Abstract: A server includes a processing device executing computer-readable instructions stored by a memory. A storage device includes a query log that stores search queries indicating a device identifier of the sender and a time that the search query was received by the server. The instructions include receiving a search request and recording a first time when the search request was received. The instructions include determining a second search query that the search server previously received from the same sender at a second time. The instructions include, in response to a time difference between the first time and the second time being less than a threshold time period, selecting an application based on the first search query and selecting an application state corresponding to the application based on the second search query. The instructions include generating a search result object based on the selected state record and the determined time difference.

Abstract: A system includes a user interface allowing a developer to select a function to supplement functionality of an application under development. A data store holds identifiers for functions representing external functionality available from third party applications. A code generation module provides a software object to the developer for incorporation into a state of the application. The state includes a user interface element associated with an entity. When the state is instantiated, an action query is transmitted to a search system with the unique identifier of the selected function and information about the entity. The user interface element is selectively visually adapted in response to the search system response. In response to user selection of the user interface element, a search result, the search system is displayed, including (i) an identifier of a target application and (ii) an access mechanism for a specified state of the target application, is displayed.

Abstract: A system includes a user interface presented to a developer. The developer selects a first function to supplement functionality of a first application with external functionality available from third party applications. A code generation module provides a software object to the developer for incorporation into a first state of the first application. The first state includes a user interface element associated with an entity. User selection of the user interface element initiates preparation of a query wrapper including a combination of the entity's name and a predefined text string corresponding to the first function. The query wrapper is transmitted to a search system and a result set is received and displayed. A first item of the result set includes an access mechanism for a specified state of a target application. User selection of the first item causes the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified state.

Abstract: A system includes a data store storing information identifying multiple functions and corresponding unique identifiers. Each of the functions corresponds to external functionality available from third party applications. The system receives a selection from an application developer of a function to supplement functionality of an application under development. The system provides a software object to the application developer for incorporation into a state of the application. The software object includes instructions for extracting text from the state and preparing a query wrapper including the corresponding unique identifier of the function and the extracted text. The instructions receive a result set, including an item that includes an identifier of a target application and an access mechanism for a specified state of the target application. The instructions display the item and, in response to user selection of the item, actuate the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified state.

Abstract: A system includes a user interface presented to a developer. The developer selects a first function to supplement functionality of a first application with external functionality available from third party applications. A code generation module provides a software object to the developer for incorporation into a first state of the first application. The first state includes a user interface element associated with an entity. User selection of the user interface element initiates preparation of a query wrapper including a combination of the entity's name and a predefined text string corresponding to the first function. The query wrapper is transmitted to a search system and a result set is received and displayed. A first item of the result set includes an access mechanism for a specified state of a target application. User selection of the first item causes the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified state.

Abstract: Techniques include broadcasting, via a local wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC), a uniform resource locator (URL) template (e.g., an alphanumeric string) that references a software application (app) and indicates one or more operations (e.g., a function) for the app to perform based on one or more parameters (e.g., alphabetic, numeric, and/or symbolic characters). In this example, the URL template includes one or more fields (e.g., placeholders) configured to indicate the parameters. The techniques further include, in response to broadcasting the URL template, receiving, from a mobile user device (e.g., a smartphone) via the network, a URL including (e.g., generated based on) the template, where the fields include one or more user-specified parameters specified by a user of the device. The techniques also include causing the software app to perform the operations (e.g., the function) based on the user-specified parameters included in the fields of the received URL.

Abstract: A system of one or more computing devices includes a user interface presented to a developer. A data store stores information identifying multiple functions, each corresponding to external functionality available from third party applications. The developer selects at least one of the functions to supplement functionality of a first application. A code generation module provides a software object for incorporation into the first application. The software object includes instructions for transmitting a query wrapper to a search system. The query wrapper includes a predefined text string corresponding to one of the functions selected by the developer. The software object includes instructions for receiving and displaying a result set including multiple items, each including a name and corresponding access mechanism of an application. The software object includes instructions for, in response to user selection of a first item, actuating the access mechanism to download or open the corresponding application.

Abstract: A search server that receives a search request from a mobile computing device, the search request comprising a first search query that comprises one or more search terms; utilizes stored search queries to determine a second search query received from the mobile computing device, the second search query being received within a threshold time period prior to the first search query; determines search results by identifying applications based on the stored information regarding the applications and the search terms in the first search query; for at least one application in the search results, determines a state of the application that corresponds with the second search query; and transmits a search result object comprising information regarding the applications determined based on the first search query and the states determined based on the second search query.

Abstract: A search server includes a storage device that stores card records. Each of the card records includes information associated with a respective application card to be provided in response to search queries. The search server includes a network communication device that receives a card request from a mobile computing device. The card request includes a search query. The search server includes a processing device that, based on the search query, selects a first card record from the stored card records. The processing device generates a first application card using the information included in the first card record. The processing device identifies a second card record based on information included in the first application card. The processing device selectively generates a second application card using information included in the second card record. The network communication device transmits the first application card and the second application card to the mobile computing device.

Abstract: A system stores information identifying functions and corresponding unique identifiers. Each of the functions corresponds to external functionality available from third party applications. An application developer selects one of the functions to supplement functionality of their application. The system provides a software object to the application developer. The software object includes instructions for, in response to user selection of a user interface element, preparing a query wrapper including the corresponding unique identifier of the function and an identifier of a corresponding entity. The instructions transmit the query wrapper to a search system and receive a result set from the search system. An item in the result set includes an access mechanism for a specified state of a target application. The instructions display the result set and, in response to user selection of the item, actuate the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified state.

