Performing Searches And Accessing Search Results Using Different Devices

Abstract

Techniques include transmitting, using a searching device, a search query to a search system configured to generate search results in response to a received search query. The techniques further include receiving search results from the search system at the searching device. In this example, each search result indicates a function for a computing device to perform. For example, a user selecting each search result may cause a computing device to set a software application into a particular application state. The techniques also include displaying the search results on the searching device, detecting a user selection of one of the search results at the searching device, and transmitting, using the searching device, an indication of the user selection to a performing device. In this example, the performing device is configured to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, using a searching device, a search query to a search system configured to generate search results in response to a received search query;   receiving search results from the search system at the searching device in response to the search query, wherein each search result indicates a function for a computing device to perform;   displaying the search results on the searching device;   detecting a user selection of one of the search results at the searching device; and   transmitting, using the searching device, an indication of the user selection to a performing device, wherein the performing device is configured to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one of the search results includes an access mechanism, and wherein to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results, the performing device is configured to set an application into a state of the application using the access mechanism. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the application comprises a native application, wherein the access mechanism references the native application and indicates one or more operations for the native application to perform, and wherein to set the native application into the state of the native application using the access mechanism, the performing device is configured to launch the native application on the performing device and cause the native application to perform the one or more operations. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the one of the search results further includes an application download address, and wherein to set the native application into the state of the native application using the access mechanism, the performing device is further configured to install the native application on the performing device using the application download address prior to launching the native application and causing the native application to perform the one or more operations. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the application comprises a web-based application, wherein the access mechanism includes a uniform resource locator (URL), and wherein to set the web-based application into the state of the web-based application using the access mechanism, the performing device is configured to launch a web-browser application on the performing device and access the state of the web-based application using the URL. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results, the performing device is configured to:
 display an expanded version of the one of the search results to the user;   receive a selection of the expanded version of the one of the search results from the user; and   perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the selection of the expanded version of the one of the search results.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the searching device is a user-wearable computing device having attachments to affix to a user's body. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the searching device comprises one of a wrist watch computing device that is configured to be worn on a user's wrist, a headset computing device that is configured to be worn on a user's head, and a contact lens computing device that is configured to be worn in a user's eye. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the searching device comprises one of a smart phone computing device, a tablet computing device, and a computing device that is installed in a vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the performing device comprises one of a smart phone computing device, a tablet computing device, and a computing device that is installed in a vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the searching device is connected to the performing device via a tethered connection comprising at least one of a wired connection and a short-range wireless connection. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein transmitting the search query to the search system comprises transmitting the search query via the tethered connection. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein receiving the search results from the search system comprises receiving the search results via the tethered connection. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein transmitting the indication of the user selection to the performing device comprises transmitting the indication via the tethered connection. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the search query to the search system comprises transmitting the search query via a first network connection, and wherein transmitting the indication of the user selection to the performing device comprises transmitting the indication via a second network connection that is different than the first network connection. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first network connection is one of a cellular network connection and a Wi-Fi® connection, and the second network connection is a Bluetooth® connection. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the search query to the search system comprises transmitting the search query via a network connection, and wherein transmitting the indication of the user selection to the performing device comprises transmitting the indication via the same network connection. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the search query to the search system comprises transmitting the search query via an intermediate computing device, wherein the intermediate computing device and the performing device are different computing devices, and wherein receiving the search results from the search system comprises receiving the search results via the intermediate computing device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one of the search results includes an access mechanism, wherein transmitting the indication of the user selection to the performing device comprises transmitting the access mechanism, and wherein to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication, the performing device is configured to set an application into a state of the application using the access mechanism. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one of the search results includes an access mechanism, wherein transmitting the indication of the user selection to the performing device comprises transmitting an identifier that indicates the one of the search results, and wherein to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication, the performing device is configured to:
 retrieve the one of the search results using the identifier;   select the access mechanism from the one of the search results; and   set an application into a state of the application using the access mechanism.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the indication of the user selection to the performing device comprises transmitting an identifier that indicates a function record used to generate the one of the search results, wherein the function record includes an access mechanism, and wherein to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication, the performing device is configured to:
 access the function record using the identifier;   select the access mechanism from the function record; and   set an application into a state of the application using the access mechanism.   
     
