Gesture-based search
Computer-readable media, computer systems, and computing devices for initiating a search function, such as presentation of a search box or initiation of a search, is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes detecting movement of a selector from within a display area to an edge of the display area. Such a selector can be controlled by an input device coupled to a user device. In response to detecting movement of the selector from within the display area to the edge of the display area, a search-query input area associated with a search engine is presented within a display screen view.
1. A computer-implemented method of initiating a search function, the method comprising:
receiving a control input selecting a content displayed within an application window, the application window being displayed on a display screen of a client device;
detecting a search gesture, the search gesture comprising dragging the selected content from an interior portion of the display screen across an area on one of a plurality of outer edges of the display screen, the plurality of outer edges bounding the interior portion;
in response to said detecting the search gesture, determining a display location for a search-query input area that is adjacent to the area on the one of the plurality of outer edges across which the content was dragged;
in response to said detecting the search gesture, outputting for display at the display location the search-query input area associated with a search engine, wherein the search-query input area is at least one of removed, hidden, or minimized after a predetermined period of time elapses without user interaction with the search-query input area; and
automatically generating a search query based on the selected content and providing a visual indication of the search query at the search-query input area.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of outer edges comprises a top edge, a right-side edge, a bottom edge, and a left-side edge.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the display location for the search-query input area comprises identifying the one of the plurality of outer edges of the display screen across which the selected content is dragged.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating contextual signals related to the selected content for use by the search engine.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search-query input area overlays the content at a top portion of a display screen view.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the search-query input area comprises a text box in which a user can provide text used to search for content relevant thereto.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the search gesture further comprises detecting a velocity of a selector associated with the search gesture.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein detecting the search gesture further comprises determining that the velocity of the selector is above a threshold velocity.
9. One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform acts comprising:
receiving a control input selecting a content displayed within an application window, the application window being displayed on a display screen of a client device;
detecting a search gesture, the search gesture comprising dragging the content from an inner portion of the display screen across an area on an outer edge of the display screen, a selector moving the content being controlled by an input device coupled to a user device;
in response to detecting the search gesture, determining a display location for a search-query input area that is adjacent to the area of the outer edge of the display screen across which the content was dragged, and automatically generating a search query at the display location, wherein the search query is based on the selected content associated with the selector, and wherein the search-query input area is at least one of removed, hidden, or minimized after a predetermined period of time elapses without user interaction with the search-query input area;
initiating a search to be performed using the search query; and
presenting one or more search results of the search, placement of the one or more search results corresponding to the display location.
10. The media of claim 9 , wherein the presenting one or more search results of the search comprises overlaying the one or more search results over the content.
11. The media of claim 9 , wherein the search query further comprises context information providing signals usable to improve relevance of one or more search results.
12. The media of claim 11 , wherein the context information comprises one or more of:
additional content proximate to the content;
a paragraph having a portion thereof within the content;
a sentence having a portion thereof within the content;
a title of a document having a portion of the document within the content;
a uniform resource locator where the content is located;
an application identifier of an application used to display the content; or
metadata associated with the content.
13. The media of claim 9 , wherein the content is already selected at a time the search gesture is performed.
14. The media of claim 9 , wherein detecting the search gesture further comprises determining that a velocity of the selector is above a threshold velocity.
15. A computer system comprising:
one or more processors; and
computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, are configured to implement a method comprising:
receiving an input at a display area, the display area comprising an interior portion within a set of edges, the input comprising (1) a selection of content in the interior portion and (2) a performance of a dragging gesture from the interior portion across an edge of the set of edges;
in response to receiving the input, providing for presentation a search query area at a location adjacent to the edge across which the dragging gesture was performed, the search query area comprising a query input area and a results area, wherein the search query area is at least one of removed, hidden, or minimized after a predetermined period of time elapses without user interaction with the search query area;
determining a search query based on the selected content;
initiating a search based on the search query and receiving results from the search; and
providing the results for presentation at the results area.
16. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the search query is further based on context information associated with the selected content, the context information comprising a title of a document in which the selected content is included.
17. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein the context information further comprises a uniform resource locator for the selected content.
18. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the search query area is provided for presentation in response to a velocity at which the dragging gesture is performed satisfying a threshold velocity.
19. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein a visual representation of the input is provided for presentation at the display area, and wherein a scope of the search is altered based on a resizing of the visual representation of the input.
20. The computer system of claim 15 , wherein the query input area comprises a plurality of potential search queries, and wherein the search is initiated in response to a selection of one of the plurality of potential search queries.