KR20120087972A - Mechanism for adding content from a search to a document or message - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for adding content from a search to a document or message (such as an e-mail message). A graphical user interface may be provided, where the graphical user interface includes an input portion and a template for generating a document or message. A query that includes one or more search terms may be received via an input portion of the graphical user interface. Search results associated with the query may be obtained. Search results associated with the query may be provided. A user selection may be received, where the user selection selects at least a portion of the search results. Hypertext links or content from the search results can be added to the document or message generated through the template (or being generated by the template), where the hypertext links or content from the search results are in response to user selection. Or added to the message.

Description

Mechanism for adding content from a search to a document or message {MECHANISM FOR ADDING CONTENT FROM A SEARCH TO A DOCUMENT OR MESSAGE}

Related application

This application is filed on October 28, 2009, in the United States of America, Marashi et al., Entitled "MECHANISM FOR ADDING CONTENT FROM A SEARCH TO A DOCUMENT OR MESSAGE." Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 255,807 (Agent Case No. YAH1P230P), and the name of the invention filed July 1, 2010, entitled "Mechanism for Adding Content from Search to Documents or Messages (MECHANISM FOR ADDING CONTENT FROM A). SEARCH TO A DOCUMENT OR MESSAGE, "US Patent Application No. 12 / 829,159 (Representative Case No. YAH1P230) by Marashi et al., Which claims are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

The present invention relates generally to computer-implemented search and creation of a document or message using the results of the search.

Users of the world wide web are accustomed to the various services available on the web to find content of interest. Search engines are provided by many entities, and search functionality is included in many Web sites. For example, many web sites provide a search application that allows a user to search the content of a web site.

Unfortunately, many users find that performing a search is often a time-consuming and tedious process. In addition, the user typically must repeatedly switch contexts to include search results in the user's work product.

A method and apparatus are disclosed for adding content from a search to a document or message (such as an e-mail message). According to one embodiment, a graphical user interface may be provided, wherein the graphical user interface includes an input portion and a template for generating a document or message. A query that includes one or more search terms may be received via an input portion of the graphical user interface. Search results associated with the query may be obtained. Search results associated with the query may be provided. A user selection may be received, where the user selection selects at least a portion of the search results. Hypertext links or content from the search results can be added to the document or message generated through the template (or being generated by the template), where the hypertext links or content from the search results are in response to user selection. Or added to the message.

According to another embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus comprising a processor, a memory and a display. The processor and the memory are configured to perform one or more of the above described method operations. In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer program instructions configured to perform one or more of the above described method operations.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be presented in more detail in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of the invention as an example.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an example system in which various embodiments may be implemented.
2 illustrates an example graphical user interface upon which a search query can be sent, in accordance with various embodiments.
3 illustrates the example graphical user interface shown in FIG. 2 in which a search result may be presented after a search query is executed.
4 illustrates the example graphical user interface shown in FIG. 3 after selection of content from search results to be inserted into an e-mail message.
FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface presenting a plurality of content types for which search results may be provided.
6 is a process flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for adding content associated with a search query to a document or message, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
7 is a simplified diagram of an example network environment in which various embodiments may be implemented.
8 illustrates an example computer system in which various embodiments may be implemented.

Reference will now be made in detail to specific embodiments of the invention. One example of such an embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Although the present invention will be described in connection with these specific examples, as will be appreciated, it is not intended to limit the present invention to these examples. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process operations have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

The disclosed embodiments allow content from search results to be added directly to an electronic document or electronic message (such as an email message). This can be accomplished without extensive user input or context switching. By using the user interface provided in connection with the template for generating the document or message, the content from the search results can be added to the document or message generated through the template with little user effort.

To describe certain implementations of the disclosed embodiments, examples described herein will be described with reference to the generation of e-mail messages. However, it is important to note that these examples are merely exemplary and that the disclosed embodiments can be applied to adding content from search results to other types of messages or documents. These messages or documents can be generated by the user using various applications or services. Such applications or services may be available over a network such as the Internet (eg, via a remotely located server) and / or locally (eg, via memory coupled to a browser and / or user-operated device). .

