Methods and apparatus for initiating an action

Abstract

Some embodiments relate to techniques for receiving a query from a device, the query comprising content; determining based at least in part on the content of the query that an application is to be launched on the device; and causing the device to launch the application using at least some information determined from the content of the query. Some embodiments relate to techniques for receiving a free-form query from a user; transferring a representation of the query to at least one computer; and receiving from the at least one computer at least one instruction to launch an application on the device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . A method, comprising:
 using at least one computer to perform acts of:
 (A) receiving a query from a mobile device configured to communicate over a wireless communication medium with the at least one computer, the query comprising content including at least a first word and a second word; 
 (B) determining a first information category based at least in part on the first word and a second information category based at least in part on the second word; 
 (C) determining, based at least in part on the first information category and the second information category and without prompting a user of the mobile device for any additional input, that an application is to be launched on the mobile device; and 
 (D) in response to performing (C), causing the mobile device to launch the application using at least some information determined from the content of the query. 
   
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the act (C) further comprises identifying at least one general-purpose Internet search engine to which to submit a representation of the query, and further comprising an act (E) of issuing instructions to the mobile device to issue a query to the at least one general-purpose Internet search engine. 
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the act (C) comprises determining that any of a plurality of applications is to be launched on the mobile device, and the act (D) comprises issuing at least one instruction to the mobile device instructing the mobile device to determine whether any of the plurality of applications is on the mobile device, and to launch at least one of the plurality of applications determined to be on the mobile device. 
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 84 , wherein the at least one instruction defines a sequence in which the mobile device is to determine whether any of the plurality of applications is on the mobile device. 
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 85 , wherein the sequence is defined based at least in part on consideration received by a provider of one of the plurality of applications. 
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the act (D) comprises issuing at least one instruction to the mobile device defining a type of application to be launched on the mobile device. 
     
     
         88 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein the act (D) comprises issuing at least one instruction to the mobile device to launch a specific application known to be installed on the mobile device. 
     
     
         89 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon which, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform a method comprising acts of:
 (A) receiving a query from a mobile device configured to communicate over a wireless communication medium with the at least one computer, the query comprising content including at least a first word and a second word;   (B) determining a first information category based at least in part on the first word and a second information category based at least in part on the second word;   (C) determining, based at least in part on the first information category and the second information category and without prompting a user of the mobile device for any additional input, that an application is to be launched on the mobile device; and   (D) in response to performing (C), causing the mobile device to launch the application using at least some information determined from the content of the query.   
     
     
         90 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 89 , wherein the act (C) further comprises identifying at least one general-purpose Internet search engine to which to submit a representation of the query, and further comprising an act (E) of issuing instructions to the mobile device to issue a query to the at least one general-purpose Internet search engine. 
     
     
         91 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 89 , wherein the act (C) comprises determining that any of a plurality of applications is to be launched on the mobile device, and the act (D) comprises issuing at least one instruction to the mobile device instructing the mobile device to determine whether any of the plurality of applications is on the mobile device, and to launch at least one of the plurality of applications determined to be on the mobile device. 
     
     
         92 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 91 , wherein the at least one instruction defines a sequence in which the device is to determine whether any of the plurality of applications is on the mobile device. 
     
     
         93 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 92 , wherein the sequence is defined based at least in part on consideration received by a provider of one of the plurality of applications. 
     
     
         94 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 89 , wherein the act (D) comprises issuing at least one instruction to the mobile device defining a type of application to be launched on the mobile device. 
     
     
         95 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 89 , wherein the act comprises issuing at least one instruction to the mobile device to launch a specific application known to be installed on the mobile device. 
     
     
         96 . At least one computer, comprising:
 at least one processor, programmed to:
 receive a query from a mobile device configured to communicate over a wireless communication medium with the at least one computer, the query comprising content including at least a first word and a second word; 
 determine a first information category based at least in part on the first word and a second information category based at least in part on the second word; 
 determine, based at least in part on the first information category and the second information category and without prompting a user of the mobile device for any additional input, that an application is to be launched on the mobile device; and 
 in response to determining that the application is to be launched on the mobile device, causing the mobile device to launch the application using at least some information determined from the content of the query. 
   
     
     
         97 . The at least one computer of  claim 96 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to identify at least one general-purpose Internet search engine to which to submit a representation of the query, and to issue instructions to the mobile device to issue a query to the at least one general-purpose Internet search engine. 
     
     
         98 . The at least one computer of  claim 96 , wherein the at least one processor is programmed to determine that any of a plurality of applications is to be launched on the mobile device, and to issue at least one instruction to the mobile device instructing the mobile device to determine whether any of the plurality of applications is on the mobile device and to launch at least one of the plurality of applications determined to be on the mobile device. 
     
     
         99 . The at least one computer of  claim 98 , wherein the at least one instruction defines a sequence in which the mobile device is to determine whether any of the plurality of applications is on the mobile device. 
     
     
         100 . The at least one computer of  claim 96 , wherein the act (C) comprises issuing at least one instruction to the mobile device defining a type of application to be launched on the mobile device. 
     
     
         101 . The at least one computer of  claim 96 , wherein the act (C) comprises issuing at least one instruction to the mobile device to launch a specific application known to be installed on the mobile device.