# US 2014/0156703 A1 · Method and apparatus for translating graphical symbols into query keywords

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- Number: US 2014/0156703 A1
- Document ID: US20140156703A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/691,288
- Filed: 2012-11-30
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: Altera Corporation
- Inventors: Khan Seng Teong; Denis Chuan Hu Goh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156703A1

## CPC

- G06F 16/2428: {Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms (G06F16/2423 takes precedence)}
- G06F 16/332: Query formulation
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Computer equipment operable to translate a graphical symbol into keywords is disclosed. The computer equipment includes a database of keywords. An input analyzer tool may be used to retrieve a list of keywords from the database based on the graphical symbol. The input analyzer tool may be implemented using processing circuitry that accepts graphical input and performs symbol translation to formulate a search query related to the graphical input. An information search may be performed with the formulated search query using a search engine.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for using computing equipment having a display, processing circuitry, and storage, the method comprising:
with the display, providing a user with an on-screen opportunity to select a graphical symbol from a plurality of graphical symbols for searching;
with the processing circuitry, retrieving a list of keywords related to the selected graphical symbol from the storage; and
with the processing circuitry, performing an information search using a search engine based on the retrieved list of keywords to obtain search results.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method defined in claim 1 wherein retrieving the list of keywords from the storage comprises retrieving the list of keywords from a database in the storage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method defined in claim 1 wherein providing the user with the on-screen opportunity to select the graphical symbol for searching, the method further comprising:
with a display, providing the user with a query interface that accepts the selected graphical symbol; and
with the query interface, providing an active area to place the selected graphical symbol.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:
with the processing circuitry, identifying attributes of the graphical symbol; and
with the processing circuitry, matching the attributes of the graphical symbol to a set of design rules retrieved from the storage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method defined in claim 4 wherein identifying attributes of the graphical symbol with the set of design rules comprises:
with the processing circuitry, retrieving attributes of the graphical symbol from storage, wherein the attributes include visual descriptions of the graphical symbol.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method defined in claim 5 wherein retrieving attributes of the graphical symbol further comprises:
with the storage and processing circuitry, matching the underlying properties of the graphical symbol to the set of design rules to retrieve the list of keywords wherein each design rule is assigned a corresponding list of keywords in the database.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method defined in claim 1 wherein retrieving the list of keywords from the storage further comprising:
with the processing circuitry, generating a search query from the list of keywords; and
with the processing circuitry, providing the search query to the search engine.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method defined in claim 1, wherein the computing equipment is further configured to implement the storage and processing circuitry in a computer-aided design tool.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method defined in claim 7 further comprising:
with the processing circuitry, providing the search query to a server via a network.

### Claim 10

Computing equipment for searching information using a graphical input, comprising:
storage circuitry configured to store a database of keywords;
an input analyzer tool that retrieves a list of keywords from the database based on the graphical input; and
a processing circuitry that implements the input analyzer tool, accepts the graphical input and returns a search result based on a search query, wherein the search query is generated from the list of keywords retrieved from the database.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The computer equipment defined in claim 10, wherein the computing equipment further comprises:
a display configured to present an active area for placing the graphical input.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The computer equipment defined in claim 11 wherein a plurality of symbols are presented in a region on the display, wherein the computing equipment includes an input device that receives user input for dragging and dropping a selected symbol from the region on the display to the active area.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The computer equipment defined in claim 10 wherein at least one of the keywords is associated to at least one design rule of the graphical symbol.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The computer equipment defined in claim 10 wherein the graphical symbol is characterized by a set of design rules in the storage circuitry.

### Claim 15

A method of searching for information related to a collection of graphical symbols selected by a user, the method comprising:
with a display, providing the user with an on-screen opportunity to select a graphical symbol from the collection of graphical symbols for searching;
with processing circuitry, retrieving a list of keywords related to the collection of graphical symbols from a storage;
with processing circuitry, formulating a search query from the list of retrieved keywords to search information related to the collection of graphical symbols; and
with the display, providing the user with an on-screen opportunity to customize the database.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method defined in claim 15 further comprising:
with the display, providing the user with a query interface that accepts dragging and dropping of the selected graphical symbol via an input device; and
with the display, providing an active area to place the selected graphical symbol.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method defined in claim 15 further comprising:
with the processing circuitry, retrieving attributes of the collection of graphical symbols wherein the attributes include visual descriptions of the symbol; and
with the processing circuitry, matching the attributes of the collection of graphical symbols to a set of design rules to retrieve the list of keywords from the storage.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method defined in claim 15 further comprising:
with the processing circuitry, retrieving attributes of each symbol of the collection of graphical symbols; and
with the processing circuitry, matching the attributes of each symbol of the collection of graphical symbols to a set of design rules to retrieve the list of keywords from the storage.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method defined in claim 15 wherein customizing the database comprises:
with the processing circuitry, modifying the list of retrieved keywords in the database.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method defined in claim 19 further comprising:
with the processing circuitry, adding additional keywords to the list of retrieved keywords in the database.