Various applications or services are available that create, modify, and send electronic messages (eg, electronic mail messages) using various messaging protocols. Examples of electronic messages include e-mail messages, instant messages, text messages, voice messages, or message postings. For example, the message may be posted via a social networking site such as Facebook, or may be posted as a "tweet" via Twitter. Thus, the message may be a private message sent to a specific person or group of individuals. As another alternative, the message may be a public message sent to the general public or a large group of individuals (eg, via a blog).

Similarly, many applications or services are available that generate documents (eg, files). Some of these applications or services allow a single user to create or modify a document, while other applications or services allow multiple users to share (eg, create, modify and / or read) a document. The document can be stored as one or more files. Examples of document generation applications include Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Blogger.

Recently, the Internet has become a major source of information for millions of users. These users rely on the Internet to retrieve the information of interest. One conventional way for a user to search for information is to initiate a search query through a web page of a search service. Typically, a user may enter a query containing one or more search term (s) into an input box on a search web page and then start searching based on these entered search term (s). In response to the query, the web search engine generally returns an ordered list of search result documents.

The document can be defined as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that identifies where the document can be located. The document may be located on a particular web site as well as on a particular web page on the web site. For example, the first URL may identify the place of the web page where the document is located, while the second URL may identify the place of the web site where the document may be located.

Many information sources are accessible via the Internet. Thus, search results can be obtained through various web sites or services. For example, e-commerce websites like Amazon.com, review-only websites like Yelp.com, and aggregate websites like nextag.com, as well as various websites on the Internet, including blogs, forums, newspapers, and the like. There is a review on. Other websites provide sources of news, video (eg, movies, television programs, lectures), audio files (such as music), maps, directions, and the like.

The user may wish to perform a search in relation to other work being performed. For example, a user may want to obtain information about a particular subject and include that information in the document or message being generated. Unfortunately, performing a search can interfere with your current work and may require you to switch from one application that can be used to create a document or message to another that can perform a search. . As a result, obtaining the desired search results for use in a document or message can be a frustrating experience.

The disclosed embodiments allow a user to perform a search and easily add (eg, insert and / or attach) the content identified or provided in the search results to a document or message. Content added to a document or message can include one or more types of content (eg, links, text, images, video, audio). This may be accomplished through a user interface provided in connection with a document or message generating application.

Content added to the document or message may include a link to the content provided in the search results. For example, the link can be a hypertext link to a web site or web page identified in the search results. Moreover, the content added to the document or message may include audio and / or visual content that is directly accessible or indirectly through a hypertext link identified in the search results. Examples of content include text (eg, phone numbers, addresses, and / or directions), visual images or representations (eg, maps), audio files, or video (which may include audio content as well as visual content). However, it is not limited to these. Examples of video include television programs, movies, music videos, and information / description videos, as well as videos posted on the Internet through services such as YouTube.

1 illustrates an example network segment in which various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. As shown, the plurality of clients 102a, 102b, 102c access the search application on the network 104, for example via the search server 106 and / or via a graphical user interface, for example. For example, a web service on a web server 114 can be accessed, which will be described in more detail below. The network may take any suitable form, such as a wide area network (WAN) or the Internet and / or one or more local area networks (LANs). The network 104 may employ any suitable number and type of devices (eg, routers and switches) that forward search or web object requests from each client to the search or web application and back to the requesting client. It may include.

The invention may also be practiced in a wide variety of network environments (denoted by network 104), including, for example, TCP / IP-based networks, telecommunications networks, wireless networks, and the like. In addition, computer program instructions on which embodiments of the invention may be implemented may be stored on any type of computer readable media, and may be utilized in various computing models, including client / server models and peer-to-peer models. Accordingly, some of the functions described herein may be performed on a stand-alone computing device or in accordance with a distributed computing model that may be performed or used in different locations.

