Patent ID: 8676824

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, at a search engine, a first search query entered into a search engine user interface as a sequence of characters in a first language script by a user of a user device using a user device keyboard, the user device keyboard comprising a plurality of keys, the user device mapping keystrokes on the plurality of keys into characters in the first language script using a currently selected keyboard layout that defines a mapping from keys in the plurality of keys to characters in the first language script; obtaining a first search result responsive to the first search query; determining, by the search engine that the first search result has a number of items that is less than a threshold number, and, as a consequence: identifying a first keyboard layout corresponding to the characters in the first search query, wherein the first keyboard layout defines a first mapping from keyboard keys to characters in the first language script; determining a second keyboard layout from a plurality of possible keyboard layouts, each of which are different from the first keyboard layout, wherein the second keyboard layout defines a second mapping from keyboard keys to characters in a different, second language script; generating a second search query from the first search query by mapping the characters in the first search query to characters in the second language script by napping from characters in the first keyboard layout to characters in the second keyboard layout; obtaining a second search result responsive to the second search query; and transmitting the second search result to the user device in a response to the first search query.