Dialer Application Search Result Display Formats

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users of mobile devices face inefficiencies when searching for business information within dialer applications, as search results often lack necessary details, requiring users to exit the app and search in a browser for additional information, increasing time and processing resources needed.

Innovation Solution

The dialer application displays search results in a knowledge panel format for the first result and a summary format for others, allowing users to toggle between formats and place calls directly from the app, reducing the need to switch applications and minimizing network traffic.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If search results are displayed in a dialer application, then users can access basic entity information, but the search results are duplicative or fail to satisfy user information needs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidsearch result structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments search results into multiple formats (knowledge panel format and summary format) to provide different levels of information detail. The knowledge panel format displays comprehensive information including photos, hours, reviews, and maps, while the summary format provides concise entity names and addresses. This segmentation allows users to access appropriate information depth without overwhelming the interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a dimensional aspect to search results by implementing expandable knowledge panels that transform from compact summary views to expanded detailed views. This dimensional transformation allows the same search result element to provide varying levels of information completeness based on user interaction, resolving the contradiction between information completeness and interface simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of information

If users exit the dialer application to search in a browser application, then additional information can be found, but time and processing resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidsearch time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functionality of the dialer application with comprehensive search capabilities previously available only in browser applications. By integrating knowledge panel displays with photos, hours, reviews, maps, and direction links directly within the dialer, users can access all necessary information without switching applications, eliminating time loss while maintaining information completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The dialer application is enhanced with multi-functional capabilities to serve as both a calling tool and a comprehensive information source. The search result display field can present entity information, photos, operational hours, user reviews, maps, and direction links, making the dialer a universal tool that replaces the need to switch to browser applications for information gathering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If comprehensive information is displayed in the dialer application, then user information needs are satisfied, but processing resources and network traffic increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidprocessing resources
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic search result displays that adapt to user interactions. Knowledge panels are expandable and collapsible, allowing the system to load and display comprehensive information only when users expand them, rather than pre-loading all data. This dynamic approach reduces initial processing resources while maintaining the capability to provide complete information when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and organizing entity data into structured knowledge panels that can be efficiently displayed. Search results are pre-formatted with all necessary information categories (photos, hours, reviews, maps), allowing the system to quickly render comprehensive information without intensive real-time processing when users interact with the results.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3338201B1Dialer application
Publication Date: 2020.01.08 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3338201B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3338201B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3338201B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for displaying search results in a dialer application so as to, for example, increase the likelihood that a user's informational need may be satisfied without the need to switch to a different application, such as a browser application. This provides a saving in required computing resources and/or a reduction in network traffic, since the user is able to place a call directly from the dialer application without needing to call up on or more other applications. The search results may be displayed as multi-format search results.