Search applications generally allow a user (a person or automated entity) to search for information related to a search query that is accessible through network 104 and includes one or more search terms. The search term can be entered in any manner by the user. For example, a graphical user interface, such as described in more detail below, may present input features to a client (eg, on the client's device), such that the client inputs a query that includes one or more search term (s). can do. In certain implementations, the graphical user interface presents an input box that allows a user to type a query that includes any number of search terms. Specifically, the graphical user interface may provide an interface for generating a document or message, as well as an interface that operates to receive a search query and / or to provide search results associated with the search query. The search query may then be executed via one or more search applications (eg, associated with search server 106 and / or web server 114) and / or one or more data sources, as described in more detail below. something to do. Embodiments of the present invention may be used in connection with any search application. An example search application is Yahoo! Search, Google, AltaVista, Ask Jeeves. The search application may be implemented on any number of servers, but only a single search server 106 is illustrated for clarity.

Search server 106 (or servers) may access one or more query logs 110 in which search information is maintained. For example, query log 110 may be maintained in one or more memories coupled to search server 106. Each time a user performs a search for one or more search terms, information about such a search may be maintained in the query log 110. For example, the user's search request may include any number of parameters (such as user or browser identifiers and search terms) that may be maintained in the query log 110. Additional information related to the search (such as timestamps) may also be maintained in the query log 110 along with the search request parameters. When results are presented to the user based on the entered search term, parameters from these search results may also be maintained in the query log 110. For example, a particular search result, such as a website, the order in which the search results are presented, whether each search result is a sponsored or algorithm-based search result, the owner of each search result (e.g., a website), each Whether the search results are selected (ie, clicked) by the user (if any), and / or timestamps may also be maintained in the query log 110.

Upon receiving a search query, search server 106 may identify and present an appropriate web page related to the query via the search portion of the graphical user interface, which will be described in greater detail below. For example, search server 106 may identify and present a plurality of hypertext links that identify content related to a search query, as well as present a summary or summary associated with each of the plurality of hypertext links. The available information can be processed and displayed in accordance with various embodiments of the invention, such that search results can be presented to the user in the context of a document or message generating application or corresponding user interface. The user can then insert at least a portion of the search results directly into the document or message that the user is generating.

Embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented via search server (or other server) 106 and / or clients 102a, 102b, 102c. For example, various features may be implemented via web browsers and / or applications on clients 102a, 102b, 102c. The disclosed embodiments can be implemented through software and / or hardware.

In the exemplary embodiment described below with reference to FIGS. 2-6, the graphical user interface allows the user to add content from the search results to the e-mail message. An e-mail message can be generated via a template such as shown and described in more detail below. However, it is important to note that these examples are merely illustrative. Thus, content from the search results can be added to other types of messages or documents in a similar manner using templates and / or graphical user interfaces. Moreover, various operations, such as those described below, may be initiated by a user in connection with a message or document, which will be described with reference to the following examples.

In general, a template (or messaging interface) may include one or more fields and / or segments (or portions) representing information that may be entered by a user. Each field or segment may be labeled to indicate the type of information to be entered by the user. Moreover, each field or segment may correspond to essential or optional information. Specifically, the document or message cannot be completed without the required information. In this way, a template can define the format of a message (or document) to be generated by a particular message or document generating application.

While generating a message or document, a graphical user interface may be displayed to allow a user to send a search query and / or receive search results, thereby allowing the user to display content associated with the search results in a message (or document). You can add it. For example, via a graphical user interface, a user sends a search query, initiates a search corresponding to the search query, and selects one or more content types (eg, categories) to be provided (eg, displayed) as search results. And scroll through the search results and / or select content from the search results to be added to the e-mail message. Moreover, the user may also initiate, suspend and / or end various actions that may be performed in connection with an e-mail message via a graphical user interface and / or template. Graphical user interfaces and / or templates may include graphics such as one or more icons, pictures, tabs, buttons, windows, and / or menus. The user can interact with the graphical user interface through input devices such as a keyboard and / or a mouse.

