Abstract:
Systems and methods are provided to specify preferred search service setting in a system is disclosed. Such preferred search service setting may be shared by two or more applications there by alleviating the need to configure preferred search service multiple times by the user.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/006923 entitled “System And Method For Configuring And Sharing Search Settings” filed on Jun. 3, 2015, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure generally relates to the field of managing settings associated with applications. Particularly, the disclosure relates to a system and method for configuring a user preferred search service provider and sharing the preference across one or more applications of a system. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
         [0004]    A browser installed in a system allows the user to select a preferred search service provider among multiple search service providers. When a user conducts a search operation on a keyword or a phrase from within the browser, the browser delegates the search operation to the user preferred search service provider. 
         [0005]    Similarly other applications in a system may let the user select a preferred search service provider among multiple search service providers and use the user selected search service provider to delegate the search operation performed from within the application. 
         [0006]    There may be several applications installed in a system and configuring the preferred search service provider in each and every one of these applications is a tedious process. Further, if the user wants to change the preferred search service provider at a later stage, he is required to change the configuration across all the applications. For example, if the user prefers “Google” as the search service in all the applications, in order to achieve this, the user has to change the search service provider settings to “Google” in all the applications within the system. This is a tedious process. Also, if the user is not satisfied with “Google” and wants to change to his original search service provider or to a new search service provider, he has to again manually change the settings in all the applications. 
         [0007]    In view of the above drawbacks, there remains a need for a system and method for configuring a preferred search service and sharing the preferred search service across one or more applications installed in a system. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    The following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding to the reader. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure and it does not identify key/critical elements of the disclosure or delineate the scope of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts disclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
         [0009]    A method of providing search setting in a system, the method comprising (a) providing a search setting adapted to provide search engine setting functionality; said search setting comprising a plurality of search engine setting to select from (b) selecting at least one search engine setting; such that the selected search engine setting is applicable to at least two applications in said system. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, the system may be operating system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in anyway. Throughout the disclosure, like elements are represented by like reference numerals, which are given by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of the various embodiments. 
           [0012]    Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a system for configuring and sharing search settings in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary interface provided to the user to configure search settings by the client of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  depicts a portion of a browser showing a search operation being performed by the configured preferred search engine. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  depicts a portion of an application showing a search operation being performed by the configured preferred search engine. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a flow diagram of a method of configuring and sharing the preferred search service provider, in accordance with one or more preferred embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0020]    The use of “including”, “comprising” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. Further, the use of terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. 
         [0021]    Through the length of the specification and claims, the words “search service” and “search engine” are used interchangeably. 
         [0022]    Through the length of the specification and claims, the words “setting” and “option” are used interchangeably. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  depicts a system for configuring and sharing search settings in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. It will be understood and appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the system architecture  100  shown in  FIG. 1  is merely an example of one suitable computing system and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the present disclosure. Neither should the computing system architecture  100  be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement related to any single module/component or combination of modules/components illustrated therein. 
         [0024]    The system  100  comprises a search service unit  110 , a client  120  and a search service providers unit  140 . The search service unit  110 , the client  120  and the search service providers unit  140  all communicate over a network  130 . 
         [0025]    The network  130  can include any type of network known in the art or future-developed. In this regard, the network  130  may be an Ethernet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN), e.g., the Internet, or a combination of networks. 
         [0026]    The search service unit  110 , the client  120 , and the search service providers unit  140  may be, but are not limited to, a computer, handheld unit, mobile unit, consumer electronic unit, or the like. For simplicity sake only one search service unit  110  and only one search service providers unit  140  are shown in  FIG. 1 . In practice there may be multiple search service unit  110  and multiple search service providers unit  140 . 
         [0027]    The client  120  comprises of search settings configuration logic  121  and application logic  122 , along with search settings configuration data  123  and application data  124 . 
         [0028]    The search settings configuration logic  121  through an interface allows the user  125  to configure search settings. Such settings may include specifying the preferred search service. The settings configured by the user  125  are stored in the search settings configuration data  123  by the search settings configuration logic  121 . The search settings configuration logic  121  is further explained with respect to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0029]    In one embodiment, if a user  125  intends to perform a search operation from within the application logic  122 , the application logic  122  queries the search settings stored in the search settings configuration data  123  and performs the search operation using the settings retrieved from the search settings configuration data  123 . 
         [0030]    In another embodiment, if a user  125  intends to perform a search operation from within the application logic  122 , the application logic  122  queries the search settings stored in the search settings configuration data  123  through the search settings configuration logic  121  and performs the search operation using the settings retrieved from the search settings configuration data  123 . 
         [0031]    In yet another embodiment, the application logic  122  may provide an interface to specify search settings which are then stored in the application data  124  by the application logic  122 . When a search operation is performed from within the application logic  122 , the application logic  122  first checks if the application data  124  contains search settings. If so, the application logic  122  uses the search settings in the application data  124 . If the search settings are missing in application data  124 , the application logic  122  uses the search settings from search settings configuration data  123 . 
         [0032]    For simplicity sake only one application logic  121  and one application data  122  are shown in the client  120 . In practice there may be multiple application logics installed/running on the client  120 . 
         [0033]    The application logic  122 , may be, but not limited to, email applications, browser applications, word processors, office software suites, viewer(s), development tools, apps, applications, applets, or any other logic that will provide functionality and interface with the user  125 . 
         [0034]    Further, the configuration settings that may be provided to the user  125  by the search settings configuration logic  121  may be augmented. In this regard the system  100  further consists of search service providers unit  140 . For example, if the user  125  desired search service is not in the list, the search settings configuration logic  121  may first contact the search service providers unit  140  to get an updated list of search services and presents the list to the user  125  to select from. The search service providers unit  140  is further explained with respect to  FIG. 3 . 
