Patents by Inventor John M. Hornkvist

John M. Hornkvist has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11977593
    Abstract: A device implementing a system for providing location based search results includes at least one processor configured to detect that a location of a device is within a location of a store or within a threshold distance of the location, and establish a connection with a wireless network of the store. The at least one processor is configured to access an intranet associated with the store, the intranet being accessed via a network identifier previously stored on the device in association with the store, and receive user input for a search. The at least one processor is configured to obtain, via the intranet, at least one of a query completion suggestion or search result having been targeted to the location of the store or the threshold distance of the location, and display the at least one of the query completion suggestion or the search result in association with the search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Anubhav Malhotra, John M. Hornkvist
  • Publication number: 20230281226
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that indexes donated content from an application on a device is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives donated content for an application object from the application. The device further associates a metadata tag for a topic to the donated content. In addition, the device indexes the donated content with the metadata tag in a local search index of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventors: Anubhav Malhotra, John M. Hörnkvist
  • Patent number: 11681718
    Abstract: A device implementing a system for limiting the scope of a search includes a processor configured to, receive, by a first application, first user input including at least a portion of a first search term, and to determine that a second application corresponds to the first search term. The processor is further configured to display a graphical element for activating a search filter that limits search results to content of the second application, and to receive second user input including selection of the graphical element. The processor is further configured to send, to the second application, a search request including at least one of the first search term or a second search term, to receive, from the second application, a completion suggestion or search result based on a search performed on the content of the second application, and to provide the completion suggestion or search result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Hornkvist, Anubhav Malhotra
  • Patent number: 11669550
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that indexes donated content from an application on a device is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives donated content for an application object from the application. The device further associates a metadata tag for a topic to the donated content. In addition, the device indexes the donated content with the metadata tag in a local search index of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Anubhav Malhotra, John M. Hörnkvist
  • Publication number: 20220365939
    Abstract: Methods and systems for client side search ranking improvements are disclosed. In one example, a search query is received from a user on a client device. The local search results are filtered based on the received search query and one or more local ranking rules. Features for each filtered local search result are computed. The computed features of each filtered local search result are input to one or more machine learning (ML) models. Each ML model can generate a score for each filtered local search result. The filtered local search results are ranked based on the generated score within a category. In one example, local search results and remote server search results are obtained. The local search results and remote server search results are ranked using at least one machine learning (ML) ranking model. The ranked local search results and remote server search results are displayed on the client device by category.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: John M. Hornkvist, Anubhav Malhotra, Rene Chan, Stanley Hung
  • Patent number: 11294911
    Abstract: Methods and systems for client side search ranking improvements are disclosed. In one example, a search query is received from a user on a client device. The local search results are filtered based on the received search query and one or more local ranking rules. Features for each filtered local search result are computed. The computed features of each filtered local search result are input to one or more machine learning (ML) models. Each ML model can generate a score for each filtered local search result. The filtered local search results are ranked based on the generated score within a category. In one example, local search results and remote server search results are obtained. The local search results and remote server search results are ranked using at least one machine learning (ML) ranking model. The ranked local search results and remote server search results are displayed on the client device by category.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Hornkvist, Anubhav Malhotra, Rene Chan, Stanley Hung
  • Publication number: 20210312004
    Abstract: A device implementing a system for providing location based search results includes at least one processor configured to detect that a location of a device is within a location of a store or within a threshold distance of the location, and establish a connection with a wireless network of the store. The at least one processor is configured to access an intranet associated with the store, the intranet being accessed via a network identifier previously stored on the device in association with the store, and receive user input for a search. The at least one processor is configured to obtain, via the intranet, at least one of a query completion suggestion or search result having been targeted to the location of the store or the threshold distance of the location, and display the at least one of the query completion suggestion or the search result in association with the search.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Anubhav MALHOTRA, John M. HORNKVIST
  • Patent number: 11113289
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that generates a re-ranking model used to re-rank a plurality of search results on a client device is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a crowd-sourced intra-domain model from a server, where the intra-domain model is a search result re-ranking model generated based on at least device interactions of a plurality of users interacting with a plurality of other devices. The device further generates a re-ranking model from the crowd-sourced intra-domain model and a local model, where the local model includes private data representing a device user's interaction with that device and the re-ranking model is used to re-rank a plurality of search results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hon Yuk Chan, John M. Hörnkvist, Lun Cui, Vipul Ved Prakash, Anubhav Malhotra, Stanley N. Hung, Julien Freudiger
  • Patent number: 11061983
    Abstract: A device implementing a system for providing location based search results includes at least one processor configured to detect that a location of a device is within a location of a store or within a threshold distance of the location, and establish a connection with a wireless network of the store. The at least one processor is configured to access an intranet associated with the store, the intranet being accessed via a network identifier previously stored on the device in association with the store, and receive user input for a search. The at least one processor is configured to obtain, via the intranet, at least one of a query completion suggestion or search result having been targeted to the location of the store or the threshold distance of the location, and display the at least one of the query completion suggestion or the search result in association with the search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Anubhav Malhotra, John M. Hornkvist
  • Patent number: 11036722
    Abstract: Described is a system (and method) for providing an application specific extended search that is initiated from a system-wide search application such as a “finder” application or service. The extended search may be automatically performed by an application (including a third-party applications) in order to search its own content from the search initiated within the system-wide search application. Accordingly, the system may provide an efficient and familiar search mechanism that provides a seamless extended search capability that may utilize additional search functionality available within particular applications themselves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: John M. Hornkvist
