Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media are provided for integrating native software help content with content from other data sources (e.g., community and/or expert sources). When a user signals that they'd like to engage a software help resource from one of various entry points within the software, the user is redirected to a search engine and a partial search query is formulated based upon perceived user intent and context within the software application. At least one attribute of a computing ecosystem associated with the user computing device is appended to the partial search query to create a complete search query and the complete search query is supplied to the search engine. The native help authority is integrated with contextual web results and both are presented to the user.

Abstract: A plurality of queries associated with a plurality of user query object submissions to a scratch pad application executing asynchronously as a background application to a first user application may be obtained. One or more search requests may be initiated to one or more search engines based on each one of the plurality of obtained queries. Cumulative search results of the one or more search requests may be obtained, the cumulative search results accumulated over the plurality of obtained queries. A set of accumulated results metadata may be obtained based on an analysis of the accumulated cumulative search results. A display of a summary of the cumulative search results based on a relevance analysis of the accumulated results metadata may be initiated.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing topical search suggestions are provided. Topical search suggestions allow a user to receive search results related to the designated topic or subject matter. Multiple topics may be generated based on search input provided by a user. The search input may be a search prefix that includes one or more words entered into the search query box before the completed search query is submitted to the search engine. A search interface may then present the topics derived from the search prefix to a user before the user submits the query. In another embodiment, the user designates multiple search inputs. Search results may be generated based on the search inputs and then present topics extracted from the search results. In one embodiment, the topics are extracted by performing a natural language analysis of search result metadata.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing topical search suggestions are provided. Topical search suggestions allow a user to receive search results related to the designated topic or subject matter. The present invention may generate multiple topics based on search input provided by a user. The search input may be a search prefix that includes one or more words entered into the search query box before the completed search query is submitted to the search engine. A search interface then presents the topics derived from the search prefix to a user before the user submits the query. In another embodiment, the user designates multiple search inputs. The present invention generates search results based on the search inputs and then presents topics extracted from the search results. In one embodiment, the topics are extracted by performing a natural language analysis of search result metadata.

Abstract: This patent application relates to button-activated contextual search techniques for providing contextually relevant search functionality on a display. The single button can be a search button on a pointing device (e.g., a computer mouse device, touch pad, track ball device, etc.) configured to move a pointer on the display. The pointer can be moved to a location that is on or near an entity on the display, allowing a search to be enabled and/or performed for that entity when the search button is activated (e.g., with a single user click). Furthermore, the search functionality can be based on one or more automatically generated search terms for the entity, and thus be contextually relevant to the entity.

Abstract: A plurality of queries associated with a plurality of user query object submissions to a scratch pad application executing asynchronously as a background application to a first user application may be obtained. One or more search requests may be initiated to one or more search engines based on each one of the plurality of obtained queries. Cumulative search results of the one or more search requests may be obtained, the cumulative search results accumulated over the plurality of obtained queries. A set of accumulated results metadata may be obtained based on an analysis of the accumulated cumulative search results. A display of a summary of the cumulative search results based on a relevance analysis of the accumulated results metadata may be initiated.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for providing topical search suggestions are provided. Topical search suggestions allow a user to receive search results related to the designated topic or subject matter. The present invention may generate multiple topics based on search input provided by a user. The search input may be a search prefix that includes one or more words entered into the search query box before the completed search query is submitted to the search engine. A search interface then presents the topics derived from the search prefix to a user before the user submits the query. In another embodiment, the user designates multiple search inputs. The present invention generates search results based on the search inputs and then presents topics extracted from the search results. In one embodiment, the topics are extracted by performing a natural language analysis of search result metadata.

Abstract: This patent application relates to button-activated contextual search techniques for providing contextually relevant search functionality on a display. The single button can be a search button on a pointing device (e.g., a computer mouse device, touch pad, track ball device, etc.) configured to move a pointer on the display. The pointer can be moved to a location that is on or near an entity on the display, allowing a search to be enabled and/or performed for that entity when the search button is activated (e.g., with a single user click). Furthermore, the search functionality can be based on one or more automatically generated search terms for the entity, and thus be contextually relevant to the entity.