Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Quixey, Inc.

Taher Savliwala

Jonathan Ben-Tzur

Eric Chen

Eric J Glover

Gilead Mark

Sameer Patil

Liron Shapira

Tomer Kagan

Prateek Bhatnagar

Techniques include receiving a search query from a searching device and one or more of first data corresponding to the searching device or second data corresponding to a performing device. The searching device is configured to transmit search queries to a search system and receive search results from the search system in response to the search queries. Each search result indicates a function for a computing device to perform. The searching device is configured to display the search results, detect user selections of the search results, and transmit indications of the user selections to the performing device. The performing device is configured to perform functions indicated by the search results associated with the user selections in response to receiving the indications. The techniques further include generating search results based on the search query and based on the first and/or second data, and transmitting the search results to the searching device.

Facilitating performing searches and accessing search results using different devices

A system includes a user interface presented to a developer. The developer selects a first function to supplement functionality of a first application with external functionality available from third party applications. A code generation module provides a software object to the developer for incorporation into a first state of the first application. The first state includes a user interface element associated with an entity. User selection of the user interface element initiates preparation of a query wrapper including a combination of the entity's name and a predefined text string corresponding to the first function. The query wrapper is transmitted to a search system and a result set is received and displayed. A first item of the result set includes an access mechanism for a specified state of a target application. User selection of the first item causes the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified state.

State-specific external functionality for software developers

A search server that provides search results to a mobile computing device based on an age of a current user of the mobile computing device. The search server receives a search request from the mobile computing device. The search request includes a search query, and an image captured by a front-facing camera of the mobile computing device. The search server estimates an age of the current user based on the image. The search server can estimate the age of the current user by extracting one or more facial features from the image, and determine the estimated age based on the extracted facial features. Upon estimating the age of the current user, the search server can filter out search results that may not be suitable for the current user based on the estimated age of the current user. The search server can also assign lower relevance scores to search results that may not be relevant to the current user based on the estimated age of the current user.

Providing search results based on an estimated age of a current user of a mobile computing device

A system stores information identifying functions and corresponding unique identifiers. Each of the functions corresponds to external functionality available from third party applications. An application developer selects one of the functions to supplement functionality of their application. The system provides a software object to the application developer. The software object includes instructions for, in response to user selection of a user interface element, preparing a query wrapper including the corresponding unique identifier of the function and an identifier of a corresponding entity. The instructions transmit the query wrapper to a search system and receive a result set from the search system. An item in the result set includes an access mechanism for a specified state of a target application. The instructions display the result set and, in response to user selection of the item, actuate the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified state.

Entity-based external functionality for software developers

A method of operating an application search system includes storing application records corresponding respectively to applications. The method includes storing, in a privacy record data store, for each application, a global privacy indicator specific to the application and applicable to all users. The method includes, in response to receiving a first search query from a user device, identifying search results responsive to the first search query from the application records. The method includes, for each search result, selectively determining a privacy indicator based on the privacy record data store. The method includes determining a search sensitivity value based on the privacy indicators and declaring the first search query as private based on the search sensitivity value. The method includes transmitting the search results to the user device. The method includes, in response to the first search query being declared as private, transmitting a search privacy indicator to the user device.

Privacy-respecting computerized application search system

A system includes a data store storing information identifying multiple functions and corresponding unique identifiers. Each of the functions corresponds to external functionality available from third party applications. The system receives a selection from an application developer of a function to supplement functionality of an application under development. The system provides a software object to the application developer for incorporation into a state of the application. The software object includes instructions for extracting text from the state and preparing a query wrapper including the corresponding unique identifier of the function and the extracted text. The instructions receive a result set, including an item that includes an identifier of a target application and an access mechanism for a specified state of the target application. The instructions display the item and, in response to user selection of the item, actuate the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified state.

Dynamic entity inference for developer integration of entity-based external functionality

A system of one or more computing devices includes a user interface presented to a developer. A data store stores information identifying multiple functions, each corresponding to external functionality available from third party applications. The developer selects at least one of the functions to supplement functionality of a first application. A code generation module provides a software object for incorporation into the first application. The software object includes instructions for transmitting a query wrapper to a search system. The query wrapper includes a predefined text string corresponding to one of the functions selected by the developer. The software object includes instructions for receiving and displaying a result set including multiple items, each including a name and corresponding access mechanism of an application. The software object includes instructions for, in response to user selection of a first item, actuating the access mechanism to download or open the corresponding application.

Development system and method for providing external functionality

A system includes a data processing device, a memory, identifications of applications, and a privacy indication module. Each identification of the application has associated therewith a privacy indicator that indicating a degree of expected privacy of each of the corresponding applications. The privacy indication module is configured to control the data processing device to set each of the privacy indicators of each of the identifications of the applications and to provide at least one of the privacy indicators to control publication of information corresponding to at least one of the applications.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Taher Savliwala