  • Patent number: 11003672
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that re-rank a plurality of search results is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a search query from a user and generates the plurality of search results over a plurality of search domains, wherein the plurality of search results is ranked according to a first ranking. The device additionally generates a re-ranking model, where the re-ranking model includes a plurality of intra-domain models that are generated based on at least based on-device interactions of a plurality of users interacting with a plurality of other devices and each of the plurality of search domains corresponds to one of the plurality of intra-domain models. The device further re-ranks the plurality of search results using the re-ranking model and presents the plurality of search results using the second ranking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Hon Yuk Chan, John M. Hörnkvist, Lun Cui, Vipul Ved Prakash, Anubhav Malhotra, Stanley N. Hung, Julien Freudiger
  • Patent number: 10885039
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for improving search results returned to a user from one or more search domains, utilizing query features learned locally on the user's device. A search engine can receive, analyze and forward query results from multiple search domains and pass the query results to a client device. A search engine can determine a feature by analyzing query results, generate a predictor for the feature, instruct a client device to use the predictor to train on the feature, and report back to the search engine on training progress. A search engine can instruct a first and second set of client devices to train on set A and B of predictors, respectively, and report back training progress to the search engine. A client device can store search session context and share the context with a search engine between sessions with one or more search engines. A synchronization system can synchronize local predictors between multiple client devices of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Hornkvist, Gaurav Kapoor
  • Patent number: 10824678
    Abstract: A device implementing a system for providing query completion suggestions includes at least one processor configured to receive a partial query, and derive one or more query completion suggestions for the partial query from content items that are locally stored on the device, each respective query completion suggestion being associated with metadata extracted from one of the content items from which the respective query completion suggestion was derived. The at least one processor is further configured to rank the one or more query completion suggestions based at least in part on the metadata associated with each of the one or more query completion suggestions. The at least one processor is further configured to provide, for display, at least one of the one or more ranked query completion suggestions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Hornkvist, Vivek Sehgal, Raffael Hannemann, Lun Cui, Alexandre Carlhian, Thomas Deniau, Raphaeal Mor
  • Publication number: 20200311068
    Abstract: A device implementing a system for limiting the scope of a search includes a processor configured to, receive, by a first application, first user input including at least a portion of a first search term, and to determine that a second application corresponds to the first search term. The processor is further configured to display a graphical element for activating a search filter that limits search results to content of the second application, and to receive second user input including selection of the graphical element. The processor is further configured to send, to the second application, a search request including at least one of the first search term or a second search term, to receive, from the second application, a completion suggestion or search result based on a search performed on the content of the second application, and to provide the completion suggestion or search result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: John M. HORNKVIST, Anubhav MALHOTRA
  • Patent number: 10642845
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for improving search results returned to a user from one or more domains, utilizing query features learned locally on the user's device. One or more domains can inform a computing device of one or more features related to a search query upon which to the computing device can apply local learning. A local search system can include a local database, a local search history and feedback history database, and a local learning system to identify features about query terms. The features can be learned from the user's interaction with both local search results and remote search results, without sending the user interaction information or other user identification information to a remote search engine. A locally learned feature can be used to extend a query, bias a query term, or filter query results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Hornkvist, Gaurav Kapoor
  • Publication number: 20200133960
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that indexes donated content from an application on a device is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives donated content for an application object from the application. The device further associates a metadata tag for a topic to the donated content. In addition, the device indexes the donated content with the metadata tag in a local search index of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Inventors: Anubhav Malhotra, John M. Hörnkvist
  • Patent number: 10621189
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that performs a search using a plurality of application states is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a plurality of application states from a plurality of applications running on a device. The device further creates an index of the plurality of application states. In addition, the device receives a query to search for data stored on the device. Furthermore, the device searches the plurality of application states using the index and the query. The device additionally determines a match for the query of one of the plurality of the application states and returns the match for the matching application state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Scott Linn, John M. Hörnkvist, Steven Jon Falkenburg, Vipul Ved Prakash, David Salim, Keith Stattenfield
  • Patent number: 10621246
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that indexes donatable content from a network site is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a requested document, where the requested document includes a plurality of tags. In addition, the device detects a donatable tag in the plurality tags that indicates the network site includes donatable content. In response to the detecting, the device sends a request for the donatable content to the network site. Furthermore, the device receives the donatable content from the network site. The device additionally indexes the donatable content into an on-device search index, where at least some of the index donatable content is further returned as a search result for an on-device search.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Anubhav Malhotra, John M. Hörnkvist
  • Patent number: 10592572
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that indexes an application state in a search query index. In this embodiment, receiving the application state of the application from another device coupled to the server. The device further generates a view of the application corresponding to the application state, wherein the view is a representation of a user interface of the application corresponding to the application state. In addition, the device indexes the view in a search query index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: David Salim, Vipul Ved Prakash, John M. Hörnkvist
  • Patent number: 10394839
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that selects an application state for use in a multi-device search is described. In this embodiment, the device detects, on the device, that the application state has been selected as a query result for a device-level search on that device. The device further transmits the application state to a server, wherein the application state is to be indexed with other application states from other devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vipul Ved Prakash, John M. Hörnkvist, Steven Jon Falkenburg, David Salim, Christopher Scott Linn, Keith Stattenfield, Lun Cui