Granted Patent B2

US 9,330,139 · App. 12/646,665 · Granted May 3, 2016

Inventors: Li Chen (San Jose, CA); Ankur Aggarwal (Redwood City, CA)

Assignee: BlackBerry Limited

G06F17/30448G06F17/30522

Abstract

Claims (63)

1. A method implemented at a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a first input comprising a first search keyword and at least one explicitly specified parameter value for use in a query to be transmitted to a first online service;

in response to receiving a search command,

generating a first query comprising the first search keyword and the at least one explicitly specified parameter value;

transmitting the first query to the first online service; and

storing the at least one explicitly specified parameter value in association with the first search keyword at the communication device;

receiving a second input comprising a second search keyword for use in a query to be transmitted to the first online service or to another online service; and

in response to receiving a further search command,

generating a second query comprising the second search keyword;

in response to determining that the second search keyword matches the first search keyword and that the second input does not include any explicitly specified parameter values, using one or more of the at least one explicitly specified parameter values associated with the first search keyword to modify the second query;

transmitting the modified second query to the first or other online service.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein when at least one explicitly specified parameter value is included in the second input and the second search keyword matches the first search keyword, the method further comprises storing the at least one explicitly specified parameter value included in the second input in association with the first search keyword in place of the previously stored at least one explicitly specified parameter value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second search keyword is for use in a query to be transmitted to the first online service, and retrieving one or more of the at least one explicitly specified parameter value comprises retrieving all of the at least one explicitly specified parameter value stored in association with the first search keyword.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second search keyword is for use in a query to be transmitted to a second online service different from the first online service, and retrieving one or more of the at least one explicitly specified parameter value comprises retrieving those explicitly specified parameter values stored in association with the first search keyword that are acceptable to the second online service.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first online service and the other online service comprise shopping e-commerce websites.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second input further comprises a third keyword for use in the query, and:

the second query generated comprises the second and the third search keywords; and

when the third search keyword matches a previous search keyword used in a previous query comprising at least one explicitly specified parameter value at the communication device, the at least one explicitly specified parameter value of the previous query being stored at the communication device in association with the previous search keyword, the method further comprises retrieving said at least one explicitly specified parameter value of the previous query and automatically modifying the second query to include the at least one explicitly specified parameter value of the previous query as well as the retrieved at least one explicitly specified parameter value stored in association with the first search keyword.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first input, the second input and the search commands are received by a web browser application executing on the communication device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein receiving the second input comprises copying selected content displayed by the communication device, the selected content thus comprising the second search keyword; and generating the second query comprises automatically generating the query upon receipt of the further search command.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

in response to a copy command, copying selected content displayed by the communication device, the selected content being received from;

generating an instruction for searching the first or the other online service using the selected content as a search keyword; and

storing the instruction at the communication device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first query and second query are transmitted over a wireless connection.

11. A communication device, including:

a memory;

at least one communications subsystem; and

at least one processor configured to enable:

receiving a first input comprising a first search keyword and at least one explicitly specified parameter value for use in a query to be transmitted to a first online service;

in response to receiving a search command,

generating a first query comprising the first search keyword and the at least one explicitly specified parameter value;

transmitting the first query to the first online service; and

storing the at least one explicitly specified parameter value in association with the first search keyword at the communication device;

receiving a second input comprising a second search keyword for use in a query to be transmitted to the first online service or to another online service; and

in response to receiving a further search command,

generating a second query comprising the second search keyword;

in response to determining that the second search keyword matches the first search keyword and that the second input does not include any explicitly specified parameter values, using one or more of the at least one explicitly specified parameter values associated with the first search keyword to modify the second query; and

transmitting the modified second query to the first or other online service.

12. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein when at least one explicitly specified parameter value is included in the second input and the second search keyword matches the first search keyword, the processor is configured to enable storing the at least one explicitly specified parameter value included in the second input in association with the first search keyword in place of the previously stored at least one explicitly specified parameter value.

13. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the second search keyword is for use in a query to be transmitted to the first online service, and retrieving one or more of the at least one explicitly specified parameter value comprises retrieving all of the at least one explicitly specified parameter value stored in association with the first search keyword.

14. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the second search keyword is for use in a query to be transmitted to a second online service different from the first online service, and retrieving one or more of the at least one explicitly specified parameter value comprises retrieving those explicitly specified parameter values stored in association with the first search keyword that are acceptable to the second online service.

15. The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the second input further comprises a third search keyword for use in the query, and:

the second query generated comprises the second and the third search keywords; and

when the third search keyword matches a previous search keyword used in a previous query comprising at least one explicitly specified parameter value at the communication device, the at least one explicitly specified parameter value of the previous query being stored at the communication device in association with the previous search keyword, the processor is further configured to enable retrieving said at least one explicitly specified parameter value of the previous query and automatically modifying the second query to include the at least one explicitly specified parameter value of the previous query as well as the retrieved at least one explicitly specified parameter value stored in association with the first search keyword.

16. A non-transitory communication device-readable medium bearing code which, when executed by one or more processors of a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the method of:

receiving a first input comprising a first search keyword and at least one explicitly specified parameter value for use in a query to be transmitted to a first online service;

in response to receiving a search command,

generating a first query comprising the first search keyword and the at least one explicitly specified parameter value;

transmitting the first query to the first online service; and

storing the at least one explicitly specified parameter value in association with the first search keyword at the communication device;

receiving a second input comprising a second search keyword for use in a query to be transmitted to the first online service or to another online service; and

in response to receiving a further search command,

generating a second query comprising the second search keyword;

in response to determining that the second search keyword matches the first search keyword and that the second input does not include any explicitly specified parameter values, using one or more of the at least one explicitly specified parameter values associated with the first search keyword to modify the second query; and

transmitting the modified second query to the first or other online service.

17. The non-transitory communication device-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein when at least one explicitly specified parameter value is included in the second input and the second search keyword matches the first search keyword, the method further comprises storing the at least one explicitly specified parameter value included in the second input in association with the first search keyword in place of the previously stored at least one explicitly specified parameter value.

18. The non-transitory communication device-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the second search keyword is for use in a query to be transmitted to a second online service different from the first online service, and retrieving one or more of the at least one explicitly specified parameter value comprises retrieving those explicitly specified parameter values stored in association with the first search keyword that are acceptable to the second online service.

19. The non-transitory communication device-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the second input further comprises a third search keyword for use in the query, and:

the second query generated comprises the second and the third search keywords; and

when the third search keyword matches a previous search keyword used in a previous query comprising at least one explicitly specified parameter value at the communication device, the at least one explicitly specified parameter value of the previous query being stored at the communication device in association with the previous search keyword, the method further comprises retrieving said at least one explicitly specified parameter value of the previous query and automatically modifying the second query to include the at least one explicitly specified parameter value of the previous query as well as the retrieved at least one explicitly specified parameter value stored in association with the first search keyword.

20. The non-transitory communication device-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the first input, the second input and the search commands are received by a web browser application executing on the communication device.

21. The non-transitory communication device-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein receiving the second input comprises copying selected content displayed by the communication device, the selected content thus comprising the second search keyword; and generating the second query comprises automatically generating the query upon receipt of the further search command.

Assignments (8)

Continuity (2)