         [0035]    In one embodiment, the search engine configuration logic  121  may be part of the operating system (not shown) of the client  120 . 
         [0036]    In some preferred embodiments, the client  120  is shown in  FIG. 2 . It should be noted, however, that embodiments are not limited to implementation on such computing devices, but may be implemented on any of a variety of different types of computing units within the scope of embodiments hereof. The client  120  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) is only one example of a suitable computing/search environment and it is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the disclosure. 
         [0037]    In some embodiments, the client  120  may include a bus  206 , a processor  201 , memory  202 , network device  203 , input device  204 , and an output device  205 . Bus  206  may include a path that permits communication among the components of the client  120 . 
         [0038]    The search settings configuration logic  121 , search settings configuration data  123 , application logic  122  and application data  124  may be stored as software in memory  202 . 
         [0039]    The memory  202  may be any type of computer memory known in the art or future-developed for electronically storing data and/or logic, including volatile and non-volatile memory. In this regard, memory  202  can include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, any magnetic computer storage unit, including hard disks, floppy discs, or magnetic tapes, and optical discs. 
         [0040]    The processor  201  comprises processing hardware for interpreting or executing tasks or instructions stored in memory  202 . Note that the processor  201  may be a microprocessor, a digital processor, or other type of circuitry configured to run and/or execute instructions. 
         [0041]    The network device  203  may be any type of network unit (e.g., a modem) known in the art or future-developed for communicating over a network  130  ( FIG. 1 ). In this regard, the client  120  ( FIG. 1 ) communicates with the search service providers unit  140  ( FIG. 1 ) and the search service unit  110  ( FIG. 1 ) over the network  130  ( FIG. 1 ) via the network device  203 . 
         [0042]    The input device  204  is any type of input unit known in the art or future-developed for receiving data. As an example, the input unit  204  may be a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, a serial port, a scanner, a camera, or a microphone. 
         [0043]    The output device  205  may be any type of output unit known in the art or future-developed for displaying or outputting data. As an example, the output device  205  may be a liquid crystal display (LCD) or other type of video display unit, a speaker, or a printer. 
         [0044]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary user interface  300  displayed by the search settings configuration logic  121  ( FIG. 1 ) to the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ) in order to set the search settings that can be shared across multiple applications. In the interface  300 , the user may select his preferred search service setting from the list  301 - 305 . In the exemplary interface  300 , the user selected “Funtoi”  301  as his preferred search service. If the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ) doesn&#39;t like the choices  301 - 305 , the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ) may select “Get More Search Providers . . .”  306  and the search settings configuration logic  121  ( FIG. 1 ) may augment the list  301 - 305  with additional search engines retrieved from the search service providers unit  140  ( FIG. 1 ). Once the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ) selected the desired settings, he may select “OK”  307  to save the settings in the search settings configuration data  123  (FIG.  1 ) and other applications running in the system may use the settings saved in the search settings configuration data  123  ( FIG. 1 ). 
         [0045]    Note that in other embodiments, further settings that are associated and/or unique to selected search engine may be configured with user interface  300 . These settings may be provided to the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ) within the user interface  300  (not shown) or in a window (not shown) upon selection of a preferred search engine. For example, the user  125  may specify the number of maximum results that that a search engine may return. 
         [0046]      FIG. 4  depicts a portion of browser application  400  showing a search operation being performed by the configured preferred search engine. Assume that the user set “Funtoi” as his preferred search engine using the interface shown in  FIG. 3 . On selecting the keyword “New York”, the application queries the search settings configuration data  123  ( FIG. 1 ) and displays an option “Search Funtoi for “New York” represented by  403 . While the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ) selects the option  403 , the “Funtoi”” search engine is invoked and search results for the words “New York” returned by “Funtoi” may be displayed to the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ). 
         [0047]      FIG. 5  depicts a portion of word processor application  500  showing a search operation being performed by the configured preferred search engine. Assume that the user set “Funtoi” as his preferred search engine using the interface shown in  FIG. 3 . On selecting the keyword “New York”, the application queries the search settings configuration data  123  ( FIG. 1 ) and displays an option “Search Funtoi for “New York”” represented by  503 . While the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ) selects the option  503 , the “Funtoi” search engine is invoked and search results for the words “New York” returned by “Funtoi” may be displayed to the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ). 
         [0048]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart  600  illustrating one method in accordance with present disclosure. In step  602 , the user is allowed to configure the search options for the one or more applications  122  ( FIG. 1 ) by the search settings configuration logic  121  ( FIG. 1 ). While configuring the search settings, in step  604  the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ) verifies if the preferred search engine is available in the list presented by the search settings configuration logic  121  ( FIG. 1 ) in the interface  300  ( FIG. 3 ). If the preferred search engine is available in the list, at step  606  the user  125  ( FIG. 1 ) selects the preferred search engine as the preferred search engine for the application logic  122  ( FIG. 1 ). If the preferred search engine is not available in the list, at step  608  the search settings configuration logic  121  ( FIG. 1 ) may add more search engines to the list from an updated list of search engines from the search service providers unit  140  ( FIG. 1 ). 
         [0049]    The claimed subject matter has been provided here with reference to one or more features or embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize and appreciate that, despite of the detailed nature of the exemplary embodiments provided here, changes and modifications may be applied to said embodiments without limiting or departing from the generally intended scope. These and various other adaptations and combinations of the embodiments provided here are within the scope of the disclosed subject matter as defined by the claims and their full set of equivalents.