Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Hariharan Ragunathan

Marcelo Medeiros De Barros

Rahul Lal

Kyle Matthew Miller

Tai Xin

Taylor Alexis Guerra

Nick Peine

Benjamin David Brubaker

Sarah Jiaxuan Liu

Systems and methods that implement a framework for providing a detachable browser interface (sidebar) for context-aware web services. The present framework allows for a user to detach the detachable sidebar from a web browser window and dock the sidebar to a desktop of an operating system. As a result, the context-aware web services of the sidebar can be used in conjunction with the web browser application and with other applications (e.g., browser or non-browser applications).

Detachable browser interface for context-aware web services

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to an animated notification indicator, which may be used to provide an indication of a notification. The animated notification indicator may be less distracting than displaying the notification itself, while, compared to a static indicator, the animated notification indicator may have a higher likelihood of catching the user's attention. The indicator may be animated for a predetermined amount of time, after which it may transition to a static indicator. Interaction with the indicator may display an associated notification, perform an associated action, or present a notification preview and/or set of quick actions, among other examples. In some instances, a context associated with the user's computing device may be processed by a notification platform, and the notification may thus be determined remotely. As a result, the animated notification indicator may be presented at the user's computing device as a result of such a remote determination.

Animated notification indicator

A 'while away' canvas is described herein. A client computing device detects that a page that comprises search results is displayed on a display of the client computing device, wherein the search results were identified based upon a query received from the client computing device. The client computing device subsequently detects that focus of the user has left the page. Upon detecting that focus of the user has returned to the page, the client computing device updates the page to include the “while away” canvas, which identifies additional search results (based upon the query) that were published after the page that comprises the search results was initially displayed.

Updating a search page upon return of user focus

Representative embodiments disclose mechanisms to increase readability and/or engagement of search results on a mobile device while minimizing the bandwidth consumed by transferring search results from the search system to the mobile device. A search results page comprises a plurality of containers adapted to hold content of a content type such as text, rich media, hidden content, and so forth. When the search results page is downloaded to the mobile device, only content that is visible through a viewport on the screen on the mobile device is downloaded. The content that is visible can be adjusted to enhance readability and/or engagement based on the type of content displayed such as by adjusting size, spacing, color/highlights, animations, and so forth. Content that is not visible in the viewport is not downloaded until it becomes visible in the viewport or is predicted to become visible in the viewport.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Hariharan Ragunathan