Input device and method for performing a search using an input device

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an input device and a method for performing a search operation using an input device, wherein the method is executed in a computer system connected to the input device (20). A search target (114) is selected using the input device (20), a search description (112) is generated by the computer system, and then an identifier (230) for a search engine (303) is obtained from a memory (203) of the input device (20). Subsequently, the search target (114), the search description (112), and the identifier (230) are packaged into a search packet, which is transmitted via a network to the search engine (303) associated with the identifier (230), so that the search engine (303) performs a search operation based on the search target (114) and the search description (112) in the search packet and generates a search result.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for performing a fast search operation, and more particularly to a method for performing a search operation using an input device by triggering a search function using the input device and automatically connecting to a search platform.Each can obtain different information in different areas of different channels, of the traditional way of books, newspapers and magazines, radio and television; today, different computer devices can be used to obtain a larger amount and more diversified contents directly from the Internet. In particular, a search engine (e.g., Google™ Microsoft, Bing™ and Yahoo™) may be used to search for items or various messages on the Internet that can be obtained easily and quickly.Known methods for searching for Internet data consist mainly in using the input interface provided by search engines for inputting keywords or adding operators for searching, wherein the search engine can obtain the contents matching the keywords from a plurality of data sources. The common search method is text-based search that provides text, image, and video search results. At present, there is also a search method in which images about images are found.One of the conventional technologies is US 2024 / 0 281 457 A1, which relates to a computer-based method for generating a predicted intent that can be used to generate a request for an artificial intelligence engine. For example, in paragraph

[0017] of US 2024 / 0 281 457 A1, a user request for launching an application is generated, and the user request may be recognized based on user interactions. In paragraph

[0021] of US 2024 / 0 281 457 A1, a processing operation is performed to analyze the user interactions, recognize text and / or audio inputs, and use speech recognition and pattern recognition to determine words and phrases. In paragraph

[0022] of US 2024 / 0 281 457 A1, it is disclosed that LLM is used to predict an intention. Paragraph

