Query Expansion via Drag-and-Drop on Virtual Keyboards
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Solution Overview
Problem
The small form factor of mobile device displays makes it difficult to provide effective query suggestions, as they often overlay and disrupt the user's view of content, and typing on a touch keyboard is slow and error-prone.
Innovation Solution
A query expansion technique that allows users to drag and drop objects from search results or other user interfaces into a query input interface to modify or create queries, with candidate query objects being visually distinguished within search results to facilitate non-disruptive query refinement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If query suggestions are displayed on mobile device screens, then query refinement capability is improved, but the suggestions overlay and disrupt the user's view of content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the query suggestion functionality from the main content display area and relocates it to a separate virtual keyboard interface. This allows suggestions to be presented without overlaying or blocking the underlying content, resolving the contradiction between providing query refinement assistance and maintaining content visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new spatial dimension by implementing a virtual keyboard that appears as an overlay layer above the content display. This dimensional separation allows query suggestions to coexist with content without visual interference, as the keyboard occupies a different z-space while remaining interactively accessible.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional autocomplete suggestions are provided, then query expansion is enabled, but the small display size limits the number of suggestions that can be shown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the query suggestion presentation into individual keys on a virtual keyboard rather than displaying multiple suggestions simultaneously in a limited space. This segmentation allows numerous suggestions to be organized and accessed systematically, overcoming the display area constraint while maintaining comprehensive query expansion capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual keyboard dynamically adapts its presentation based on user interaction, allowing suggestions to be revealed and accessed as needed rather than requiring all suggestions to be visible at once. This dynamic approach enables comprehensive query expansion capability within the constraints of a small display area.
3Ease of operation
If typing on a touch keyboard is used for query input, then query submission is enabled, but the process is slow and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by automatically generating and presenting query suggestions on the virtual keyboard before the user needs to submit the query. Users can select from pre-computed suggestions rather than typing each character, significantly reducing query input time and errors while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service by automatically generating relevant query suggestions based on the current context and user intent, eliminating the need for manual typing. The virtual keyboard presents ready-to-use suggestions that serve the user's query formulation needs without requiring time-consuming manual input.
Data Source
AI summary
One or more computing devices, systems, and/or methods for query expansion are provided. For example, a search user interface is populated with search results of a query submitted through a computing device. User input is received through the search user interface for an object, such as a drag and drop command of a phrase occurring within the search results. The user input may drag the phrase from a search result to a query input user interface. In this way, the query is modified based upon the object, such as where the phrase is added to the query to create a modified query. Second search results for the modified query are displayed through the search user interface.