Multi-prefix Search for Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
In a mobile communications environment, existing technologies face challenges in efficiently retrieving targeted information quickly with minimal user interaction due to hardware limitations, user interface constraints, network bandwidth, and latency issues, lacking a scalable and integrated search mechanism that can handle a broad domain of information channels.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of multi-prefix and multi-tier search techniques that allow users to enter fewer keystrokes by using prefixes to search across multiple tiers of information channels, with interactive query construction and dynamic menu functionality to provide context-specific actions, leveraging remote server processing and consistent search interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional search methods are used on mobile devices, then users can access information channels, but user interaction and data entry requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-loads and caches search results and information channels before users need them. When a user initiates a search, previously cached results are immediately displayed, eliminating the need for users to wait for data entry and processing. This preliminary action significantly reduces both interaction steps and time required.
Solution Approach 2:
The search system automatically performs queries and retrieves results without requiring manual confirmation or multiple interaction steps from the user. The system self-services by autonomously handling search execution, result retrieval, and display, thereby minimizing user interaction and data entry requirements.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive search across multiple information channels is performed, then information retrieval capability improves, but network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The search system segments the comprehensive search into multiple tiers: first displaying cached or frequently accessed information channels, then progressively loading additional channels based on user interaction. This segmentation allows the system to provide complete information retrieval capability while controlling network bandwidth consumption by loading data in manageable segments rather than all at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The system initially displays a partial set of search results from cached data or most relevant channels, allowing users to access immediate information needs. Additional channels and results are loaded on-demand based on user interaction, providing comprehensive retrieval capability only when necessary, thus optimizing network bandwidth usage.
3Speed
If mobile device hardware capabilities are increased to improve search performance, then search speed improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a server-based intermediary that handles complex search processing, data caching, and result generation. The mobile device itself performs minimal processing, primarily displaying pre-processed results. This intermediary approach enables fast search performance without requiring the mobile device to have complex or expensive hardware capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical processing power requirements on the mobile device with network-based processing. Instead of requiring fast local processors and large memory on the device, the system substitutes these physical hardware requirements with server-side computational resources and network communication, achieving high search speed without increasing device complexity.
4Measurement precision
If interactive query construction is implemented, then search accuracy improves, but user interaction steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-displays suggested search queries, relevant information channels, and predicted results based on user context and historical data. Users can select from these pre-prepared options without constructing queries manually, thereby maintaining high search accuracy through sophisticated query formulation while minimizing interaction steps through simple selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The search system automatically constructs and refines queries based on user input patterns, contextual information, and search history. The system self-services by interpreting partial user input and automatically completing the query formulation, achieving high search accuracy without requiring users to manually construct complete search expressions through multiple interaction steps.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention includes systems and methods for retrieving information via a flexible and consistent targeted search model that employs interactive dynamic menu information retrieval techniques that provide context-specific functionality tailored to particular information channels, as well as to records within or across such channels, and other known state information. Users are presented with a consistent search interface among multiple tiers across and within a large domain of information sources, and need not learn different or special search syntax. A thin-client server-controlled architecture enables users of resource-constrained mobile communications devices to locate targeted information more quickly by entering fewer keystrokes and performing fewer query iterations and web page refreshes, which in turn reduces required network bandwidth.