[0093] of US 2024 / 0 281 457 A1 teaches generating an engine request based on the predicted intent.Another conventional technology is U.S. Pat. No. 12 079 570 B1, which relates to the improvement of generative AI systems by using generative AI pipelines to provide external information. To improve the efficiency and accuracy of a large language model in responding to user requests that can be modified and supplemented with additional relevant information and split into multiple requests for parallel processing, the results of which can then be combined into one response.Another conventional technology is, for example, Mehdi, Yusuf: Introducing a new Copilot key to kick off the year of AI-powered Windows PCs. In: Online Article, Microsoft, Windows Blogs, Jan 2024, pp. 1-5.Another conventional technology is for example DE 11 2022 006 258 T5, which relates to an assisted search method for non-document elements, such as for example the search for location elements from a database. In this method, a system receives selected content from a client device and uses a search converter to determine first and second objects for the selected content. Thus, the system may generate first results by performing a first search for items in the database and uses the first object as a query to obtain second results by performing a second search for items in the database. The system provides a combined search result including the first and second sets.In contrast to the current manner of searching for data, the present disclosure proposes an input device and method for performing a search operation using an input device. The method is performed in a computer system connected to the input device, the input device specifying a search target and an identifier associated with a search engine, thereby implementing a fast and convenient search technique.According to the present invention, there is provided a method as claimed in claim 1 and an input device as claimed in claim 5. Further embodiments thereof are the subject matter of the dependent claims.According to one embodiment, the input device connected to a computer system comprises a controller, a memory and a transmission circuit, wherein one or more identifiers associated with one or more search engines are recorded in the memory, wherein the execution of the method for performing a search operation using an input device can be triggered by a search hotkey or a combination of a plurality of keys on the input device.In the method of performing a search operation using an input device, the computer system obtains a search target selected using the input device, generates a search description, and obtains an identifier associated with a search engine from the memory of the input device, and packages it into a search package. Then, the search packet is transmitted via a network to the search engine, which performs a search operation based on the search target and the search description in the search packet, and obtains a search result.It is also provided that the search destination selected by the input device is a text section or a pattern.The search description is a search input request (e.g. prompt) of a natural language model generated by a search program executed in the computer system.In the computer system, a natural language model token is used to convert the search prompt into information that can be processed by the natural language model.It is further contemplated that the identifier recorded in the memory of the input device is an application programming interface (API) key in which search engine pointer information may be recorded, such as a website hyperlink (URL) to a search website on which the search engine is running.For a better understanding of the features and technical content of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description and drawings of the present invention, which, however, are given by way of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The drawing shows: FIG. 1 is an architectural diagram of a computer system for a method of performing a search operation using an input device; FIG. 2 is a view of an embodiment of circuit elements in a computer system for a method of performing a search operation using an input device; FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of operating an input device to circle a search target; FIG. 3B is a schematic illustration of an embodiment of performing a search operation using an input device; and FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for performing a search operation using an input device.Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with specific concrete embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that advantages and technical effects of the present invention can be derived from the disclosures in the present specification. The present invention may be implemented or used in other specific embodiments, and various modifications or alterations may be made to the details disclosed in the present specification as needed and as the case may be, without departing from the basic spirit of the present invention. It should also be noted that the individual components of the present invention are not represented in their actual size, but only schematically. The following embodiments will serve to further describe the configurations of the present invention in more detail, but the respective disclosures do not limit the scope of the present invention.It is understood that the terms "first", "second", "third", etc., optionally used to describe various elements or signals are not to be interpreted as limiting. Rather, such terms are used to distinguish one element from another or a signal from another. Furthermore, the term "or" used in the present description may optionally include any of the respective listed items or a combination of a plurality of such items.The present disclosure provides an input device and a method for performing a search operation using an input device, the main implementation of which is to allow the user to operate an input device such as a computer mouse, a keyboard, a stylus, or a touch panel to select a search area, and then add an identifier stored in a memory of the input device and a predetermined search description or a search description generated by a computer system to trigger a search operation to be performed by the computer system.FIG. 1 is an architectural diagram of a computer system for a method of performing a search operation using an input device.The computer system shown provides a computer host 100 and various input devices connected to the computer host 100, such as an input device I 101, shown here as a computer mouse, and an input device II 102, shown here as a computer keyboard.According to an embodiment of the method for performing a search operation using an input device, the user operates the input device to select a target to be searched, which is transmitted to a search engine associated with the identifier together with an identifier stored in a memory (such as flash or EEPROM) in the input device and a predetermined search description or search description generated by the user operating an application program in the computer host 100, so that the search engine can perform a search based on the search target and the search description and generate search results.According to the exemplary embodiment, one or more identifiers can be stored in the memory of the input device. The identifier is, for example, an application programming interface (API) key that references the corresponding services of a particular search engine, such as a hyperlink (URL) to the website of the search page on which the search engine operates. In one embodiment, the application programming interface (API) key is a unique key that consists of a sequence of characters and / or symbols to identify and authenticate a particular application, and that can be provided by and provide a token to a particular server (e.g., the manufacturer of the input device).FIG. 2 is a view of an embodiment of circuit elements in a computer system for a method of performing a search operation using an input device.Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a block diagram of an input device 20 connected to a computer host 22. The input device 20 includes a controller 201 and circuit elements electrically connected to the controller 201, wherein the main circuit elements include a memory 203, which may generally relate to various forms of storage elements in electronic devices. In addition to storing system data for operation of the input device 20, the memory 203 stores one or more identifiers 203 associated with one or more search engines. Additionally, a communication circuit 205 is in electrical communication with the controller 201 and is connected via a communication interface 207 to a computer system, exemplarily shown as a computer host 22 and an operating system 220 included therein that operates based on cooperation of soft and hardware.According to the embodiment, the implementation is not limited to the following listed examples. The input device 20 may be wirelessly or wired to the computer host 22. Taking a computer mouse as an example, the input interface 209 of the input device 20 is a left or right button, scroll wheel, or touch-sensitive touch interface of the computer mouse. In the case of a computer keyboard, the input interface 209 of the input device 20 is, for example, a keypad or a further additional input function. In the case of a touchpad, the input interface 209 of the input device 20 is a touch panel or a printable input design located thereon.The computer system consists of a computer host and an operating system running therein, in which a method proposed in the present disclosure for carrying out a search operation using an input device is executed, wherein the corresponding implementation scenarios can be seen in the schematic views shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B of one exemplary embodiment in each case.As shown in FIG. 3A, during operation of the computer system, first, a connection is established between the computer host 100 on the one hand and the input device I 101 and the input device II 102 on the other hand. In the computer host 100, the operating system operates and a particular application program executes to enable a user interface 110. When the user wants to search a file or a web page using the application program, the user can operate the input device I 101 or the input device II 102 to select a search target 114 on the user interface 110 and input a search description to support the search on the user interface 110 using a selection tool.Thus, the input device I 101 shown here (in the present case in the form of a computer mouse) can be equipped, for example, with a search hotkey or a key combination formed from the available keys, wherein the user initiates a quick-search function by pressing the search hotkey or the key combination. For this purpose, the user selects a search area 120 with the input device I 101, which search area can comprise a text section or a photograph, wherein the content of the search area 120 forms a search target 114, which can be buffered in the memory of the input device I 101. When executing the search function, the input device I 101 transmits an identifier in the memory (e.g., the identifier 230 in the memory 203 illustrated in FIG. 2 ) and the search target 114 to the operating system running in the computer host 100.Then, the operating system obtains a search description input from the user by operating the input device II 102 (in the present case, in the form of a computer keyboard) on the user interface 110 or a predetermined search description set in advance, and then packs the search target 114, the identifier, and the search description into a search packet, and transmits them to the corresponding search engine, which performs a search based on the search target and the search description in the search packet and returns a search result.For example, in the embodiment, the identifier is an application programming interface key that, in addition to recording lookup information of a search engine (e.g., a search service implemented by a particular voice service), serves as a basis for authenticating a user authorized to utilize the search service to perform, for example, a search operation using a large-scale language model service such as ChatGPT. At the same time, a search description, e.g., prompts (prompt) to be imported into a large language model, is added to pack the search target, application programming interface key, and prompts providing a large language model into a search package, which is then transmitted to the search platform implemented by a large language model.Reference may be made to the schematic representation of an embodiment of performing a search operation using an input device according to FIG. 3B.The computer host 100 shown in the drawing is connected via a network 30 to a particular search platform 300 which provides a cloud-based search service implemented in a computer system and is, for example, a service provider for a large-scale language model search service. According to an embodiment, the search platform 300 comprises a natural language model 301, a database 302 providing search content, and a search engine 303 implemented by the natural language model 301 in cooperation with respective hardware circuits.When performing the search operation, the operating system running in the computer host 100 is activated so that the user interface 110 displays the input or predetermined search description 112 and the search target 114 to be searched this time, and the search packet formed of the search target 114, the identifier, and the search description 112 is transmitted to the search platform 300 associated with the identifier.With regard to the method to be carried out by a computer system for carrying out a search operation using an input device, reference can be made to the flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4.When the user operates the input device and initiates a search function through a search hot key or a combination of multiple keys on the input device (step S 401), the computer system obtains a search target selected by the user by operating the input device (step S 403), which is a text portion, a pattern, or the like selected through the input device. Next, the computer system receives a search description (step S405) which may be a search prompt for a particular natural language model generated by a search program executed in the computer system.The computer system receives an identifier assigned to the search engine from the input device (step S 407) and then packs the search target, the search description and the identifier into a search package in which security measures such as encryption and coding can be carried out if necessary (step S 409). Subsequently, the search packet is transmitted to the search engine associated with the ID (step S 411), whereupon the search engine performs a search operation based on the search target and the search description in the search packet, and generates a search result (step S 413) to achieve a fast search operation by triggering the search function via the input device.It is noteworthy that the search engine is implemented in the search platform in the natural language model, so that the search program executed in the computer system uses the token of the natural language model to convert the search description (prompt) into information that can be processed by the natural language model. The aim is to reduce the computational cost of search platforms implemented in large language models and to reduce the search cost. For example, a search program based on the tokens of a natural language model may break down an entire paragraph into several smaller segments by tokenizing (tokenizing), and then transmit the segments to the search platform to allow the tokens to be used in large language models to ensure coherency and consistency of the text.In summary, the method for performing a search operation using an input device and the input device according to the above-described embodiments are different from the operation of a known search engine in that the proposed method starts triggering a quick search service by the input device and achieves a quick search effect by selecting a search target, adding an identifier (e.g., an application programming interface key) and a search description (e.g., a natural language model request) stored in the memory of the input device, packaging them, and transmitting them to a search engine (e.g., a search engine implemented by natural language models).The above disclosure is merely preferred possible embodiments of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims of the present invention, so that all equivalent technical changes made by applying the contents of the specification and the drawings of the present invention fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS100 Computer host 101 Input device I 102 Input device II 20 Input device 201 Controller 203 Memory 230 Identifier 205 Transmission circuit 207 Transmission interface 209 Input interface 22 Computer host 220 Operating system 110 User interface 112 Search description 114 Search target 120 Search area 30 Network 300 Search platform 301 Natural language model 302 Database 303 Search engine Steps S 401 to S 413 Procedure of performing a search using an input device

