being among the additional menu selections;

display a menu on the output device, the menu including additional landmark properties;

receive a selection of one of the additional landmark properties;

in response to receiving the selection of one of the additional landmark properties, replace the first label associated with the given textbox with a new label, the new label indicating the selected additional landmark property; and

receive an additional search string, the additional search string being entered into the given textbox; and

wherein each of the email items in the second results list has an instance of the additional landmark property matching the additional search string.

7. A computing device comprising:

an output device;

a processing unit; and

a system memory that comprises computer executable instructions that when executed by the processing unit cause the processing unit to;

instruct the output device to display a user interface that concurrently includes a navigation pane, a list pane, a search pane, and a preview pane, the navigation pane including a set of folders, each folder in the set of folders containing email items;

receive folder selection input, the folder selection input indicating a selected folder from the set of folders;

instruct the output device to initially display the search pane in a simplified form, the search pane including a first textbox;

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

display a first results list in the list pane after receiving entry of the first search query, the first results lists listing email items in the selected folder that match the first search query;

after displaying the first results list in the list pane, expand the search pane such that the search pane is in an expanded form, a size of the list pane being smaller when the search pane is in the expanded form than when the search pane is in the simplified form, the search pane being expanded in response to receiving a selection of a user interface control to toggle the search pane from the simplified form to the expanded form, a size of the search pane being larger when the search pane is in the expanded form than when the search pane is in the simplified form, the search pane including the first textbox and a plurality of additional textboxes when the search pane is in the expanded form, the search pane not including the additional textboxes when the search pane is in the simplified form, the search pane including different landmark properties associated with each of the additional textboxes when the search pane is in expanded form, the landmark properties being a pre-selected set of properties of email items that define search criteria for the additional textboxes, each landmark property is represented by a label adjacent to its associated additional textbox when the search pane is in expanded form;

receive a selection to change the landmark property of a given textbox to a different landmark property, the given textbox being among the additional textboxes;

in response to the change of the landmark property of a given textbox to a different landmark property, replace the label of the given textbox with a new label representing the different landmark property;

display a dropdown menu within the search pane, the dropdown menu associated with the given textbox, the dropdown menu providing selections for most recently used search terms;

receive a selection of a most recently used search term from the dropdown menu;

construct a second search query by automatically populating the selected most recently used search term into the first textbox;

after populating the search term into the first textbox, execute the second search query;

and after executing the second search query, instruct the output device to display a second results list in the list pane, the second results list listing email items in the selected folder having instances of the landmark property that match the search term.