2 is an illustration of an example graphical user interface upon which a search query can be sent, in accordance with various embodiments. The disclosed embodiments can interface with or access electronic message or document applications (such as electronic mail applications). As shown in this example, the graphical user interface can include a template 202 (or a compose page) from which an e-mail message can be generated. More specifically, template 202 may be generated and provided via a document or message generating application.

Template 202 may include one or more fields and / or segments. As shown in this example, the template 202 may include the "From" field 204, the "To" field 206, and / or the "Subject" field 208. Of course, the message portion 210 may also be included. The "From" field 204 may be an essential field that indicates the identity of the sender of the message, while the "To" field 206 may be an essential field that indicates the ID of the intended recipient of the message. The "Title" field 208 may be an optional field that allows the user to enter text representing the subject of the message to be sent. The user may also choose to add additional recipients to receive a copy of the message. Specifically, the user may choose to "Cc" (eg, carbon copy) the recipient so that the recipient is identified in the "Cc" field of the message. In addition, the user may choose to "Bc" the recipient so that other recipients of the message do not know that the recipient has been "blind copied" the message. The user may also choose to attach a file, add an event invitation, and / or check the spelling of the message, as shown in this example.

The message portion 210 of the template 202 can specify an area in which a user can enter a message. Message portion 210 may be optional or required. The user can enter at least a portion of the message by typing text using the keyboard. In addition, the user can also add content associated with the search results to the message portion 210, which will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS.

The graphical user interface can also allow a user to initiate various actions that can be performed in connection with an e-mail message. In this example, the user can initiate various actions with respect to the e-mail message via various "buttons" provided in the template. For example, the user may begin sending an e-mail message via the "Send" button 212. Similarly, a user may choose to "save" an e-mail message generated using the "Save Now" button 214. At this time, the electronic message may be stored in the memory. Specifically, the data structure or file may store an e-mail message that includes any content added in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. Alternatively, the user may choose to delete the e-mail message without saving the e-mail message by clicking on the "Discard" button 216.

The user can send a search query through the input portion 218 of the graphical user interface. In addition, a search can be initiated via the “Search” button 220 of the graphical user interface. As shown in this example, the graphical user interface may include the template 202 as well as the input portion 218. As such, the user can create messages (or documents) and perform searches through a single graphical user interface.

3 is a diagram of an exemplary graphical user interface shown in FIG. 2 in which a search result may be presented after a search query is executed. As shown in this example, the user has sent a query "delfina" at the input portion 218 of the graphical user interface. As will be described in more detail below, a user can search a local and / or remote database through a graphical user interface.

Once the search query has been executed, the search results may be presented via the search portion 302 (or window) of the graphical user interface. The search portion 302 of the graphical user interface may be presented such that the search portion 302 is visible simultaneously with the template 202 and the message being generated. The search portion 302 may partially overlap with the template 202, as shown. However, both search portion 302 and template 202 may be viewed substantially simultaneously in the same graphical user interface or window. The template 202 may be integral with (eg, connected to) the input portion 218 and / or the search portion 302 of the graphical user interface. Thus, template 202, input portion 218, and / or search portion 302 can be presented via a single graphical user interface, screen, or window. However, the template 202, input portion 218, and / or search portion 302 of the graphical user interface may be displayed in the form of individual portions (eg, windows or windows) of the graphical user interface. In this manner, template 202, input portion 218 and / or search portion 302 may be displayed and / or refreshed at different and / or different times. Thus, input portion 218 and / or search portion 302 may be displayed and / or refreshed independently of the message (or document) being generated via template 202.

The search results presented may be provided according to one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories 304. Content belonging to one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content or categories 304 may be added to the message or document being generated via the template 202. Multiple content types or categories 304 may be selectable by the user. As a result, the user can specify the content type or category for which search results are desired. For example, a user may select one or more content types or categories through one of the plurality of tabs, as shown in this example. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the user selects the “Maps” tab to indicate that the user is interested in receiving only search results that include the map.

