Dynamic menus for multi-prefix interactive mobile searches
The present invention includes systems and methods for retrieving information via a flexible and consistent targeted search model that employs interactive multi-prefix, multi-tier and dynamic menu information retrieval techniques that provide context-specific functionality tailored to particular information channels, as well as to records within or across such channels, and other known state information. Users are presented with a consistent search interface among multiple tiers across and within a large domain of information sources, and need not learn different or special search syntax. A thin-client server-controlled architecture enables users of resource-constrained mobile communications devices to locate targeted information more quickly by entering fewer keystrokes and performing fewer query iterations and web page refreshes, which in turn reduces required network bandwidth.
1. An interactive information retrieval system, including non-transitory computer-accessible storage media, that searches a database of content items, the system comprising:
(a) a multi-prefix search module, embodied in a first non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, that receives keystrokes as they are entered by a user into a device, searches for content items within the database that contain words having a prefix matching the keystrokes, and generates a set of search results containing matching content items;
(b) a search result delivery module, embodied in the first non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, that delivers the set of search results to the device for display to the user;
(c) a client application, embodied in a second non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, running on the device that generates, based on the content of a first content item within the set of search results, a set of one or more dynamic menu items, each dynamic menu item having an associated action that is performed with respect to the first content item when the user selects that dynamic menu item, and
(d) wherein the client application identifies one or more data fields within the first content item, and the associated action performed by each dynamic menu item references at least one of the data fields.
2. An interactive information retrieval system, including non-transitory computer-accessible storage media, that searches a database of content items, the system comprising:
(a) a multi-prefix search module, embodied in a first non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, that:
(i) receives keystrokes as they are entered by a user into a device,
(ii) searches for content items within the database that contain words having a prefix matching the keystrokes, wherein each sequence of keystrokes separated by a prefix delimiter represents a distinct prefix to be matched to the beginning portion of words within the content items, and each content item containing at least one word matching each distinct prefix is considered a matching item, and
(iii) generates a set of search results containing matching content items;
(b) a search result delivery module, embodied in the first non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, that delivers the set of search results to the device for display to the user;
(c) a client application, embodied in a second non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, running on the device that generates, based on the content of a first content item within the set of search results, a set of one or more dynamic menu items, each dynamic menu item having an associated action that is performed with respect to the first content item when the user selects that dynamic menu item, and
(d) wherein the client application identifies one or more data fields within the first content item, and the associated action performed by each dynamic menu item references at least one of the data fields.
3. A method for conducting an interactive multi-prefix search across a database of content items, the method comprising:
(a) receiving keystrokes as they are entered by a user into a device, searching for content items within the database that contain words having a prefix matching the keystrokes, and generating a set of search results containing matching content items;
(b) delivering the set of search results to the device for display to the user;
(c) generating, based on the content of a first content item within the set of search results, a set of one or more dynamic menu items, each dynamic menu item having an associated action that is performed with respect to the first content item when the user selects that dynamic menu item; and
(d) identifying one or more data fields within the first content item, wherein the associated action performed by each dynamic menu item references at least one of the data fields.
4. A method for conducting an interactive multi-prefix search across a database of content items, the method comprising:
(a) receiving keystrokes as they are entered by a user into a device;
(b) searching for content items within the database that contain words having a prefix matching the keystrokes, wherein each sequence of keystrokes separated by a prefix delimiter represents a distinct prefix to be matched to the beginning portion of words within the content items, and each content item containing at least one word matching each distinct prefix is considered a matching item;
(c) generating a set of search results containing matching content items;
(d) delivering the set of search results to the device for display to the user;
(e) generating, based on the content of a first content item within the set of search results, a set of one or more dynamic menu items, each dynamic menu item having an associated action that is performed with respect to the first content item when the user selects that dynamic menu item; and
(f) identifying one or more data fields within the first content item, wherein the associated action performed by each dynamic menu item references at least one of the data fields.
5. An interactive information retrieval system, including non-transitory computer-accessible storage media, that searches a database of content items across a plurality of channels, each channel representing a category of content items within the database, the system comprising:
(a) a multi-tier search module, embodied in a first non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, that searches for content items within the database that satisfy a search query entered by a user into a device, and generates a set of search results containing content items that satisfy the user's search query, wherein the multi-tier search module limits a first search, including a first set of distinct prefixes, to a first tier of content that contains names of channels in the database, and upon receiving an indication of the user's selection of the name of a first channel, limits a second search, including a second set of distinct prefixes, to a second tier of content that contains items within the category represented by the name of the first channel;
(b) a search result delivery module, embodied in the first non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, that delivers the set of search results generated by the multi-tier search module to the device for display to the user;
(c) a client application, embodied in a second non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, running on the device that generates, based on the content of a first content item within the set of search results, a set of one or more dynamic menu items, each dynamic menu item having an associated action that is performed with respect to the first content item when the user selects that dynamic menu item, and
(d) wherein the client application identifies one or more data fields within the first content item, and the associated action performed by each dynamic menu item references at least one of the data fields.
6. A method for searching a database of content items across a plurality of channels, each channel representing a category of content items within the database, the method comprising:
(a) searching for content items within the database that satisfy a search query entered by a user into a device, and generating a set of search results containing content items that satisfy the user's search query, wherein a first search, including a first set of distinct prefixes, is limited to a first tier of content that contains names of channels in the database, and upon receiving an indication of the user's selection of the name of a first channel, a second search, including a second set of distinct prefixes, is limited to a second tier of content that contains items within the category represented by the name of the first channel;
(b) delivering the set of search results to the device for display to the user;
(c) generating, based on the content of a first content item within the set of search results, a set of one or more dynamic menu items, each dynamic menu item having an associated action that is performed with respect to the first content item when the user selects that dynamic menu item, and
(d) identifying one or more data fields within the first content item, wherein the associated action performed by each dynamic menu item references at least one of the data fields.