     
         22 . A system comprising:
 a searching device;   a performing device; and   a search system, wherein the search system is configured to receive a search query from the searching device and transmit search results that are responsive to the search query to the searching device, wherein the searching device is configured to display the search results to a user, receive a selection of one of the search results from the user, and transmit an indication of the selection to the performing device, and wherein the performing device is configured to perform a function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the one of the search results includes an access mechanism, and wherein to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results, the performing device is configured to set an application into a state of the application using the access mechanism. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the application comprises a native application, wherein the access mechanism references the native application and indicates one or more operations for the native application to perform, and wherein to set the native application into the state of the native application using the access mechanism, the performing device is configured to launch the native application on the performing device and cause the native application to perform the one or more operations. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the application comprises a web-based application, wherein the access mechanism includes a uniform resource locator (URL), and wherein to set the web-based application into the state of the web-based application using the access mechanism, the performing device is configured to launch a web-browser application on the performing device and access the state of the web-based application using the URL. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results, the performing device is configured to:
 display an expanded version of the one of the search results to the user;   receive a selection of the expanded version of the one of the search results from the user; and   perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the selection of the expanded version of the one of the search results.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the searching device comprises one of a user-wearable computing device having attachments to affix to a user's body, a smart phone computing device, a tablet computing device, and a computing device that is installed in a vehicle. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the performing device comprises one of a smart phone computing device, a tablet computing device, and a computing device that is installed in a vehicle. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the searching device is connected to the performing device via a tethered connection comprising at least one of a wired connection and a short-range wireless connection, and wherein the searching device is configured to perform one of more of transmitting the search query to the search system, receiving the search results from the search system, and transmitting the indication of the user selection to the performing device via the tethered connection. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein to transmit the search query to the search system, the searching device is configured to transmit the search query via a first network connection, and wherein to transmit the indication of the user selection to the performing device, the searching device is configured to transmit the indication via a second network connection that is different than the first network connection. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein to transmit the search query to the search system, the searching device is configured to transmit the search query via a network connection, and wherein to transmit the indication of the user selection to the performing device, the searching device is configured to transmit the indication via the same network connection. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising an intermediate computing device that is a different computing device than the performing device, wherein to receive the search query from the searching device, the search system is configured to receive the search query via the intermediate computing device, and wherein to transmit the search results to the searching device, the search system is configured to transmit the search results via the intermediate computing device. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the one of the search results includes an access mechanism, wherein to transmit the indication of the user selection to the performing device, the searching device is configured to transmit the access mechanism, and wherein to perform the thud:ion indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication, the performing device is configured to set an application into a state of the application using the access mechanism. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the one of the search results includes an access mechanism, wherein to transmit the indication of the user selection to the performing device, the searching device is configured to transmit an identifier that indicates the one of the search results, and wherein to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication, the performing device is configured to:
 retrieve the one of the search results using the identifier;   select the access mechanism from the one of the search results; and   set an application into a state of the application using the access mechanism.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein to transmit the indication of the user selection to the performing device, the searching device is configured to transmit an identifier that indicates a function record used to generate the one of the search results, wherein the function record includes an access mechanism, and wherein to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication, the performing device is configured to:
 access the function record using the identifier;   select the access mechanism from the function record; and   set an application into a state of the application using the access mechanism.   
     
     
         36 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause one or more computing devices to:
 transmit, using a searching device, a search query to a search system configured to generate search results in response to a received search query;   receive search results from the search system at the searching device in response to the search query, wherein each search result indicates a function for a computing device to perform;   display the search results on the searching device;   detect a user selection of one of the search results at the searching device; and   transmit, using the searching device, an indication of the user selection to a performing device, wherein the performing device is configured to perform the function indicated by the one of the search results in response to receiving the indication.