Searching and accessing application functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9720672-B2
Application number	US-201414572249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Jan 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A method includes receiving, at a computing device, search results transmitted from a search system in communication with the computing device. The search results include a header for an application executable on the computing device and application access mechanisms associated with the header. Each application access mechanism has a reference to the application and indicates one or more performable operations for the application. The method further includes displaying, on a display in communication with the computing device, a graphical user interface including the header and user selectable access links grouped with the header. Each access link is associated with an application access mechanism for the application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a mobile computing device, search results based on a search query, wherein the search results are transmitted from a search system in communication with the mobile computing device, wherein the search results indicate a plurality of native applications installable and executable on the mobile computing device, wherein the search results include a plurality of groups of search results, wherein each group respectively corresponds to a different one of the native applications, and wherein each group of search results includes:
a header for the corresponding native application executable on the mobile computing device and a default application access mechanism associated with the header, wherein the header corresponds to a default state of the corresponding native application, and wherein the default application access mechanism is configured to, upon user selection of the header, at least one of (i) open the corresponding native application on the mobile computing device to the default state and (ii) download and install the corresponding native application onto the mobile computing device and subsequently open the corresponding native application on the mobile computing device to the default state; and
a group of two or more application access mechanisms, wherein each application access mechanism includes a reference to the corresponding native application and indicates one or more performable operations that cause the corresponding native application to enter an operating state, wherein each operating state of each application access mechanism different from the operating states of the other application access mechanisms, and wherein each operating state of each application access mechanism is independently based on the search query; and
displaying, on a display in communication with the mobile computing device, a graphical user interface including the plurality of groups of search results, wherein each of the plurality of groups is displayed in a visual region that is non-overlapping with others of the plurality of groups, and wherein each of the plurality of groups includes (i) the header and (ii) user selectable access links grouped with the header, wherein each access link is associated with each application access mechanism for the corresponding native application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the header comprises a name of the corresponding native application.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the access links in an order under the header based on a score associated with each application access mechanism of each access link.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the mobile computing device, a search criteria through the graphical user interface;
generating, at the mobile computing device, a query wrapper including the search criteria;
transmitting the query wrapper from the mobile computing device to the search system;
receiving search results, at the mobile computing device, from the search system; and
displaying the search results on a display in communication with the mobile computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying in the graphical user interface a header link in the header indicating an installation state of the corresponding native application as being installed or uninstalled.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, in response to user selection of the header link:
in response to the installation state of the associated application being installed, executing the corresponding native application on the mobile computing device; and
in response to the installation state of the associated application being uninstalled, downloading the corresponding native application to non-transitory memory of the mobile computing device and executing the corresponding native application on the mobile computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying in the graphical user interface an ungrouped access link having an associated application access mechanism for an associated native application different from the corresponding native application of the header.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising displaying in the graphical user interface an indicator in the ungrouped access link indicating an installation state of the associated native application as being installed or uninstalled.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, in response to receiving a user selection of the ungrouped access link:
in response to the installation state of the associated native application being installed, executing the associated native application on the mobile computing device; and
in response to the installation state of the associated application being uninstalled, downloading the associated native application to non-transitory memory of the mobile computing device and executing the associated native application on the mobile computing device.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, in response to receiving a user selection of the ungrouped access link, in response to the installation state of the associated native application being uninstalled, executing a web browser on the mobile computing device and accessing functionality of the associated native application through the web browser.

11. A mobile computing device comprising:
a display;
a processing device in communication with the display; and
non-transitory memory in communication with the processing device, the non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed on the processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations including:
receiving search results based on a search query, wherein the search results are transmitted from a search system in communication with the mobile computing device, wherein the search results indicate a plurality of native applications installable and executable on the mobile computing device, wherein the search results include a plurality of groups of search results, wherein each group respectively corresponds to a different one of the native applications, and wherein each group of search results includes:
a header for the corresponding native application executable on the mobile computing device and a default application access mechanism associated with the header, wherein the header corresponds to a default state of the corresponding native application, and wherein the default application access mechanism is configured to, upon user selection of the header, at least one of (i) open the corresponding native application on the mobile computing device to the default state and (ii) download and install the corresponding native application onto the mobile computing device and subsequently open the corresponding native application on the mobile computing device to the default state; and
a group or two of more application access mechanisms, wherein each application access mechanism includes a reference to the corresponding native application and indicates one or more performable operations that cause the corresponding native application to enter an operating state, wherein each operating state of each application access mechanism is different from the operating states of the other application access mechanisms and wherein each operating state of each application access mechanism is independently based on the search query; and

displaying on the display a graphical user interface including the plurality of groups of search results, wherein each of the plurality of groups is displayed in a visual region that is non-overlapping with others of the plurality of groups, and wherein each of the plurality of groups includes

Assignees

• Quixey Inc

Inventors

• Lipton Julia
• Kagan Tomer
• Shapira Liron
• Fan Cheng-Ruei

Classifications

• G06F9/445

  Program loading or initiating (bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F8/61 Primary

  Installation · CPC title