T 2388/17 - Predictive search results

 Key points

• The Board first explains the invention, starting from known search engines. “The application [filed by Google] concerns providing search query suggestions while the user is entering a search query and providing search results related to the search query suggestions. [] In the method proposed in the application, upon request from a client device, a search engine provides a search resource (e.g. a web search page) and interface instructions to the client device. The search resource and interface instructions (e.g. HTML and scripts) cause the client device to generate a search interface that includes a query input field. [] The characters entered by the user in the query input field are provided to the search engine in the form of query suggestion requests. In response to a query suggestion request, the search engine identifies query suggestions, and provides them to the client device. For example, if the user has typed "ba", the query suggestions may include "bank", "banksy", "Bankrate" and "ball". The client device presents the query suggestions to the user. []”
• The inventive feature is as follows. “After providing the query suggestions, the search engine determines if a condition referred to as "prediction criterion" is met. The prediction criterion [...] is met if a predefined time period expires before another query suggestion request is received. When the prediction criterion is met, search results corresponding to one of the query suggestions are sent to the client device and displayed [note the claim only says ‘providing search result to the client device’, not ‘displaying’]; otherwise, no search results are provided.”
• Just try it in Google - after typing a few letters of your search term you may move the mouse (or your finger) to one of the search terms in the list of suggestions. Apparently according to the invention  Google preloads the search results in the background during time you need for moving the mouse / moving your finger on a touch display, but not if you are still typing quickly. If I understand the decision correctly.
• The Board acknowledges inventive step. “In the prior-art method, search results are transmitted for each keystroke, even if the user immediately after a keystroke changes the query input by entering another keystroke and the results become obsolete. In order to avoid that, in the claimed invention the search engine waits for a predetermined time period. If the user does not enter a keystroke for a predetermined time period, i.e. if the user briefly pauses while typing, there is a higher probability that the user will not change the query input before the search results are displayed. Therefore, by waiting to see if the predefined time period elapses before another query suggestion request is received, i.e. before the next keystroke is entered, the search engine reduces the probability that search results are transmitted from the search engine to the client which are subsequently not of interest to the user, and thereby reduces the amount of data transmitted to the client. At the same time, the choice of a short period of time means that the search results still appear to the user without noticeable latency when the user briefly stops typing.”
• “the Board agrees with the appellant that the distinguishing features have the technical effect of reducing bandwidth usage whilst at the same time maintaining low latency.”

EPO T 2388/17 - link

(decision text omitted)