Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Carlos Yeung

Bruce Alan Morgan

Israel Hilerio

Alexander H Malek

Justin Martin Posey

Amit Gupta

Mara B Patton

Christopher M Vaughan

Phu Hoang Le

Kinnary M Jangla

John E Davis

Mustapha Jaber

Christophe Marle

Oliver Wallace

Aaron J Sauve

Amar S Gandhi

Prashant Singh

Mary-Lynne Williams

Martin J Hall

Various embodiments enable a web site to expose various search providers that it promotes to browsers that navigate to that site. In at least some embodiments, the search providers are exposed using the HTML of a web page. When a browser navigates to that site, it processes the HTML of the associated web page and exposes the promoted search providers to the user. In at least some embodiments, the browser can permit use of one or more search providers without requiring the user to install the search provider. Alternately or additionally, in at least some other embodiments, the browser can enable the user to quickly and efficiently install the search provider so that the search provider can be available whenever the user uses their browser application.

Automatic browser search provider detection and usage

Web applications are created and installed in response to user interactions with browser menus and browser links. In some instances, a browser menu selection or a selection of an icon associated with a URL in a web browser triggers the web application creation. A link to the web application may be presented in a task bar or a menu of an application on a client device.

Dynamic web application notifications including task bar overlays

Drag and drop operations are associated with the installation of web applications. In some instances, drag and drop operations include the selection of an icon associated with a URL in a web browser. When the selected icon is dragged to a taskbar of a desktop, a corresponding web application file is created.

Various embodiments provide a Web browser that employs a relevancy algorithm to make an educated guess as to the likelihood of a user's intended destination when the user begins to enter text into a browser's address bar. In one or more embodiments, the relevancy algorithm employs various parameters and assigns weights to the parameters to arrive at a collection of suggestions to provide to the user. By using various rules, associated weightings, and the relevancy algorithm, relevant suggestions can be provided to a user to facilitate their navigation activities.

Relevancy sorting of user's browser history

Embodiments present a common access mechanism that can be used by one or more applications to access different data sources in a storage layer and have data stored in the data sources returned to the one or more applications. The common access mechanism can be presented by a data model that is implemented by a query and aggregation layer of an extensible querying/scheduling system. At least some individual data sources store data in different formats and have their own specific access mechanisms of which the one or more applications are unaware. In embodiments, the data model creates one or more data providers that are individually associated with individual data sources and knowledgeable of how to access data stored in an associated data source. At least some of the data providers receive queries for data and execute the queries using a different thread than the data model. At least some of the data providers are creatable on a thread that is a same thread as the data model.

Extensible data provider querying and scheduling system

Various embodiments provide a mechanism to allow end users to install web applications and websites onto their desktop. In accordance with one or more embodiments, client-side code can be utilized to allow developers associated with a website to define boundaries associated with user interaction, and have those boundaries enforced by a run-time engine. In at least some embodiments, developers can provide, through JavaScript code and/or HTML markup, various configurations for the creation of a start menu shortcut, navigation, and so-called jumplist integration.

Web application navigation domains

Various embodiments receive, at a client device, selection of a website integration feature and initiate, on behalf of an associated website, a web application installation process. The process causes a web application file to be created on the client device and populated with web application content including a list that constitutes a set of relevant tasks or content that is configured to be presented to a user. The list defines one or more dynamic elements that can be dynamically updated by the website.

Web application pinning including task bar pinning

Embodiments provide a query and aggregation layer that is communicatively coupled to, and independent of, a presentation layer and a storage layer. The query and aggregation layer includes a data model configured to expose an access mechanism that is usable to access different data sources in the storage layer. A search query is received from the presentation layer, and one or more data providers identified in the search query are ascertained. At least some of the data providers are creatable on a same thread as that of the data model. Also, the search query is issued to identified data providers in the query and aggregation layer effective to cause the identified data providers to execute the search query on data sources associated with the identified data providers. Additionally, search results are received at the data model from the identified data providers and returned to the presentation layer.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Carlos Yeung