Abstract: A system includes a data store storing information identifying multiple functions and corresponding unique identifiers. Each of the functions corresponds to external functionality available from third party applications. The system receives a selection from an application developer of a function to supplement functionality of an application under development. The system provides a software object to the application developer for incorporation into a state of the application. The software object includes instructions for extracting text from the state and preparing a query wrapper including the corresponding unique identifier of the function and the extracted text. The instructions receive a result set, including an item that includes an identifier of a target application and an access mechanism for a specified state of the target application. The instructions display the item and, in response to user selection of the item, actuate the access mechanism to open the target application to the specified state.

Abstract: A mobile computing device includes a touchscreen, a transceiver, a non-transitory memory, and a computing processor. The memory stores an installed, native first application associated with an operator of a search engine. Upon executing the computer-readable instructions, the processor displays a first graphical user interface (GUI) on the touchscreen via the first application. The processor receives a search query via the first GUI, including one or more search terms. The processor transmits the search query to the search engine via the transceiver. The processor receives search results from the search engine in response to transmitting the search query to the search engine. At least one of the search results includes a post-execution view of a second native application. The processor displays the post-execution view on the touchscreen. The post-execution view includes a second GUI that provides access to a function associated with the second native application.

Abstract: Techniques include broadcasting, via a local wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC), a uniform resource locator (URL) template (e.g., an alphanumeric string) that references a software application (app) and indicates one or more operations (e.g., a function) for the app to perform based on one or more parameters (e.g., alphabetic, numeric, and/or symbolic characters). In this example, the URL template includes one or more fields (e.g., placeholders) configured to indicate the parameters. The techniques further include, in response to broadcasting the URL template, receiving, from a mobile user device (e.g., a smartphone) via the network, a URL including (e.g., generated based on) the template, where the fields include one or more user-specified parameters specified by a user of the device. The techniques also include causing the software app to perform the operations (e.g., the function) based on the user-specified parameters included in the fields of the received URL.

Abstract: A search server stores a plurality of keywords, each associated with an entity type. The server stores grammar rules, each specifying one or more entity types. The server receives a search query with search terms and generates tokens by splitting the search terms, each token associated with a token position that indicates a location of the token within the query. The server generates n-grams. Each n-gram is associated with a start token position and an end token position. The server determines entity types for n-grams that correspond to the keywords and generates a mapping that maps the received entity types and the start token positions of the n-grams that correspond with the received entity types to the end token positions of the n-grams that correspond with the received entity types. The server identifies grammar rules based on the mapping and transmits a result based on the identified grammar rules.

Abstract: A card server that provides a card object to a mobile computing device in response to receiving a card request from the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device can utilize the card object to display an application card at the mobile computing device. The application card may include one or more list components. A list component may include multiple items. The card object may specify the items in the list component. Additionally, the card object may specify a display order for the items in the list component. The display order may indicate a sequence in which the items are to be rendered. The card server can determine the display order for the items based on user preferences associated with a user of the mobile computing device, and/or a search history of the user.

Abstract: A search server receives a first grammar rule and a second grammar rule via a network communication device. The first grammar rule specifies a first set of entity types and the second grammar rule specifies a second set of entity types. The intersection of the first and second sets includes at least one entity type. The search server generates a first grammar tree to represent the first grammar rule and a second grammar tree to represent the second grammar rule. The first root node of the first grammar tree and a second root node of the second grammar tree are identical. The search server merges the first and second grammar trees to form a merged grammar tree that represents a union of the first and second sets of entity types. The search server optimizes the merged grammar tree by purging duplicate nodes from each level of the merged grammar tree.

Abstract: A messaging system receives text typed by a user into a user device. An entity identification engine selectively identifies an entity within the received text based on a set of entities stored in an entity data store. A natural language action recognition engine selectively identifies a phrase corresponding to an action within the received text. A deep link identification module, in response to identifying the entity and the action, modifies a display on the user device to visually emphasize the text corresponding to the identified entity and/or action. A search system interface, in response to the user selecting the portion of the text, transmits a query to a search system, including the identified entity and action. In response, each of a set of application state results includes an identification of an application within which the application state is present and an access mechanism that navigates to the application state.

Abstract: Techniques include broadcasting, via a local wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC), a uniform resource locator (URL) template (e.g., an alphanumeric string) that references a software application (app) and indicates one or more operations (e.g., a function) for the app to perform based on one or more parameters (e.g., alphabetic, numeric, and/or symbolic characters). In this example, the URL template includes one or more fields (e.g., placeholders) configured to indicate the parameters. The techniques further include, in response to broadcasting the URL template, receiving, from a mobile user device (e.g., a smartphone) via the network, a URL including (e.g., generated based on) the template, where the fields include one or more user-specified parameters specified by a user of the device. The techniques also include causing the software app to perform the operations (e.g., the function) based on the user-specified parameters included in the fields of the received URL.

Abstract: A method is provided and includes: receiving at a processor of a user device a search query for an application; and obtaining search results based on the search query. Each of the search results includes: access information including a reference to an application executable on the processor and indicating an operation for the application to enter an operating state, where the application provides content related to the search query while in the operating state; a category; and a tag indicating a function of the application. The method further includes: displaying a search result objects; displaying a category or a tag for each category or tag represented in the search results; receiving an input indicating one of the categories or tags, which has been selected; and based on the selected category or tag, displaying a subset of the search results corresponding to the one of the categories or tags.

Abstract: A card server that provides a card object to a mobile computing device in response to receiving a card request from the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device can utilize the card object to display an application card at the mobile computing device. The application card may include one or more multi-value data fields. A multi-value data field refers to a data field with multiple values. The card object may specify the values of the multi-value data field. Additionally, the card object may specify a display order for the values in the multi-value data field. The display order may indicate a sequence in which the values are to be rendered. The card server determines the display order for the values based on a previous search query that the card server received from the mobile computing device.