Method and system for incremental search with reduced text entry where the relevance of results is a dynamically computed function of user input search string character count

摘要

A method and system are provided for processing a search request received from a user operating a text input device. The search request is directed at identifying a desired item from a set of items, each of which has one or more associated terms. The method includes receiving a query input from a user that comprises one or more characters input by the user on the text input device. As each character of the query input is received from the user, a group of items having one or more terms matching the received characters is dynamically identified. The items in the group are ordered based on relevance values of the terms matching the characters and on the number of characters of the query input used in identifying the group of items. Identification of the group of items as ordered is transmitted to the user to be displayed.