Claims

A method for performing a search operation using an input device that is executed in a computer system connected to the input device (20), comprising: - obtaining a search target (114) that is a text portion or a pattern displayed on a user interface (110) and that is selected via the input device (20) and that is selected by the input device (20); - generating a search description (112) by a search program that is executed in the computer system that uses a token of a natural language model (301) to convert a search input request into information that can be processed by the natural language model (301); - obtaining an identifier (230) from a memory (203) of the input device (20), wherein the identifier (230) is associated with a search engine (303); transmitting the search target (114), the search description (112) and the identifier (230) to the search engine (303) assigned to the identifier (230), wherein the search engine (303) performs a search operation on the basis of the search target (114) and the search description (112) and generates a search result; and receiving the search result.The method for performing a search operation using an input device according to claim 1, wherein the identifier (230) recorded in the memory (203) of the input device (20) is an application programming interface key (230) in which reference information of the search engine (303) is recorded.A method for performing a search operation using an input device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein in the computer system the search target (114), the search description (112) and the identifier (230) are packaged into a search packet, which is then transmitted via a network to the search engine (303) associated with the identifier (230), so that the search engine (303) performs a search operation based on the search target (114) and the search description (112) in the search packet.The method of performing a search operation using an input device of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein execution of the method of performing a search operation using an input device (20) is triggered by a search hotkey or a combination of multiple keys on the input device (20).An input device comprising: - a controller (201); - a memory (203) electrically connected to the controller (201) and in which one or more identifiers (230) associated with one or more search engines (303) are recorded; and - a transmission circuit electrically connected to the controller (201) and for connection to a computer system; wherein by means of the input device (20) a search target (114) is selected which is a text portion or a pattern displayed on a user interface and which is selected via the input device (20), the computer system is configured to generate a search description (112) by a search program executed in the computer system using a token of a natural language model (301) to convert a search request into information, which can be processed by the natural language model (301) and one or more of the identifiers (230) is / are obtained from the memory (203), wherein the search target (114), the search description (112) and the identifier (230) are transmitted to the one or more of the search engines (303) assigned to the identifier (230), so that the search engine (303) performs a search on the basis of the search target (114) and the search description (112) in order to generate a search result.The input device according to claim 5, wherein the identifier (230) recorded in the memory (203) of the input device (20) is an application programming interface key (230) in which reference information of the search engine (303) is recorded.The input device of claim 5 or 6, wherein execution of the method for performing a search operation using an input device (20) is triggered by a search hot key or a combination of multiple keys on the input device (20).

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