Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Excalibur IP, LLC

Yahoo! Inc.

Oath Inc.

Paul Alex Broman

Roberto C Taboada

Glenn L Frankel

Jeff Reynar

Brian M Jones

Robert Andrew Little

Frank Taehyun Yoo

Tim Rechin

Jessi Dong

Jon Sweet

Joe Keng Yap

Stephen Owens

Parag Jain

Jayadev Chandrasekhar

Burke Culligan

Ariel Seidman

John Hazelwood

Steven Carlson

David Pham

David Watanabe

Marcin Sawicki

Jeffrey Carey Reynar

John Greene

When a user enters a primary search query into a primary search query input area to perform a first search of the primary search query, disclosed is a method and system for automatically entering the primary search query into a secondary search query input area to perform a second search of the primary search query. When the user enters a secondary search query into the secondary search query input area to perform a first search of the secondary search query, the method and system automatically enters the secondary search query into the primary search query input area to perform a second search of the secondary search query.

Method and system for performing bi-directional search

Disclosed is a method and system for navigating, by a browser executing on the computing device, to a web page; transmitting by a client-side module executing on the computing device to a server computer over a network a request to the server computer for topics associated with the web page; receiving, by the computing device, a set of (one or more) topics associated with the web page from the server computer; displaying by the browser in a first content area the web page; and displaying by the browser in a second content area the received set of topics associated with the web page.

Method and system for topic-based browsing

Disclosed is a method and computing device that receives a web page and locates text elements in the web page, where each text element includes a set of one or more characters or symbols. For each text element found, the computing device assigns a weight value to the each text element. The computing device then stores the text from the each text element in a relevant text storage if the weight value for the each text element is above a threshold weight or similar in layout or content to elements above the threshold weight.

Method and system for determining relevant text in a web page

Disclosed is a method and apparatus that receives, over a network from a computing device being used by a user, a request to configure a first software module host with respect to a software module, the first software module host associated with the user. The apparatus transmits over the network to the computing device instructions to configure, for display by the computing device, the first software module host in accordance with the request. The apparatus computer transmits over the network to the computing device instructions to apply the same configuration with respect to the software module to a second software module host, the second software module host also associated with the user.

Method and system for synchronizing software module hosts

A method and system for providing personalized search results is disclosed. A computer receives input from a user to navigate to a web site (either directly or as a result of choosing a result from a search result page). The computer navigates to the web site and stores information about the web site in a file. The computer determines web sites associated with a search query of the user as the search query is being entered into a search area of a user interface. The associated web sites are sites that have been previously navigated to by the user. The determining step includes obtaining the web sites associated with the search query from a data structure previously generated from the file. The data structure includes parsed entries of URLs associated with the previously navigated web sites. Based on the determining step, web site links corresponding to the associated web sites are displayed as the search query is being entered.

Method and system for web searching

Personalized search results utilizing previously navigated web sites

Disclosed is a method and system for displaying topical history of a user's browsing experience. A browser executing on a computing device navigates to a web page. A client-side module executing on the computing device obtains a set of topics associated with the web page. The client-side module determines other topics related to the set of topics associated with the web page. The client-side module determines web pages associated with the other topics that the browser has previously navigated to within a predetermined past period of time. The browser displays in a first content area the web page, and the browser displays in a second content area the set of topics associated with the web page, the other topics related to the set of topics, and links to the web pages associated with the other topics.

Method and system for topical browser history

Disclosed is a method and system for displaying one or more actions associated with a domain. A server computer receives over a network from a client-side module executing on a computing device a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a web page to which a user has navigated via a browser executing on the computing device. The server computer determines that the web page is part of a domain that the user has navigated to more than a predetermined number of times within a given period of time. The server computer determines a category associated with the web page and determines one or more actions associated with the domain. The server computer transmits to the computing device for display in the browser a link, the link representing an action associated with the domain and with the category associated with the web page.

Method and system for action suggestion using browser history

A formatting tool enables 'smart' copy and paste functions. The 'smart' copy and paste functions can be invoked in a context-sensitive manner, depending on the conditions under which the copy and paste functions are implemented. The present invention will automatically include in a selection a paragraph marker at the end of a selected paragraph, if every other textual character in the paragraph has been selected. The present invention will discard a paragraph mark that is included in pasted text if the pasted text is pasted into the middle of another paragraph, indicating that the user prefers the formatting of the pasted-into paragraph. The present invention also reduces inconsistencies in formatting styles that may exist between source and target documents automatically redefining a style in the target document to conform to a corresponding style in the source document. The present invention also automatically adjusts paragraph spacing, in response to text being pasted into a target document. In response to various scenarios, the present invention will determine the most likely paragraph spacing intended by the user and will apply the most probable paragraph spacing to the pasted paragraph. The present invention also automatically adjusts list, table, and spreadsheet formatting, in response to such document elements being pasted into a differently-formatted target document. Finally, the present invention provides a convenient recovery dialog that may be invoked to alter any automatically-implemented formatting decisions.

Automated document formatting tool

A method and system are provided for creation, implementation, and use of computer-generated 'smart' documents to which functionality is attached for providing contextually sensitive tools, controls and help content to users of those documents. Portions of documents are annotated with Extensible Markup Language (XML) tags and structure so that when a user enters those portions, such as by placing a computer cursor in those portions, the user is provided contextually sensitive tools, controls and/or help content. A document tools pane may open on the user's computer screen adjacent to the document being edited for providing the document tools, controls or help content related to the context of the text or data in which the cursor is located. If the user moves the cursor to another portion of the document, the user may obtain information associated with the context of the new portion of the document in which the cursor is located.

Providing contextually sensitive tools and help content in computer-generated documents

Methods and systems are provided for dynamically configuring document solutions and for obtaining desired or required components of such document solutions for use with computer-generated documents. If a document is associated with a document solution, a request for components of the solution is sent to a manifest of document solutions. Identification of a user of the document is also passed to the manifest. At the manifest, identification information for the user is used to query a user database to determine a profile of the user such as the user's job description, location, security clearance, and the like. Based on the user's profile, the document solution is configured dynamically to include solution components most helpful to the particular user. A manifest collection is provided for serving as a repository of document solution location information for many different namespaces (schemas) that may be associated with one or more user documents.

Growing community of inventors

Maitland, FL, United States of America

Paul Alex Broman