Operating system program launch menu search

Abstract

An operating system program launch menu, such as a Start menu, provides various mechanisms for a user to quickly and efficiently locate and launch desired data items such as programs, data files, storage locations, and the like. A search box within the program launch menu may be used to quickly locate programs, documents, communications, and other data items. An auto-complete feature may be used, e.g., when the user restricts the locations searched for the user-entered search text. A most commonly used program list may include programs based on various criteria including both frequency of use and recent use, thereby always including a most recently used item. An all programs view may display programs and documents in a hosted-tree view within the original confines of the program launch menu, thereby negating the need to open sub-menus on top of a large portion of the desktop displayed on the display device.

We claim: 
     
         1 . One or more computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for providing a program launch menu, the method comprising steps of:
 (a) displaying a program launch menu on a display device of a computer system, said program launch menu capable of displaying at least three views:
 i) a first view for displaying all application programs in a user-navigable structure, 
 ii) a second view for displaying most commonly used selectable items including a most recently viewed item and a most recently used item, and 
 iii) a third view for displaying search results comprising selectable items matching text input received from a user via a search interface corresponding to the program launch menu; 
   (b) upon receiving user input via a toggle control, toggling between the first and second views when no text input is in the search text input interface; and   (c) automatically displaying the third view whenever text input is received via the search text input interface.   
     
     
         2 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , further comprising changing a size of the program launch menu only upon receiving user input to explicitly resize the program launch menu. 
     
     
         3 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the program launch menu comprises a Start menu. 
     
     
         4 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , wherein the search interface comprises a text input box housed within the program launch menu. 
     
     
         5 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , wherein said third view arranges the search results into one or more groups according to a type of each matching selectable item. 
     
     
         6 . The computer readable media of  claim 5 , wherein the groups comprise at least two groups from a set of groups comprising programs, files, Internet locations, and communications. 
     
     
         7 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , wherein a selectable item matches the text input when a metadata of the selectable item contains the text input. 
     
     
         8 . The computer readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the metadata comprises an item name. 
     
     
         9 . The computer readable media of  claim 7 , wherein the metadata comprises an item author. 
     
     
         10 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , wherein a selectable item matches the text input when contents of the selectable item contain the text input. 
     
     
         11 . The computer readable media of  claim 1 , further comprising ordering items in groups in the third view based on how each item matches the text input. 
     
     
         12 . A method for toggling views within a program launch menu, the method initiating at any step, and comprising steps of:
 a) displaying a first view comprising a navigable user interface comprising all application programs selectable by a user of a computer system on which the program launch menu is displayed,
 wherein upon receiving user input via a toggle control, the method proceeds to step b) when no text input is in a search interface corresponding to the program launch menu, and 
 wherein upon receiving text input in the search interface, the method proceeds to step c); 
   b) displaying a second view comprising commonly used user-selectable items including a most recently viewed item and a most recently used item,
 wherein upon receiving user input via the toggle control, the method proceeds to step a) when no text input is in the search interface, and 
 wherein upon receiving text input in the search interface, the method proceeds to step c); and 
   c) displaying a third view comprising search results of selectable items matching text input received from a user via the search interface,
 wherein upon clearing the text input from the search interface, the method proceeds to one of steps a) and b). 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein when said text input begins with predefined text, said search results comprise lookahead search results limited to a location based on the predefined text. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said predefined text defines a storage device, and wherein said lookahead results provide selectable items stored within the storage device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said predefined text defines a network location, and wherein said lookahead results provide selectable items located at the network location. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein step c) further comprises receiving user input to automatically clear all text input in the search interface and automatically proceed to one of steps a) and b). 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the third view displays search results in groups based on how each selectable item matches the text input. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said groups comprise a programs group, a data files group, an Internet group, and an electronic communication group. 
     
     
         19 . One or more computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, provide a program launch menu user interface for display on a display device operatively connected to a computer system executing the computer readable instructions, said program launch menu having elements comprising:
 a first display area that displays user selectable items filtered by predefined criteria based on a current display state of the first display area;   a search input region for receiving user input to use as a basis for searching user-selectable items identifiable by an operating system of the computer system, wherein when input is received in the search input region the first display area transitions to a third display state; and   a user-selectable toggle element which, when selected by the user while no input is in the search input region, toggles the first display area between a first display state and a second display state,   wherein a predefined criteria of the first display state results in displaying all user-selectable items organized in a user-navigable structure displayed in the first display area,   wherein a predefined criteria of the second display state results in displaying commonly used selectable items, and   wherein a predefined criteria of the third state comprises the received user input.   
     
     
         20 . The computer readable media of  claim 19 , wherein when the first display area is in the third display state, the program launch menu further comprises a first element that, when selected by the user, clears the search input region of user input and causes the first display area to transition to one of the first and second display states.