User interfaces for search systems using in-line contextual queries
Systems and methods, including user interfaces, are provided for implementing searches using contextual information associated with a Web page (or other document) that a user is viewing when a query is entered. The page includes a contextual search interface that has an associated context vector representing content of the page. When the user submits a search query via the contextual search interface, the query and the context vector are both provided to the query processor and used in responding to the query.
1. A method comprising:
based on first content that has been opened within a content presentation application executing on a client device, the client device automatically selecting context information to submit to a server;
responsive to automatically selecting the context information for submission to the server, the client device automatically sending the context information from the client device to the server;
responsive to sending the context information to the server, the client device receiving a first search result from the server;
responsive to activation input activating a search interface, displaying the search interface;
after receiving the activation input, and prior to receiving any user input of a query term via the activated search interface, displaying the first search result within a preview section of the search interface;
subsequent to displaying the first search result in the preview section, receiving user input entering one or more query terms via the search interface, the one or more query terms including at least one term that is not found in the context information;
sending the one or more query terms to the server;
responsive to sending the one or more query terms to the server, the client device receiving a second search result from the server;
displaying the second search result in the search interface at the client device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed entirely by the content presentation application.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least the step of selecting the context information is performed by one of a toolbar plug-in for the content presentation application or an application at the client device other than the content presentation application.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises identifying the first content based on the first content having been highlighted in a document displayed by the content presentation application, wherein the first content does not include the entire document.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context information is the first content.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client device is a mobile phone.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client device is a handheld device, the method further comprising:
displaying the first content in the content presentation application;
providing a particular input key designated for initiating a queryless search based on the first content;
wherein the first search result is displayed responsive to receiving input via the particular input key.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first content is at least a portion of an email or instant message.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first content is at least a portion of a web page document.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content presentation application is at least one of: a word processing application, a file viewer application, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, a browser application, or a document management application.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises identifying the first content based on determining that a user is viewing one or more open documents at the client device.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises generating a context vector that represents the first content by at least tokenizing the first content at the client device, wherein the context information is the context vector.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the client device automatically sending the context information to the server with the one or more query terms, wherein the server is configured to identify the second search result based on both the one or more query terms and the context information.
14. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein automatically selecting the context information is performed by a first application at the client device, other than the content presentation application, that causes the client device to automatically submit the context information to the server;
wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises the first application interfacing with the content presentation application to identify the first content.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context information includes an identifier of a location that contains the first content.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the context information includes one or more of: link data identifying information about second content to which the first content links, or category data associated with the first content.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, based on the context information, auto-completion suggestions for a query entry area of the search interface.
18. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises generating a context vector that represents the first content, the generating comprising: submitting the first content to a context processing module, and receiving a context vector representative of the first content from the context processing module;
wherein the context information is the context vector.
19. One or more non-transitory media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of:
based on first content that has been opened within a content presentation application executing on a client device, the client device automatically selecting context information to submit to a server;
responsive to automatically selecting the context information for submission to the server, the client device automatically sending the context information from the client device to the server;
responsive to sending the context information to the server, the client device receiving a first search result from the server;
responsive to activation input activating a search interface, displaying the search interface;
after receiving the activation input, and prior to receiving any user input of a query term via the activated search interface, displaying the first search result within a preview section of the search interface;
subsequent to displaying the first search result in the preview section, receiving user input entering one or more query terms via the search interface, the one or more query terms including at least one term that is not found in the context information;
sending the one or more query terms to the server;
responsive to sending the one or more query terms to the server, the client device receiving a second search result from the server;
displaying the second search result in the search interface at the client device.
20. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the instructions are implemented entirely by the content presentation application.
21. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein at least the instructions whose execution cause selecting the context information are implemented by one of a toolbar plug-in for the content presentation application or an application at the client device other than the content presentation application.
22. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises identifying the first content based on the first content having been highlighted in a document displayed by the content presentation application, wherein the first content does not include the entire document.
23. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the context information is the first content.
24. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the client device is a mobile phone.
25. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the client device is a handheld device, the method further comprising:
displaying the first content in the content presentation application;
providing a particular input key designated for initiating a queryless search based on the first content;
wherein the first search result is displayed responsive to receiving input via the particular input key.
26. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the first content is at least a portion of an email or instant message.
27. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the first content is at least a portion of a web page document.
28. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the content presentation application is at least one of: a word processing application, a file viewer application, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, a browser application, or a document management application.
29. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises identifying the first content based on determining that a user is viewing one or more open documents at the client device.
30. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises generating a context vector that represents the first content by at least tokenizing the first content at the client device, wherein the context information is the context vector.
31. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of:
the client device automatically sending the context information to the server with the one or more query terms, wherein the server is configured to identify the second search result based on both the one or more query terms and the context information.
32. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 ,
wherein automatically selecting the context information is performed by a first application at the client device, other than the content presentation application, that causes the client device to automatically submit the context information to the server;
wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises the first application interfacing with the content presentation application to identify the first content.
33. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the context information includes an identifier of a location that contains the first content.
34. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the context information includes one or more of: link data identifying information about second content to which the first content links, or category data associated with the first content.
35. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause performance of: further comprising providing, based on the context information, auto-completion suggestions for a query entry area of the search interface.
36. The one or more non-transitory media of claim 19 ,
wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises generating a context vector that represents the first content, the generating comprising: submitting the first content to a context processing module, and receiving a context vector representative of the first content from the context processing module;
wherein the context information is the context vector.
37. A computer system comprising:
a client computing device, comprising one or more processors coupled to one or more memories, the one or more processors configured to:
based on first content that has been opened within a content presentation application executing on the client computing device, the client computing device automatically selecting context information to submit to a server;
responsive to automatically selecting the context information for submission to the server, the client computing device automatically sending the context information from the client computing device to the server;
responsive to sending the context information to the server, the client computing device receiving a first search result from the server;
responsive to activation input activating a search interface, displaying the search interface;
after receiving the activation input, and prior to receiving any user input of a query term via the activated search interface, displaying the first search result within a preview section of the search interface;
subsequent to displaying the first search result in the preview section, receiving user input entering one or more query terms via the search interface, the one or more query terms including at least one term that is not found in the context information;
sending the one or more query terms to the server;
responsive to sending the one or more query terms to the server, the client computing device receiving a second search result from the server;
displaying the second search result in the search interface at the client computing device.
38. The system of claim 37 , wherein the client computing device is a handheld device that is further configured to perform:
displaying the first content in the content presentation application;
providing a particular input key designated for initiating a queryless search based on the first content;
wherein the first search result is displayed responsive to receiving input via the particular input key.
39. The system of claim 37 , further comprising:
a server computing device configured to provide the server, wherein the server is configured to identify the second search result based on both the one or more query terms and the context information;
wherein the client computing device is further configured to perform automatically sending the context information to the server with the one or more query terms.
40. The system of claim 37 , wherein the context information includes an identifier of a location that contains the first content.
41. The system of claim 37 , wherein the client computing device is further configured to perform: providing, based on the context information, auto-completion suggestions for a query entry area of the search interface.
42. The system of claim 37 ,
wherein automatically selecting the context information comprises generating a context vector that represents the first content, the generating comprising: submitting the first content to a context processing module, and receiving a context vector representative of the first content from the context processing module;
wherein the context information is the context vector.