# US 2014/0195519 A1 · Search Query Generation Using Query Segments and Semantic Suggestions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195519 A1 - Document ID: US20140195519A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/166,108 - Filed: 2014-01-28 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-28 - Assignees: LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. - Applicants: Lexisnexis, A Division of Reed Elsevier Inc. - Inventors: Michael Edward Holt; Craig Woollard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195519A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/3322: {using system suggestions (G06F16/3325 takes precedence)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Methods and computer program products for generating a search query are provided. A method includes receiving a first string of characters inputted into a text input field of a graphical user interface, wherein the first string of characters represents a first portion of the search query. One or more query suggestions based on the first string of characters are displayed within the graphical user interface. The method further includes receiving a selected first query suggestion and displaying it in a first query segment within the text input field. A second string of characters inputted into the text input field of the graphical user interface may also be received. One or more second query suggestions based on the second string of characters may be displayed. A selected second query suggestion may be received from the one or more second query suggestions and then displayed in a second query segment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method in a computer system for generating a search query, the method comprising: receiving a first string of characters inputted into a text input field of a graphical user interface, the first string of characters representing a first portion of the search query; displaying one or more first query suggestions within the graphical user interface, the one or more first query suggestions based at least in part on the first string of characters; receiving a selected first query suggestion from the one or more first query suggestions, and displaying the selected first query suggestion in a first query segment within the text input field; receiving a second string of characters inputted into the text input field of the graphical user interface, the second string of characters representing a second portion of the search query; displaying one or more second query suggestions within the graphical user interface, the one or more second query suggestions based at least in part on the second string of characters; and receiving a selected second query suggestion from the one or more second query suggestions, and displaying the selected second query suggestion in a second query segment that is distinct from the first query segment within the text input field, wherein the search query comprises the first query segment and the second query segment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second query segment is positioned adjacent to the first query segment in the text input field. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first query segment and the second query segment comprise a background color that is different from the background color of the text input field. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the background color of the first query segment and the background color of the second query segment is user-selectable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an additional string of characters representing an additional portion of the search query; displaying one or more additional query suggestions based at least in part on the additional string of characters; and receiving a selected additional query suggestion from the one or more additional query suggestions, and displaying the selected additional query suggestion in an additional query segment within the text input field. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to receiving an operator added to the first query segment or the second query segment, splitting the first query segment or the second query segment into two or more split query segments. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the one or more first query suggestions are displayed dynamically as the first string of characters are received; and the one or more second query suggestions are displayed dynamically as the second string of characters are received. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a position of a text cursor within the first query segment or the second query segment; and displaying one or more additional first query suggestions based at least in part the position of the text cursor within the first query segment, or displaying one or more additional second query suggestions based at least in part on the position of the text cursor within the second query segment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying one or more semantic suggestions for the first query segment and/or the second query segment, wherein the one or more semantic suggestions are semantically similar to the first query segment or the second query segment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising searching a document database using the search query to return and display a set of retrieved documents. ### Claim 11 A method in a computer system for generating a search query, the method comprising: receiving a search query from a single text input field, the search query comprising a first query segment and a second query segment, wherein the first query segment is distinct from the second query segment; generating one or more first semantic suggestions based at least in part on the first query segment, wherein the one or more first semantic suggestions are semantically similar to the first query segment; generating one or more second semantic suggestions based at least in part on the second query segment, wherein the one or more second semantic suggestions are semantically similar to the second query segment; and displaying, by a computer, the one or more first semantic suggestions and the one or more second semantic suggestions within a graphical user interface. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first query segment and the second query segment originate from a text input field of the graphical user interface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: the search query comprises an additional query segment that is distinct from the first query segment and the second query segment; and the method further comprises: generating one or more additional semantic suggestions based at least in part on the second query segment, wherein the one or more additional semantic suggestions are semantically similar to the additional query segment; and displaying the one or more additional semantic suggestions within the graphical user interface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: the one or more first semantic suggestions are based at least in part on a combination of the first query segment and the second query segment; and the one or more second semantic suggestions are based at least in part on the combination of the first query segment and the second query segment. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein: a change to the first query segment changes the one or more first semantic suggestions and the one or more second semantic suggestions; and a change to the second query segment changes the one or more second semantic suggestions and the one or more first semantic suggestions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a suggestion region that displays at least some of the one or more first semantic suggestions and the one or more second semantic suggestions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more first semantic suggestions are displayed in proximity to the first query segment and the one or more second semantic suggestions are displayed in proximity to the second query segment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: replacing the first query segment with a selected first semantic suggestion in the search query upon a selection of the selected first semantic suggestion; and replacing the second query segment with a selected second semantic suggestion in the search query upon a selection of the selected second semantic suggestion. ### Claim 19 A computer program product for use with a graphics display device, the computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied on the computer usable medium for generating a search query, the computer readable program code comprising: computer readable code instructions configured to cause a computer to receive a first string of characters and a second string of characters inputted into a text input field of a graphical user interface displayed on the graphics display device, the first string of characters representing a first portion of the search query and the second string of characters representing a second portion of the search query; computer readable code instructions configured to display on the graphics display device one or more first query suggestions based at least in part on the first string of characters, and one or more second query suggestions based at least in part on the second string of characters; computer readable code instructions configured to receive a selected first query suggestion from the one or more first query suggestions and a selected second query suggestion from the one or more second query suggestions; and computer readable code instructions configured to display on the graphics display device the selected first query suggestion in a first query segment within the text input field and the selected second query suggestion in a second query segment that is distinct from the first query segment within the text input field, wherein the first query segment and the second query segment define the search query. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises: computer readable code instructions configured to generate one or more first semantic suggestions based at least in part on the first query segment, and one or more second semantic suggestions based at least in part on the second query segment, wherein the one or more first semantic suggestions are semantically similar to the first query segment, and the one or more second semantic suggestions are semantically similar to the second query segment; and computer readable code instructions configured to display the one or more first semantic suggestions and the one or more second semantic suggestions within the graphical user interface on the graphics display device.