The search may be performed only according to one or more content types or categories of the selected plurality of content types or categories 304. In other words, only search results related to one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories may be obtained. As another alternative, the search may be performed to obtain a series of search results, where only a portion of the search results corresponding to one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories 304 are presented. Each of the plurality of content types or categories may correspond to a different search application, search engine, search website, data source, and / or database. Thus, a search may be performed using a query through a search application, a search engine, a search web site, a data source, and / or a database corresponding to each of one or more content types or categories of a plurality of selected content types or categories. Search applications, search engines, search websites, data sources, and / or databases may be distributed over a network, such as over the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), or locally (eg, user devices). May be accessible via a memory and an application coupled to it). In this way, existing data sources and / or search applications can be used to provide search results within the context of generating a message or document.

In this example, the content type or category 304 is designated as the "Web", "Maps", "Video", and "News" tabs, respectively. "Web" may generally correspond to a search performed via a search engine over the Internet (eg, Google or Yahoo). "Maps" may correspond to a search application that returns search results including maps and / or directions. For example, the search can be done through Google Maps or MapQuest. "Video" may generally correspond to a search that returns video search results through a website such as "YouTube". "News" may correspond to a search that generally returns news search results through a search engine such as "Yahoo! News". Although the content type or category 304 is designated as a tab in this example, the content type or category 304 may also be used in addition to or instead of the tab, for other means, such as text or symbols (eg, icons) and the like. Can be specified.

The user may scroll through the search results or page through the search results, as indicated at 306. If the user finds a search result that includes the content that she wants to add to the message (or document), the user can add the content (eg, content item or record item) to the message (or document). For example, a user may click on an icon or link labeled “add to message” as indicated by 308. In this way, a user can add search content to a message or document with a single click. As another alternative, the user can add content to the message (or document) by dragging and dropping the content into the message (or document). The added content may then be associated with the message by storing the added content in a suitable data structure or file in memory. For example, the added content may be stored in a temporary data structure representing the message (or document) being generated.

Once the user has finished adding content from one or more content types or categories to the message (or document), the user can close the search portion 302 of the graphical user interface so that it is no longer visible. This may be accomplished by clicking on a "close" icon or link as indicated by 310. When sending a message, the sent message can be stored by the message application. Similarly, if the user chooses to store the message without sending it, the message containing the added content may be stored in a file or a suitable data structure in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

4 illustrates the example graphical user interface shown in FIG. 3 after selection of content from a search result to be inserted into an e-mail message. As shown in this example, the user has decided to add content 402 associated with a particular search result to the e-mail message. More specifically, the user added a map indicating the location of Delfina Restaurant. In addition, the added content may include an address and / or phone number, as shown. The added content may further include a link (eg, labeled “Driving Directions”) that, when selected, may provide (eg, display) driving directions to the location of the Delfina Restaurant. In this example, the search portion 302 of the graphical user interface is no longer visible because the user has already decided to close the search portion 302 of the graphical user interface.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface presenting a plurality of content types for which search results may be provided. As shown in this example, multiple content types or categories 502 may be user selectable. In addition, the plurality of content types or categories 502 presented can be customizable. More specifically, application programming interfaces (APIs) may be made accessible for use by various companies, companies or individuals. By making the API accessible, the number and type of parameters (eg, input and / or output parameters) can be made available so that content types or categories, such as enterprise, professional, or personal databases, can be accessed through a graphical user interface. have. More specifically, the personal database (or other “customized” content type or category) is the content type of one of the plurality of content types or categories 502 so that the added content type or category can be selected via the API. Can be added as a category. In addition, adding “customized” content types or categories may include providing indicators, such as names, pictures, and / or icons of content types or categories added to the search portion of the graphical user interface. In this way, a corporate, professional or personal database can be searched for content that can be added to a message (or document). For example, customer information can be easily found in a customer database and added to a message (or document). As another example, a ticket or catalog number associated with a customer order can be easily identified by accessing an appropriate database. In this way, the disclosed embodiments can be implemented to enhance customer relationship management. Similarly, software bug tracking can be achieved by accessing the bug tracking database to insert information from the bug tracking database (eg, bug report tickets or IDs) into a message (or document).

