System and method for event triggered search results

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for displaying search results upon the occurrence or detection of an event and/or time-delay. The present provides a user with the ability to view search results upon satisfaction of an event trigger or specified time delay (e.g., a rule). The disclosed systems and methods enable features that allow a user to link a search query and/or a set or sets of results for the search query to a trigger, whereby upon detection and satisfaction of such trigger, the search (and/or related results) are displayed. Such trigger can be associated with, but not limited to, a calendar event, to-do list item, location, a product or contact person, among other types of event based information events.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a computing device, event data associated with an event of a user, said event data comprising a trigger that causes a search to be performed upon arrival of said event, said search associated with a context of said event;   detecting, via the computing device, said arrival of the event;   causing, via the trigger within said event data, the computing device to execute a search based on said detection, said search comprising the computing device, upon detection of said arrival of the event, searching a content item database for a set of digital content items that correspond to said context of the event;   generating, via the computing device, an alert for said event, said alert comprising displayable information related to said event data and information associated with the set of digital content items; and   communicating, via the computing device, said alert to a device of said user, said communication causing the alert to be displayed such that the event data and the information related to the set of digital content items are displayed on a display of the user device.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 searching, prior to said detected event, the content item database for the set of digital content items that correspond to said context of the event; and   pre-caching in a memory associated with the computing device said information associated with the set of digital content items.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 retrieving, from said memory, said information associated with the set of digital content items upon said detection, wherein said generating is based on said retrieval.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said event corresponds to an activity of said user. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said activity of the user is a real-world activity. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said activity of the user corresponds to an electronic activity performed via the user device on a network. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said event is defined according to information of an event application, wherein said alert data is communicated to said user in accordance with the event application. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said event application is based on a type of said event data. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said searching comprises the computing device initiating and executing a search application separate from the event application used to detect said event. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said generation of the alert comprises embedding said information associated with the set of digital content items with said event data. 
     
     
         31 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoded with computer-executable instructions, that when executed by a computing device, perform a method comprising:
 receiving, at the computing device, event data associated with an event of a user, said event data comprising a trigger that causes a search to be performed upon arrival of said event, said search associated with a context of said event;   detecting, via the computing device, said arrival of the event;   causing, via the trigger within said event data, the computing device to execute a search based on said detection, said search comprising the computing device, upon detection of said arrival of the event, searching a content item database for a set of digital content items that correspond to said context of the event;   generating, via the computing device, an alert for said event, said alert comprising displayable information related to said event data and information associated with the set of digital content items; and   communicating, via the computing device, said alert to a device of said user, said communication causing the alert to be displayed such that the event data and the information related to the set of digital content items are displayed on a display of the user device.   
     
     
         32 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 searching, prior to said detected event, the content item database for the set of digital content items that correspond to said context of the event; and   pre-caching in a memory associated with the computing device said information associated with the set of digital content items.   
     
     
         33 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 retrieving, from said memory, said information associated with the set of digital content items upon said detection, wherein said generating is based on said retrieval.   
     
     
         34 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein said event corresponds to an activity of said user. 
     
     
         35 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 34 , wherein said activity of the user is at least one of a real-world activity, an electronic activity performed via the user device on a network, or some combination thereof 
     
     
         36 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein said event is defined according to information of an event application, wherein said alert data is communicated to said user in accordance with the event application. 
     
     
         37 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 36 , wherein said event application is based on a type of said event data. 
     
     
         38 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 36 , wherein said searching comprises the computing device initiating and executing a search application separate from the event application used to detect said event. 
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 31 , wherein said generation of the alert comprises embedding said information associated with the set of digital content items with said event data. 
     
     
         40 . A computing device comprising:
 a processor;   a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
 logic executed by the processor for receiving, at the computing device, event data associated with an event of a user, said event data comprising a trigger that causes a search to be performed upon arrival of said event, said search associated with a context of said event; 
 logic executed by the processor for detecting, via the computing device, said arrival of the event; 
 logic executed by the processor for causing, via the trigger within said event data, the computing device to execute a search based on said detection, said search comprising the computing device, upon detection of said arrival of the event, searching a content item database for a set of digital content items that correspond to said context of the event; 
 logic executed by the processor for generating, via the computing device, an alert for said event, said alert comprising displayable information related to said event data and information associated with the set of digital content items; and 
 logic executed by the processor for communicating, via the computing device, said alert to a device of said user, said communication causing the alert to be displayed such that the event data and the information related to the set of digital content items are displayed on a display of the user device.