Method and system for launching a browser
AssigneeYahoo! Inc.
InventorColin Brady
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are described for searching a publicly accessible network (e.g., the Internet) with an efficient use of space on a display device (e.g., a monitor, a screen) of a computer. Computers often use graphical interfaces for user interaction, and thus graphical space can be in short supply during some applications. In addition, requiring a user to navigate various graphical interfaces to access a searching utility can increase the effective time of the searching operation. Systems and methods are described for searching a network in an efficient and effective manner.
Claims25
A method for launching a browser program on a computing device, the method comprising:
- receiving a first keyboard message over a publicly accessible network;
- interpreting the first keyboard message as a request to perform a search on the network;
- visibly displaying an interim graphical user interface on a display of the computing device in response to the request to perform the search, wherein the interim graphical user interface has a text string entry field;
- while displaying the interim graphical user interface, receiving a text string via the text string entry field over the network, said text string comprises text and a type of file to be targeted;
- in response to receiving the text string, constructing a search string based on the text string;
- and
- in response to receiving the text string, issuing a launch command to activate a browser program, wherein the launch command contains the search string.
A computer-operated searching system, the system comprising:
- a monitoring software routine stored on a computer-readable storage medium that monitors keyboard messages;
- an interface software routine stored on the computer-readable storage medium that visibly displays an interim graphical user interface on a display of a computing device, wherein the monitoring software routine activates the interface software routine upon detection of a first keyboard message by the monitoring software routine;
- wherein the interface software routine receives a text string relating to a requested search, said text string comprises text and a type of file to be targeted;
- a launching software routine that constructs a search string from the text string and launches a browser program using a launch command;
- wherein the launch command contains the search string;
- and
- wherein the browser program is different from the monitoring software routine, the interface software routine and the launching software routine.
A method comprising:
- receiving a request to perform a search on a local computer;
- visibly displaying an interim graphical user interface on a display of a computing device in response to the request to perform the search, wherein the interim graphical user interface has a text string entry field;
- while displaying the interim graphical user interface, receiving a text string comprising text and a type of file to be targeted via the text string entry field;
- in response to receiving the text string, constructing a search string based on the text string, wherein the search string is adapted for searching the local computer;
- and
- in response to receiving the text string, issuing a launch command to activate a browser program, wherein the launch command contains the search string.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.