# US 10,769,182 B2 · System and method of highlighting terms

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,769,182 B2
- Document ID: US10769182B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/275,186
- Filed: 2016-09-23
- Published: 2017-12-14
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-10
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Guillaume Borios; David Chi-Wei Yung; Suma Desu; Vipul Ved Prakash
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769182B2

## CPC

- G06F 16/3322: {using system suggestions (G06F16/3325 takes precedence)}
- G06F 16/3334: {Selection or weighting of terms from queries, including natural language queries}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A method and apparatus of a device that links a term in an application running on a device to a predictive search query is described. In one embodiment, the device receives a plurality of key terms from a key terms server, wherein each of the plurality of key terms is associated with the predictive search query. For each of the plurality of application terms, the device determines if there is a matching key term for this application term with at least one of the plurality of key terms. The device further receives an indication that a user has selected the matching key term. In addition, the device requests a query search to a search server using the predictive search query associated with the matching key term. Furthermore, the device receives a query search result from the query search server and presents the query search results to the user of the device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-transitory machine-readable medium containing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing device cause the device to perform a method to link a term in an application running on a device to a predictive search query, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of key terms from a key terms server, wherein each of the plurality of key terms is associated with the predictive search query and the plurality of key terms are retrieved from a plurality of search domains;
receiving a plurality of application terms from the running application;
for each of the plurality of application terms,
highlighting this application term when one of the plurality of key terms matches that application term, wherein the matching uses a contextual analysis for each of the plurality of key terms with a set of contextual terms associated with a corresponding search domain for that key term;
receiving an indication that a matching key term has been selected by a user;
requesting a query search to a search server using the predictive search query associated with the matching key term, wherein the predictive search query is performed using a subset of plurality of search domains and the subset of the plurality of search domains give at least one set of different search results for the matching key term;
receiving a plurality of query search results associated with the plurality of search domains from the query search server; and
presenting the plurality of query search results to the user of the device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of application terms is presented via a user interface of the application.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of key terms includes a term text, base score, decay function, and a threshold.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The machine-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the matching comprises:
matching the term text to a matching one of the plurality of key terms;
performing the contextual analysis of the application term using the decay function of the matching key term;
determining a term score of the application term using the base score of the matching key term; and
comparing the term score with a threshold for the matching key score.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the contextual analysis uses a set of contextual terms of a search domain associated with the matching key term.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the matching key term is associated with multiple search domains.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the presenting comprises:
overlaying the search results over the user interface of the application.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the presenting of the plurality of query search results includes presenting an indication of which of the plurality of search domains that a query search is associated with.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:
tracking a number of times the user engages with one of the plurality of query search results.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:
tracking a number of times the user abandons one of the plurality of query search results.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second pluralities of search domains includes one or more of books, music, movies, news, maps, media, wiki, and sites search domains.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable-medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of query search results is presented in a user interface that overlays the application.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The machine-readable-medium of claim 1, wherein the application is one of a messages application, a word processing application, and web browser.

### Claim 14

A method to link a term in an application running on a device to a predictive search query, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of key terms from a key terms server, wherein each of the plurality of key terms is associated with the predictive search query and the plurality of key terms are retrieved from a first plurality of search domains;
receiving a plurality of application terms from the running application; and
for each of the plurality of application terms,
highlighting this application term when one of the plurality of key terms matches that application term, wherein the matching uses a contextual analysis for each of the plurality of key terms with a set of contextual terms associated with a corresponding search domain for that key term;
receiving an indication that a matching key term has been selected by a user;
requesting a query search to a search server using the predictive search query associated with the matching key term, wherein the predictive search query is performed using a plurality of search domains;
receiving a plurality of query search results associated with the s subset of the plurality of search domains from the query search server and the subset of the plurality of search domains give at least one set of different search results for the matching key term; and
presenting the plurality of query search results to the user of the device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of application terms is presented via a user interface of the application.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of key terms includes a term text, base score, decay function, and a threshold.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the matching comprises:
matching the term text to a matching one of the plurality of key terms;
performing the contextual analysis of the application term using the decay function of the matching key term;
determining a term score of the application term using the base score of the matching key term; and
comparing the term score with a threshold for the matching key score.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the contextual analysis uses a set of contextual terms of a search domain associated with the matching key term.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the matching key term is associated with multiple search domains.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the presenting comprises:
overlaying the search results over the user interface of the application.