Search query user interface
This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for operating a search query user interface to allow seamless creating, editing and/or refining of a search query using various interactive functions. The techniques described herein may display a search query divided into segments. A selection of a segment of the search query may then be received. One or more alternatives to the selected segment may then be presented. Next, a selection of one of the presented alternative may be received. As a result, the search query may be altered using the selected alternative. Furthermore, the techniques described herein allow a user to operate on a search query using query substitution, expansion, association and/or history functions.
1. A computing device comprising:
a screen configured for input and output; and
a user interface displayed on the screen, the user interface comprising:
a segmented search query box configured to:
present a search query represented as one or more segments; and
receive a selection of a segment of the one or more segments by processing touch input on the screen; and
interactive functions to alter the search query or replace individual segments of the one or more segments in the search query, the interactive functions being displayed on the screen and selectable by touch input on the screen, the interactive functions comprising:
a query substitution function that, upon selection by processing touch input on the screen, causes the user interface to present one or more alternative segments for selection to replace a selected segment of the one or more segments with a selected alternative segment of the one or more alternative segments; and
a query expansion function that, upon selection by processing touch input on the screen, causes the user interface to present one or more additional segments for selection to be included in the search query before or after: (i) the search query, or (ii) a selected segment of the one or more segments.
2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein selection of the query substitution function further causes presentation on the user interface of one or more of:
a selectable option to merge the selected segment with an adjacent segment of the one or more segments, wherein the one or more segments comprises a plurality of segments; or
a selectable option to split the selected segment into multiple segments.
3. The computing device of claim 1 , the interactive functions further comprising a query association function that, upon selection by processing touch input on the screen, causes the user interface to present one or more alternative search queries for selection to replace the search query with a selected alternative search query of the one or more alternative search queries.
4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the user interface further comprises:
a first portion containing, at least, the segmented search query box, the query substitution function, and the query expansion function;
a second portion containing, at least, a search engine box configured to display search results of the search query; and
a separation bar configured to manipulate a size of the first and second portions.
5. A method comprising:
under control of a computing device configured with processor-executable instructions:
displaying a search query, the search query divided into a plurality of segments;
displaying a query expansion function for selection by touch input on a screen of the computing device;
receiving a selection of the query expansion function by processing touch input received on the screen;
displaying, in response to the selection of the query expansion function, one or more additional segments for selection by touch input on the screen;
receiving a selection of an additional segment of the one or more additional segments by processing touch input received on the screen; and
including, in response to the selection of the additional segment, the additional segment in the search query before or after: (i) the search query, or (ii) a segment of the plurality of segments that has been selected by touch input received on the screen.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of a particular segment of the plurality of segments by processing touch input received on the screen, the method further comprising one of:
displaying a selectable option to merge the particular segment with an adjacent segment of the plurality of segments; or
displaying a selectable option to split the particular segment into multiple segments.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising determining whether the particular segment includes multiple words, and wherein the displaying the selectable option to split the particular segment is contingent on determining that the particular segment includes multiple words.
8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of a particular segment of the plurality of segments by processing touch input received on the screen;
presenting one or more alternatives to the particular segment for selection by touch input on the screen;
receiving a selection of an alternative of the one or more alternatives by processing touch input received on the screen; and
replacing the particular segment with the selected alternative.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the presenting of the one or more alternatives comprises selecting the one or more alternatives for presentation based at least in part on one or more non-selected segments of the plurality of segments, the one or more non-selected segments being indicative of an interpretation of the particular segment.
10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising displaying a plurality of search engine functions for selection by touch input on the screen, wherein each search engine function is associated with one or more search engines, databases, or ecommerce merchant catalogs, the method further comprising:
receiving a selection of a search engine function of the one or more search engine functions by processing touch input received on the screen; and
sending, at least partly in response to the receiving the selection of the search engine function, an altered search query comprising the search query and the additional segment to an associated one of the one or more search engines, databases, or ecommerce merchant catalogs.
11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the displaying the search query further comprises displaying a visual indicator between each of the plurality of segments to indicate a division between each of the plurality of segments.
12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the displaying the one or more additional segments comprises displaying:
a list of prefix words or phrases to place before (i) the search query, or (ii) the selected segment; and
a list of suffix words or phrases to place after (i) the search query, or (ii) the selected segment.
13. One or more computer-readable storage media, storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, configure a processor to perform acts comprising:
displaying a search query in a format including one or more segments;
displaying a query expansion function for selection by touch input on a screen of the computing device;
receiving a selection of the query expansion function by processing touch input received on the screen;
displaying, in response to the selection of the query expansion function, one or more additional segments for selection by touch input on the screen;
receiving a selection of an additional segment of the one or more additional segments by processing touch input received on the screen; and
including, in response to the selection of the additional segment, the additional segment in the search query before or after: (i) the search query, or (ii) a segment of the one or more segments that has been selected by touch input received on the screen.
14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the acts further comprise:
receiving a selection of a particular segment of the one or more segments by processing touch input received on the screen; and
displaying a selectable option to merge the particular segment with an adjacent segment of the one or more segments, wherein the one or more segments comprises a plurality of segments; or
displaying a selectable option to split the particular segment into multiple segments.
15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the acts further comprise:
receiving a selection of a particular segment of the one or more segments by processing touch input received on the screen;
accessing, at least partly in response to the receiving the selection of the particular segment, a knowledge base to determine one or more alternative segments that relate to the particular segment; and
displaying the one or more alternative segments for selection by touch input on the screen.
16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the acts further comprise:
receiving a selection of an alternative segment of the one or more alternative segments; and
replacing the particular segment with the selected alternative segment.
17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the one or more segments comprise a plurality of segments, and wherein the displaying the one or more alternative segments comprises selecting the one or more alternative segments for display based at least in part on one or more non-selected segments of the plurality of segments, the one or more non-selected segments being indicative of an interpretation of the particular segment.
18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the acts further comprise:
displaying one or more search engine functions for selection by touch input on the screen;
receiving a selection of a search engine function of the one or more search engine functions by processing touch input received on the screen; and
sending an altered search query comprising the search query and the additional segment to one or more search engines, databases, or ecommerce merchant catalogs associated with the selected search engine function.
19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the acts further comprise:
displaying search results received in response to sending an altered search query comprising the search query and the additional segment to a search engine; and
receiving a selection of one or more operations, the one or more operations comprising at least one of:
an operation to share, publish, or email the search results; or
an operation to lock the search results to prevent additional manipulation.
20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 13 , wherein the one or more segments comprises a plurality of segments, and wherein the displaying the search query further comprises displaying a visual indicator between each of the plurality of segments to indicate a division between each of the plurality of segments.