In this example, the plurality of content types or categories 502 include "Google Search", "Google Maps", "Xoopit Stuff", "Contact List", "Yelp! Reviews", "Movie Times", "YouTube Videos", "Send a Gift", "Trac Ticket", and "Xoopit Wiki". As shown, the content type or category 502 may include a personal or group contact list, reviews from various web sites, movie information, and the like. For example, a "Contact List" may access a Contacts Database, which may include information such as name, address, and / or telephone number. Data sources, such as contact databases, can be stored remotely (eg, via the Internet), or locally through memory coupled to a LAN or user device. As shown, video from a video sharing web site such as "YouTube" can be accessed. "Send a Gift" allows gifts such as real gifts or virtual gifts (eg, emoticons, graphics or videos) to be added to a message or document. Moreover, by adding a content type or category to a set of existing content types or category sets 502, many different data sources and / or search applications or websites can be accessed. In this way, content from various Internet accounts (eg, Facebook, photo sharing websites) can be accessed. Examples of content types or categories 502 shown and described herein are illustrative only. Thus, there are an infinite number of content types or categories 502 that can be made available through a graphical user interface to insert content into a message or document.

6 is a process flow diagram illustrating an example method for adding content associated with a search query to a document or message, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. At 602, a graphical user interface may be provided, where the graphical user interface includes an input portion and a template for generating a document or message. At 604, a query including one or more search terms may be received via an input portion of a graphical user interface. At 606, a search result associated with the query can be obtained. At 608, search results associated with the query may be provided. At 610, a user selection can be received, where the user selection selects at least a portion of the search result. At 612, hypertext links or content from the search results may be added to the document or message generated via the template (or being generated by the template), where the hypertext links or content from the search results are subject to user selection. It is added to the document or message in response. The document may then be sent or posted according to a message or document generation application, through which the template is presented. In this way, a user can share the results of his search with other users.

Embodiments of the present invention can be used to perform a search through the same graphical user interface while composing a message or document using the graphical user interface. The disclosed embodiments can be implemented in any of a wide variety of computing contexts. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a user may select any type of computer (eg, desktop, laptop, tablet, etc.) 1102, media computing platform 1103 (eg, cable and satellite set-top). Implementations are conceived that interact with various network environments via boxes and digital video recorders), handheld computing devices (eg, PDAs) 1104, mobile phones 1106, or any other type of computing or communication platform. have.

And, according to various embodiments, input processed in accordance with the present invention can be obtained using a wide variety of techniques. For example, a search query can be obtained through a graphical user interface from an interaction between a user and a local application, web site or web-based application or service, and any of a variety of known mechanisms for obtaining information from the user. Can be achieved using the mechanism of. However, it will be appreciated that this method of obtaining input from a user is just one example and that a search query can be obtained in many different ways.

In some centralized manner, content may be retrieved and inserted into a message or document in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. This is illustrated in FIG. 7 as server 1108 and data store 1110 that can correspond to a number of distributed devices and data stores, as will be appreciated. The invention may also be practiced in a wide variety of network environments (denoted by network 1112), including, for example, TCP / IP-based networks, communication networks, wireless networks, and the like. In addition, computer program instructions on which embodiments of the invention may be implemented may be stored on any type of computer readable media, and may be utilized in various computing models, including client / server models and peer-to-peer models. Accordingly, some of the functions described herein may be performed on a stand-alone computing device or in accordance with a distributed computing model that may be performed or used in different locations.

The disclosed techniques of the present invention may be implemented in any suitable combination of software and / or hardware systems, such as web-based server or desktop computer systems. Moreover, the system implementing various embodiments of the present invention may be a portable device such as a laptop or a mobile phone. The retrieval device and / or web browser of the present invention may in particular be configured for a desired purpose or may be a general purpose computer which is selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program and / or data structure stored on the computer. The process presented herein is not inherently related to any particular computer or other device. In particular, various general purpose machines may be used with programs written in accordance with the disclosure herein, or it may be more convenient to configure a more specialized apparatus to perform the required method steps.

