Incremental query refinement
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsBrett D. Brewer, Oliver Hurst-Hiller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of incrementally refining queries and updating query result lists without requiring a user to provide an explicit indicator of query submission. In the method, one or more query related character patterns are defined. Entry of query defining characters by a user is monitored to detect entry of a defined query related character pattern. The user is provided with one or more suggested query refinement options and an updated query result list each time a defined query related character pattern is detected. The query related character patterns may be a character pattern that indicates a word has been input by the user.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- detecting, in a query string being entered into a query entry box by a user via a computer, a character pattern of a plurality of patterns, wherein the detecting does not require that an explicit indicator of submission of the query string be provided by the user, and wherein the plurality of patterns comprises:
- a first pattern indicating a series of characters followed by a space character, and
- a second pattern indicating one or more characters followed by a predefined time delay before any additional characters are entered into the query entry box by the user;
- and
- providing, by the computer in response to the detecting, both an updated query result list and an updated list of one or more query refinement options, wherein both the updated query result list and the updated list of one or more query refinement options correspond to the detected search query character pattern.
At least one computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:
- detecting, in a query string being entered into a query entry box by a user, a character pattern of a plurality of patterns, wherein the detecting does not require that an explicit indicator of submission of the query string be provided by the user, and wherein the plurality of patterns comprises:
- a first pattern indicating a series of characters followed by a space character, and
- a second pattern indicating one or more characters followed by a predefined time delay before any additional characters are entered into the query entry box by the user;
- and
- providing, in response to the detecting, both an updated query result list and an updated list of one or more query refinement options, wherein both the updated query result list and the updated list of one or more query refinement options correspond to the detected search query character pattern.
A system comprising:
- a computing device configured for detecting, in a query string being entered into a query entry box by a user, a character pattern of a plurality of patterns, wherein the detecting does not require that an explicit indicator of submission of the query string be provided by the user, and wherein the plurality of patterns comprises:
- a first pattern indicating a series of characters followed by a space character, and
- a second pattern indicating one or more characters followed by a predefined time delay before any additional characters are entered into the query entry box by the user;
- and
- the computing device further configured for providing, in response to the detecting, both an updated query result list and an updated list of one or more query refinement options, wherein both the updated query result list and the updated list of one or more query refinement options correspond to the detected search query character pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.