Regardless of the configuration of the system, the system may utilize one or more memories or memory modules configured to store general purpose processing operations and / or data, program instructions for the techniques of the present invention described herein. Program instructions may, for example, control the operation of an operating system and / or one or more applications. The memory or memories may also be configured to store instructions to perform the disclosed method, category or content type to be displayed in connection with the disclosed method, search results, and the like.

Since such information and program instructions may be used to implement the systems / methods described herein, the present invention includes machine-readable media including program instructions, status information, and the like, which perform various operations described herein. It is about. Examples of machine readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; Optical media such as CD-ROM disks; Magneto-optical media such as floptical disks; And hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions, such as read only memory devices (ROM) and random access memory (RAM). Examples of program instructions include machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing high level code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter.

8 illustrates a typical computer system that, when properly configured or designed, may serve as the system of the present invention. Computer system 1200 may be any number coupled to storage devices, including primary storage device 1206 (typically random access memory (RAM)), primary storage device 1204 (typically read-only memory (ROM)). Processor 1202 (also called a central processing unit or CPU). CPU 1202 may be of various types, including microcontrollers and microprocessors, such as programmable devices (eg, CPLDs and FPGAs) and non-programmable devices (such as gate array ASICs or general purpose microprocessors). As is known in the art, primary storage device 1204 operates to transfer data and instructions to the CPU in one direction, and primary storage device 1206 is typically used to transfer data and instructions in a bidirectional manner. . Both of these primary storage devices may include any suitable computer readable medium as described above. Mass storage device 1208 is also bidirectionally coupled to CPU 1202 and provides additional data storage capacity, and may include any of the computer readable media described above. Mass storage device 1208 may be used to store programs, data, and the like, and is typically a secondary storage medium such as a hard disk. It will be appreciated that the information maintained in mass storage device 1208 may be included as part of primary storage device 1206 as virtual memory in a standard manner, where appropriate. Certain mass storage devices, such as CD-ROM 1214, can also pass data to the CPU in one direction.

The CPU 1202 may also be a video monitor, trackball, mouse, keyboard, microphone, touch sensitive display, transducer card reader, magnetic or paper tape reader, tablet, stylus, voice or handwriting recognizer, or other known input device (of course). , Other computer, etc.) may be coupled to an interface 1210 that is connected to one or more input / output devices. Finally, CPU 1202 may optionally be coupled to an external device such as a database or computer or communication network using an external connection (shown 1212 as a whole). Using this connection, it is contemplated that while performing the method steps described herein, the CPU may receive information from or output information to the network.

While the invention has been described in some detail for clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims (26)

Providing a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including an input portion and a template for generating a document or message;
Receiving via the input portion of the graphical user interface a query that includes one or more search terms;
Obtaining a search result associated with the query;
Providing the search results associated with the query;
Receiving a user selection, the user selection selecting at least a portion of the search result; And
Adding hypertext links or content from the search results to a document or message generated via the template, wherein the hypertext links or content from the search results are in response to the user selection. How to add to. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selection comprises: 1) one or more hypertext links from the search results; 2) one or more websites; And 3) identifying at least one of a group consisting of at least a portion of one or more web pages. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selection identifies a segment of text from a document provided in the search results. The method of claim 1, wherein the hypertext link or content comprises at least one of audio or visual information, and wherein the user selection comprises: 1) one or more photos, images, graphics, or other visual representations; And 2) at least one of the group consisting of video or audio information. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a user selection is
Receiving a single click or dragging and dropping the hypertext link or content into the document or message. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a search result associated with the query comprises:
Presenting the search results via a search portion of the graphical user interface. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a search result associated with the query comprises:
Providing the search results such that the search results are provided adjacent to or overlap with the template. A processor; And
And a memory, wherein at least one of the processor or the memory
Providing a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including an input portion and a template for generating a document or message;
Receive via the input portion of the graphical user interface a query that includes one or more search terms;
Obtain a search result associated with the query;
Provide the search results associated with the query;
Receive a user selection, the user selection selecting at least a portion of the search result;
Generate a document or message using the template;
And add hypertext links or content from the search results to the document or message in response to the user selection. The method of claim 8, wherein generating a document or message using the template includes generating a message using a message generating application, and adding hypertext links or content from the search results to the document or message. And inserting the hypertext link or content into a message portion of the message or adding the hypertext link or content to the message as one or more attachments. The method of claim 8, wherein generating a document or message using the template includes generating a document using a document generating application, and adding hypertext links or content from the search results to the document or message. To
Inserting the hypertext link or content into a document portion of the document or adding the hypertext link or content to the document as one or more attachments. The search engine of claim 8, wherein providing search results associated with the query is performed according to one or more content types or categories of a plurality of content types or categories, wherein each of the plurality of content types or categories is different. Corresponds to a search website, data source, or database, and obtaining a search result associated with the query.
And performing a search using the query using a search application, search engine, search web site, data source, or database corresponding to each of the one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the processor or the memory is also
And to provide at least one of an audio or visual indicator of the one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories for which the search results are provided. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the processor or the memory is also
Provide the plurality of content types or categories, wherein the plurality of content types or categories are selectable by a user, and each of the plurality of content types or categories may be provided in connection with the search query Or indicates a category;
Receive a selection of one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories;
And provide a search result associated with the selected one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories in response to the selection of the one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories. 14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the processor or the memory is also
And provide at least one of an audio or visual indicator of the one or more content types or categories of the selected plurality of content types or categories. The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining a search result associated with the query is performed prior to receiving a selection of the one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories, and providing the search results.
Providing only a portion of the obtained search results, wherein the portion of the obtained search results corresponds to the one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories selected. The method of claim 13, wherein obtaining a search result associated with the query is performed after receiving a selection of the one or more content types or categories of the plurality of content types or categories, and obtaining the search results.
And executing a search using the one or more content types or categories of the query and the selected plurality of content types or categories. The method of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of content types or categories corresponds to a different search application, search engine, search website, data source, or database, wherein the one or more of the query and the selected plurality of content types or categories. Running a search using a content type or category
And performing a search using the query using a search application, search engine, search website, data source, or database corresponding to each of the one or more content types or categories of the plurality of selected content types or categories. . 14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the plurality of content types or categories
And providing a user interface including the template and representing the plurality of content types or categories. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer readable instructions,
Instructions for providing a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including an input portion and a template for generating an electronic message, wherein the template for generating an electronic message includes a message portion;
Instructions for obtaining a query comprising at least one search term via the input portion of the graphical user interface;
Obtaining a search result associated with the query;
Instructions for providing the search results associated with the query;
Instructions for obtaining a user selection, the user selection selecting at least a portion of the search result; And
Instructions for adding hypertext links or content from the search results to an electronic message generated through the template, wherein the hypertext links or content from the search results are added to the electronic message in response to the user selection. Computer readable media. 20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the electronic message is an email message and the computer readable medium comprises:
Instructions for generating the electronic message using the template; And
And further comprising instructions for transmitting the electronic message. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein adding hypertext links or content from the search results to the electronic message.
And adding the hypertext link or content to the message portion of the template. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein adding hypertext links or content from the search results to the electronic message generated through the template.
Adding the hypertext link or content to a message portion of the electronic message generated via the message portion of the template. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein adding hypertext links or content from the search results to the electronic message in response to the user selection.
Adding the hypertext link or content to the electronic message as one or more attachments. 20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the hypertext link or content provides at least one of a map or direction for a place. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the map comprises at least one of including the place or providing a visual representation of the direction for the place. 27. The computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the location corresponds to the search query.

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